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With The Help of KVCH, Diabetes Does Not Ground Local Pilot
Mike Katz was flying high, pursuing his passion for aviation as a private pilot. Then a routine FAA in the spring of 1998 revealed that Katz had Type 2 Diabetes. The diagnosis, which not only threatened how long he might be able to continue flying but also threatened his overall health, was no stranger. Both his father and an uncle had diabetes.
"My father got an infection in a toe (a complication of his diabetes) and wound up without a leg just below the knee," Katz says. "They made him an artificial leg but he never wore it. The last seven years of his life he was pretty much in a wheelchair."
That vivid reminder of what diabetes can do if blood sugar isn't well controlled isn't lost on Katz. "I don't want to lose my legs," he says. "I had that example."
Intent on writing a different outcome for his life and determined to fly as long as possible, Katz embarked on an effort to develop a healthier lifestyle. Click Here To Read Mike's full story.
KVCH Living Well Seminars Help Local Woman Reach Goal
Sometimes the best prescription for living well is a sense of purpose.
Count Nancy Clarke, a volunteer at Kittitas Valley Community Hospital (KVCH), proof positive.
Flash back 15 years. Clarke and her family arrive in Ellensburg, buy some land and build a home. Clarke, who grew up in New Jersey, says she was drawn to Ellensburg "by the place and by the people." Years later, that hasn't changed.
But Clarke's life has. One day not long after settling here Clarke finds that her balance is shot and she can't ride a bicycle. Then comes the time that Clarke, a seasoned horsewoman, climbs into the saddle and falls off the other side.
"I knew something was wrong," she says. And thus began an inescapable journey down a path no one would voluntarily choose. Click Here To Read Nancy's Full KVCH Story.
It wasn't a case of simple ignorance that kept Cle Elum's Tessy Balaoro from calling 911 when she started experiencing heart attach symptoms. After all, even the informed aren't always immune to a case of stubborn denial.
The Foundation is honored to support KVCH's family of patient centered healthcare services. For more information on the programs and services mentioned in our pateint stories or for more information on how you can support these life-saving programs please contact the Foundation office at 509-933-8669.
