Anderson Radio DJ Legend Uses His Golden Voice To Bring Awareness To Diabetes.....
Disclaimer:
Original article written and produced by Mike Ellis of the
Anderson IndependentMail published 11/3/17. I did not write any portion of this
article nor do I claim credit or intentionally intend any
plagiarism or infringement of their copy-rights. It is re-posted here in order
to help further reach, teach, educate, inspire and inform the
Urban community of Anderson about diabetes that visit this site.
Sincerly Dj Tuc Chief Webmaster.
He had diabetes. Surprise.
He was born with only one kidney. Surprise.
Ten days later, he was out and had another surprise. He’s embracing it.
“The thing I’m going to be is a drum major for diabetes,” Jones said.
A
disc jockey, Jones spins old-school R&B under the name of Sir Jones
on
weekday nights on 95.3 FM. He's one of at least 28,000 South Carolinians each
year who learn they have diabetes. About one in seven adults in the state —
roughly 14 million people — have diabetes. And Jones didn’t just have it, he had it bad.
weekday nights on 95.3 FM. He's one of at least 28,000 South Carolinians each
year who learn they have diabetes. About one in seven adults in the state —
roughly 14 million people — have diabetes. And Jones didn’t just have it, he had it bad.
- Jones went into AnMed Health Medical Center’s emergency room in early October with blood sugar levels of 1,187 mg/dl. A level of 100 is a good target for someone with diabetes.
- His blood glucose test was around 23; a normal level would be below 5.7 and a 6.5 indicates diabetes, according to the Mayo Clinic.
AnMed Health emergency room physician Dr. Kimberly King said Jones’ numbers were jaw dropping.
“By
far the highest I’ve ever seen,” she said of his blood glucose test. “I
didn’t realize the test would go that high. And he was just sitting
there making jokes, so normal.”
Jones, who has type 2 diabetes, was an extreme case, said Dr. Zafar Hossain, an AnMed Health internist who also treated Jones.
“I was supposed to be dead in other words,” Jones said.
Jones agreed to let his doctors discuss his case to help bring attention to diabetes in Anderson and other communities.
Hossain
said Jones had a number of health problems he didn’t even realize. Long
term high blood sugar levels had put pressure on his organs, and the
complications required surgeries to relieve urinary tract issues and
other problems.
“The moral of the story is to seek
help, go to a medical professional intermittingly and seek corrective
treatment,” Hossain said.
How Jones learned he had diabetes
During his nightly radio gigs in late September, Jones couldn’t keep himself together.
“I
was feeling weak and nauseous,” he said. “I had to keep turning the mic
off. When I got ready to talk, I’d get emotional. If I forced myself, I
would hear my voice tremble. It’d go out on the airwaves.”
His
wife Lugenia Jones, known on the air as Star-Child’s, took over when he
couldn’t talk. She’d deliver the station ID and the names of the songs
while her husband worked the equipment.
Jones thought he just needed to detox a bit so he made a home concoction with honey.
All that extra sugar was just the wrong thing. It was the last straw.
He had inflammation in his leg and was having urinary problems. The most serious problems, however, were internal.
“I’m
laying there like an exhibit, doctors and nurses coming in to see me,”
he said. “According to their scientific understandings, I shouldn’t have
been alive.”
What Sir Jones can teach us
It’s
not unusual for patients to come in with diabetes-related problems,
problems they could have addressed earlier with a visit to a primary
doctor or provider before it became unavoidable, said King, the
emergency room doctor.
“It’s devastating to see
someone who’s had diabetes for a long time but didn’t know it,” she
said. “It is notorious for hurting blood vessels.”
The internal damage can hurt kidneys, the nervous system and lead to vision problems.
The
symptoms are often minor: Extra thirst and urination are the most
common signs, King said. Other symptoms include extreme hunger, weight
gain, fatigue, numbness or tingling in hands or feet, wounds that won’t
heal, vaginal infections, sexual problems, and blurry vision, according
to the American Diabetes Association. Men are historically more
reluctant to seek medical attention and that has led to shorter lives
for men than women, the association says. Black men, like Jones, are
especially vulnerable, according to the American Diabetes Association.
Hossain said he sees the same pattern locally.
“We
have a bunch of people in our community with a number of serious health
problems and diseases. Diabetes is a big one,” he said. “If these
diseases, and certainly diabetes, are caught earlier it can save lives.
It may not cause you any pain until you’re way down the line. If we
catch it early on, it can maybe be diet and exercise and monitoring. As
it progresses, you may need to take tablets. And if it progresses,
you’ll need some type of insulin injection.”
Jones said he’s going to continue to be a drum major for diabetes, sounding the alarm and encouraging people to get tested.
The
old-school R&B disc jockey said he’s been blasting some tunes that
help: James Brown’s “I Feel Good” and McFadden & Whitehead’s “Ain’t
No Stopping Us Now.”
“We need to be more
conscience of our family members, ourselves and our girlfriends and
wives,” Jones said. “Just don’t back away from it. It won’t go away by
ignoring it. If I hadn’t seen someone, I might have ended up dead. I
don’t want you to have a moment like Stevie Jones. Be the leader in your
family, your group and at your job.”
Follow Mike Ellis on Twitter @MikeEllis_AIM
Ways to reduce risk of diabetes
- Quit smoking: 16 percent of diabetics smoke
- Lose weight: 88 percent of diabetics were overweight or obese
- Get active: 41 percent of diabetics were inactive or getting less than 10 minutes a week of moderate or vigorous activity
- Eat healthier: diet is important to maintaining healthy blood sugar levels
Hey thats 95.3 Sir Jones, he is such a spirited man of talent. I didn't know about that article. Thanks Mr. Tuc for covering our hometown local hero's. Ms Bev Johnson..
ReplyDeleteThanks you ma'am I do my best to add value to the community I'm from..
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