Lurline and Quinnie are neighbors who are like family.  They face life with diabetes together. Their friendship is good medicine. As Lurline puts it,  “Everyone should have a Quinnie in their life.”

As a clinical associate in nursing for many years, Lurline Riley knew the warning signs of diabetes.  She ignored the signs until she was diagnosed in 1989. She recalls, “Hurricane Hugo came and then came my diabetes.”   She was put on diabetes pills and would check her blood sugar, but it usually ran high. She wasn’t in control. She admits that she didn’t want to accept the fact that she had diabetes. One morning she didn’t check her blood sugar, because it would be checked at her doctor’s appointment. At the doctor’s office the nurse checked Lurline’s blood sugar and asked how she felt.  Lurline answered that she was sleepy, and hadn’t felt good for a while. The nurse asked if Lurline had checked her sugar, and Lurline said no, since she wanted to save her strips. When the doctor came in he said, “Well, you’re going in the hospital. Your sugar is 918.” Because of her serious condition, Lurline went by ambulance to the hospital. She spent 4 days there and was put on insulin. But since then, she has not been hospitalized for diabetes.

When Quinnie Gilliard was diagnosed with diabetes in February 2002 she took charge. She said, “I accepted it when I first found out. Lord, you gave this to me, and it’s left to me now to take care of my health. If I take one step, you’ll take two. I’m going to get off these pills.” When she got diagnosed, she started right then trying to get others to prevent diabetes. Her doctor referred her to diabetes classes. She learned a lot. When first diagnosed she was told she’d have to wait to start attending class because of limited space. Quinnie insisted that she get some instruction and learn right away. The diabetes educator worked her into class sooner. She went to diabetes education classes, got a lot of information, and reported her blood sugar numbers to her doctor every week. She watched what she ate, exercised, and lost weight. At one doctor’s visit, her doctor told her, “I am very impressed.” He reduced the pills he prescribed for her. She says,
“Once a diabetic, always a diabetic, but you can control it. Don’t let it control you. Keep it under control.”

She exercises 1 hour, 3 times a week in a low impact program for seniors. In class they teach how to get all your body moving.  Now Quinnie is on no medication and controls her diabetes by eating healthy and with regular exercise. 

Quinne is always getting after Lurline to exercise and eat right. Quinnie said, “If she would just follow me, she would be smaller.” Lurline points out that walking up and down the halls of the hospital for 12 hours at work is a lot of exercise. Quinnie agrees, but wants Lurline to walk regularly for her own health. Lurline insists, “On your feet for 12 hours ain’t no picnic. Three days a week, 12 hours a day. But I’m going to start walking. It’s too hot right now.”  With a nod and smile towards Quinnie,  Lurline smiles and says, “There’s no excuse around her.” Lurline knows Quinnie cares.

You have to set your own goals, but it doesn’t hurt to have a friend looking over your shoulder. For instance, when they go to the grocery store together, Quinnie will often tell Lurline, ‘You don’t need that. Put it back.’ Once Lurline wanted ice cream so bad. At the time Lurline thought to herself, “I have the wrong person in the store with me today,” but  then said, “Oh well, I don’t need no ice cream today. I was ready to cheat, but the Lord sent her to the store with me because I wasn’t supposed to cheat. If she weren't there, I probably would have gotten the ice cream and sat in the middle of my bed with a big bowl of ice cream, knowing that I shouldn’t have done it, and feel bad later.”

Friends support and help Lurline and Quinnie. Lurline retired in March of 2004. On her former job, all her co-workers knew about her diabetes. They were just like family, too. Patients would bring in sweets for the nurses, and they would not allow Lurline to have any. They cared about her. She’s changed her eating habits. She started drinking diet sodas and adjusted to the taste. Now you can’t get her to drink a regular soda. Most of all, she drinks a lot of water, which is good for her kidneys.

Lurline agrees that Quinnie is truly blessed because her diabetes was caught early.  A lot of people right now need that education, because they are walking around with diabetes and don’t even know it. Along the way, Lurline and Quinnie met Anna Johnson, REACH 2010 Community Health Advisor, and they all work together to help spread diabetes education. Lurline says,
“Since I’ve been with REACH 2010, I’ve learned a whole lot more. I had diabetes a long time before I met Quinnie. Support is so important. ”

Lurline and Quinnie are living life to the fullest with help from each other, their family and friends. They are also helping others in the community learn about diabetes. Quinnie serves as the leader of the health ministry at the Greater Trinity AME Church, and Lurline is president of the nurses ministry of Morris Street Baptist Church.

They hope their story helps more people learn how to better manage diabetes.
 

 

 

Ms. Harney's Story . Ms. Linnen's Story .
Mr. William's Story . Ms. Dilligard's Story