Wanda Santiago
After being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, Wanda Santiago has lost more than 30 pounds through healthier eating and exercise habits, which is helping keep her condition under control.
Wanda Santiago, a Registrar at Northwell Health’s New Hyde Park campus, went to see her primary care doctor last spring with concerns about her weight—and her health. She had put on nearly 60 pounds over the course of a few years, and felt tired and sluggish almost all the time. “My energy level had always been high, so I was worried,” she said. “I knew something wasn’t right.”
Wanda’s fears were confirmed when her doctor told her that she had Type 2 diabetes and prescribed Metformin (a diabetes drug that helps regulate blood sugar levels). Type 2 diabetes put Wanda at risk for a number of conditions, including heart disease, hypertension, kidney disease and cataracts, but her doctor told her she could lower her risk if she took her medication and made some lifestyle changes. “I was relieved to know that there was a lot I could do to bring the diabetes under control,” she said. “But I was scared as well, because I knew that change can be hard.”
It’s been quite a year, but I wouldn’t have known where to begin, or why it was so important, without my health benefits. Living a healthier life has been worth every bit of effort. I’m full of energy and feel like my old self again!
Registrar
Northwell Health’s New Hyde Park
Wanda immediately stopped drinking sugary soda and was soon drinking as many as eight glasses of water a day. She also cut fast foods, except on very rare occasions. “We used to eat a lot of takeout,” she said. “But not anymore!” She and her husband, Oscar Lopez, now enjoy homemade meals, with salads, baked chicken, and fresh fruits and vegetables among their favorites.
Following her doctor’s recommendation, Wanda began walking regularly, and it didn’t take long before she had established a healthy routine. She walks for at least 30 minutes in the morning and then goes out again at lunchtime when the weather is nice, using an exercise tracker to track her progress. “I hit 10,000 steps every day,” she said proudly.
Wanda knew that her healthier habits were making a difference when she lost 10 pounds in less than six months. When she went to a Benefit Fund health fair at Northwell a few months later, she learned she had lost 20 pounds. Motivated by her progress, she has since lost another 11 pounds, putting her more than halfway to her goal weight of 140 pounds. Her blood sugar levels are back within a healthy range, and if she sticks with her healthy lifestyle, she may no longer need medication—another one of her goals. “It’s been quite a year, but I wouldn’t have known where to begin, or why it was so important, without my health benefits,” she said. “Living a healthier life has been worth every bit of effort. I’m full of energy and feel like my old self again!”
Raymund Paolo Cordero had grown up in the Philippines, where life, he said, was “challenging.” He earned his BA in Nursing, but employment prospects were dim. His wife, Maria, whom he’d met in nursing school, had emigrated to the U.S. in 2008, and encouraged him to join her. “I was so excited,” Raymund said. He landed his first job in healthcare at a non-1199SEIU dialysis center, working 16-hour days. When he was offered a position as an acute hemodialysis nurse at Mount Sinai Brooklyn, he took it. The salary that would take him a month to earn in the Philippines he was suddenly making in three hours. And he’s now able to provide for his family, which has grown to include his 4-year-old, daughter, Iris, and his 1 1/2-year-old, son, Rafael. In 2017, Raymund took advantage of the 1199SEIU Citizenship Program and became a U.S. citizen in 2018. Now he’s set his sights on earning his master’s degree in Nursing Management. “Everyone has a purpose,” Raymund said. “Everyone can make a contribution.”
Physicians and other healthcare professionals have long seen a correlation between physical and mental health. In the past decade or so, numerous studies have confirmed this link and have led to improved treatment options. For example, it’s not uncommon today for doctors to recommend that hypertensive patients improve their diet while also instructing them to practice stress–reduction techniques. We’ve learned that high stress levels alone can trigger a spike in blood pressure and increase the risk of heart disease. Of course, your Benefit Fund has always embraced whole–person care, which is why our Wellness Member Assistance Program offers health fairs, seminars, classes, presentations and workshops at your workplace that address both physical and mental health.