How Bernard Cuvilly lowered his A1C levels through Healthy Living classes
Before Bernard Cuvilly’s father passed in 2018, he had been on dialysis for nine long years.
Struggling with advanced kidney disease, he told Bernard – do what it takes and “don’t go on the dialysis chair” – a grim reminder that he had spent years sitting, just to keep his kidneys functional.
Bernard, himself, in his 50s – was not in great shape at the time. When Bernard started his journey toward better health, he smoked, he was overweight, and his A1C – used as a benchmark of diabetes – was 10.2, more than five points above a healthy range. “I didn’t realize it was a problem yet – (A1C) was just a number to me.”
Bernard was also sedentary and ate what he wanted. “Soda and pasta,” he said. “That’s what I loved.”
But his primary care physician, Madeline Fortin, MD, was concerned. A family physician at the Kaiseer Permanente TownPark Comprehensive Medical Center, she wanted Bernard to make some changes, and she started with recommending he try out some Healthy Living classes.
Bernard did.
As a matter of fact, Bernard, 54, ended up taking four classes: Diabetes: The Basics, What Can I Eat?, Managing Health Risks, and Beyond the Basics. And in less than a year, he has turned his health journey around.
Armed with the knowledge that each class gave him made a difference. Bernard started changing his lifestyle, quitting smoking, walking, and dramatically altering his diet.
He gave up the soda and pasta “cold turkey.” Bernard stopped eating white bread, and after craving rice, started swapping it out for quinoa. Most of the time he is joined by his wife – a chef by trade – but “she basically still eats what she wants,” Bernard said with a laugh. “She eats ice cream still,” he said, “but no ice cream for me.”
Bernard also started walking – and consistently walked for an hour to an hour and a half every day. His wife, who at first went with him, finally said he walked too long for her, but he kept at it for months.
But his results drove him forward – he’s gone from being 227 pounds to 180 pounds. His A1C has dropped from 10.2 to 6.1 – well within a healthy range.
More importantly, seeing such progress, Bernard now strives for healthy opportunities as he treasures his father’s advice – and moves away from a legacy of dialysis and kidney disease.
“I run up the stairs,” he said. “Just because now I can do it.”
