Juan Davis gave up his habit of eating M&Ms but his Franklin office is still filled with the candy-themed toys

Brentwood Home Page news reports
Take one look around Juan Davis’ office and you may think you were in a miniature M&M museum. An assortment of accessories and paraphernalia featuring the iconic candy-coated chocolates occupy his desk and bookshelves.

“My M&M craving was so bad I kept my nightstand next to my bed filled with them,” says Davis, superintendent of Franklin’s Waste Water Treatment Plant. “I would wake up with four or five candy wrappers in bed with me every morning.”

Nearly a year ago, Davis received bitter news that would force him to choose between his health and his beloved sweets.

A Williamson Medical Center health screening provided by the City of Franklin to its employees last January revealed an alarmingly high level of glucose in Davis’ blood—an indicator of diabetes.

“I got the paperwork back, and the doctor who read the labs actually wrote down his phone number, so I knew it had to be bad,” says Davis. “I’m an extreme lover of M&M’s, starchy foods and eating out, so finding out I had diabetes gave me a dismal outlook for the future.”

In fact, when Davis was first diagnosed, he says he essentially quit eating altogether.

“I was scared. I didn’t want to face it, but I also knew my cousin had died from complications of diabetes,” Davis says. “It was a real wake-up call to learn how severely out of control my type 2 diabetes had become.”

About 7 million Americans are like Davis before his wake-up call — living undiagnosed with diabetes, a serious and potentially life-threatening disease. Complications from diabetes can lead to heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, blindness, kidney disease, nervous system disease and amputation.

Upon diagnosis, Davis immediately scheduled a consultation with a primary care physician. He was placed on medication, but he also wanted to get an understanding of what diabetes is and how to control it. He attended a diabetes self-management class at Williamson Medical Center, which includes basic diabetes education, glucose monitoring and goal setting, nutrition and meal planning, and exercise. The five-hour class is taught by a registered dietitian and a nurse educator.

“The registered dieticians taught me about counting carbohydrates in addition to sugar, as well as portion control, and, most of all, I learned that even though I could no longer have an unlimited number of M&M’s, by selecting healthy foods and planning when to eat, I would feel better and gain control of diabetes,” Davis says.

Certified diabetes educator Maureen Chace, R.N., B.S.N., C.D.E., says Davis is a true success story.

“In the diabetes self-management class, the dietician and nurse instructors can give patients the knowledge and support to empower them to make lifestyle changes,” Chace says. “But ultimately, patients have to be motivated to go home and put these best practices to work. Juan has taken his diabetes diagnosis as a serious health threat, and he’s made lifestyle changes to manage the disease.”

Davis also has implemented a strict exercise regimen into his daily lifestyle. He goes to the gym five days a week, and since his diagnosis of diabetes last winter, he’s lost nearly 15 pounds.

“I loved ripping open those bags of M&M’s, but I love living a healthy, controlled life even better,” Davis says. “Sometimes change is good. I feel better and I know my life is headed in a different direction with a positive outcome."

The community-focused hospital offers a wide range of wellness services, screenings and classes. For more information about Williamson Medical Center, visit www.williamsonmedicalcenter.org.