She is an American Heart Association and an American Diabetes Association Ambassador.
Hyvelle and her husband, Ivan, are raising three children Britteny, Ethan, and Viere.
Hyvelle now heals through her inspirational speaking and writing, touching more lives.
Photo courtesy of Hyvelle Ferguson-Davis / Owner Zoe Hansen
Growing up, my family never talked about diabetes.
My mother had it.
My grandmother had it.
My father had it, andhe went blind from it.
But we never talked about it.
Sometimes my mother was sick, and people would say, Oh, its sugar.
My Diagnosis
By the time I was diagnosed, I had diabetes symptoms for years.
I had to urinate frequently, drinking 3 to 4 liters of soda daily because I was thirsty.
As debilitating as the symptoms were, I brushed them off for years.
When I finally got my diagnosis, I was shocked.
MyA1Cwas 12.5, which is insanely high.
After I had my son, I stopped taking the disease as seriously.
I thought I could use medication to compensate for my eating habits.
People think thats enough, but without making those changes, diabetes can be fatal.
I had a bad headache and was saying things that didnt make sense.
I left work early and went home for the day.
My daughter noticed I was slurring my words, so my sister called 911.
The EMTs came, and when they checked my blood pressure, it was off the charts.
I didnt go in until the following day when I woke up and couldnt move my leg.
I had had astroke.
I remember being in the hospital, unable to move, speak, or comprehend what was happening.
The years of unhealthy habits had finally caught up to me.
One night, after my long and difficult recovery from the stroke, I noticed something wasnt right.
My chest felt heavy, and I was having strange pains.
I knew this wasnt normal, so I returned to the ER and discovered Id had aheart attack.
I was rushed to the ICU, and I had to undergoquadruple bypass surgery.
The pain was excruciating, but the fear was even worse.
Youre always ready for the journey.
Taking Action
They never list diabetes on your death certificate.
Its always a heart attack or a stroke.
But for me, diabetes was where it all started.
I realized after my heart attack that something had to change.
As a Black woman, youre always fighting somethingfinancial issues, family issues, issues with children.
Youre always ready for the journey.
I started learning as much as I could about blood sugar, insulin, and cholesterol.
I swapped out soda, juice, and sweet tea for water.
I started eating salad twice daily and using olive oil instead of vegetable oil.
I gave up pork and beef.
I started paying attention to nutrition labels.
But I could take a new path by making these small, incremental changes.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health.Diabetes and African Americans.
