Spilyay Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon
March 15, 2017
Page 3
Living with Diabetes
My journey to becoming healthy
by Marcia Soliz
I am sharing my bariatric
journey—surgery to close
off part of my stomach—
to support those individuals
who are thinking about hav-
ing this weight loss proce-
dure, or who have already
had it.
During my 67 years of
life, I had many doctor ap-
pointments at IHS. I had
medical referrals for nu-
merous health concerns, and
several surgeries.
I was prescribed a wide
variety of medications and
pain medications. I was a
diabetic for 14 years, hav-
ing to use insulin and pills.
I was obese. I was an un-
healthy person getting more
and more miserable and de-
pressed.
I felt like a bother, and
constantly in pain.
One of my referrals was
because my liver was acting
up and enlarged.
The doctor I was re-
ferred to was very up front
and honest about my obe-
sity being a primary cause
leading to my bad diabetes
impacting my liver.
He strongly recom-
mended bariatric surgery.
At that time I was unaware
that the tribal Managed Care
program had never ap-
proved this type of proce-
dure to be covered for pay-
ment, or that I was the first
Warm Springs Native per-
sons to have bariatric sur-
gery.
When I realized this I
thought about it and decided
I had to be successful so
that others could get ap-
proved to have this oppor-
tunity to become healthier.
It was stressful at first. In
order to see the surgeon I
was required to complete a
564 question psychological
evaluation, attend classes on
diet, and go to the Sleep Cen-
ter.
I also had appointments
with a dietitian and a psy-
chologist.
I learned a lot, and every-
thing my mom tried to teach
me was absolutely rein-
forced.
I was told I had to lose
20 pounds so the liver could
shrink and other organs
would be okay for surgery.
I had to do this so the three
surgical instruments would
be able to get to where they
needed to be. This was a
huge challenge because I
never tried to diet before.
All along, as a big ger
woman, I walked 15 laps
around the old grade school
track, and continued to do
this to keep my heart and
lungs strong for the surgery.
The okay came for sur-
gery, and I was ready as I
could be.
I was only in for one and
a half days at Good Samari-
tan in Portland. I went back
to work after a week. By
then the weight had already
started coming off.
It was really hard respond-
ing to people’s curious ques-
tions. I was continually
asked, “Are you sick?” When
really it was the complete
opposite: I was getting bet-
ter.
The other question was,
“How much are you going
to lose?”
This was impossible to an-
swer, because only my body
by Marcia Soliz
would know when it had lost
enough.
There were a lot of days
when I didn’t want to see any-
body, but had to go to work.
Every couple weeks, I had to
try to find a size or two smaller
clothes, so I shopped at Good-
will, one of my favorite
stores.
Within six and a half
months I had lost 120
pounds. At one point there
was concern about muscle
loss due to the quick volume
of weight loss.
It has now been 6 years
and eight months.
As much as my mind tells
me I am hungry, my body
system says No, and doesn’t
allow me to overeat.
I take vitamins now, drink
water, sneak a diet soda from
time to time, and stay active.
I sleeps better, so I have
lots of energy. I eat healthier
foods and eat a lot less.
My diabetes no longer ex-
ists. It was gone a few days
after surgery. My blood pres-
sure is great (106/62 ), A1c
is 5.3, and I still have my
marbles upstairs.
For a time I was the only
one in Warm Springs who
had gone through this sur-
gery. So there were no other
patients to draw support
from. Now, there should be
enough to start a support
group.
If you’re thinking about
getting healthier, you can do
it when you put your mind
to it and are persistent.
Everyone has someone
who is counting on them—
kids, spouse, brothers, sisters,
parents, grandparents,
friends, employers—and
these are excellent reasons to
start taking better care of
yourself.
I have no regrets about
my decision to become
healthier and doing the
bariatric surgery. Don’t pro-
crastinate any longer.
For those in the health
medical field, Please be hon-
est and progressive with your
patients about obesity and
the impacts.
Somehow, at age 60 I fi-
nally made my decision to get
healthier.
Please, don’t wait that
long, although it does go to
show it is never too late to
take better care of yourself.
I thank my kids Dorian
and Rebecca, Dr. Creelman,
Dr. Irma, Dr. Patterson,
tribal surgery authorizers,
tribal bill payers, and the oth-
ers involved in my surgery.
Thank you for being there
and standing with me along
the way.
(This article was made pos-
sible by the IHS Warm Springs
Model Diabetes Program.)
Howlak Tichum
her two daughters, Jolene
Soto and Joy Ramirez.
Yvonne was an amazing
grandmother and great
grandmother to all her littles,
and great aunt to all those
she had a hand in raising.
She was employed many
years as a medical records
tech with IHS, then worked
along with lifelong friends at
the Tectronix plant, tribal
clothing factory, and also as
the Warm Springs gift shop
retail clerk.
Yvonne was well known
for many amazing floral
and eagle pieces of
beadwork that she made
along with her children and
grandchildren with the fam-
ily
run
business,
3WSGenerationsBeadwork.
She was baptized in the
Prevention Special
Certification Training is
coming up in War m
Springs this month, and
in April.
The session 1 course
will be on Thursday and
Friday, March 23-24,
from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at
the Greeley Heights com-
munity building, 2776
Quail Trail Rd.
This session will cover
introduction to CPS,
Risk/Protector Factors,
Accesses, Trauma In-
formed Care, I.O.M, So-
cial Determinants, Be-
havioral Health, and
CSAP Strategies. Train-
ers will be Health and
Human Services general
manager Caroline Cruz,
and the Confederated
Tribes Prevention Team.
Session 2 of the course
is planned for Thursday
and Friday, April 20-21 at
the Fire Management
training center, 4207
Holliday St., Warm Springs.
This session will cover
Mental Health, Promo-
tion, Conscious Discipline,
and Culture Diversity.
Trainers are Caroline Cruz
and Chastain & Associates.
To sign up, please email
Buffy Hurtado at Health
and Human Services:
buffy@wstribes.org
Please include your
name, title, and organiza-
tion of the person who will
be attending.
Beymer join FSA committee
Pinky Beymer of Warm
Springs was elected to the
Central Oregon Farm Ser-
vice Agency County Commit-
tee. The administrative area
of the committee includes
the Warm Springs Reserva-
tion.
The FSA is an agency of
the United State Department
of Agriculture. The FSA
committees oversee activities
in multi-county areas, such as
Jefferson, Deschutes and
Crook.
Pinky was elected to a
three-year term on the Cen-
tral Oregon committee.
Spring youth track meet
Warm Springs Recreation
will host the spring 2017
Youth Track Meet on Friday,
March 31. The meet will be
at the Warm Springs k-8
Academy.
The event is for youth
ages 6-12; or grades k-6. Reg-
istration will begin at 1 p.m.
on March 31, and the meet
starts at 1:30, ending around
4:30. For more information
contact Recreation at the
Community Center, 541-553-
3243.
Native writers at festival
Native American authors
Sherman Alexie and Eliza-
beth Woody will give read-
ings in April at the American
Indian Cultural Festival at
The Dalles.
The festival is on April 13.
All students are invited.
A featured speaker will be
Oregon Poet Laureate and
Warm Springs tribal member
Elizabeth Woody, who will
read at The Dalles Wasco
County Public Library.
A note to valued shoppers
Yvonne Victoria Arthur, 1942 ~ 2017
Yvonne Victoria
Arthur was born to
mother
Geraldine
Arthur on January 30,
1942.
She passed away
peacefully on February
20, 2017, at her home in
War m Springs, sur-
rounded by her loved
ones. She was 75.
Yvonne is survived by
Prevention training
1910 Indian Shaker
Church as a young girl.
She was preceded in
death by her mother
Geraldine Arthur, her
two sons Jovanni Soto
and Freddie Soto Jr.
Yvonne was laid to
rest in Simnasho on Feb-
ruary 23, 2017 with her
Arthur family.
To our valued Redmond
Grocery Outlet shoppers:
Thank you so much for
shopping with us.
Of the current 237 Gro-
cery Outlets, did you know
that Redmond Grocery Out-
let was the first Grocery Out-
let?
The Downs family opened
the store in 1973. Now third
generation Downs are oper-
ating the Grocery Outlet, still
housed in its original location.
Additionally, the Downs
are the only Grocery Outlet
in Central Oregon to own
their building. Others are cor-
porate owned or by outside
developers.
Our store might show a
little age but it is locally owned
and full of the same great
values as all other Grocery
Outlets.
Thank again for your pa-
tronage. Downs family
and staff.