Sue is a grandmother who does not work and is the sole provider of childcare for her two grandchildren. She came to the walk-in medical clinic complaining of persistent nausea and vomiting. The volunteer nurse quickly determined that Sue’s symptoms had persisted for several days and that she was in obvious pain. Our volunteer physician recommended Sue go to the emergency room for possible diabetic ketoacidosis, a potentially life-threatening situation. She was seen in the ER and admitted to ICU, where she spent three days before being transferred to the medical floor for three additional days. Upon discharge and with assistance from TFC, Sue established a primary care doctor for ongoing diabetic care. She was then referred back to TFC’s Diabetic Life Management Clinic for an intensive 6 – 12 month program to learn how to manage her newly-diagnosed diabetes. Thanks to TFC and our volunteers, Sue now has her diabetes under control, again caring for her grandchildren.
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