Midlands Matters

Let’s Have a Conversation…

Have you ever looked at your life and realized that one unexpected moment changed everything? I have. For me, that moment did not happen while I was caring for a patient. It happened when I became one.

For more than 20 years, I had the privilege of serving as a physician assistant. I spent my days helping people understand diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, kidney disease and many of the chronic conditions that affect families across our communities.

I loved practicing medicine, and I am still deeply grateful for every physician, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, nurse, pharmacist, therapist and healthcare professional that dedicates their life to caring for others. Modern medicine has transformed—and continues to transform—countless lives.

But despite spending my career helping others recognize disease, I never imagined I would become the patient at a young age. I was in my 30s. I did not feel sick. I was going to work, living my life and doing what I believed were the right things. 

Then my laboratory results came back. My blood sugar was more than 300 mg/dL. My hemoglobin A1C was 10.6 percent. I remember staring at those numbers in disbelief. How could this happen? I knew the symptoms. I knew the risk factors. I knew my family history. Yet, somehow, I missed it in myself. 

That day taught me something I have never forgotten: Disease does not always announce its arrival. Sometimes our bodies whisper long before they scream.

That experience changed me—not because I lost faith in medicine, but because I gained a deeper appreciation for something medicine cannot do alone. It reminded me that understanding our health is one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves. 

That realization became the beginning of a new mission. Not to replace modern medicine. Never. But to help people become active partners in their own health care. Because the best health care is not something that is done to us. It is something we take part in. 

That is why I created Original Origins Health & Wellness. And it is why I am so excited to welcome you to Midlands Matters. 

This is not just another health column. It is a conversation—one that I hope we will have month after month. Some conversations will be encouraging. Some may challenge the way we have always thought about health. Some may even prompt us to make changes. But every conversation will be grounded in one belief:

You deserve to understand your health before disease changes your life. 

Together, we will explore the health truths that are often hidden in plain sight. We will talk about the questions we should be asking, the numbers we should know, the habits that quietly shape our future and the small decisions that, over time, become life changing.

Most of all, I hope these conversations remind you that you have more influence over your health than you may realize. Not complete control. None of us has that. But influence. And influence is powerful. Because healthier families do not happen by accident. They happen one conversation, one question, one decision and one day at a time.

Before you go, can I leave you with one thought? You do not have to become a healthcare expert. You do not have to change everything overnight. You simply must become curious. Curious enough to ask another question. Curious enough to schedule that wellness visit. Curious enough to know your numbers. Curious enough to listen when your body is trying to tell you something.

That curiosity may be one of the greatest investments you will ever make—not only for yourself, but for the people that love you. Thank you for spending a few moments with me today.

Healthier families are built one conversation at a time, and I am grateful you have chosen to begin this journey with me.

Until our next conversation…

Wishing you peace, love and healing,