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🎙When the Teleprompter Gets Blurry: Ken Amaro's Wake-Up Call Ep. 280

• Eric Ross, Ken Amaro • Episode 280

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Ken Amaro, a former broadcaster with 42 years of experience and current Jacksonville City Councilman for District 1, joins Eric Ross, RN. Ken shares his decade-long journey with Type 2 diabetes from diagnosis through management and lifestyle adaptations, dropping motivational nuggets and tips he's learned along the way. The two discuss the need for regular checkups, the importance of listening to your body, and the importance of watching what you eat.

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Music: Storyblocks - Corporate Inspired

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Welcome and Introduction

Announcer

Welcome to MedEvidence! This podcast is a joint production between MedEvidence! and what the Health Just Happened.

Eric Ross, RN

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to this week's episode of what the Health Just Happened, where we talk about all things healthcare, community, business and life the goods, the bads, the ups, the downs, the lefts, the rights and everything in between.

Ken's Broadcasting Career

Eric Ross, RN

We are so fortunate to have on a variety of guests to share their industry expertise and experience, and today is no difference. If I had to guess, we will talk a lot about healthcare, a lot about community, right, maybe some business, definitely life. I want to do some dad stuff here. More importantly, this is brought to you by MedEvidence who, again, if you have not heard this show with Dr Koren and their team, it is incredible the truth behind the data. They peel back the onion on very complicated topics in healthcare. Today we're going to talk about diabetes, right, how it affects, how do you manage it. Let's get to the intro.

Eric Ross, RN

Ken Amaro worked in broadcasting and television. For how long?

Ken Amaro

42

Announcer

And 42 years.

Ken Amaro

Yes, sir

Eric Ross, RN

Dang, I turned 42 on Sunday. I didn't want to get there.

Ken Amaro

So I've been on TV just as long as you've been alive.

Eric Ross, RN

You've been around, but now you are a city councilman for District 1 here in Jacksonville.

Ken Amaro

That's correct. I'm serving my first term, about a year and a half.

Eric Ross, RN

First term year and a half in local politics. Again, we're going to talk a lot about type 2 diabetes, maybe some type 1 too, if it comes in there. How do we manage it? What goes on? Let's start with this when did you get that hat? If you're hearing this on the radio, you can't see it, but you can look online Like where is this hat from?

Ken Amaro

I'm a hat collector Eric.

Ken Amaro

First off, thank you for having me and I like the title.

Eric Ross, RN

What Health Just happened. It's fun. It's fun. you can say hell by the way.

Ken Amaro

For some reason I started wearing hats and it's amazing when I look at old movies and stuff like that. It was nothing unusual in the American culture. Guys wore hats and they were pretty stylish and impressive and things of that nature. So all of a sudden I found myself collecting hats and this one particular brand a couple of guys in New York. They make this.

Eric Ross, RN

What's it called? We love shout outs

Ken Amaro

Bellissimo

Eric Ross, RN

Bellissimo. Yeah, sounds fancy.

Ken Amaro

And so I've got my collection of hats

Eric Ross, RN

you look sharp,

Eric Ross, RN

Jacket, pocket, square watches, glasses, hat Like you look sharp. So broadcasting 42 years Is this radio TV Anyone? If you live in Jacksonville, you're going to recognize this man, because I did when you walked in.

Ken Amaro

It's mostly television. I started in radio it's funny and I was doing weekends on the radio station while I was in college and what happened was one Saturday I showed up and the staff was gone. I'm like what in the world? The regulars, rather they were gone and the management had changed the format and got a whole new crew in and I was just a part-timer so I was on the weekend, so I was relatively insignificant. But then I started thinking, man, this is a little uncertain here, as much as I love being on radio. Nah, so I started making a transition to television.

Eric Ross, RN

Local TV news stations. What stations? Where did you bounce around?

Ken Amaro

WTLV, WJXX. I did some part-time work at what is now Channel 17 WJKS, and radio. It was back in the day. Listen, I'm going back.

Eric Ross, RN

When you say back in the day, like what year,

Ken Amaro

I don't know,

Eric Ross, RN

the 20s, the 30s, okay,

Ken Amaro

oh my god

Eric Ross, RN

I'm just messing with you man.

Ken Amaro

um 81, somewhere there.

Ken Amaro

Okay, um, it was uh. Uh. I can hear the call letters in my head, but it was the. The slogan was no static, no static at all. It was from the. I don't know if you watch movies like FM,

Eric Ross, RN

fm?

Ken Amaro

yeah

Eric Ross, RN

I don't know that movie?

Eric Ross, RN

Anyone know that movie? I don't know that.

Transition to Politics and Public Service

Ken Amaro

Anyway, there was a movie back in the 80s called FM and it was about life in the radio business and the slogan was no static at all and it was uh, an album oriented radio station where we played long songs. You know like uh, um in a god of the feeder, um, you know um black sabbath

Eric Ross, RN

long songs

Eric Ross, RN

yeah, metallica's got a couple eight-minute songs,

Ken Amaro

things like that, alice Cooper

Eric Ross, RN

you look like an Alice.

Eric Ross, RN

Cooper guy

Ken Amaro

It's funny you should say that because when I took the job I knew nothing about the music. I'm like what the heck am I listening to? It was a popular radio station and I worked weekends, saturdays and Sundays and did six-hour shifts.

Eric Ross, RN

While going to school? Yeah, and you studied. You mentioned you studied broadcasting, right? Was that like growing up? I want to go into this space.

Ken Amaro

Well, I got introduced to radio because a friend of mine was attending the University of Connecticut. I went up to UConn with the thoughts of going to school there and during the summer UConn had a college radio station at the Fieldhouse and students could go in and do their blocks. And so he and I we'd go over to the radio station and he had a show and I would be part of the show, and so that kind of indoctrinated me into broadcasting.

Ken Amaro

Connecticut was too cold. I grew up in the Virgin Islands and I had moved from the Virgin Islands to Connecticut and, as much as I love the place, I was like I gotta go,

Eric Ross, RN

Amen to that

Ken Amaro

And so that's how I ended up in Florida. But it was fun. I mean, you know, it's amazing with radio, people connect with you even though they can't see who you are. And back then, you know Lynyrd Skynyrd, was big in the marketplace.

Eric Ross, RN

And from Jacksonville, by the way, from.

Eric Ross, RN

Jacksonville,

Ken Amaro

and you know I always laugh because I would have just completed playing Free Bird,

Eric Ross, RN

that's a long song too

Ken Amaro

And the phones would blow up. Can you play Free Bird?

Eric Ross, RN

This is great. I love like a little back story before we talk about the health care side. I love like a little back story before we talk about the healthcare side. You were in broadcasting. You know this world right. So then you transitioned to on-camera asking questions. I'm going to go back to that later because I got some fun questions about being on camera and asking questions. Family man Want to talk about your family. How important is it to you?

Ken Amaro

I'm married as long as about 40, 43 years we've been married.

Eric Ross, RN

We like that. You guys have 44 to 43 years.

Ken Amaro

That's a good run. Yeah, my wife and I have four daughters,

Eric Ross, RN

four daughters

Ken Amaro

and now we have three grandkids.

Eric Ross, RN

So we talked off air. I said what do you do for fun? Remember what you answered. It was one word Family, that was it?

Ken Amaro

Yeah, yeah, it's important to me. I don't know what point that evolved as one of the biggest qualities in my life, but it has and it's important to me. So I try to do things. Even though my kids are grown, I try to do things as a family with my wife and my daughter. I still have a daughter who lives at home.

Diabetes Diagnosis Story

Eric Ross, RN

I like again, it's about painting a picture to talk about type 2 diabetes management, which we'll get to MedE vidence! ≈am;ap;m;am ENCORE how how they were involved. But I want to understand. You've been around just a couple years.

Eric Ross, RN

I'm not calling you old because, guess what, I'm old now too Most of our staff looks at me like you're an old dude, but you've had this incredible career in broadcasting radio, then television, and now you're in local politics as of a year, right. So was that something you always wanted to do? What triggered that? For you to say let's do this?

Ken Amaro

You know, I believe in predestination.

Eric Ross, RN

Are you a man of faith?

Ken Amaro

Yes,

Eric Ross, RN

okay, as are we, so you can talk about faith openly here.

Ken Amaro

I believe in predestination that things are already laid out for you the roadmap of life. You may take some twists and turns, but you're going to end up where you're supposed to be, and when I retired, it was a significant change, if you will, because for 40 plus years you get up and you're energized

Eric Ross, RN

Purpose.

Eric Ross, RN

You're driven Community and you're energized Purpose. You're driven Community. You're driven.

Eric Ross, RN

Financially.

Ken Amaro

Well, forget the financial piece. But you're driven. Yes, you know. And then you get to the place where. Where do you go? What do you do? What do you? You know what's left of your life, rocking chairs or not. It just doesn't fit into my equation.

Eric Ross, RN

It's pretty boring.

Ken Amaro

Yeah, you know,

Eric Ross, RN

it's pretty boring

Ken Amaro

Watching television didn't fit into the metric.

Eric Ross, RN

What about bird watching?

Eric Ross, RN

No thanks.

Ken Amaro

And so and I don't fish, I don't golf

Eric Ross, RN

oh, man.

Ken Amaro

So for me, I was looking for a way to continue being connected to the community, and so this opportunity came up, where the incumbent had reached the end of her term and someone suggested if I would want to serve in that area. And I used the word serve, because that's how I look at it as a vehicle of service. And so I gave it some thought, meditated, prayed, you know, because of the hyper-partisanship in our culture, is just something that I really want to get into and I stepped into it.

Eric Ross, RN

So what year? I promise we'll get to diabetes here in a second. What year did you retire?

Ken Amaro

21

Eric Ross, RN

So 21, and we can talk about COVID if you want. There's a lot of things that changed. A lot of people retired, changed industries. How long did you take off and realize like, hey, I got to do?

Ken Amaro

something Six months,

Eric Ross, RN

six months.

Eric Ross, RN

Was your wife saying, hey, you got to do something. You're driving me nuts.

Ken Amaro

No, my wife was a college professor and when I retired she said I'm retiring as well. She had about 30 years of teaching as a professor under her belt.

Eric Ross, RN

Locally.

Ken Amaro

Yeah,

Eric Ross, RN

which college?

Ken Amaro

FSCJ

Eric Ross, RN

Okay, okay, I got a degree from there

Ken Amaro

And so she retired. And just as she's retiring, I'm thinking what can I be doing? And that's how that evolved. And she jokingly tells friends, I'm retired. He's the one that went and got a job.

Eric Ross, RN

This is again just painting a picture as we go into. Can I mention both companies? I'm already seeing it on air, even though we can edit this. So MedEvidence! is a show predominantly Truth Behind the Data, which I love. taking very complicated topics in health care on every, every sector and section possible and peeling it back and talking like very complicated stuff, ENCORE, which is based in jacksonville, is doing a lot of medical research, um, which we'll get to in a second, especially after the commercial break, because I got questions. I'm pointing over here. You can't see this on the radio, so they set this up. I love it because this is a really important conversation. We're looking at a very successful human being, right, a father of four, a good husband, a man of faith, a sweet hat wearer, now a grandfather. You had something happen a decade ago. Yeah, what was it?

Ken Amaro

One day I was working and I'm sitting on the anchor desk and I'm looking into the uh tele, uh, the teleprompter, and and the words are jumbled um and um. I'm, I'm puzzled, I am like what's going on? I, uh, I can look at the paper and in front of me I don't have a problem.

Ken Amaro

But I'm looking at the prompter

Eric Ross, RN

and blurry or like jumbled words

Ken Amaro

yeah, just, just, just blurry, like and um

Ken Amaro

Obviously I started, I became concerned as to what was going on and and at the same time, I noticed that I was going to the bathroom more frequently.

Eric Ross, RN

Peeing,

Eric Ross, RN

let's say that

Ken Amaro

Urinating yeah yeah, yeah.

Eric Ross, RN

My kids would say number one, not number two.

Ken Amaro

Well, it's like, you know, I went an hour ago and now I got to go again and it's always urgent. You know, it was always urgent,

Eric Ross, RN

Like right now.

Eric Ross, RN

Yeah, I got to go right now. So blurred vision this goes back to like signs and symptoms of it

Ken Amaro

Precisely.

Ken Amaro

Which I was not aware of at the time. and so you know I take my health seriously.

Ken Amaro

And so I said I need to go see the doctor. And I went and that was the diagnosis type 2 diabetes

Eric Ross, RN

Was it a, this is really designed for men who take their health for granted or ignore, ignore, ignore, ignore and then something happens. Was this a primary care physician?

Ken Amaro

Yes

Eric Ross, RN

So you had a primary care physician, you call them. Mind you, this is 10 years ago Now. Do you know what it takes to get into a primary care physician?

Eric Ross, RN

Three to four months.

Ken Amaro

Yeah, it's like. It's incredible.

Eric Ross, RN

We'll stay off that.

Eric Ross, RN

So you call your doc. They say, let's get you in here, okay. So you walk into the doctor. What tests do they run? What do you?

Ken Amaro

Well. First, the question was why are you here? What's going on? Da-da-da-da, and I remember doing the blood glucose thing,

Eric Ross, RN

fasting?

Ken Amaro

well, no.

Eric Ross, RN

Oh, on the spot.

Ken Amaro

There was no fasting on the spot because I didn't know I needed to fast. You know, I made the appointment, yep, and I showed up and went through a series. I distinctly remember the blood test for glucose and then the monitor said that my glucose numbers were 300 plus.

Ken Amaro

I think 300 was the range of the monitor.

Eric Ross, RN

If I know this is my experience in healthcare right it says really high and their max number is 300. Yeah.

Ken Amaro

So that means you're over 300.

Eric Ross, RN

You could have been sitting at 700.

Ken Amaro

Probably Because it was beyond the range of 300.

Eric Ross, RN

This is to paint a picture for men who avoid this stuff, and I'm sure there's some guilty men in this room that take this for granted. You felt normal,

Ken Amaro

I did.

Eric Ross, RN

You were living day to day.

Ken Amaro

I did. I didn't have any, anything that would say your life, you're heading to a diabetic stroke or anything of that nature, nothing. Except, the frequency of going to the bathroom and experiencing blurry vision when I was trying to read. So there were no other symptoms that I knew of. I'm one of those who believe that, regardless of your age, if you have health insurance, you do an annual exam. I was doing annual exams and nothing was indicated. So at some point from my last annual physical until that experience, something changed, and I don't know what it was.

Eric Ross, RN

So you had seen a doctor. That's great you were doing that Some men will go years without seeing a doctor.

Ken Amaro

Oh no, I'm one of those who believe that if you have insurance, go see the damn doctor.

Eric Ross, RN

I love it. If you have insurance, go see the damn doctor. That's a T-shirt, so I like to throw out medical terms If Dr. Koren was here, like so. Polyuria, that means lots of urination. We say peeing often.

Ken Amaro

Yeah yeah.

Eric Ross, RN

Did you notice that before the blurred vision? Like were you?

Eric Ross, RN

like man, I'm peeing a lot.

Ken Amaro

It was like a couple of days, you know, and but I, in all honesty, Eric, it was a few days before the blurred vision, but I never connected the two.

Eric Ross, RN

But this is a short span and pretty quick.

Initial Treatment Approach

Ken Amaro

Yes, okay, it's like within a week, week and a half, of you know. But I noticed I was going but never thought why or anything like that, just thought I was drinking too much or whatever. And then all of a sudden the two connected.

Eric Ross, RN

I just as we go along like how do you put an emphasis on certain things, especially for MedE vidence! One is frequent doctor visits, right, You're going annually. There's so many men out there guilty. Yes, I went years without seeing a doctor.

Ken Amaro

Well, if you feel you're healthy, you think that you don't need I'm fine, right.

Eric Ross, RN

So seeing a doctor is important, running that blood work is important. You had something that happened. There's a lot of guys out there that don't notice or don't think about it. You had two things that happened. So you go, you see the doctor. They prick your finger how do they test your blood sugar?

Ken Amaro

Prick my finger

Eric Ross, RN

Finger stick, high. And what did the doctor say to you?

Ken Amaro

He

Ken Amaro

said I ought to send you to the emergency room, to the hospital , and then the and I can remember it very clearly the follow-up question or series of question as to how do I feel, am I experiencing anything?

Ken Amaro

And he subsequently gave me diuretics and

Eric Ross, RN

water pills we don't know who's listening Like, diuretic helps you flush out water A lot of people call it a water pill.

Ken Amaro

And then there was some metformin

Eric Ross, RN

any insulin?

Ken Amaro

No.

Ken Amaro

Okay, no, I don't remember him doing anything.

Eric Ross, RN

Metformin, water pill.

Eric Ross, RN

This is about a decade ago

Ken Amaro

yes, and then I subsequently was referred to an endocrinologist.

Eric Ross, RN

What did that? The endocrinologist? What did that look like? The appointments, follow-up tests.

Ken Amaro

It was just a little bit more exaggerated than what I experienced with my primary care, and that led to a treatment plan, if you will, and later on it led to taking my blood pressure changed as well, which apparently

Eric Ross, RN

Up or down. Blood pressure went up

Ken Amaro

up up up

Eric Ross, RN

no history of high blood pressure.

Ken Amaro

No no.

Ken Amaro

And so today I take a blood pressure medication once a day to minimize the risk of complications from the diabetes and blood pressure, and I'm on Mounjar o. GLP.

Eric Ross, RN

Oh, let's hit that. The second half. Sure

Ken Amaro

I just started that treatment within the last month and a half, and the success of that is that I have been able to lose some weight.

Eric Ross, RN

How much?

Ken Amaro

I've lost about 20 pounds, and how long. Five pounds in a month,

Eric Ross, RN

oh, my gosh

Ken Amaro

a month and a half maybe.

Eric Ross, RN

And that's diagnosed for type 2 diabetes, not obesity. That's the biggest thing people talk about.

Ken Amaro

Well, you know, part of my diagnosis, if I recall correctly, was weight gain. I'd always been a skinny guy and you know, you develop an inactive lifestyle and all of a sudden the pounds come on and they don't come off like that, you know. So I was. Until recently I was walking around at 280.

Eric Ross, RN

What are you at? Can you share? What are you at now?

Ken Amaro

I'm at two. Yesterday I had my visit. I'm at 272. But in November, when I went in, I was 287. So I've lost 25 pounds.

Eric Ross, RN

What are treatment measures? Again, we're about to go to a commercial break here in a couple minutes.

Ken Amaro

My Endo would always say that if I can lose some weight, it will improve, and it's one of the most difficult things.

Eric Ross, RN

You're not 25. No, you can eat a whole pizza at 25.

Ken Amaro

Your?

Ken Amaro

lifestyle, you know. And my other weakness is I'm a bread guy, you know, I'm a—.

Eric Ross, RN

Potatoes or just bread Bread.

Living with Diabetes Daily

Ken Amaro

I go to the Italian restaurant or whatever restaurant. Now, where's the bread?

Eric Ross, RN

Olive Garden, all you can eat breadsticks.

Ken Amaro

Well, no, not sometimes there, but because I like bread with texture and the breadsticks are delicious but they don't have texture.

Eric Ross, RN

Oh, this is gold.

Ken Amaro

They're a little too soft.

Ken Amaro

But I'm serious, I'm a bread guy, and part of my education with this experience is that which I didn't know was that carbs become sugar and contribute to the problem, and so I've learned to back up on certain things.

Eric Ross, RN

That is an incredible transition. So the second half we'll talk again on the podcast. There will be no breaks, but for the radio purpose I think it helps just to have a little break here. I think second half is your journey with treatment, what you've learned, how it's impacted family in your life. But I appreciate you sharing that story, your journey so far and I think, sharing this for anyone who's been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes know someone who has. How do you manage it? How does it impact your life? Do you have fun so far?

Ken Amaro

Yeah, yeah

Eric Ross, RN

I, you know we got to make them laugh more. There, it is there it is.

Ken Amaro

This is the first time I've ever had a lengthy conversation about diabetes.

Eric Ross, RN

We'll get. We're going to get real in depth the second half. Okay, Any shout outs anyone before the commercial break.

Ken Amaro

Yo

Eric Ross, RN

MedE vidence! the Truth Behind the Data. That's what the Health just happened. All right, welcome back to the second half of what the hell just happened, special episode today brought to you by MedE vidence! Truth Behind the Data we are sitting down with. Can I call you a friend?

Ken Amaro

yet I'm okay

Eric Ross, RN

we'll get there, we'll become friends. Who is this guy?

Eric Ross, RN

K en Amaro Um, now in uh, politics right, city council district one, arlington, was in broadcasting for years. Shared your story the first half, but we're going to dive pretty deep here on. You were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes about a decade ago. How it's impacted your life. You shared some of the first half. We're're going to peel back the onion, like I keep saying, and get some Truth Behind the Data. So, diagnosed doctor, endocrinologist, right, checking your sugar, you got on metformin and a water pill or a diuretic. Now you're taking Mounjaro, which is a GLP-1. Thank you, my goodness. How do I forget that term? Which is help. That's recent. We're going to rewind a little bit and talk about how treating this has impacted your life.

Ken Amaro

It's interesting because from the metformin, my endocrinologist decided to use a hybrid drug, Janumet, which is metformin and something else. I don't know what the other part?

Eric Ross, RN

Genuvia Okay.

Ken Amaro

Okay, so I was doing that for a number of years and it controlled my A1C. The highest it's been is like 7.8. It's below 7 now, but not quite to where I would like it to be.

Eric Ross, RN

Can I pause and explain? So A1C? Right, If you prick your finger and take your blood sugar level, that's on the spot. You've eaten, you've not eaten. Your A1C is a longer version of what your sugar looks like. This is just whoever hears this what is A1C? What is your blood sugar? So your A1C is a longer picture.

Ken Amaro

It's a barometer that you want to monitor because over, like I said, a 90-day period, really what's going on with your body and it's a great at least I've learned it's a great indicator if you're controlling your diabetes, and obviously the higher the number go, then they have to use different methods of treatment and often that's how folks end up on insulin when it's super high, if you will.

Ken Amaro

But anyway, I was on the Janumet and with the introduction of the GLP drugs my endo kept insisting that if I can lose some weight it would somehow benefit me and bring things. Because he noticed that things were managed, if you will, and if I can change my body mass index a little bit, it would help. And so after my visit in November, when my A1C was 7.1, he got me on the Mounjaro and it's been working. The weight loss has been very subtle, not to me radical at all, but noticeable, and I feel good and my numbers are good. And so he just had a visit this week and stated that numbers are good and my endocrinologist is satisfied with the success of the GLP drug, Mounjaro, and wants to kind of augment my therapy with Jardiance, because his words were the benefit of my heart, if you will, because diabetes can be sneaky.

Eric Ross, RN

It's like a ninja man

Ken Amaro

yeah, yeah, yeah, you know you're looking at what's going on that way?

Eric Ross, RN

I feel fine, I feel fine, I feel fine.

Ken Amaro

And then, all of a sudden, you have a heart accident

Eric Ross, RN

That teleprompter's blurry.

Ken Amaro

Yeah, yeah, yeah, and so I'm following the therapy and my hope is that I can just get down a little bit more and get my numbers.

Eric Ross, RN

We'll go back to clinical in a second because I think it's relevant. You in the home front right, has this impacted time with your wife, daughters, grandchildren? Do you, are they, do they understand the ramifications Like how does your, how is your family involved in this?

Ken Amaro

My wife is involved my kids.

Ken Amaro

I have not had that conversation with them and don't ask me why. I don't know, I don't know, I just have not had that conversation with them. But she knows fully.

Eric Ross, RN

Is your wife involved day to day, so you're on a

Eric Ross, RN

CGM, a constant glucose monitor.

Ken Amaro

It's interesting because she's the one that pushed me to get the CGM.

Eric Ross, RN

She did yeah Good

Eric Ross, RN

job wife, all right

Ken Amaro

it was, and the reason she did that is because I was inconsistent in my testing.

Eric Ross, RN

Can you be specific, like what was inconsistent Once a week?

Ken Amaro

Well, once a week, twice a day. Once a day instead of.

Ken Amaro

Maybe every other day or every other week.

Eric Ross, RN

Wow

Diet Changes and Adaptation

Ken Amaro

There is unfortunately when you're feeling fine. You guess you don't test.

Eric Ross, RN

I like that line.

Ken Amaro

And so I was in that place, I'm fine. And so at the end of the week I said well, you know, I hadn't checked my sugar all week, let me check. So I'll test. And I guess what got me to that place of comfortability, if you will, is that I noticed that during the day my numbers would be fine. You know, I would test, and my numbers would be 130, 110, 130, 110. During the day, when I eat, it goes crazy. I go to bed at night and I get up in the morning and I test. It might be 140. It's been 160, that kind of thing. So I don't know what happened overnight. And so I got to a place that maybe I don't need to test every day, just so often.

Eric Ross, RN

You got comfortable.

Ken Amaro

Yeah

Ken Amaro

so having a monitor and having it connected to my phone, I just look

Eric Ross, RN

Is your wife attached to looking at your phone also?

Ken Amaro

No, no.

Ken Amaro

It's shared with my endocrinologist.

Eric Ross, RN

This is an example for men. I'm telling you because I'm 42 years old. I can share similar stories in this stage of life. We've got two other gentlemen. They don't want to admit the last time they went to the doctor. But, like you said, most men at any stage 25, we're invincible. 35, we still think we're invincible. But 40, like everything changes.

Eric Ross, RN

Oh yeah.

Ken Amaro

The metamorphosis creeps up on you

Eric Ross, RN

Until something's wrong. So the point of this, I think, is recognizing it earlier and taking care of it earlier, Since you've been diagnosed and you're treating it and it constantly involves and changes. What have you learned about yourself in this process?

Ken Amaro

And that's one of the reasons I've become a strong advocate for anyone that has insurance, regardless of their age. For me, it's not an age thing, it's the fact that if you have health coverage that can give you access, go get yourself checked. Annual exams are early detection systems, if you will, and so I become a strong advocate for that because I understood when I was working and I had insurance, I took advantage of that and I don't know how this crept up on me like that, if you will, but it did, and so now I'm living with it.

Eric Ross, RN

We don't have to get into this. So you're comfortable talking about this with your wife. You've not talked about it with your daughters, you're clearly comfortable enough to talk about it on whatever.

Ken Amaro

And perhaps there hadn't been an occasion for me to have this conversation with my kids, because when we're with each other, we're not talking about health, we're enjoying life, we're talking about this and that and everything else, and so there was never an opportunity to discuss health, if you will. My oldest daughter as of late, she's always checking on me. How are you doing? How are you feeling? I'm like I'm okay, Something's supposed to be wrong.

Eric Ross, RN

I'm fine.

Eric Ross, RN

Yeah, I love it. We're fine, I'm fine. The daily routine now. You talked about medications, the CGM. Yes, how often are you looking now? You used to do once a week. Are you looking daily now?

Ken Amaro

Yes, every day. I look, not every hour

Eric Ross, RN

but if it's high or low you get alerted on your phone.

Ken Amaro

Yes,

Eric Ross, RN

that's what's incredible

Eric Ross, RN

about it

Ken Amaro

the alarm goes off.

Eric Ross, RN

Let's talk about technology now. This did not exist 10, 15, 20 years ago. Right, you stick your finger where am I sitting and if you don't feel like checking, you're not checking. Now you have these monitors that track you around the clock.

Ken Amaro

I've had friends who were type 1 and have to live with an insulin pump. Some of them have had the privilege of having some kind of monitoring, if you will, to indicate you know hypo- or hyper- experience.

Ken Amaro

It's interesting and I'm not trying to be morbid here, but I remember when I moved into my neighborhood, my neighbor Wayne he was an old guy and he was type 1 and showed me his insulin pump and stuff and and he lived by himself.

Eric Ross, RN

This is prior to you diagnosed or after?

Ken Amaro

After, um, and and we had a conversation and and he was talking about how he's lived with this all his life and and, tragically, one day he was in the house and I guess his glucose got so low he fell asleep in the chair and never woke up.

Eric Ross, RN

It's not morbid.

Ken Amaro

And he lived by himself.

Eric Ross, RN

No one there.

Ken Amaro

No one there to give him glass of orange juice or anything of that nature. So I've always remembered that.

Eric Ross, RN

Yeah, that's again the difference between hypo or low and hyperglycemia, different signs and symptoms. You said you've had no experience really with low blood sugar because you're getting alerted. Yes, when you hit 70, you get an alert and you know hey, I got to put some sugar in this body. Yeah, so you talked about bread. Let's go back to that. This guy loves his hats and bread His wife his daughters, his grandkids bread and hats.

Ken Amaro

If I go to a restaurant and there's no bread, I'm like what up? What's going on?

Eric Ross, RN

We're out of here.

Ken Amaro

What kind of restaurant is this?

Eric Ross, RN

Have you noticed yourself limiting bread?

Ken Amaro

I've become more conscious, yes, as to how often it's like today. I ordered a sandwich for lunch. I decided just to eat half.

Eric Ross, RN

Where was the lunch from?

Ken Amaro

French Pantry.

Eric Ross, RN

Oh God, love that. You got good bread. You got good bread. Sorry, not healthy. Okay,

Ken Amaro

it was rye, by the way

Eric Ross, RN

But this is a great example for other men who hear this Like how do you make decisions?

Ken Amaro

You order this beautiful sandwich from the French, and it was good, so good.

Eric Ross, RN

You only ate half, only ate half. Do you eat the second half later today?

Ken Amaro

I'm contemplating such yes

Eric Ross, RN

But again, that's spread out what's on the sandwich.

Ken Amaro

And you know I mentioned earlier that during my early diagnosis and my dietician at the time was said be smart about what you're eating. Instead of, you know, consuming large portions, spread your portions out and was encouraging me not to miss meals, things of that nature, to try and maintain a steady diet if you will, because the reality is that when you eat, your numbers go up so you want to play safe and say I ain't going to eat, as if that's going to absolutely solve the problem.

Eric Ross, RN

That might be even worse, yeah.

Ken Amaro

Precisely so. That was the reason for that education, and so I started. What's interesting is, since I've been on the GLP drug, which is kind of an appetite suppressant, I don't eat as much and it takes I'm satisfied quicker, if you will, and so I don't know if that's good or bad.

Eric Ross, RN

Well, as I say the GLP-1 s. That's hours and hours and hours of conversation. Some people agree or disagree. Why are you using it Again? It sounds like it's working for you. That's great. This is kind of a loaded question here and maybe you can answer, or not? So Can you think of a time where your diabetes has caused physical or emotional stress, where you're like this is a problem?

Ken Amaro

No.

Eric Ross, RN

See, that's a win. I think there's other people that happen. You're in a sweet spot. Is it because of education?

Ken Amaro

Perhaps I think that's a piece. I had a very good friend of mine. His name is Robert, and Robert had been living with type 2 diabetes all of his life and was never able to control it.

Eric Ross, RN

Lack of education? Didn't care?

Ken Amaro

He didn't care.

Eric Ross, RN

Which is common, which is common in men. I'm fine.

Ken Amaro

I shouldn't say he did not care, he didn't get rid of the bad habits smoking, drinking, things of that nature and his numbers were always I mean always his A1C was always double digits.

Eric Ross, RN

Not good. What's the normal range for A1C? 6.5 or lower.

Ken Amaro

That's right.

Eric Ross, RN

And he was always double digits. Yep, not good.

Ken Amaro

Not good

Eric Ross, RN

what's?

Eric Ross, RN

the normal range for A1C 6.5 or lower, and he's in double digits.

Ken Amaro

Yeah, he's in double digits.

Learning from Others' Experiences

Ken Amaro

So he's on insulin and then he started having diabetic wounds in his foot and they could never be completely healed, just when they were healed again, because his numbers were all skewed. Then it led to gangrene, toes removed, foot removed and he lived in Louisville. Eventually he passed away, which was interesting because he passed away from a cancer that was in the liver, if I remember correctly. And I don't know if there's a connection

Eric Ross, RN

I was going to say that's you talk about another dialogue.

Eric Ross, RN

everything's connected in our body, right, and if your body's constantly in a state of recovery, recovery, we talk about wound management. So if you're having a hard time with wounds healing constant urination, blurred vision, like some men just don't like ah, it's fine, why is this wound not healing? That's why the test the primary care physician going to get looked at matters.

Ken Amaro

My neighbor, he's, I didn't know. He's diabetic and he he was um. He had a wound on his foot and didn't do anything and eventually he passed out yeah, yeah, he passed out and and now he's at um Cypress Village because he's been, they had to remove a section of his toes and you know, the guy's about 80 or something and he's now in therapy, and all that to be able to learn how to walk.

Eric Ross, RN

Was he treating his diabetes or just ignoring it?

Ken Amaro

It seemed I don't know, it just seemed like he was not paying the attention that he needed. He's a good guy.

Eric Ross, RN

I go back to commending you right. It's been 10 years. It's a diagnosis that some people panic and think of all these things but it's a journey and it changes from year to year.

Ken Amaro

There are times that when and these stories I'm sharing about people I know there are times when they come into the frame and they're motivational that you don't want to have that experience and so you start paying closer attention to yourself because the reality is, you know, if you ignore, these are the consequences.

Eric Ross, RN

That snowball gets big real quick when you roll it down the hill.

Ken Amaro

When it gets to that place, it's even more difficult to deal with what you're dealing with.

Eric Ross, RN

What would you so you don't have to share your age but you look 10, 20, 30 years ago? What would you recommend to young men who aren't doing certain things? Because I love we can reinforce seeing a doctor at least occasionally do blood work, but in your diabetic journey, give some advice here. Besides, buy his hats. His hats are sweet.

Ken Amaro

Well, you know, we're one of the things about the beauty of life that we live as Americans. We have this choice to be able to do whatever the heck we want to do, when we want to do what we want to do, sometimes without thought, sometimes without considering long-term effects or anything of that nature. And you know, I don't know anything about dietary guidelines or anything like that. But my encouragement would be to seriously pay attention to what you're eating. I mean these. You know you get to a place in life and you realize that there are, that what you put in are contributing factors and if you're not vigilant, you may just be putting junk in.

Ken Amaro

That that's going to-

Eric Ross, RN

We're going to open a can here that I want to talk about

Eric Ross, RN

do too, the American diet disaster. You said it right you, you learn about yourself. You have this diagnosis. How do you treat it? That's different. But what do you put in your body? And bread, like you love bread. But you know, if you live off bread you're in trouble.

Ken Amaro

love bread and I love cakes.

Eric Ross, RN

I mean, that's tough. Hey, I feel bad man.

Ken Amaro

But but I don't, you know, I I've gotten wiser. I don't eat cakes like I used to. I'm still consuming bread, but I'm trying to push back and be selective in the types of bread and things of that nature. I try to do whole wheat versus white bread.

Eric Ross, RN

Have you alternated any other part of your diet like eliminated sugary drinks, increased protein

Eric Ross, RN

intake.

Ken Amaro

I usually don't drink sugary drinks except, except sweet tea again.

Eric Ross, RN

It's like, how do you? And I'll cry, I'll do a lot of things, but I am not eliminating the sweet tea

Ken Amaro

I didn't say that.

Ken Amaro

I said, uh what? What I've done is I'd say, let me have an Arnold Palmer. So I you know. But if it's too sweet, if I go to a restaurant and I order sweet tea and it's too sweet, I go. Ah, you know, yeah, right away.

Eric Ross, RN

But five, ten years ago did you feel that way, or you drank that and thought, oh heck, yeah, no,

Ken Amaro

I'll probably drink it.

Eric Ross, RN

Yeah, that's awareness, that's education.

Ken Amaro

So what I do is I'll ask the server get me a glass of water with some ice and I'll take the tea and pour it in the water with the ice and kind of dilute it.

Eric Ross, RN

Great tip these are low hanging fruit, right.

Ken Amaro

And so I've diluted the sweet tea. I still have the flavor, if you will, but it's to a place where I find it acceptable to my palate and you've also.

Eric Ross, RN

I love that example. You recognize now, when you drink a certain sweet tea you're like oh it's too sweet.

Ken Amaro

Oh yeah, yeah,

Eric Ross, RN

but 10 years ago.

Eric Ross, RN

You're drinking two or three glasses of that. That.

Lifestyle Changes and Future Outlook

Ken Amaro

Suck it down like it was-

Eric Ross, RN

and that's it goes back to the education thing, right? So you know how do you not eliminate bread? We could get into a whole complicated conversation about how the body works. You know, increasing your protein and fiber intake before carbohydrates, but for you, specifically, what? Like low-hanging fruit? For anyone that hears this, these are some things that I've done that I've noticed made a difference. The sweet tea thing I love that tip right. Limiting your bread, constant glucose monitor. What else have you done?

Ken Amaro

I've added more fruits into my diet.

Eric Ross, RN

What kind of fruit?

Ken Amaro

Grape, primarily.

Ken Amaro

I love grapes. I do blueberries, super food Watermelons, that's about it. Sometimes pineapple.

Eric Ross, RN

What about

Eric Ross, RN

vegetables.

Ken Amaro

I'm not that good he's like I want. But again, for me it's an evolving thing, and so I'm doing more salads than ever before, so I'm getting there.

Eric Ross, RN

You know I'm getting there.

Ken Amaro

I mean just the day before yesterday I was ready for lunch. I said I'm going to, you know, . I said I'm going to get me a cob salad and it was good

Eric Ross, RN

10 years ago.

Eric Ross, RN

What would you have got at the same restaurant?

Ken Amaro

barbecue or something

Eric Ross, RN

with an extra side of bread,

Ken Amaro

a barbecue sandwich with some baked beans, and and load up and again.

Eric Ross, RN

We love free shout outs here in.

Eric Ross, RN

Northeast Florida. So the French pantry. Today you got lunch. Ate half your sandwich, yes. Do you think that's attributed to the Mounjaro or are you learning stuff?

Ken Amaro

I think it's a little bit of both. Okay, I think the drug which I take on Mondays which is interesting, today's Wednesday I take it on Monday, it's a once a week thing, but there's something about it that it sustains throughout the week and so it has this effect on your appetite throughout the week, which I think it's interesting.

Ken Amaro

So it makes me feel full sooner

Eric Ross, RN

It is amazing, man, again.

Ken Amaro

And maybe it's just psychological, I have no idea, but it makes me feel full sooner.

Eric Ross, RN

Okay, so here we are. It's not a day over 21,. Right, you've got another 20, 30 years. What?

Eric Ross, RN

do you envision the next 5 or 10 years? Look like treating this diagnosis.

Ken Amaro

You know I'm 70 years of age.

Eric Ross, RN

What?

Ken Amaro

Yeah, I'm turning 70. But I'm just looking for good health until whatever.

Eric Ross, RN

Okay. Is there things you might have changed if you knew now, 20 years ago?

Ken Amaro

Yes, number one, I would have paid more attention to my weight gain. You know, I think one of my and I don't know if this would be true, but when I was in my 20s and early 30s and in my teens, I was always active, moving, moving.

Ken Amaro

Yeah, Ball, karate, just in some strenuous sports that just kept you going. You know and I think my body I keep saying this that because of those early years my body became conditioned and so when I got to the place where I developed this sedentary lifestyle that I had enough cushion to and I don't even know if this is a fact or anything but to bear whatever was to come. I say that to myself.

Eric Ross, RN

You sound like most, men I know myself included. Yeah.

Ken Amaro

Well, you know, it's if I was, because there are guys who are in their 20s and 30s and they're not active, they don't do anything, you know, and so I feel that kind of assisted .

Eric Ross, RN

Yeah, yeah, I love it. We're down to. We got about a minute and a half here. We asked what you learned about. What are you grateful for in this process? Maybe nothing Over the last 10 years. I'm actually thankful for this part of this journey.

Ken Amaro

Well, in reference to my health, as I reflect, I wish I'd paid more attention. I have no regrets really beyond that. If I had paid more attention, I could have been a little bit ahead of the curve, if you will.

Ken Amaro

I think that there's so much that we take for granted, until you're at that crossroad and then you realize the decisions that you made, but for the most part. I'm at a place in my life where there's a song that's been played on the radios. It's with these words

Eric Ross, RN

Freebird?

Finding Gratitude in the Journey

Ken Amaro

No, but it's become kind of a mantra for me, and the words are it's good to be alive, but it's best to live.

Eric Ross, RN

Oh, I like it

Ken Amaro

And so I'm trying to live, yeah, every day and enjoy what life has. You know, I think it's Churchill that said something to the fact that during, you know, when Britain was at war with Germany, he said some people are given opportunities and all they do is look for difficulties, while some people, who are faced with difficulties, try to find opportunities.

Eric Ross, RN

He's got some nuggets here.

Ken Amaro

That's been my perspective.

Eric Ross, RN

I don't know how to. That's a first. That's the alarm saying the time's up Doesn't matter, Ken Amaro, City Council, district 1, ex-broadcaster news guy, husband, father, grandfather, sweet hat wearer, but I would say type 2 diabetic, living this journey and sharing your story for a lot of men who need to hear this. So thank you for joining this.

Ken Amaro

I hope someone takes something away.

Eric Ross, RN

One person We'll take one.

Eric Ross, RN

If there's 100 or however many, it's great.

Eric Ross, RN

And that's that's a win. Medevidence! thanks for setting this up. That's What the Health Just Happened.

Ken Amaro

Thanks for joining the MedEvidence! podcast To learn more head over to MedEvidence. com or subscribe to our podcast on your favorite podcast platform.

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Dr. Michael Koren

Host