Page 107 - HCPVitalityChronicles

New Mexico Champs Patricia Queen and Nona Tebou Lead the Way in

Healthy Lifestyle Changes

Since January of this year, New Mexico teammates Patricia skinny, but about being healthy.”
Queen, Site Administrator, and Nona Tebou, Patient Care
Coordinator Supervisor, have both been witnessing some Nona, a cancer survivor, echoed those sentiments. “When
positive changes in their health. Together, they joined Nu- my weight started going up, I didn’t want the effects of it
trishop, where they weigh in and to go on my knees and cause other
meet with a fitness coach once a problems,” she said. “I see patients in
week. Patricia is now getting walkers. I’m close to 60 and I thought,
10,000 steps a day on her Apple nobody’s going to do this for me, I have
Watch. When Nona started on her to do it myself.”
new path, she was barely getting
1,200 steps a day; now it is more In addition to looking better and feeling
commonly 6,000 to 10,000 in a better, they both have more energy
day. They are eating five healthy now to exercise. Patricia often walks
meals a day. Nona, before and after. after work, and Nona’s dog is happy to
get so much more walking now. But
What led to all of the positive changes? For they also have changed their habits at work.
Patricia, it was pain. “I was having a lot of “We used to not take lunches,” explained
back pain, consistent pain all of the time,” Patricia, who has been with the Village for
she said. “Nona and I were talking one day six years. “It’s not right. You need to be able
about how we were eating too much junk to release stress. Now we go for a walk dur-
food. We decided to join another teammate ing lunch. Work can wait. We have very
in our department who had been doing this stressful jobs. In order to give teammates
program.” and patients the attention and care they
need, we need to care for ourselves. This
Patricia, before and after.
So far, they have each lost about 25 pounds; helps us to not be short fused. We are now
they both hope to lose 50. Through the program, both of more alert and interact better with our teammates and pa-
them have learned about food and nutrition, where to tients.”
watch for calories, how to avoid processed sugary foods,
and why exercise is important. Patricia and Nona both Nona, who has been with the Village for 10 years, called
serve as Vitality champs, and being more conscious of herself a “slug” in the past. “When I first started, I could
their own health habits helps them to encourage others to barely get 1,000 steps in a day. I see how much I’ve pro-
do the same. gressed.” She plans to get an Apple Watch soon through
the Vitality Active Rewards program. She also used to
Having each other’s support has been tremendously help- avoid the stairs, which she no longer does. She hopes she
ful in this journey. And they each have motivation to keep may get her numbers to the point where she can stop tak-
them going. “I have three kids,” Patricia said. “I thought ing blood pressure medication. This June, she will be going
one day, the way I’m going, I won’t be able to walk. I want to Camp Courage in Bryson, North Carolina, sponsored by
to be around for my kids. It’s not so much about being DaVita for cancer survivors, where she will partake in