Diabetes patients learn lessons of survival from pharmacist

LAKE CITY — Nearly 70 patients gathered recently at Lake City’s Piggly Wiggly supermarket for an annual diabetes event that provided food lessons, door prizes and holiday desserts.

“I want you to live,” said Jane Player, a registered pharmacist with Price Wise Pharmacy at Piggly Wiggly and a licensed diabetes instructor. “Diabetes is not a death sentence.”

Player told the patients that monitoring what they eat and drink is difficult, but something that they can do. She said they should read the labels of foods they eat.

Tina Graham said she decided to attend the event to “re-educate” herself a little more about diabetes. She has participated in Player’s other diabetes classes, she said.

Carolyn Allen, another patient, said she has been a student in Player’s diabetes class for about five months. Allen said before participating in the class, she had a blood sugar over 1700, which resulted in her being in a coma.

“I’m a living testimony,” Allen said about coming out of the coma.

Player said she coordinates the event every year as a gift to all of her patients. The patients had the opportunity to taste holiday deserts that are prepared for individuals with diabetes and the recipes of all the holiday deserts served were given to the patients.

In her father’s memory, she has started the Julian “Bubba” Dixon A1C Award to the person who has the best blood sugar, which has been documented by their doctor.

Clyde Bess was the first recipient of the award, and he received a $300 gift card for groceries.

Additionally, Player said, every patient who provided a copy of their A1C report from their doctor received a prize.

A1C tests are used to determine blood sugar control for patients with diabetes.

In 2007, Player told the News & Post that becoming a diabetes educator was a personal mission to make a difference in the lives of people with diabetes. She said then that she wanted to make the community more aware of various topics pertaining to diabetes.

Player also said in 2007 that the rise in cases of diabetes in this area is due to individual lifestyles, which consist of food choices and exercise.

A graduate of Clemson University, Player received a bachelor’s in pharmacy from the Medical University of South Carolina and has been a registered pharmacist for more than 30 years.