Saving a Life: Her Own

Patricia “Patti” McCauley knew for a long time that she must do something about her weight.

Severely overweight after the birth of her third child in 2001, McCauley’s doctor leveled with her. If the legal secretary in the County Counsel’s office didn’t lose weight and change her lifestyle, her doctor said she would probably not see her daughter graduate from high school. Her key health indicators—her blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol and body mass index—were sky high, which was especially dangerous for someone with diabetes - like her.

“I was literally dying,” said McCauley, who is now 51 years old. “This was frightening to me because I want to see my daughter and son graduate and get married and be a grandma.”

But for years, she struggled to find the motivation to change. She kept using food as a comfort, packing excessive pounds onto her petite, 5 foot, 2 inch frame. She often felt terrible—tired, sick, sad, depressed. But her doctor’s suggestion of shrinking her portions didn’t work.

Finally, two months ago, McCauley took a dramatic step. She started a liquid-only diet, through a medically-supervised Kaiser Permanente program. Her doctor suggested it, though liquid-only diets aren’t for everyone. It hasn’t been easy, but so far she’s lost nearly 30 lbs. and those alarmingly high vital readings have plummeted into normal or near-normal ranges. She plans to drop up to another 60 lbs.

McCauley just plain feels better, too. Her chronic pain has lessened and she feels more energetic and upbeat.

“People keep telling me I look happier,” she said. “I am happier.”

The program isn’t only about the physical. It also includes weekly group therapy sessions where participants talk things out.

McCauley wants other employees to know that if she can find the strength to make such a drastic turnaround, so can they.

“I’m just a worker bee here,” she said, adding that she loves her job. “I’m not an exercise guru, I’m not out running marathons. But I’m losing the weight.”

So, what caused her to take action?

After years of what she describes as being in denial, the County’s health and wellness offerings helped nudge her to pay more attention to her health. She started hearing about and attending “lunch and learn” events organized by the Employee Wellness Program, including one on diabetes taught by William Erese, the County’s Wellness Coordinator.

Erese also talked to the County Counsel’s office and shared information that astounded McCauley. He talked about the importance of health and fitness and sharing tips like on the importance of drinking water and eating vegetables and fruits.

“I know in my heart that God was trying to tell me something because I kept getting signs everywhere that something must change,” McCauley said. It started with Erese, then her friends, husband and doctor all were pleading with her to do something. Her husband had also lost a significant amount of weight not long before.

“I was miserable in my own skin and did not want to go on with this self-destructive behavior,” she said.

Growing up, McCauley said she didn’t have a problem with her weight. But she started to struggle with depression in her early 20s after losing her first child to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). She started to overeat to try to ease the pain, and her weight starting rising.

Two months ago, her weight had climbed higher than ever, and her blood pressure read 165/90 mm Hg, which is far above the normal range of less than 120/80 mm Hg, according to the Mayo Clinic. Meanwhile, her triglycerides (cholesterol) measured at 1,200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) compared to a healthy range of less than 200mg/dl. And her blood sugar levels were 365 mg/dL, far above the normal reading of less than 100 mg/dL.

Just six weeks into the liquid diet, her weight has dropped nearly 30 lbs. and her blood pressure is now measuring at 111/72 mm Hg. Her blood sugars are at 130 mg/dL. She believes her triglycerides are down too.
Erese said he is “most impressed by” McCauley’s health numbers.

“It shows you that when regular County employees become proactive about their health, they do amazing things,” he said.

McCauley is quick to admit that she hasn’t been perfect on this strict liquid diet. She’s supposed to consume just five vitamin- and mineral-rich shakes a day and up to two bowls of clear soup. She admits she has slipped in pieces of cheese or meat here and there, but she tries to not get too down about it. She gets a lot of encouragement and support from her co-workers.

Another addition to her day-to-day routine is exercise. McCauley tries to work out at least 30 minutes three times a week, either by walking outside with her 12-year old daughter or watching and following walk-in-place DVDs. Her daughter has been very supportive and is thrilled with the changes her parents have made, McCauley said.

Dropping solid foods from her diet cold turkey hasn’t been easy, and integrating them back into it probably won’t be either. The program McCauley is participating in will help guide her slowly back into solid foods, including offering classes on healthy eating and cooking. She knows the holidays are going to be challenging, but she plans to bring her shakes and soup to get-togethers, or just skip the events when she thinks it may just be too difficult.

The struggle has been worth it for McCauley.

“I am not perfect--I am a work in progress,” she said. “But with determination and by the grace of God, I am a strong, capable woman who can get through anything because I am a survivor.”