Member Spotlight
Powell Wellness Center (PWC) is proud to highlight our members’ wellness stories!
Will you be next?! To tell your story or nominate someone else, please get in touch with PWC medical program leader Whitney Propps (540-445-5388 or email wpropps@culpeperwellness.org)
Share your story and inspire others!
Member spotlight: Meet Pamela
PWC member Pamela’s story is one of continuing commitment to her personal wellness journey after she confronted and dealt with some health challenges.
Pamela sustained a shoulder injury at work, then found herself sitting around eating while at home. She put on weight. Pamela had shoulder surgery to address the injury. After recovering from the surgery, her next step was meeting with her primary care doctor.
Pamela felt that her weight was the root cause of her health issues and she knew she had to get the weight off. She told her doctor she was tired of hurting all the time, mainly due to back and knee pain. Her doctor referred her to PWC’s FitScripts program in November 2017. She experienced success in FitScripts — over the course of 8-week program she lost 36 pounds!
When the FitScripts program ended, Pamela joined PWC as a member to continue focusing on her health. She recalls, “It hurt to work out when I started, but I knew in my heart and mind that my weight was causing me to hurt.” Now, Pamela’s a PWC regular who comes to the gym every day — she points out, “even if it is only for 10-15 minutes, I need to get my workout!” As part of her wellness efforts, she also addressed her eating habits and observes, “I am eating better, I cut the sugary foods and drinks.”
By continuing her commitment to personal wellness, Pamela has gotten into better shape and lost a total of 60 pounds. Last year she was able to walk 2000-3000 steps per day. When she shared her Member Spotlight story in June 2018, she had increased to 15,000 steps per day — a new level of fitness that is the reward for her commitment. In May 2018 she participated in a 5K walk; an effort that understandably she is proud of. Pamela says she feels better and is pain free as well as happier!
Thank you, Pamela, for sharing your story!
Member spotlight: Meet Miss Pat
Recently we had the pleasure of sitting down with Miss Pat as she is affectionately known by her friends and fellow parishioners. Miss Pat is 59 years old and originally from Tennessee. She is a woman of great faith who loves to sing and minister to others.
In 1988, Miss Pat moved to northern Virginia in 1988 as a military wife and later relocated to Culpeper where she worked for 23 years at a local credit union until it closed. Since then she has been out-of-work and carefully living off retirement income.
In June of 2017 Miss Pat needed medical care and contacted the Free Clinic. It wasn’t an easy call for her to make. As someone who has always taken care of herself, she is much more comfortable in the role of giving to others rather than receiving help. When she arrived at the Free Clinic for her first visit, Miss Pat was on all kinds of medication for chronic issues such as asthma, allergies, diabetes, high cholesterol and degenerative osteoarthritis. And, she wasn’t feeling well at all.
Miss Pat met with Cathy, our physician’s assistant, to discuss her health concerns. “She pulled up a stool and listened to me…REALLY listened. She’s amazing”, Miss Pat said. She went on to say, “Even when I had insurance I never got the care that I get now. They treat me with respect and are so kind. It’s almost like they’re not real because they’re so good.”
The Free Clinic staff connected Miss Pat with medical specialists and helped her to enroll in an exercise program at Powell Wellness Center. There she received a fitness scholarship made possible by generous donors. Now, less than a year later, Miss Pat has lost 20 lbs., lowered her cholesterol, reduced her blood sugar, and is on only a few medications!
As we concluded our visit Miss Pat said, “I have nothing to give and they keep giving to me joyfully. I feel like the love I’ve given to others over the years is coming back to me. The Free Clinic is a Godsend.”
