“I got good news and bad news. The good news is you’re not dying yet.”
When Dominique Wilkins heard those words from his doctor, the basketball legend and NBA Hall of Famer – who was only 40 years old at the time – remembers that he was scared to death. This wasn’t anywhere near how he expected this doctor visit to go. The world-class athlete wasn’t sick; he just hadn’t had a checkup in a while and says he felt “a little off.”
“I should’ve known something was wrong because it took two hours to come back after they did the screening,” Wilkins told BlackDoctor.org during a recent interview.
READ: The 8 People You Need On Your Diabetes Care Team
The doctor went on to say, “Don’t get alarmed. The bad news is you’re a diabetic so now you have to have a lifestyle change.”
That fateful visit was 17 years ago and Wilkins is proud to say he made that lifestyle change and stuck with it all these years.
Wilkins knew about the realities of diabetes before his type 2 diagnosis. Even though his father and grandfather both died from diabetes, Wilkins says he never thought he would be infected in any way. It wasn’t until he learned he was infected a year after he retired from the League that he got serious about the disease.
“I said, ‘You know what? This is hereditary in a lot of situations so I gotta find ways to not just help myself but educate other people on healthier options,'” Wilkins said about the inspiration for his advocacy around diabetes education, especially for African Americans.
According to the latest statistics from the Office of Minority Health, African American adults are 80 percent more likely to have been diagnosed with diabetes by a physician than non-Hispanic white adults. Also, Blacks are more likely to suffer from diabetes-related complications, like amputations, blindness and end-stage renal disease.
In 2014, Wilkins launched his national Diabetes Dream Team initiative, an interactive website that helps adults manage their diabetes and shows them how to build their own “dream team” or supporting cast. The Dream Team approach to diabetes management focuses on having a balanced diet, regular exercise and taking proper medication as needed.
READ: Black Men & Diabetes: Superfoods for Life
Wilkins’ “Diabetes Dream Team” has been instrumental in helping him manage his diabetes and includes physicians, a diabetes educator, a nutritionist and a fitness instructor. “Other people I lean on to stay on track, like my wife and kids, are also part of my “team,” he shared.
In addition to changing his diet and cutting back on his beloved sweets, the self-described “active guy” loves to walk.
For many men, going to the doctor isn’t a high priority and a diagnosis like diabetes can be a blow to the ego. Wilkins’ best advice to other men is to get screened anyway.
“A lot of times people know they have problems, especially Black men. Our ego sets in and we ignore it. By ignoring it all we’re doing is prolonging the inevitable. It’s not going anywhere. So, it’s better to know than not know. So get screened. That’s your first line of defense.”
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