WS Chronicle

By Busta Brown

Your health matters! 

When my doctor told me seven years ago that my health mattered, I wished I had taken her more seriously. Lend me your eyes just for a few minutes and allow me to share a true story about the doctor’s visit that changed my life. 

I went in for a routine checkup and overall, the results were good. My prostate, kidneys, liver, heart, blood pressure, all looked great. But my A1C levels were above normal. “You’re at a level that can be reversed, if you eat healthier and work out. Mr. Brown, you have to take this seriously or you will become a diabetic,” my doctor said. And the first thought that came to mind was, “I’m too skinny to be a diabetic,” so I didn’t take it seriously at all. 

She went on to say, “I know you want to be around to see your kids become adults and play with your grandkids, so take this seriously. Your health matters.” She followed that with even more bad news, and to be honest, I didn’t take that seriously, either. “Your cholesterol levels are pretty high, Mr. Brown, and you absolutely must get it under control as soon as possible.” 

I’m a father of a 7-year-old that admires me beyond measure. He mimics everything I do. If I’m sick, he pretends to be sick. “Daddy, I think I have a cold too.” That little dude loves his daddy. 

My other children are under 20 and I have two grandchildren. So you would think I would have taken my doctor’s professional advice to heart, but I didn’t. I even avoided going back to visit for years.  

When I finally made it back to see my doctor, she asked, “Where have you been, Mr. Brown, and how are you feeling?” It was clear that she was very disappointed, so I just sat there like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. 

I confessed, “I’ve been very depressed, doc, and I don’t have much energy to do much of anything.” We had a very productive conversation, which led to a referral to a therapist. On my next visit, I received the news that I was expecting: I’m a type 2 diabetic, with very high cholesterol. “Mr. Brown, you must begin taking my advice seriously. You could lose your legs, a foot or feet, or even worse.” 

Of course, I knew what “even worse meant.” I also found out that diabetes triggered my depression as well. 

My fiancé and I immediately looked up healthy cooking, and even snacks for those days when I’m on the go. But, I’m one of those guys that needs constant reminding. Then one day I received another phone call, and it was also a game changer. “Hey, Busta, this is Dr. Whitt-Glover.” Melicia C. Whitt-Glover is the executive director for the Center of Excellence for the Elimination of Health Disparities at Winston-Salem State University. Melicia continued with why she called: “The University asked me to do a radio show about health and you’re the first person that came to mind to co-host the show with me.” 

And there it was, the constant reminder I needed. Dr. Whitt-Glover is president and CEO of Gramercy Research Group in Winston-Salem. Their mission is to positively impact and improve the lives of individuals and communities by addressing health and related issues. She’s one of the Twin City’s most brilliant and phenomenal women. I’m truly honored to be her co-host and if I must say, you’re going to be in safe hands with Dr. Whitt-Glover, because she’s the queen of research. No one does it better. She’s all about facts and stats, and most importantly, she loves people. Winston-Salem State University made a wise choice in choosing Melicia as host for the radio show. “We decided to do this show because we wanted to make sure we could meet people where they are. Some people get their health information from the Internet, some from books, some from other people, and some from the doctor. We wanted to make sure we could reach as many people as possible because when you know better, you do better.” 

A show such as this is very much needed and will definitely be a game changer for the black community. So, I asked the wife and mother of two, why did she choose me as her co-host?  “We wanted to do this show with you because we met several years ago through a mutual friend, Mr. Bill McClain, when you were working on your diabetes awareness concert. We clicked immediately and we’ve had a million and one ideas for getting health information out to people.” Four years ago, Dr. Whitt-Glover did a weekly segment on health tips on my morning radio show in Greensboro. “I was surprised at the number of people who told me they heard the health tips. The idea for a longer show was always something we’d talked about, so it was exciting to get the opportunity through Winston-Salem State University’s own WSNC 90.5.” 

She gave the university a well-deserved shout-out: “The faculty, staff, and students at WSSU, past and present, have done amazing things in the community related to improving health and we often go unnoticed because we’re mostly on the grind and not bragging. WSSU paved the way for many health professionals who would not otherwise have had a chance to be educated. WSSU also did, and continues, to provide health services to people in the community who couldn’t get service elsewhere. We’re doing a lot and we need to let the world know.” 

Doc and I were brainstorming about a name for our show. She looked to the sky, and then closed her eyes for a few seconds. When they opened, she smiled and said, “I’ve got it! Let’s call it Your Health Matters.” 

I thought wow! Because I never told her about my doctor’s visit sevem years ago. The show title is that constant reminder that I prayed for and that we all need. Look at God! “Your Health Matters” airs Mondays at 7 p.m. on WSNC.90.5. It’s good to be back! Spread the word.