“I’ve had minor to urgent problems, and there is never a doubt in my mind that she will lead me to the right person and the right help. I want to tell everyone that has any sort of problem – take the step of asking for help and come to Sixteenth Street. There you will get the best care, no matter what you are going through.”
I first heard about Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers through a friend at work. I was having problems with my vision and decided to come in and see what help I could receive, if any. Everyone was so attentive and willing to assist. They gave me all the information I needed, walked me through all the processes for becoming a patient and helped me set up my very first appointment with Dr. David. At that first appointment I had a physical. My results came back: diabetes, vitamin D deficiency and tuberculosis. I was terrified. What I knew about tuberculosis was that it was contagious – and I was here and at home, around all these people and family. Dr. David was very caring, she reassured me that I did not have to worry. The virus wasn’t yet developed, and I was in a position to receive treatment. I came in every week for three months to receive treatment – Dr. David took care of everything. She also made sure I was connected to the right people and in good hands for everything that was to follow.
As my blood sugar was also too high, Dr. David sent me to talk with a nutritionist, the support group and later with Eida (Certified Diabetes Nurse Educator). She also recommended I see Gabi (Psychotherapist) to talk about all the emotional issues I was facing. It was a lot to handle at once, and I was still feeling anxious being around people. They all helped me better understand what was happening and deal with it. The support I felt was so important.
I worked hard and got my blood sugar under control, but as that happened, another problem surfaced. For some time, my hands had been falling asleep. I thought it was from the high blood sugar, so I didn’t say anything at first to Dr. David. But after my blood sugar was lowered and under control, the sensation didn’t go away, and I knew blood sugar wasn’t the cause. Dr. David sent me to a physical therapist and to have an MRI. More negative results. It came back that I had carpal tunnel syndrome and a damaged nerve (most likely from a past surgery). But, I was in the right hands and on a path to recovery. I’m good now. I’m working again. And I have faith that one day I will be using my hands as I did before.
A few other incidents followed that left me with facial paralysis and a fractured foot – but as before, Dr. David was there, Gabi was there, everyone was there – guiding me towards the right help and following every step of the way. The last few years were more than difficult, but I want to thank Dr. David and everyone who helped me from the bottom of my heart. I’ve had minor to urgent problems, and there is never a doubt in my mind that she will lead me to the right person and the right help. I want to tell everyone that has any sort of problem – take the step of asking for help and come to Sixteenth Street. There you will get the best care, no matter what you are going through.