Thanks to Comcast NBCUniversal, I can now keep up with my six grandkids

Published on 
April 14, 2020
January 25, 2024

By Johnny, on Virta for 5 months

I was diagnosed with prediabetes in 2016, but I stayed in denial for years. I didn’t have any symptoms at the time, and my doctor prescribed metformin, so I figured I could still eat whatever I wanted as long as I took my pills.

For the next three years, I didn’t think too much about type 2 diabetes and lived my life as normal. My wife said I should find a way to stop the metformin because of some effects it had on my stomach, and though I agreed, I didn't feel an urgency to do anything about it. 

I am a field technician for Comcast NBCUniversal, so my job is very physical and requires a lot of energy throughout the day. In the summer of 2019, I was suddenly hit with some disturbing physical issues. My energy levels dropped, and I was left feeling lethargic all day long. I was thirsty all the time, even after drinking more than enough water, which would cause me to make frequent, and very inconvenient, bathroom visits while I was out on jobs. Nightly trips to the bathroom also caused me to sleep poorly.

I felt so bad that I decided to see my doctor, who told me that I now had full-blown type 2 diabetes. My blood sugar was around 320 mg/dL, and my A1c was somewhere above 7.0%. She told me that type 2 diabetes was not reversible and that I needed to take insulin. I absolutely did not want to inject myself everyday, so I begged her for a different solution. She reluctantly agreed, upping my dosage of metformin instead to the maximum amount per day. She also added glipizide pills to my daily routine. So there I was, being told my diabetes was a life sentence and also taking more medication than ever before. It all felt like a punch to the gut.

A few weeks later, I shared this news with a coworker, and he told me about how Comcast NBCUniversal fully covers Virta, a treatment that could help me reverse type 2 diabetes. This came as a total surprise on two levels. First, I had never heard of Virta, or heard any mention of Comcast NBCUniversal fully covering a diabetes reversal treatment. And second, my doctor had said that diabetes was irreversible. Even just the idea that type 2 diabetes could be reversed gave me hope, and I knew I had to look into Virta immediately.

When I got home that night, I logged into my benefits portal and found Virta listed as a fully covered benefit. I was lucky that my coworker had told me about it because I would not have thought to even look for something like this. As I did more research on Virta and watched videos of countless other patients who had reversed their diabetes on Virta, I thought that this could be worth trying if I wanted to avoid insulin injections.

Five months later, I can confirm that this was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, and one of the best benefits that Comcast NBCUniversal offers for employees like me. I have lost 45 pounds, my average fasting blood glucose is now under 100 mg/dL, and my A1c dropped to 5.9% in follow-up labs. 

With all these improvements, I’m excited to get back to some things that I haven’t been able to do in the past, like exercise. As a Desert Storm Navy Veteran, I used to work out a lot, and I can’t wait to use all of my extra energy at the gym. Even without exercise, though, family members have noticed a change in my body. Recently, I saw some relatives who said that I don’t look like the same person from even just a few months ago. It’s true, and I don’t feel like the same person, either.

My motivation comes from remembering why I am doing the Virta treatment, which is for my family. I am only 55 years old with 6 grandkids, and I am now more able to do the things I want to do with the people I love. Before Virta, I used to be tired all the time, and ready to fall asleep at any moment. Since joining Virta, my energy seems to have no limits. Now, from the time I get up to when I get home, I’m good to go! On a recent trip to Disneyland, I was able to stay alongside the rest of the family. That would not have been possible before Virta.

I am so grateful that Comcast NBCUniversal fully covers this employee benefit, and I wish that more employees are aware of it. I am happy and proud to tell all of my coworkers about Virta at every opportunity.  I can only imagine the number of people whose lives would be changed if a wide announcement were made that Comcast NBCUniversal fully covers Virta’s type 2 diabetes reversal treatment. Imagine how many more parents and grandparents out there like me could enjoy keeping up with their kids and grandkids.



Icon: Envelope with card coming out, featuring Virta spark on the front

Get the latest Virta updates in your inbox

Subscribe to our blog to get Virta updates, delivered directly to you.
Subscribe

Citations