BY DAVID HUMPHRIES, Sophomore
BLYTHEWOOD – November 1986 was one of the finest days of Dennis Humphries´ life.
Coached by Hall of Fame coach John Jones of Spring Valley High School, Humphries was able to win the state meet in cross country as a senior with a time of 16:09.
He was a great athlete in good shape, but today simple tasks such as walking outside have become hard for him. In 2014 Humphries was diagnosed with diabetes, hypertension and sleep apnea and these diseases changed his life forever.
What Happened?
According to WebMD, diabetes is a disease which impacts the lives of over 18.2 million Americans and occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or the body of a person does not respond correctly to insulin, which is commonly known as insulin resistance.
Hypertension, commonly known as high blood pressure, impacts 70 million adults in the U.S. and is when the heart pumps blood around the body too fast through arteries which are smaller than they should be WebMD said.
Sleep apnea impacts 22 million Americans and is when breathing stops 30 or more times a minute while sleeping which is discussed on WebMD.
WebMD said diabetes, hypertension, and sleep apnea are a dangerous trio of illnesses to posses all at once, and this is what he had .
The news hit him like a car scared out of his mind, he had no way of knowing how to react and did not understand the seriousness of his situation.
Already upset, the world threw Humphries another curve ball and took his mother away from him the following week due to natural causes.
Grief stricken and confused, he had no idea what to do next.
¨I felt like I had been beaten down twice and I was not okay with that,¨ Humphries said.
He is a very different person today and has found ways to deal with his current condition.
¨Six Types Of Medicine¨
Many challenges presented themselves to him, like finding enough time to sleep an adequate amount of time, committing to exercise more, and remembering to take his medicine.
¨These diseases have made my life difficult, I now have to make time to exercise, sleep more, and remember to take my six different types of medicine,¨ Humphries said.
One of the difficulties presented by having diabetes, is finding a way to cope with the idea of one day losing a part of his body perhaps one of his legs.
¨One of my biggest fears is losing a part of my body because of diabetes; it upsets me to know I would be responsible for it,¨ said Humphries clasping his leg in his hand.
To combat this real possibility, Humphries must take six different types of medicine every day, in the morning and at night and does so without hesitation, because he fears for what could happen to him.
He sits in a chair at the countertop and confidently gulps down one pill after another hoping they will improve his condition.
¨I try to remind him and help him to take his medicine every night. I am in constant fear of losing him one day,¨ Sol Humphries, Dennis´ wife, said with a shaky voice.
Dennis discussed the various things his family does to help.
¨My family encourages me to eat more vegetables, to use my CPAP machine when I sleep, which helps me breath, to exercise more, and they support me emotionally,¨ said Humphries with a look of thankfulness.
Sol helps her husband more than just inside the house.
¨I own a janitorial business that sometimes gives me crazy hours. I work from 5 p.m. to around 2 a.m. the following morning, which really does not help my health at all and is one of the reasons that I have these diseases; to help my wife will finish her shift at Target and come and help me finish my work,¨ Humphries said looking down at his feet.
Despite working the hours he does, he still finds a way to spend time with his 10-year-old daughter, Ellajoyce Humphries. He sometimes will only sleep six hours just so he can wake up and spend the day with her.
Ellajoyce describes her father as dedicated and someone who would do anything to spend more time with his family. However, Ellajoyce has noticed changes in Humphries.
¨My dad and I used to spend a lot of time together, but now he works more than he used to and is always tired. I miss playing with him like we used to before he got sick,¨ Ellajoyce said almost whispering and looking down at her feet.
The janitorial business Humphries owns has caused some conflicts in the family. Sol constantly begs Humphries to quit his job and find one less harmful towards his health, but Humphries always refuses, because he created it.
Ever since Humphries won the 1986 cross country state championship he has been a self-made man.
He won state, started a family, and now owns his own business.
The year 1986 is still the one he dwells on the most, even if the medal he won sits in a box of high school memories in his attic.
