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Sometimes life throws you a curve ball and you end up right where you belonged all along. About a year and a half ago, Jay Stafford moved to the Lewis-Clark Valley, a place he never really expected to be. His only daughter had moved to the area with her family, and shortly thereafter, Jay followed suit. “I came here in April of 2023 because my daughter, her husband, and my three grandsons moved here first, about three months earlier,” Jay begins. Jay was retired, and what truly brought him joy was spending time with his family and going on adventures with his grandsons. “I was sitting over in western Washington with the traffic and the crime thinking, ‘What am I doing?’ So I moved, too. I’ve been here ever since, and I’m just falling in love with it.”

Shortly after settling in, Jay got established with a primary care provider at TriState Health. “I got a PA named Tyler Anderson, and he was great,” Jay continues. “I first saw him in May 2023. When I got home from that first visit, his nurse called me, and she said, ‘Jay, your diabetes is out of control.’ I said, what diabetes? I don’t have diabetes.” His new nurse explained that his numbers were high, and referred Jay to the TriState Wellness team, specializing in diabetes care management and nutrition. This unexpected diagnosis marked the beginning of a journey that would change everything—and it led him to a new family at TriState Wellness.

Jay’s backstory is a life rich with adventure and service. Born in Seattle, Jay served in the Navy, tracking nuclear submarines from the air, spent some time with the King County Sheriff’s Department, and eventually joined the police force in Tacoma, Washington, where he spent 30 years until he retired. His stories speak of a life on the go, filled with fast decisions and high-stakes situations. But that fast-paced lifestyle also led to a steady diet of fast food. “I ate horribly for 33 years,” he recalls with a laugh. “I would eat fast food off the dashboard of a patrol car. You throw your food and milkshake on the dash because there’s an emergency call, and you just go. No wonder I have diabetes.” Burgers, fries, and milkshakes were the norm, a habit he didn’t give much thought to until his diabetes diagnosis.

From the moment they mentioned diabetes, Jay knew this was something to take seriously. “We all know what the consequences are and how you die from diabetes, and how horrible it can be if it’s not managed well,” Jay remarks. “As a cop, you have to always act in control, and you almost have to be a tough guy to some people. And, I’ll tell you what, I about fell apart when they told me that I had diabetes. But I thought positively and knew that I would go into this program wholeheartedly and would do well. I think my positive thinking saved me probably more times than I knew in my career as a police officer. You can have all the college degrees you want and all of that stuff, but if you can’t be optimistic or don’t have street smarts and common sense, you’re not gonna last long.” And Jay kept this mentality as he became educated about his diabetes.

Jay was impressed by the level of care and attention he received. “Immediately, I learned that if I was going to beat this, I’d have to change the way I ate and incorporate exercise,” he recalls. “When I wrote down what I ate, I think they all probably turned white,” he remembers. “You don’t always realize what you are even eating until you write it down like that.” The TriState Wellness team helped Jay look at food differently, not just as something to eat on the fly, but as a way to fuel his body for a better, longer life. They worked with him patiently, creating a nutrition plan that allowed him to eat well while managing his blood sugar. “I wrote things down, I asked a lot of questions, and I finally got it. I learned tools to cut down my carbs, balance my protein, and how much of everything that I really needed,” Jay says. “Before, I didn’t realize how what I was eating affected my whole body.”

Today, Jay still enjoys meals with his grandsons, who are the light of his life, but he has a new approach. “I don’t feel like I’m missing out. I can still go have pizza with my grandsons, have Chinese, or go to any restaurant with the family. The difference is, I know how to balance my food intake, so I feel good afterward. I don’t always choose what might have been my favorite food in the past, instead I eat what I see on the menu is going to serve my body best. The food is always good,” he says. “It takes discipline, just like I had back in the military and when I was a police officer, but once you realize the connection between your gut and everything else in your body, it changes everything for the positive and your good decisions are satisfying,” states Jay.

Since starting his program, Jay’s health has transformed. “For the last six months, I’ve been in range. I test my blood sugar twice a day, and I’ve stayed in range every time,” he says proudly. “I took what they said seriously, and applied it, and I still learn something new every time I walk through the doors of their clinic.”

TriState’s support goes beyond typical care. Jay reflects on his first visit, remembering how the team told him, “Welcome to our family.” He’s found more than medical guidance; he’s found a place where he’s truly seen, heard, and cared for. “I call them my family,” he says warmly. “Every time I go in, they ask about my latest adventure, and I tease them mercilessly, but it’s all in good fun. And I think they look just as forward to see you as you do to see them. They genuinely care, and they are interested in the people that are their patients, and that makes all the difference.”

Jay is now equipped with tools to make choices that keep him feeling good without feeling deprived. “Coming from Tacoma, I had access to every kind of doctor or specialist you could ever imagine, but I got the best information probably in my entire medical life from the ladies in that wellness clinic, and I am so impressed. I feel I am going to be well taken care of no matter what comes my way,” he says. “They taught me how to live life with diabetes in a way that doesn’t take away the things I love. The reality is how good my health has become because of that family over there.” He’s quick to credit the team with his success. “These people have given me more than health guidance; they’ve given me friendship, patience, and they care. They’ve become my family.”

Jay’s journey with TriState Wellness has given him the chance to continue doing the things he enjoys with his family, while ensuring his health stays in check. “And now I feel I can go anywhere in the world if I want to, and I know what to eat. I didn’t know how powerful the right information could be,” Jay says. “My life is better, healthier, and happier than ever. If I live to be 95, and I’d like to, it’ll be because of the people at TriState. That’s the kind of care you want in life. ”

“As you can tell, I love life. I loved my time in the Navy, and I really loved what I did for a living. I love my family. No diabetes is gonna take that away from me,” he concludes. For Jay, TriState Wellness is more than a healthcare provider; it’s a family. And thanks to them, he knows he’ll be able to enjoy many more years with all the people he loves.