From The Southern Illinoisan Marilyn Halstead May 18, 2022
OBDEN — The KidneyMobile visited St. Joseph Catholic Church Wednesday afternoon to bring free medical screening to the area.
Regina White said the event, provided by the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois, tests local residents for diabetes, high blood pressure and kidney disease.
“Kidney disease doesn’t have symptoms until its later stages. We try to prevent kidney disease,” White said.
Two of the leading causes of kidney disease are untreated high blood pressure and uncontrolled diabetes.
White said those attending a kidney screening event must be 18 or older. They do two urine tests and a blood glucose test. They also perform a hemoglobin A1C on all diabetics. They can do the same test on people whose blood sugar is high enough, according to White.
A blood sugar test measures the amount of sugar or glucose in the blood at the time of the test. A hemoglobin A1C gives measures blood sugar for the past three months.
White said they can draw blood for additional testing if it is needed.
They also measure body mass index and waist circumference.
Jennifer Clary, a registered renal dietitian, offered advice and information about what to eat. She also had recipes for fried rice and chicken.
“There are ways to fix food at home that doesn’t require too much salt,” Clary said.
Melanie Brambila of Illinois Migrant Council gave away program information, at-home COVID tests and a bag of snacks.
After each person was screened and tested, they received their test results, then saw someone for consultation. During consultation, those who received testing got advice on things like drinking enough water.
White said 60 people had pre-registered for the event in Cobden, but they also took walk-ins. They also had seven or eight local volunteers helping with the screening.
Two days of health screenings will be available as follows:
Carbondale from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, May 19, at St. Francis Xavier Church, 303 S. Poplar St.
Herrin from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, May 20, at Williamson County Programs on Aging, 1201 Weaver Road.
For more information, visit www.nkfi.org.