Telehealth Has Helped Me Live My Healthiest Life

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AS A FOOTBALL PLAYER in college, Armando Alvarez took pride in his athletic ability and focus on fitness. But after age 30, those habits faded, and his future wasn’t looking as healthy as he’d imagined it would. Formerly an avid runner, he stopped working out and let his diet slip, which led to steady weight gain over a number of years.

“I felt like I was failing at being healthy, and that began to snowball,” Alvarez says. “I’d talk to doctors about it and they’d encourage me to change my habits, but they never gave me a plan. Even worse, I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.”

Fast-forward to his mid-50s. To improve his blood sugar and help him lose weight, a physician recommended Alvarez adopt a ketogenic diet. Keto gave him better blood-glucose control, but he also experienced coronary artery blockages that left him with chest pains and breathlessness. After less than a year on the diet, a cardiologist told him he had 100 percent blockage in one artery and 70 percent in two others, leading to daily angina for 10 months. A triple bypass was the suggested next step.

Alvarez wanted a different path—one that would allow him to run again and play with his grandkids without fear. Since he’d had an allergic reaction to anesthesia in the past, he hoped to opt out of the bypass surgery while still improving his heart health, controlling his diabetes, and getting back into running.

And that’s exactly what happened—but it took the right telemedicine program and a dedicated health coach to get him there.

Turning the Corner With Telehealth

ALVAREZ’S ATHEROSCLEROSIS DIAGNOSIS came eight years ago. He switched to a plant-based diet at the time, but he still struggled with his weight and diabetes management, which made it difficult to run consistently. He had plenty of health advice at his disposal, but what he really needed was one-on-one guidance to give him direction.

Then in January 2024, Alvarez enrolled in Teladoc Health’s Diabetes Management program, which connected him with health coach Alisa Orel. Finally, through regular telemedicine sessions, he had the insight he’d been missing to build momentum toward his goals.

“He has a bigger toolkit of resources to adjust his habits in meaningful ways.”

“I’d talked to health coaches before, but they just wanted to manage my illness, whereas Alisa wanted to help me achieve optimal health,” Alvarez says. “I wasn’t just trying to get by; our goal was to make me into the best Armando I could be. That’s a big mindset shift, and it makes a huge difference.”

Through consistent check-ins that covered nutrition and physical activity as well as stress management and good sleep habits, Orel and Alvarez worked together to create a plan that included daily habits and long-term goals. This wasn’t a one-size-fits-all program with general advice, Orel stresses—it was a one-size-fits-Armando approach. “His positive attitude, enthusiasm, and adaptability have always set him apart,” she says. “We worked with that to create a plan that was suited specifically to him.”

For example, instead of just looking at Alvarez’s A1c, they dug into the factors that changed that number. Was he not getting enough sleep? Was his number higher at breakfast versus lunch? What made him feel stressed? “By understanding factors like these,” Orel says, “he has a bigger toolkit of resources to adjust his habits in meaningful ways.”

An Ongoing Partnership

ALTHOUGH ALVAREZ IS now on track with his weight, heart health, and diabetes, neither he nor Orel consider their work finished. A key feature of the Teladoc Health Diabetes Management program is that it’s an ongoing partnership, which will continue to evolve as Alvarez’s health improves.

“Managing a chronic condition can be very emotional, and it’s about far more than what to eat or whether you should exercise that day,” Orel says. “You need support and encouragement, because that’s what helps with consistency.”

“Thanks to Teladoc Health and Alisa, I’m in control of my health in ways I never thought possible.”

Alvarez uses a Teladoc Health blood sugar meter, which uploads his blood sugars to their system and if his number is out of range he receives a prompt phone call asking if he is hydrated, slept poorly the night before, or feels stressed. Alvarez also wears a continuous glucose monitor which Orel has visibility into. Having access to his 24/7 blood sugar levels facilitates a more nuanced understanding of all the factors that impact his glycemic management.

Thanks to this extra insight, Alvarez and Orel are able to develop a more precise and individualized plan for optimal blood sugar management, like being able to expand his eating options past the plant-based diet that he was on in the beginning. That level of care makes him feel like someone always has his back. It’s also given him the confidence to run half-marathons and train for races that are more than a year out.

Now 65, Alvarez feels like he’s made the turnaround of a lifetime.

From cardiac woes to half-marathons, Teladoc has helped Alvarez focus on a healthy path.

“In many ways, diabetes has been a blessing, because it’s caused me to take my health seriously,” he says. “I have four grandchildren, and I’m the only grandpa running around the playground with them. I’m getting ready to go to Italy with my wife, and I’m not worried about the trip, because Alisa and I have talked through strategies for eating and exercise while I’m there. When I was diagnosed with diabetes, I went into pity-party mode. But thanks to Teladoc Health and Alisa, I’m in control of my health in ways I never thought possible.”