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Viox doesn’t let Type 1 diabetes slow her down

Diabetes Awareness Month feature: Part 1 of 3

November 12, 2025 by Tammy Cheek

Water Into Wine owner Candace Viox is always on the go and will not let diabetes Type 1 slow her down.

As a restaurateur, mother of two daughters, Rotary Club president and Shop Farragut Chairman, she never sits down.

“I don’t like to be a burden,” she reflected. So, Viox takes the necessary precautions.

“I wear a pump, and the pump on my body works with a Dexcom sensor,” she said. “So my Dexcom sensor will alert me that my sugar is going up — that my sugar is high — and my pump, made by Omnipod, talks to my Dexcom sensor and starts giving me insulin.”

Viox explained Omnipod is a type of fake pancreas.

“I need to be at a healthy blood sugar — between 80 and 120 — for me,” she said. “Some people are different.”

When Viox is alerted about her blood sugar, her Dexcom sensor will beep on her cell phone.

“I make the joke, I’m a robot,” she said. “When I’m speaking or when I’m in Rotary, I beep,” she said. “I just randomly beep. I’ll tell people, ‘it’s not my phone. I’m not being rude, but I have to carry my phone with me all the time because my phone talks to both of those (the Dexcom sensor and pump).

“If my sugar’s going high, it will alert me,” Viox said. “If my sugar’s going low, it will alert me — very loudly. My body doesn’t work so I’ve got to wear all these things that beep at me.”

While she makes a joke of it, she hates the disease.

“I hate being sick,” Viox said. “I hate having Type 1 diabetes.”

FHS students build gingerbread houses for Fantasy of Trees

November 12, 2025 by Tammy Cheek

Farragut High School’s nutrition across the lifespan class is in gear to present their gingerbread houses for the Fantasy of Trees.

This year’s Fantasy of Trees, which benefits East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, is slated from 7 to 10 p.m., Wednesday, through Sunday, Nov. 26-30, in Knoxville Convention Center, 701 Henley St., Knoxville. The gala will take place Tuesday, Nov. 25.

It attracts nearly 60,000 people with its 330 beautifully designed trees, holiday accessories, mantles, gingerbread houses and more.

“It’s been around since I was a little girl,” Lynsey Flatford, who teaches the nutrition and dietetics pathway at the school, said about the fundraiser.

“It’s really important to me,” she added.

Of the gingerbread houses expected to be sold at the event, FHS’s students will be furnishing 18. Flatford said the houses generally sell from $150 to $250 each.

Her class has been involved with the Fantasy of Trees, which benefits East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, since 2012. That’s when her class attended the event and saw “all the gingerbread houses, and some made by Greenback High School.

“I called the (GHS) teacher, and she showed me the ropes,” Flatford said. “I just decided I wanted my kids to participate. Children’s Hospital’s a great resource for our community, and I really liked having the kids do things that benefit community service projects in class.

Causes of anemia

Ask the Vet

November 12, 2025 by Dr. Stephanie Myers

Q: I just learned that my dog is anemic. Polly is getting old, but I don’t know why. She acts like she feels fine. Should I be worried? ~ E.S., Farragut

A: I’m happy to hear that Polly feels well, but sorry to hear that she is anemic. The reason for the anemia and the degree of anemia are both important, and this information will let you and your veterinarian know how much we should worry about Polly.

Anemia is simply defined as having fewer red blood cells than normal. Anemia occurs for three basic reasons. First, the body is losing red blood cells. This can occur for multiple reasons with trauma, internal parasites, surgery and ulcers.

Secondary, anemia can occur if the body is not producing enough red blood cells. Examples of this include chronic disease (such as kidney disease), cancer or abnormalities in the bone marrow (where the red blood cells are made)