My story: Kim and type 2 diabetes

A diabetes diagnosis is a test for any family, but when the condition strikes twice it requires strength and resolve. Kim, type 2 diabetes patient, shares her fight against the disease and explains why her daughter has been such an inspiration.

Transcript

00:00

I am a type 2 diabetic. My grandmother, my father, several of my father's siblings, one of my mother's siblings,

00:08

all has type 2 diabetes. [MUSIC PLAYING] We have a very strong family support

00:15

system, which makes something like this a whole lot easier. When I was first diagnosed I called my husband first.

00:23

His first question was, what was your A1C? Are you going on medicine or are we starting with diet?

00:30

I think I was on diet and exercise maybe six months. And then, we just went ahead and went on the metformin. It has pretty well steadied out or started dropping.

00:40

I try to make better decisions when I go to eat. It was a whole new world for our family

00:48

when my daughter was diagnosed at age nine with type 1, and that was devastating. It was devastating to me.

00:57

That was the first time I had ever seen my husband cry. We had never dealt with type 1 in the family.

01:08

We've done it. [LAUGHS] We've done it. She's done it. Very strong young lady. My grandchildren, they're kind of the light

01:15

of my life at this point. I want to be there. I want to watch them do things. I want to watch them graduate high school.

01:22

I've got several years that I want to be here. Life is beautiful despite this fight with diabetes that we're both fighting now.