Patient Stories

Ellen still remembers how confused she was when a doctor told her 14 years ago that she had diabetes.

He told her that her high blood sugar had caused the blurred vision that finally sent her to the doctor’s office.

“He threw all these numbers at me,” Ellen remembered. “It didn’t mean anything to me.

So began Ellen’s journey to good health with diabetes.

About one of every 10 people in Northeast Ohio faces the challenges of diabetes.

Better Health Greater Cleveland knows that the best diabetes care happens when patients and doctors work together to do the right things.

Diabetes is tough. It took Ellen nearly a year to come to terms with her condition — and to get the kind of health care she deserved. She asked questions, and she found the information she needed to manage her disease in a way that fit her life.

“I have a responsibility to deal with my disease,” Ellen said. “Doctors have a responsibility to give me all the information I need.”

Ellen has learned that doctors aren’t the only experts. She has become an expert, too. Because she lives with diabetes every day.

That’s why she knows that talking with her doctor is an important step on the path to better health. “If you share a problem, you cut it in half,” Ellen said.