Patient Stories

Laura has a simple slogan when it comes to dealing with her diabetes: Knowledge is Power.

“I know I’m not going to be able to resolve my diabetes or cure it, so I’ve got to learn to live with what I’ve got,” Laura, 54, said. “My education is always ongoing.”

Laura was thrust right into her diabetes education after being diagnosed in 2001. The same day she got her diagnosis, her best friend’s father died. “I never had a chance to feel sorry for myself, I had to accept it pretty fast and move on,” she said.

Laura started reading and taking classes to make sure she understood her diabetes. She’s also amassed a strong support team, including her family, doctors, co-workers, friends and too many other people to count.

“I’ve got a big care team only because I was taught early on to talk,” she said. Her husband has been especially helpful, learning to read her meters and always knowing where the juice is if her blood sugar gets low.

Laura also credits the DIVAbetics, a group of women with diabetes assembled under a Diabetes Association of Greater Cleveland program, with helping her cope. “With them, you forget you have diabetes,” she said. “You forget what you’re there for.”

By now, living with her diabetes has become second nature, but that only comes with education and understanding.

“The more you know about the disease, the more you can help your body,” Laura said. “You have to listen to what your body is telling you and know what to do.”