How My Diabetes Treatment Has Changed Since I Was First Diagnosed

Finding the right doctor and being honest about her health has changed Nikki’s diabetes treatment for the better.

Written by Marisa Taylor Karas | Reviewed by Alexandra Schwarz, MD

Updated on November 29, 2024

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Nikki Nurse is living with Type 2 diabetes, and she says her treatment has changed a lot since she was first diagnosed.

“I think it had to do with me being honest with myself and honest with my doctor,” she says.

Here’s what made a difference for Nurse as far as her Type 2 diabetes treatment:

• Find a provider with whom you feel comfortable being honest: She didn’t necessarily feel comfortable with her first doctor, and was pleased when she found another doctor whom she felt more connected to. “I was able to feel like I could speak to them on a different level of honesty, and then my [medical] care changed,” Nurse says. 

• Be honest with your provider about your side effects — they may be able to help: After Nurse’s initial diabetes diagnosis, the medication she was prescribed made her feel drained and nauseous. After checking in with her doctor, she switched to another medication, which helped.

• You may be able to find a medication that works with your lifestyle: “I just explained to them my lifestyle,” Nurse says. “I just need something to help me, give me a boost.” Her new medication and her injectable are a better fit for her active lifestyle.

Around the holidays or her birthday, she’ll check in with her doctor and let them know of any special treats she’d like to eat.

“By communicating all this with my [care team], they are able to make adjustments to my medicine so that my numbers are still falling in the normal range,” she says. “And that has been so helpful.”

You can read more about Nikki’s experience with Type 2 diabetes here and how she manages her A1C here.

Additional Medical Contributors

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• Nikki NurseNikki Nurse is a writer, wellness advocate, caregiver, and content creator based in Brooklyn. She covers fitness, nutrition, mental health, and personal development.

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References

American Diabetes Association. (n.d.). Get to know your diabetes care team. 

American Heart Association. (2024). Working with your diabetes care team. 

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