Meet Michael: Advocate for Quality Care with Type 2 Diabetes

I was approaching 400 pounds and had given up. Quietly, I started putting things in order so that if I died, my husband would have what he needed. Then came the diagnosis: type 2 diabetes. My A1C was 10.2. It was terrifying, but it also gave me a path forward. My doctor pointed me to the ADA’s website, and in those early days it gave me the information I needed.

Not long after, I started Mounjaro. Within six months, my A1C was in remission. More importantly, I felt like my life had been handed back to me. I could breathe easier, move more, and picture a future again.

The hardest part is knowing I still have to fight to keep coverage for the medication that changed everything. And what’s even sadder is that I sometimes think of my diabetes as a gift, because it lets me access treatments that people with “just” prediabetes are still denied.

That realization lit a fire in me. It pushed me to start speaking out and advocating for change. Nobody should have to see diabetes as a blessing just to qualify for care. Access should be the rule, not the exception.

The ADA was there for me when I needed answers, and I’ll always be grateful for that. I share my story now for the people who feel as lost as I once did. I want them to know that hope is real, that health is possible, and that together our voices can help build a better system.