For over 20 years, my dad managed to live a fulfilling life despite having diabetes. He maintained a physically active lifestyle and never let the disease interfere with his daily routine. Dad consistently took his prescribed medications and did not experience any noticeable side effects.
My dad’s health took an unexpected turn when he was diagnosed with a heart attack on September 1, 2025. Initial medical tests revealed that he had blockages in his heart and sustained heart damage, marking this as a serious and concerning situation.
My journey with diabetes officially started in June 2016, but the real story began a few months earlier, in March 2016. I was a 17-year-old high school student at the time living in Rachiine, a beautiful small village in north Lebanon. Despite its beauty, Rachiine, like much of its district, was marked by insecurities and a judgmental society that often made it difficult to speak up about personal struggles.
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.
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