Stay Safe Online with Guest: Angela Younger, Diabetic Patient and Patient Mentor

Diabetes had long been a part of Angela’s family when she learned in 1993 that she, too, had the disease. Her grandmother, who Angela had helped care for as a child, died of renal failure associated with the disease. A cousin had had a kidney transplant.

In Angela’s mind, complications like these were not an option; she had a disabled daughter who depended on her. Still, Angela struggled for years to manage her condition. It wasn’t until her own mother died in 2003 that she got serious about taking better care of herself.

"I made choices every day on what I would wear and eat," says Angela. "But on that day, I made the choice to live in a way that allows me to continue making my other daily choices." Today, Angela exercises three to four times a week, eats smaller portions, tests her blood sugar regularly and takes her medication.

An Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, Angela works at a diabetes center which she says has also helped her efforts to control her disease. "By educating others, I also educate myself," she says.