Teresa Harackiewicz
Type 2 Diabetes Success Story
Teresa Harackiewicz was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in 2006. She first visited the UMass Memorial Diabetes Center of Excellence in 2017 and met with Dr. Samir Malkani. Her A1c was 7.5%, which was the highest it had ever been.
“I knew I had to do something,” Teresa said. “My major motivation was that my husband weighed less than me. He has a fantastic metabolism.”
She began walking about two miles on a treadmill after meals, three times a day. She also began paying attention to everything she ate. Teresa was determined or “pretty stubborn” as she put it, to lose weight and take control of her blood sugars by way of proper nutrition and increased physical activity.
Her healthy new lifestyle resulted in an initial loss of 25 pounds within the first six months, during which she also dropped three dress sizes. As the pounds came off, the more motivated she became.
“Sometimes I take a break from walking, but then get right back on track,” she excitedly said. “Rest if you must, but don’t quit! I feel more alive then ever.”
On the 10th of every month, she continues to share her progress with Dr. Malkani by uploading and sending her blood glucose meter test results to him.
“Even though he’s very busy, Dr. Malkani writes back to me every time, and continues to provide encouragement,” said Teresa. “My blood glucose, blood pressure and other important numbers have come down. Nothing can stop me now!”
"Teresa continues to do fabulously well with her diabetes management," said Dr. Malkani. "Her A1c improved to 5.7% and she remains in non-diabetes range! She's a tremendously self-motivated individual who has taken control of her blood sugars while I watch from the sidelines to encourage her and monitor her progress."