Unstoppable: How Influencer Liz Davis Has Redefined Success While Navigating Society with Type 2 Diabetes
An interview with Kelly Reeves
Finding a strong support system can be very beneficial. I’m grateful for the support I’ve received including from my family, my doctor and my social media community on helping me to manage my type 2 diabetes.
As a part of our “Unstoppable” series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Liz Davis.
Liz Davis is a Rehoboth Beach, Delaware-based writer living with type 2 diabetes. She loves to surround herself with family and friends, who inspired her to establish a social media presence where she found her community and connected with other individuals with type 2 diabetes. Liz is also a Lilly partner.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! It is really an honor. Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you share your “backstory” with us?
I was diagnosed as pre-diabetic in my late 20s. My personal journey with type 2 diabetes had been filled with so many ‘ups and downs’, but this was a particularly hard time for me. I was working as a technical writer full time and also writing feature films full time. I wasn’t sleeping and was not taking the best care of myself, and my prediabetes progressed to type 2 diabetes at the age of 33. I have always been an extraverted social butterfly, I live to connect with people, but it wasn’t until 2018, when I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, that I started to post and connect with others experiencing the same tribulations of glucose management. I find sharing my journey has helped me keep my glucose management at the front of my mind, while inspiring others to do the same.
Do you feel comfortable sharing with us the story surrounding how you were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes?
I was diagnosed with prediabetes in 2014 and later diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Immediately after my diagnosis, my doctor prescribed an oral medication. We discussed the importance of taking steps to manage my A1C early on in my diagnosis, and I knew that if I didn’t get my A1C in check, I’d be at risk for more long-term health complications. Research shows nearly 50% of people with type 2 diabetes aren’t meeting an A1C goal of <7%. For a while, I was one of them. I didn’t see the A1C results I was looking for, even with diet, exercise, and stress management, while taking what she had originally prescribed, so she prescribed Mounjaro in July 2022.
What mental shift did you make to not let that “stop you”?
Hearing that I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes was hard and really scary — especially since I didn’t know much about it. However, I am someone who loves a deep dive, and arming myself with as much knowledge as possible helped me gain the confidence to devise an action plan with my doctor. This is a manageable condition; you just have to have the right tools.
Can you tell our readers about the accomplishments you have been able to make despite your type 2 diabetes?
Being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes can be scary and lonely for many people. After I was prescribed Mounjaro, I turned to social media to share my journey on the medicine, connect with others on a similar journey and encourage my followers to seek out guidance from their physicians. Developing a presence online has been a great accomplishment and has allowed me to learn more from others in the diabetes community and inspire those around me to be less afraid of their diagnosis.
In addition to finding my community on social media, I’ve also worked hard to make positive lifestyle changes in addition to my treatment with Mounjaro. I’ve worked with my doctor to set healthy but sustainable goals that positively impact my type 2 diabetes management. I don’t do extreme diets or spend hours on the elliptical anymore. I eat when I’m hungry, and I get exercise by taking walks or doing things I enjoy and that fit into my everyday routine.
What advice would you give to other people who have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes?
Don’t be afraid, you can manage with the guidance of your doctor, I promise! I would encourage anyone who has been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes to talk to their healthcare provider about finding the right treatment plan for them. For me personally, I’ve been prioritizing my health by eating well, staying active and doing my best to manage my A1C. Getting my A1C in check was important to me because I knew that early glucose management plays an important role in disease progression and can impact long-term health complications.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are?
Both my dad and my doctor have played important roles in my journey. My dad and I often talk about my type 2 diabetes since we do have a family history of it and though he doesn’t have it, he is a doctor and is very familiar with the challenges of my diagnosis from both a personal and a medical perspective. When he learned about Mounjaro, he thought it could be a potential treatment to help me better manage my high blood glucose. He shared information with me about Mounjaro, including the outcomes seen in clinical trials.
My personal doctor, who has also struggled with type 2 diabetes herself, really understands not only the diagnosis, but also how to cultivate a wellness plan based on individual needs. After discussing Mounjaro with her, she felt it was the right treatment option for me to get my A1C within a healthy range. By working to manage my A1C through a variety of lifestyle changes, I’m able to take better control of my diabetes and not let it control my life.
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
As a writer with an online presence, I’ve received hundreds of messages and comments on social media from people who are struggling to manage their type 2 diabetes or want to learn more about my experience. I always make sure they are heard and connect them with the resources that helped me in my journey. I started taking Mounjaro to help lower my A1C along with diet and exercise, and I want to share my story in hopes of reaching other adults with type 2 diabetes who might benefit, which is why I’m so happy to be partnering with Lilly to share my personal experience.
Can you share “5 things I wish people understood or knew about managing type 2 diabetes” and why.
- Don’t see the diagnosis as something scary, see it as something actionable. Talking to your healthcare provider about managing your type 2 diabetes is so important. My personal doctor, who has also struggled with type 2 diabetes herself, really understands not only the diagnosis, but also how to develop a wellness plan based on individual needs.
- A comprehensive approach to managing your health is so important. In addition to Mounjaro, I make sure to eat a healthy, balanced diet and exercise regularly as recommended by my doctor.
- Setting treatment goals with your healthcare provider is essential. I was originally prescribed an oral medication to help manage my type 2 diabetes, but I didn’t see the A1C results I was looking for, even with diet and exercise while taking it, so my doctor and I discussed a different treatment plan, and she prescribed Mounjaro which helped me control my A1C.
- Make sure you set obtainable lifestyle changes. My doctor has taught me the importance of setting healthy and sustainable goals that I enjoy and fit into my routine, like daily walks.
- Finding a strong support system can be very beneficial. I’m grateful for the support I’ve received including from my family, my doctor and my social media community on helping me to manage my type 2 diabetes.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”?
“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” — Maya Angelou
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this 🙂
As a female writer in the entertainment space, I would have to say Shonda Rhimes and Mindy Kaling, they are my personal heroes, and I would cry big ugly tears to have tea with either of them… or to hear that they have read even a sentence of this interview.
Thank you so much for the time you spent with this interview. We wish you continued success and good health!
Unstoppable: How Influencer Liz Davis Has Redefined Success While Navigating Society with Type 2… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.