workout routine and even became a runner, participating in forty 5K races. Additionally, Deroze started a blog, writing about the day and life of a Black woman living with diabetes. Even by taking all the necessary steps to manage her diabetes, Deroze still didn’t feel like she was back to her old self. In fact, she felt worse than before.
Her blood sugar levels and insulin intake kept increasing. She couldn’t understand what was happening. Finally, Deroze received her answer after attending one of her diabetes advocacy events. She recalled meeting a man who’d originally been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes but soon discovered that he had a latent autoimmune form of the disease known as LADA or type 1.5 diabetes.
Studies show that this form of diabetes is slow-progressing. Additionally, “patients with LADA have some insulin production, but eventually, the body starts attacking insulin-producing beta cells. This causes a patient to become insulin-dependent.” Deroze realized that many of the symptoms the man had matched hers.
During a visit to her Endocrinologist, Phyllisa asked for a type 1 antibody test, believing she fit the profile for LADA. After all, she was under 30 years old during the time of diagnosis, had an early onset, and had no family history of diabetes. Unfortunately, her Endocrinologist turned down her request. Though it wasn’t until her OBGYN ordered the test for her, that Deroze found the answers she needed. Her hunch had been correct, she’d become insulin-dependent and suffered from type 1.5 diabetes.
RELATED: 11 Tips To Be Healthy For Life & Not Just A Moment
Deroze Warns Others To Speak Up And Speak Out
After jumping through so many hoops just to find the proper diagnosis, Deroze tells other Black women the time is now to speak up. More importantly, she wants to make sure that what happened to her, never happens to anyone else ever again. She even created a website called Black Diabetes Info, hoping to help others struggling with their condition.
“I have a Ph.D., and I couldn’t get doctors to listen to me. People project onto my brown skin. So when I try to explain my condition, I’m not heard,” she said during an interview. For the Literature professor, it meant demanding one test just to get the proper diagnosis.
In the end, speaking out and making her concerns known, made all the difference for Deroze. While she wishes it didn’t take as long as it did for her to find the right diagnosis, she’s grateful for being properly treated. Now living in Florida with her husband and her six-year-old daughter, Phyllisa Deroze is back on track to living her best life.