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Madden now makes better nutritional choices thanks to the advice she received from her endocrinologist Dr. Kulkarni.
Vanessa Madden suffered from type 2 diabetes for 13 years. She lived with extreme fatigue and found it difficult to complete normal, daily activities, despite the fact that she was taking a range of medications prescribed by her primary care physician. Then a friend suggested that she see an endocrinologist, a physician who specializes in treating diseases, such as diabetes.
Thinking that she had nothing to lose, Madden scheduled an appointment with Rani Kulkarni, MD, at the Diabetes and Endocrine Center at MedStar Harbor Hospital. After her very first appointment, everything changed.
“Dr. Kulkarni adjusted my dosages and the time of day that I was taking my medications, right from the start,” says Madden. “I felt 100 percent better very quickly. Suddenly, I had energy again. I couldn’t believe it.”
Since that life-changing day, Madden has continued to see Dr. Kulkarni every three months for ongoing care and continued medication adjustments as needed. She also made many lifestyle changes, including incorporating exercise into her routine and making better nutritional choices to further boost her progress. As her health improved, Madden was able to gradually decrease her medication intake.
“Before, I had to carry around a bag of needles everywhere I went because I needed to give myself four shots each day,” she notes. “Now, I don’t have to do that because I only need insulin one time each day. That alone has made my life so much easier.
The Diabetes and Endocrine Center at MedStar Harbor is designed to support, educate and treat patients just like Madden, who are motivated to gain better control of their disease, but need guidance from specialists to get their health back on track. Dr. Kulkarni recommends that any patient with diabetes whose Hemoglobin A1c level is consistently over eight percent seek treatment from an endocrinologist.
“An endocrinologist will pay close attention to all of the factors that are impacting the patient’s diabetes, from comorbidities and drug interactions, to lifestyle factors that can be controlled,” she says. “Vanessa’s story is inspiring because once she was educated about how to selfmanage her condition on a dayto-day basis, she got her diabetes under control and started to feel so much better.”
And making good lifestyle choices really does make a difference, Dr. Kulkarni stresses.
“Once our patients realize how much they can control themselves, they feel empowered,” she adds. “They see what is possible and become more motivated to eat healthier and make time for exercise, just like Vanessa did.”
