Dr. Phyllisa Deroze
Writer, Health Humanities Expert, and Global Patient Advocate
Emerging as one of the most prolific writers on the representation of diabetes in African American literature and popular culture
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Phyllisa in action
Interview : Black Doctor.org
Participant: Deep Academy (Novo Nordisk)
Participant: d20 Executive Innovation Lab
Participant: d20 Lightning Talks: Five Perspectives on Diabetes Stigma
Partnership: WEGO Health
Moderator: Ethnic and Racial Disparities in Diabetes Care
Partnership: Med-IQ
Interview: Diabetes Empowerment Summit
Interview: Screenside Chats with CWD
Article: Type 2 Diabetes Misdiagnosis: 3 Things That I’ve Learned
Last year, it was confirmed that after 8 years of living with type 2 diabetes, that I don’t have type 2 diabetes. This article will focus on what I learned from that experience. Read more
Speaker: Special Diabetes Presentation
Participant: Self Care Sundays
Attendee: Friends For Life
Panelist: Virtual Diabetes Discussion
Article: Type 2 diabetes to LADA: story of a diagnosis
Living with one type of diabetes and finding out years later that you have another can take an emotional toll. Read more
Campaign Participant: Healthcare Workers with Diabetes
Speaker: Tips for Living Your Best Life with Diabetes
Article: I Didn’t Beat Diabetes, I Fight with It
Yesterday, someone wrote to me the following sentence. “I want you to tell me how to beat diabetes, like you.” This simple statement stopped me in my tracks because that’s not how I perceive it. Read more
Article: Black Maternal Health Week: A Movement in Motion
As an African American woman who has never met my paternal grandmother because she died from postpartum hemorrhaging, and as a mother who is writing this essay while recovering from my third postpartum reconstructive surgery to repair the preventable damage caused during the birth of my daughter, Read more
Attendee: ISPAD 2019
Article: The Role and Value of Ongoing and Peer Support in Diabetes Care and Education
Increasing attention is being given to the challenges and emotional toll of managing diabetes. This Perspectives in Practice details the specialty’s guiding documents for initial and ongoing support. It also defines various types of social support, including peer support, for optimal diabetes care. Read more
Article: From Denial to Acceptance: Black-ish Portrays a Type 2 Diabetes Diagnosis Journey
Dre Johnson, the protagonist on the television series Black-ish, is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in season four. While the ninth episode, entitled “Sugar Daddy,” is another example of the award-winning sitcom’s exceptional ability to overlap comedy with serious topics relevant to African Americans, Read more
Article: Breaking My Silence About How Insulin Prices Have Impacted My Life
When I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, I was on the verge of going into a diabetic coma and needed insulin to bring my glucose levels down from 593 to a normal range. Read more
Article: 3 Ways Taking an SGLT2 Inhibitor Has Changed How I Manage Diabetes
Last month my endocrinologist asked if I would consider adding Jardiance (empagliflozin) to my diabetes management routine of Glucophage (metformin) twice per day. Read more
Speaker: Novo Nordisk’s DEEP Talk
Article: Why Diabetes Advocacy Is Important to Me
At various times in my life, I’ve felt lonely. However, the loneliest time in my life was during the six days in 2011 when I was hospitalized and newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Read more
Poem: Black Panther: A Black Girl’s Song
When I watched Black Panther in Abu Dhabi during its opening weekend, I went not knowing what to expect and I left with a renewed spirit. Read more
Article: My Top 3 Summertime Struggles with Type 2 Diabetes
Summertime is one of my favorite times of the year, but it's also the time of the year when I struggle with eating healthy and maintaining my excercise routine. Read more
Article: Dollars, Deductibles, and Drugs: Discovering the Costs of Living with Type 2 Diabetes
I had no idea how dark a shadow the costs of diabetes would cast — on my budget and my life — until I began to navigate the ins and outs of living with Type 2 diabetes. Read more
Article: Tornadoes and Travel: Managing Type 2 Diabetes in a Changing Environment
I manage diabetes best when everything in my environment follows a strict routine. When I eat meals at the same time and my food choices remain the same or vary slightly, I reap the best blood sugar averages. Read more
Article: Blood Sugar Monitoring Dictated By Health Insurance Rules and Cost
Within 9 months of my <diagnosis, I was living med-free. I attribute that to consistently checking my blood sugars, maintaining restrictive and scheduled meals, regular exercise, and whatever x factor (age, beta cells, luck) that allowed my body to do it. Read more
Article: I Don’t Count Calories And I’m Okay With It
When I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2011, my endocrinologist informed me about carb-counting, the plate method, the glycemic index, and calorie-restriction all at the same time. Read more
Facilitator: Diabetes Support Group
Cover Story: Guide to Diabetes Magazine
Cover and inside feature of Guide to Diabetes Magazine
Article : 6 Strategies to Help Keep Blood Sugar Steady During the Holidays
It started when I scanned the Christmas dessert spread and saw my grandmother’s banana pudding and my aunt Mae’s sweet potato pie. Spellbound, I felt as though both desserts were calling my name from across the room. Read more
Article: 4 Tips for Practicing Gratitude While Living with Diabetes
For many people, Thanksgiving Day offers a time to reflect on things we are thankful for in life. And as a woman living with diabetes for over six years, I am no exception. Read more
Article: 3 Lessons Running 5Ks Has Taught Me About Living With Diabetes
In 2013, three years after I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, I was awarded a Fulbright grant that allowed me to live in the United Arab Emirates for that academic year. Read more
Article: 3 Positive Affirmations That Help Me Manage Type 2 Diabetes
When type 2 diabetes came knocking at my door, it barged right in, bringing tons of baggage and a list of demands. With the disease standing front and center, I had to rearrange my world overnight Read more
Article: A Survival Guide for Managing Diabetes at Your Family Reunion
When I attended my family reunion after I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, I was unprepared for how different this experience would be. Read more