In this episode of the THRIVE podcast, presented by My Health Reimagined, LaVerne welcomes guest, Denise Sweet. Denise shares a story about missing the warning signs and then recovering from life-threatening complications with diabetes. She attributes her recovery to being fortunate to have excellent health insurance coverage and patient-doctor trust. Denise’s story also highlights the role of science in achieving health equity, as she tended to challenge the one-size-fits-all approach to treatment strategies.Some helpful references and resources:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK618744/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279012/https://diabetes.org/about-diabetes/complications/ketoacidosis-dka/dka-ketoacidosis-ketoneshttps://diabetes.org/about-diabetes/complications/ketoacidosis-dka/dka-ketoacidosis-ketoneshttps://tcf.org/content/report/advancing-health-equity-for-black-communities-through-insurance-reform/#:~:text=Black%20communities%20in%20the%20United,3%20percent%20of%20white%20adults.https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/2022-09/Publicly%20Insured%20and%20Uninsured%20Patients%20Are%20More%20Likely%20to%20Be%20Treated%20Unfairly%20in%20Health%20Care%20Settings%20Because%20of%20Their%20Coverage%20Type.pdfhttps://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/diabetes-and-blackafrican-americans#:~:text=In%202024%2C%20Black/African%20American,get%20a%20yearly%20eye%20exam.https://promedeast.com/limb-loss-statistics/https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11892-025-01598-yhttps://www.acc.org/Latest-in-Cardiology/Articles/2023/08/01/01/42/Health-Equity-in-Action-Improving-Outcomes-For-Black-Americans-Living-With-PAD#:~:text=Racism%2C%20Risk%20and%20PAD,education%2C%20cyclical%20poverty%20and%20incarceration.https://diabetes.org/advocacy/amputation-prevention-alliance#:~:text=Every%203%20minutes%20and%2030,breast%20cancer%2C%20and%20colorectal%20cancer.My Health Reimagined is a nonprofit organization that uses a podcast series as a platform to uplift stories that historically are unheard, underrepresented, or underappreciated in health narratives. Our stories aim to reshape how health is understood, how outcomes are discussed, and how studies are designed.