Ilene Raymond Rush

Ilene Raymond Rush’s diabetes journey started with a diagnosis of gestational diabetes 25 years ago, while pregnant with her first son. For seven years, she avoided a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes with daily six-mile runs, but with her second pregnancy the gestational diabetes returned. In 1987, she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and started on a regimen of drugs, diet and exercise.
Over this time, as a nonfiction and fiction writer for national magazines and the Web, Ilene has had access to scientists and the latest research on diabetes, a perk that has proved both inspirational and frustrating. It’s one thing to know what to do, but it’s another thing to do it.
For her every day is a second chance towards better care. While she doesn’t always succeed, she’s given up on achieving perfection. By giving herself a second chance — not stressing over that extra serving of cake or the occasional missed exercise class, she’s found she can deal better with everything from A1C readings to deadlines at work.