I hope your daughter's diabetes was diagnosed in the early stages. Finding a great diabetic educator is probably as important as finding a good physician. The educator will most likely help in giving her a more optimistic outlook along with necessary information.

I started with oral meds after I was diagnosed. With a change in lifestyle and exercise, I was able to get off the medications. I have controlled my diabetes for more than a decade with diet and exercise. Bicycling is my prescription.

I am assuming that your daughter has type II which can be controlled. Type I is a more difficult issue, but there is hope of finding a cure. If she has Type II, I hope she can eventually discontinue medications. The side effects are troublesome. I felt a significant lack of energy with the drugs and had to worry about low blood glucose levels. The drugs also make weight loss more difficult.