Maria Lourdes Garza said her mother’s life was cut short by diabetes.

"She was always there for us all the time even if she was sick,” Garza recalled, adding that her mother struggled with the disease. Her mother had to regularly take blood sugar testing, insulin and was placed on dialysis for the last six years of her life.

Dr. Michelle Cordoba Kissee said these stories are not uncommon to hear.

But with medical advances being made every day, physicians are saying patients can live a longer life if managed correctly.

“Nowadays when people come into clinic, especially with Type 2 diabetes, we don't right away want to jump for insulin,” Kissee said. “The reason is we now have newer medications."

Watch the video above for the full story.