Life As A Diabetic Parent: Diabetes Technology has come a long way

I was first diagnosed with type one diabetes over 35 years ago. That makes me sound really old, but I was actually diagnosed at just over one-year-old. At that time, diabetes management was WAY different than it is now. I can’t imagine what it must have been like for my parents. There were no devices with alerts or alarms, and I was just a baby that couldn’t tell them how I was feeling. Couple that with the fact my mom was 8 months pregnant with my brother and it still shocks me to this day that they went on to have a third child. 

Blood glucose monitor, 1986.

This year is the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin and it’s amazing to think back on how far we’ve come technologically since then.

This is a monitor that was in use when I was diagnosed and while at the time it was a huge step forward, looking back it’s amazing how far we’ve come. This unit required incubation of the test strip, and about five minutes to get a reading. It was also very sensitive to touch and the slightest movement could mean having to restart the process.

Now, I manage my diabetes with a device that sends glucose readings automatically to the phone that lives in my pocket, every five minutes. It still boggles my mind.

Dexcom G6

There are so many reasons the Dexcom G6 CGM System* has changed my life. First, the continuous readings and being able to see trends for the last 24 hours is a game-changer. I can watch in real-time to see how my body reacts to food, exercise, stress, insulin and more and this allows me to make the necessary adjustments to keep my glucose readings as steady as possible. The result, for me, is a Hemoglobin A1C reading that is now consistently the best it’s ever been, and I spend the majority of time in my target glucose range.

Another reason the #DexcomG6 has changed my life is the added peace of mind I get at night.

Sleeping used to be anxiety-inducing for me. I am fortunate that for my life my body has always woken me up when my blood sugar starts to go low in the night. But it only takes one time for it to not and I could be in real danger. Because of this, I used to keep my blood sugar slightly elevated before bed to try to eliminate lows. This helped allow me to sleep peacefully, but ultimately was not the healthiest choice for my body. I felt like I was stuck between being healthy and being able to sleep.

Now with the Dexcom G6 I can set alerts that can notify me when my levels are dipping in the night so that I can wake up and take care of it before it becomes a problem. My wife also uses the Dexcom Follow App‡, so in the event the loud alert doesn’t wake me, her phone can alert her so she can check on me.

Benefits of the Dexcom G6

Besides the benefits I’ve already talked about, there are LOTS of reasons to switch to a Dexcom CGM. First is the most obvious – no more fingersticks* are needed for either calibrating or for diabetes treatment (*unless your glucose readings from the G6 do not match symptoms or expectations).

Second, the sensor insertion is super easy – with just the press of a button. Additionally, the transmitter is way smaller than it used to be. This makes it more discreet and easier to wear under clothing, but also makes it less likely that your children, as a random example, will pull on it and rip it out. (This happened to me once with the G5 and it was not pleasant).

If you would like even more information, you can check it out on the Dexcom site here.

And if you have any questions you’d like answered, fire away! I’m always happy to chat.

While this post is sponsored by Dexcom, the experiences and opinions mentioned here are my own.

†To be sure this product is right for you, always read and follow the instructions on the label. Back of upper arm wear is available for users 18 years and older. To view a complete list of compatible devices go to www.dexcom.com/compatibility.

‡ Following requires the Dexcom Follow App and an Internet connection. Followers should always confirm readings on the Dexcom G6 App before making treatment decisions.

#DexcomG6 #ShouldIgetaDexcom #CGM #Dexcom #Type1diabetes #T1D #DexcomG5 #ContinuousGlucoseMonitor