Glucose Monitor Archives - The Diabetic Journey

How The Dexcom Has Changed My Life With Diabetes

I remember life with diabetes before I had “beeps” and “alarms” going off reminding me that my sugar is (low) and that I need to eat something.

I remember being so blindsided by a low blood sugar, where I’ve gone unconscious.

I remember having to go to bed hoping and praying that I wake up in the morning, and not knowing if my blood sugar would withstand the night.

I remember the fear so vividly, and not just my fear..but my family’s as well.

It wasn’t until a year ago when I started on the Dexcom (CGM) — only a year! That means I’ve gone without a continuous glucose monitor for 13 years with diabetes. And now I can’t imagine living without one.

No — it’s not a cure. I still have a broken pancreas. I’m a Type 1 Diabetic. I still have to count carbs, calculate how much insulin to administer myself and check my blood sugars manually to make sure the Dexcom is giving accurate readings.

But this acts as a “safety net“. So much can happen between normal blood sugars checks. That even a 20 minute period can be a very crucial time for a diabetic. It sometimes can even become a life or death situation if not treated in time.

The Dexcom lets me know where my blood sugar is trending and how quickly. Sending me alerts when it’s dropping or rising rapidly and when it reaches dangerous levels.

This device has changed my life, despite being an imperfect technology system. I can almost guarantee that it has likely saved me from many life-threatening events. While I still have the burden of diabetes on my shoulders, I don’t have the immense amount of fear at all times. I now have some peace of mind where I can be more productive.

Now having a family and children — this device has given me a new life. A better life. A safer life.

While I am fortunate enough to be able to obtain this medical device, this is not the case for every diabetic. I truly believe everyone should have access to this! This is not a want, it’s a dire medical necessity for those who battle diabetes.

Why CGM Coverage Matters To Me

Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) has been becoming more widely used by diabetics. There’re a few different companies who supply it. I, personally use the Dexcom. I only starting using it a year ago during my third pregnancy. I’ve always been a brittle diabetic who has hypo unawareness. So my doctor suggested this device to help keep a close eye on my blood sugars while relieving some uncertainty.

At first, I will admit I was hesitant to start using something new. I thought I had too much to juggle already. Taking insulin—checking my blood sugar—and raising children. I knew this wasn’t a cure. Was this really going to help? I will say that it absolutely has helped! This device has changed my life! I wish I knew about it sooner. Now I can’t even imagine my life without it.

Why CGM Coverage Matters To Me:

1. Fewer fingersticks

I went from checking my blood sugar 8-10 times a day, now down to 2-3. It’s given me freedom to not have to “think as much”. The CGM goes everywhere with me. It’s reassuring knowing it’s there to alarm me of my blood sugars especially when exercising, driving, and out of the house. I no longer have to drop everything I’m doing to see what my blood sugar is. I only have to calibrate it twice a day to make sure it matches up with my fingerstick blood sugar meter. It gives me the knowledge of what my blood sugar is at all times and the trends throughout the day.

2. Safety net

Having the CGM gives my family the reassurance that I’m okay throughout the day. When I don’t answer my phone, for instance, they can check on the Dexcom share app and see what my numbers are. The receiver alarms me if my blood sugar is low or high. The issue I had prior to this is I would go from 120 down to 50 in a matter of a half hour, and not even realize it. This has helped prevent many hypoglycemic episodes beyond belief. Granted—this isn’t always 100% accurate, but only by 20 points from my finger stick meter.

3. Feeling in control

I use the CGM in conjunction with dosing my insulin. I no longer have to make sure I washed my hands thoroughly in hopes of getting an accurate reading on a normal blood sugar meter. This is constantly attached to me (besides the 2-hour warm-up) and is constantly supplying me with readings. Once taking my insulin, I’m able to see how accurate my bolus amount was to what I ate. In a normal occurrence, without the CGM, I’d often give myself too much insulin and risked hypoglycemia without knowing. This device helps prevent DKA, seizures, and other diabetic related emergencies.

While in modern day diabetes care we have advanced so much. But we continue to battle with insurances covering this device as deeming not medically necessary. It’s been announced that the FDA will be having a meeting on Thursday, July 21, to discuss CGM access and approving CGM as the replacement for insulin dosing.

Why is this so important?

This will take prominence over fingersticks for its given accuracy.
More Insurances including Medicare will be more enabled to cover this device.
This is a breakthrough of what’s to come for the future in managing diabetes.

Why CGM Coverage Matters To Me…

I could never go back to the day before I started on the Dexcom. It’s given me a better quality of life. I feel freer and I’m able to relieve some of the stress that comes from having to manage this disease. Replacing CGM over fingersticks is so important—this will help this device become available to so many more people. I strongly believe in having CGM coverage for all.