Storytime: What CGM Means To Rob And His Family
Today, Rob shares with us his and his family’s experience in diabetes management and how continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) has helped improve their lives.
What CGM means to my family
I sat with my family the other night and asked them how they felt about the way I am looking after my diabetes right now. There were a couple of shrugs and a couple of “yeps”. The tone was mono to say the least.
I asked if I should go back to using multiple daily injections and if they remembered how that went. The tone changed in an instant.
“No way Dad. I still remember you bashing your head on the floor. The pump is way better. The pump has changed everything, we don’t have to keep stopping stuff to look after your blood sugars.”
It took just a moment of comparison for us all to realise how good things had become.
What CGM means to me
The family had reaffirmed everything I was feeling about my relatively new regime of management. I have a freedom at the moment that I had never realised could be possible.
I eat when I’m hungry now for the first time in 30 years and my control of glucose levels has tightened incredibly. I used to chase injections with meals and found my life revolved around the time and volume of my last injection. My insulin pump is doing amazing things now in its assistance of getting on with day-to-day life.
The SmartGuardTM element has been a massive change for the better. It sees low blood sugars coming thanks to the communication with the sensor of the CGM. It cuts off my basal insulin as it needs to, in order to avoid dangerous lows. I am now two years without that horrible feeling of desperately needing food to avoid body convulsions or worse still, actually needing physical help to recover from the aggression of a full-on hypo. Yeeeeeeewwww!!!
The sense of freedom is immense and after unanimous applause from my family for the way my type 1 diabetes is managed now, I am even more grateful and am in complete excitement about the advancements coming next.
This patient testimonial relates to an account of an individual’s response to treatment. The account is genuine, typical and documented. The views and opinions expressed are those of the patient or author and not representative of Medtronic or of any third parties referenced. The response other persons have to treatment could be different. Please consult with your diabetes healthcare team for information on whether the treatment is appropriate for you. The information provided in this blog is an individual account specific to the writer’s experience in the management of their own diabetes. Before considering any changes to your diabetes management you must consult with your diabetes healthcare team.
*Editor’s note: This article has been adapted and reproduced from a post published on Medtronic Diabetes Australia.