The Dexcom Stelo: A CGM on Your Terms

 

2025 started with a new health insurance company and with a denial of coverage for my use of a constant glucose monitor (CGM). This was unfortunate as I still believe that CGMs should be made available to everyone who has been diagnosed with diabetes and even those who fall into the pre-diabetes category. Well, Dexcom has come through with an over-the-counter CGM called the Stelo, which is approved by the FDA for people who are not on insulin. And just like the G7 and other prescription CGMs, the Stelo is another game changer.

I am using the Stelo for the first time and recently completed the 15-day period before needing to change to a second unit. That is one difference between the Stelo and the standard G7 as the latter last 10 days before needing to be changed. Dexcom does have a 15-day version of the G7 which just rolled out this month, and it should soon be readily available for people over the age of 18.

Both the Stelo and the G7 have a 12-hour grace period, giving a time cushion before they absolutely need to be changed but my first Stelo seemed to develop an intermittent problem during the grace period where it would stop taking readings. I’ll know in about two weeks if this is a common issue or if it was just an issue with that first unit.

Out of the box the Stelo looks just like the G7, using the same applicator and application method. The sensor even looks like a G7 sensor and the Stelo can send information to a smartphone just like its prescription cousin. While I did have to download a new app, I appreciate the fact that I can use my existing Dexcom account with the Stelo. As a result, it took less than five minutes to get things rolling and to start the warmup time that is common with Dexcom CGMs.

The graph generated by the Stelo looks just like the one in the G7 app but that is where the similarities end. Unlike the G7, the Stelo will not sound an alarm when your glucose levels go too high or too low. The Stelo is not compatible with insulin pumps, which I suspect is why it is not recommended for people who are on insulin. But the Stelo will give the information needed to help manage glucose levels, including summaries of trends that the software learns while you are wearing, letting you know if, for example, you have a spike at the same time each day. This allowed the Stelo to recognize that I tend to see a dawn phenomenon each morning which sometimes puts me near or even out of range.

I am a fan of wearables, and I believe that the health information made available by them is very valuable. They are not a substitute for the tests and advice received by a trained medical expert, but they are good tools for use in achieving the goals that come with living a healthy lifestyle. I’m glad to have returned to the ranks of those who wear CGMs and am thankful to Dexcom for moving the insurance company away from making health decisions for me, at least in this one area.

Dick Cheney Proved that Failure is not the End

 

Former vice president of the United States, Dick Cheney passed away on November 3^rd of this year, and whether you agreed with him or not, you must admit that he had a direct impact on the path of this nation. During his career, Mr. Cheney served in the U. S. House of Representatives and held various offices under three different presidents. By most measures he was successful even though there will always be questions about his role in the War in Iraq.

Following Cheney’s death, the YaleNews posted a very good article about his life, pointing out that he started his college career at the Ivy League university. However, the article leaves out the year that Cheney graduated because…well…he didn’t. In fact, he flunked out of the school: twice. Eventually he would earn both undergraduate and graduate degrees while attending the University of Wyoming, but Yale would stand as a blotch on Cheney’s academic record. Fortunately, that failure did not stop Cheney from becoming what the article describes as, “Widely considered one of the most powerful vice presidents in U.S. history.” So even the school where Cheney met failure admits that in the long run the man was quite successful.

All too often we paint failure as the end, especially for someone who fails school. But failure is one of the consequences that sometimes comes with not standing still on the path of life. Yes, it may be a sign that a course change is needed but it does not have to be the end. In the long run, whether a person fails is much less important than how that person handles it when they fail. Dick Cheney changed course after his failure and went on to live what the YaleNews calls “a consequential public life.” Of his many great successes, proving that failure is not the end might be his most meaningful message to the world.

From the YaleNews - For Cheney, a Yale start and a consequential public life

Food App Mis-H-App

 

If you will indulge me, I would like to complain for a minute or two about Food Apps. Yes, those apps on the phone that most of us use here in the United States to order food. Sometimes I use them for delivery and sometimes I use them to save time when I go to pick up our food for my family. Sometimes the app is one that orders directly from the restaurant and sometimes it’s from a delivery service of one kind or another. Most of the time these apps are a wonderful convenience. Unfortunately, there have been numerous times when various restaurants got the order wrong and using these apps was anything but convenient.

I once had a restaurant cancel my order without explanation and without so much as a text. They did send an email, but I didn’t see it until after we had waited way too long for our food. Then there was the time when the app confirmed the order, and even charged my credit card, but when I arrived to pick up the food, the restaurant had no record of the order. The cashier explained that they had been having trouble with the app all evening and said I had to call customer service at their national headquarters. Customer service directed me back to the local franchise. Eventually someone, or something, must have caught the mistake because they refunded my money. Still, the ordeal left me wondering if I would ever go back to that chain.

More often than not, my app mishaps do not involve entire orders that evaporate into the cloud, but I have had several deliveries where one or two items were missing. That happened the last two times I ordered delivery, from two different restaurants. Once again these were national chains, and their customer service departments were good about it. One gave me a credit towards a future purchase (better than nothing). The other (Chick-fil-A) gave me a refund for the missing item.

While I enjoy the convenience of using these food apps, I think I’ll go back to driving to restaurants myself. That will allow me to check the order before I walk away. Plus, I figure if I have to make any more claims to customer service, someone is going to investigate whether or not I’m pulling a scam. It definitely beats having to figure out which family member goes hungry because the order was missing their item. (Just kidding.) It’s time to avoid food app mishaps and that means doing things the old-fashioned way. Now, where are my car keys?