Diabetes: All In on the Challenge

 

It’s been a while since I wrote anything about the challenges that come with being diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. In part, I haven’t written about it because I seem to have landed on some sort of plateau where my numbers, specifically my A1c, are good but not good enough. Unfortunately, I seem to be stuck on this plateau with no movement either good or bad and that can be frustrating.

At least the doctor was happy with my most recent test results, but I wasn’t because I once again missed my goals. And that’s where self-doubt began to set in. Am I missing my goals because they are unrealistic or impossible? Are my prayers for healing off the mark? Was I being delusional back when I told the doctor that I expect God to do something amazing? After quite a bit of self-examination, I find that the answer to all these questions is a resounding “No!”.

My problem is not unrealistic expectations nor are my prayers misplaced. What is unrealistic is thinking that I could half-heartedly do the things I know I need to do and expect the results that I want. I need to be all in with my diet and exercise, or else I’ll remain stuck on this plateau. The good thing is that I’m blessed since my body still makes insulin. So, if I dive in with both feet, I have a shot at achieving the goals that I have set for myself. I must change in order to make that happen.

I have about five and a half months before my next doctor’s appointment, and I know what I want to see as far as results when that time comes. To get there I must be all in when it comes to my current health challenge. It’s time to stop kidding and to stop my halfhearted approach. The Bible tells me that I have a God who heals and that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. These are the promises He has given me. Now I must live like I want to hold on to what He has offered.

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.

 

One Prescription Gone. Just Not the One I Expected

Managing Diabetes involves making several decisions each day, like what to eat and what not to eat. It also involves two or three doctor’s visits per year as well as the occasional visit to the pharmacy. One thing I did not count on is the fact that managing diabetes sometimes involves having to deal with rejection letters from health insurance providers, especially when the day job changes insurance companies. That happened to me this year and it resulted in a denial of one of my prescriptions. Since my goal is to get rid of all my prescriptions, I am fine with dropping one. I just wish it wasn’t the prescription for my constant glucose monitor (CGM): the most useful tool I had for making the changes I need to get back to “normal”.

To be honest, I should have seen it coming. When I was first diagnosed, the insurance company that we were paying at that time did not want to cover a CGM, sending me a denial letter in which they basically accused me of not taking my diagnoses seriously. I think they based that on the fact that I did not do things their way: going to a dietitian, signing up for their special monitoring program, etc. As I wrote in “Continuous Glucose Monitors Are Game Changers,” I am a researcher and I chose to find my own answers when it came to diet, exercise and other ways of managing diabetes. It seems as if the insurance company did not like that. Eventually, there would be a change in policy, and the insurance company began paying for the Dexcom G7 but it took two different appeals to get to that point.

As I wrote in the post mentioned earlier, having a CGM is a game changer for diabetics and should be a standard part of the health regimen for those dealing with the disease. I learned quite a bit while using the device and was able to make several big adjustments based on what I was seeing. During the second half of 2024, I was able to keep my readings in a very tight range resulting in an A1c that is trending in the right direction: remaining below 7 and hopefully at my next official reading it will be below 6.5. But what would life be without times of change and last year ended with a change in insurance carriers mentioned earlier.

I appreciate the fact that my day job offers one of the better insurance packages in the area and that they do their best to keep my out-of-pocket expenses from rising. To maintain that level of service at the right price, the company changed insurance providers at the start of this year. When they announced the change, I should have thought about the trouble I had with our previous provider in getting the CGM prescription approved. When it came time to renew the prescription this time around, I received a new denial letter describing the new company’s policy of only approving constant glucose monitors for people who are on insulin. I think this policy is a bit shortsighted as it overlooks the fact that a CGM could help keep me off insulin. My new insurance company would rather pay for treatment instead of paying for prevention.

So, I have lost what is a great tool for managing diabetes but while I am disappointed, I am not defeated. I believe that God is in control, and everything happens in His timing. God opened the door for me to get a prescription for the Dexcom G7 and this year He has closed that door and told me to move on. I have learned what I needed from wearing a CGM and God has said it is time to start getting off of my prescriptions. The first of them is done and gone. Now, in Christ, I work to get off them all.

Diabetes: A Journey, Not A Battle

It’s been a while since I posted anything about having diabetes. As you can tell from the title of this post, I’ve changed my point of view. No longer do I see myself in a battle against something. Instead I see myself as on a journey and Diabetes is a traveling companion sent to teach me a few things along the way. No, that does not mean I’ve walked away from my goal which is to start seeing health numbers that look, “normal.” But now I’ve taken advice from another Christian who taught about how a much more serious illness was in fact working to disciple him in his walk as a Christian.

Before I mention where I am on my journey I want to mention that the American Diabetes Association released its, “Standards of Care in Diabetes - 2025,” which includes, “Consideration of continuous glucose monitor (CGM) use for adults with type 2 diabetes on glucose-lowering agents other than insulin.” This reminded me of my post, “Continuous Glucose Monitors Are Game Changers,” where I wrote about how, “...living with diabetes and not having a CGM was living with one hand tied behind my back.” I believe a CGM should become a part of the standard of care for most, if not all diabetics, so it was good to see the American Diabetes Association recommend this in their standards.

With the help of my CGM my last blood test was very good. My fasting glucose reading was a 98 with an A1c of 6.5. That’s still in the diabetic range but only by 0.1. My goal for my next check is to get my A1c below 6.3 which would be the equivalent of being in a prediabetic stage. In the meantime, my companion on this journey has helped teach me that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13). I’ve also learned the importance of getting enough protein in my diet and how small changes in my daily habits can pay off with huge rewards.

I’m looking forward to 2025 and to a blood test where every measure is in the green. As I approach that goal, my journey and my learning continue with thanksgiving to God.

God, Diabetes and Repentance

Receiving a diagnosis of a chronic illness is not an easy pill to swallow and I admit my heart sank a little when I was first diagnosed with diabetes. It’s been almost three years since I received that diagnosis: three years of learning and growing (growing emotionally while losing weight so in a way, shrinking). I’ve still got a lot to learn but the greatest lesson isn’t about my physical health, at least not directly. The greatest lesson I’ve learned since dealing with diabetes is the lesson of repentance.

You see, one of the main contributors to my diabetes was my diet where I lacked discipline. (See also All Things Work for the Good: Even Diabetes) I can trace my diabetes directly to Mega Stuffed Oreos which may have been my personal addiction. According to Nabisco, the serving size for Mega Stuffed Oreos is TWO cookies which brings with it about 180 calories and 17g of added sugars (Based on information from oreo.com). Well…I was eating 5-6 servings in one sitting, easily exceeding the recommended daily amount of sugar and packing in around 1000 empty calories before eating three square meals. Clearly I can only blame myself for my chronic condition and for that gut that kept arriving before I did.

When the doctor called with the bad news, I instantly made a big boast about how I would never again touch a cookie. If eating cookies is a threat to my health, I figured I didn’t want any part of those irresistible little… Well, anyway, as you can imagine saying I wouldn't eat cookies was one thing. Actually following through is another. Plus even after kicking my cookie habit I still found that my glucose levels weren’t always what I wanted. It’s far too easy to replace one bad eating habit with another. Add to that serving sizes that were way out of proportion and, after significant initial success in lowering my A1c, I found myself landing on a plateau.

Daily I have prayed for healing, thanking God for lowering my A1c and helping me keep it at a more acceptable level. But I want an A1c that looks like someone who doesn’t even have diabetes and that is what I am praying for. In response, I believe God is reminding me that I have a part to play. I need to repent of my really bad eating habits: all of them and not just my cookie habit. I believe He will heal me but He is also asking me to change my behavior.

Through my diet and my diagnoses God is teaching me the importance of repentance. Salvation is a free gift, given to all believers by faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus paid for our sins with His death on the cross. Through His shed blood we have access to the father and have been given the power to become children of God. There’s nothing we can do to earn salvation nor is there anything we can do to pay God back for our free gift. But the free gift (and the love of our Father) should move us to change how we live. In the presence of our God we should be moved to repentance, giving up our old way of life in exchange for a life of righteousness as we follow our Lord.

I’m changing my diet because I want to live in the healing that God has given me. With the help of His Spirit Who lives in me, I will also change many other areas of my life so that I can live in my new identity as a child of the living God. As a Christian are you being true to your identity?

A Constant Glucose Meter Update

Back in August I wrote about how wearing a constant glucose meter (CGM) is a game changer in helping me manage my diabetes. I still believe that a CGM should be standard issue when someone receives a diabetes diagnosis but in this post I want to talk about one downside that I have experienced over the last several months. While the commercials for CGMs talk about getting away from finger sticks, in my experience it is prudent to keep the old lancet and standard glucose meter nearby.

Recently, after attaching a new CGM, I began to get numbers that did not make any sense. I woke up the next morning to an unusually high reading and just couldn’t seem to get the number back down. Over the next 48 hours I did what I would usually do when my readings are high but  nothing seemed to work. And then it hit me. I needed to get my old meter out to verify what the CGM was telling me. After a quick finger prick, I had my reading and it was significantly lower than what I was seeing on my CGM. Fortunately the Dexcom G7 that I wear has a function that allows for recalibration and within 5 minutes my CGM was back into agreement with my old fashion glucose meter.

The instructions for the Dexcom G7 warn that during the first 24 hours after inserting a new unit, there might be some readings that are off and on their website Dexcom advises taking a finger stick reading any time that the CGM readings don’t make sense or don’t match what you are feeling. While most of the time my CGMs are on target, there are times when I need to recalibrate. So while I wish I could get rid of my old lancet, I still need it and am thankful for the ability to verify the information that I use in managing my glucose levels.

Maybe one day we will have a CGM that does not need any recalibration or any other kind of back up reading. But for now, if you are thinking about getting a CGM, remember that you need to keep your old lancet and glucose meter, and yes you will still need to do the occasional finger stick. That being said, a good constant glucose meter is still the way to go when managing diabetes.

See Also: Continuous Glucose Monitors Are Game Changers

Continuous Glucose Monitors Are Game Changers

It has been almost two years since I was diagnosed with diabetes. Since that time I have made a number of life changes, all for the better. I’ve lost about 20 lbs and gotten my A1c down below 7. But during my last follow up visit my doctor still seemed a bit concerned. It seems that he still wants an A1c coming in below 6, plus my glucose reading of my last fasting blood test was still above 100. While these are big improvements, they are still not ideal, coming in the range of what someone would have if they had prediabetes. In response to his concerns I decided to appeal to my insurance company, asking them to pay for a continuous glucose monitor which I have received and it has been a game changer.

What is a continuous glucose monitor or CGM? Just as the name implies, CGMs are systems that give continuous, or at least close to continuous, blood glucose readings. I have the Dexcom G7 which sends a reading to my cell phone once every five minutes. The Dexcom sticks to my arm with a small filament tucked just under my skin, reading my glucose levels from my interstitial fluid (the fluid that is found in the spaces in between our cells). The G7 received FDA approval back in 2022 for use by anyone over the age of 2 and has replaced the previously approved G6 for use by people who have diabetes.

I had applied for the G6 a month or two after my diagnosis but was denied by my insurance company who sent a list of reasons for the denial. To be honest some of the reasons were insulting. For example, they accused me of not caring about my diagnoses, accusing me of not taking my own blood glucose readings. You would think that if this were true they would have wanted me to have a CGM in an attempt to get me to take these readings. They were wrong and I was taking my readings, poking holes in my fingers at regular (and painful) intervals. They also listed a number of other reasons most of which I probably could have successfully argued against on appeal but one stood out as a problem.

When I received my diagnosis my doctor suggested that I attend classes with a dietician. I declined because I’m a researcher at heart and I enjoy finding answers on my own. Over the last two years I have taken the time to dig into the topic of diabetes, including doing research on how to eat. It has been a lot of fun and I still have a lot to learn. (For the record, unless you are willing to put in the time to do the research, I do recommend going to the dietician if you are diagnosed with diabetes.) Because I would not take their classes, the insurance company initially said no to paying for a CGM. But this year something changed.

This year I asked my doctor to once again put in a prescription for a CGM and he did so just after my local pharmacist started carrying the G7. To my surprise the insurance company said yes without any push back (Thank God). It seems the insurance company’s policies concerning CGMs had changed and so this year I got my first Dexcom G7 and it is a game changer. In fact, based on my early experiences I think CGMs should be an automatic part of the treatment plan for people who are diagnosed with diabetes.

I was very diligent with my finger sticks and thought I was doing a good job controlling things based on the numbers I was seeing. Yet, my A1c seemed to hit a plateau in the upper 6s and I couldn’t understand why. Within the first 10 days of wearing the G7 I figured out what was going on. (Each G7 can be worn for 10 days before it needs to be replaced.) In between my finger sticks things were not going as well as I thought. This was leading to an average which was higher than I anticipated and my A1c was based on that average. The G7 told a story that I could not have known without taking finger sticks every five minutes (not recommended). With the information from the G7 I now have a plan for getting my A1c down to where my doctor and I both want it to be.

I believe that living with diabetes and not having a CGM was living with one hand tied behind my back. I wish I had one from the start but all is in God’s timing and He knows why I had to wait. I suspect that had I not had over a year of finger pricks, I would not appreciate the technology and benefits that come with a CGM. This is a tool that will help me improve my health and I believe it is a necessary tool for dealing with diabetes. I’ll say it again: my CGM is a game changer.

Whose Medical Team Is This, Anyway?

Almost two years ago I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. Since that time I’ve had my ups and my downs (fortunately mostly ups) as I work at keeping my glucose levels “in range.” I’ve gotten my A1C down below 7 and am at a point where the doctor says I have things under control but with room for improvement. I have goals that I have set for myself as far as exercise and weight loss. Hopefully I will still be able to push my A1C down even further by the end of this year. I believe I am on a good path but there’s just one thing bugging me: an area where I felt I needed to speak up and take control. That area rests squarely between the four walls of my doctor’s examination room.

Don’t get me wrong. I do believe that my doctor and his staff have my best interest at heart. Here’s the problem. My doctor likes to do things “By the book,” which means medications with occasional increases in dosage. That’s not my goal but at first I was afraid to say anything about it. Early on I asked what it would take to get off of the medications but my question was met with an answer that I did not like. Over the 1st year and a half I found myself wondering who is in charge and if we share the same goals. Yes, we share the goal of keeping me healthy but my goal is to do so with as little medication as possible and I’d rather not go down the path of a higher dose of this followed by a higher dose of that.

So here’s my question. How do you see your relationship with your doctor? Is your doctor your medical boss, giving out orders that you have to follow? At times I become a people pleaser and I think this caused me to see the relationship in these terms. God helped me see that my doctor is a medical expert giving me advice based on his experience but his experience is not alway a perfect fit for my situation. For example, he did not think I could lose enough weight to make a difference. I have. The bottom line is he gives his best advice and it’s my choice on what I do with that advice as well as with the advice I get from many other sources. Most of the time I will probably do as the doctor says but I want to have some input and I make the final decision.

I want to be clear about this. I’m not advocating for you or anyone else to ignore the advice of their doctor. I’m not on some power trip and do not plan to ignore my own doctor. What I am advocating is for all of us to become informed patients, learning all that we can including what the doctor’s “book” says. As I learn more about living with diabetes I plan to make my health a collaborative effort, one in which I do lean heavily on my doctor for advice. And I will recognize that 99% of the time it is the best advice but it is advice and not a command.

When it comes to my health I will not be a people pleaser. After all, whose medical team is this anyway? To be more accurate: Whose life is this anyway?

Yes, But Wait

It has been a few months since I received my diabetes diagnosis. Since then I have heard the word “No!” more often than I expected. Quite often I’ve heard it from my family who gently and lovingly remind me that my diet must change. At times it has also come from my church family, all of whom have my best interest at heart. I’ve also heard myself saying it. For example, I’ve had to tell myself “No!” when I feel the urge to eat seven or ten cookies. The most disappointing “No!” came from my health insurance provider who declined a request for a constant glucose monitor. Among the long list of reasons was something about me not demonstrating an understanding of the need to take glucose readings. (Why else would I want a constant glucose monitor?) But there is One who has not said “No.” Instead, He said “Yes, but you have to wait.”

I received this in answer to my first response after receiving my diagnosis. Okay, maybe it was my second response. My first response was asking myself how I could be so stupid. (For the record diabetes has nothing to do with intelligence.) My second response was to ask God for healing. I even wrote about my healing in my post “All Things Work for the Good: Even Diabetes.” I was ready for a quick turn around, looking forward to that day when I could brag about being healed. But then I “heard” God’s answer. It was not anything audible but God found a way to make His answer clear. As I said in the first paragraph, that answer was, “Yes, but you have to wait.”

In the meantime God wants me to learn to trust in Him as He helps me live in victory over the diagnosis. That’s a little different than being completely healed. It’s a recognition that I am a diabetic but I am not a slave to my condition. God’s grace is sufficient and by His grace I have access to His wisdom when it comes to how I should live. By His grace I am still enjoying life, just with fewer calories. In Christ I’ve been empowered to move my A1C from a 14 to under 7 in less than a year.

I still believe God will heal me of diabetes, if not while I am on this earth than later during the eternal life which He has promised me. Until then, God’s grace is sufficient. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

All Things Work for the Good: Even Diabetes

It was not one of my best posts. I wrote it tongue in cheek but it just seemed to fall flat. In the post I gave myself (and my readers) a challenge. What was that challenge? I challenged everyone to stick to the serving sizes listed on bags of things like potato chips, mentioning how a 3.5oz bag of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos was supposed to be 3.5 servings. I spoke of developing the self discipline to only eat the listed serving size, instead of eating the entire bag in one sitting. Well, as it turns out, I’ve had to develop that self discipline almost overnight after a recent blood test showed that I have diabetes. That was not the diagnosis I wanted to hear but, as in all situations, God is keeping His promise:

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

Romans 8:28 (NKJV)

For the record, no I do not believe God gave me diabetes. That would just be weird. I am entirely at fault, having developed a love for Mega Stuffed Oreos: great taste but they can quickly put you over your daily limit of sugar. Chips Ahoy cookies were my second go to but only after they got soaked in a tall glass of almond milk. I won’t go into how many I would eat in one sitting. Let’s just say that some of that lack of self discipline I mentioned in the serving size article has been on full display. I take full responsibility and admit that I alone (perhaps with a little help from my genetics) am the problem.

But, as they say, every cloud has a silver lining or as we Christians say: Romans 8:28! Actually I guess God said it when He inspired the writer of Romans to put pen to paper but we Christians get the blessing of knowing that Romans 8:28 is true. All things do work together for good for those who love God. Why? Well because God has ordained it to be so and it is true even with my diabetes.

I needed a kick in the behind to get me thinking about my health and about a goal I set for myself years ago. I promised myself that I will do everything I can to get into and stay in good physical shape, in order to be able to serve God for many years to come without any physical hindrance. I also want to be able to do things with friends and family, without being short of breath or limited in any other physical way. Unfortunately I have not been doing a good job of keeping that promise to myself. There’s always that distraction keeping me from exercising or the fact that I am too lazy to bother checking the serving size of what I eat. With diabetes, I received the kick in the bottom that I needed to get me to exercise and, yes, to check and stick to the right serving size. (I haven’t had Flamin’ Hot Cheetos since the diagnosis. If I do. I will count out my 21 pieces.)

Here’s the biggest blessing that will come from this. You see, I believe that God still heals. One day I will get to testify of how my LORD healed me and of how He gives me the wisdom to live in His healing. I’ll always carry the diagnosis but I will do so in the light of Romans 8:28, looking forward to telling others of how He fulfilled what is said in His Bible. All things work together for good. This is true in my situation and, if you love God and are called according to His purpose, it will also be true in whatever situation you find yourself dealing with.

See also “One, Two or Three Servings?”