Tell us about yourself.
I was diagnosed at age 57 originally with Type 2 diabetes. Before my diagnosis, I was experiencing massive cravings for soda, fuzzy vision and weight loss. When I went in to see my doctor, my blood glucose level was 568 mg/dL. I was immediately started on Metformin. The following week when I met with the CDE and nutritionist my blood sugar levels were very high again and my nurse was concerned – after contacting my doctor I was given an injection of insulin which brought the BG levels down in less than an hour. Ultimately, my care team discovered that I had Type 1, not Type 2 diabetes. Through self-management, I was able to reduce my A1c from 12.75% to 7.0% in only a couple of months.
What are some of your hobbies?
I’m an avid gardener – after retiring in 2015, I became a volunteer with the Washington State University Master Gardener program. I supervise the tomato project where we start over 2,500 tomato plants for our spring sale!
What is your favorite food?
Broccoli – it’s great right out of the garden and I have a delicious broccoli salad recipe that I make all summer.
How did you hear about Glooko?
I actually heard about Glooko through my endocrinologist! She was originally at CHI Franciscan in Washington, but left recently to pursue her own private practice and I followed her there. In the clinic, she told me about the Glooko app and explained to me how I could view my Omnipod® System and Dexcom® data together. As a patient, I appreciate that my doctor spends less time getting my data and more time with me, discussing ways to improve my diabetes management.
Why Glooko?
I use both an Omnipod® System and Dexcom® and I love that the Daily Overview graph allows me to see my blood sugar and insulin data from those devices all in one place. I can actually see how my insulin impacts my blood sugar levels. Prior to Glooko, I would look at my blood sugar data on my meter, but finger stick data alone did not allow me to see the big picture. With Glooko, I’m able to see my trends and really evaluate how well I’m doing with my diabetes care routine. Because I’m able to see my day at a glance, it’s helped me to stay in better control.
Do you share your diabetes data?
Yes! It’s made a huge impact because it allows my doctor to have access to my data before my appointment. Instead of her having to master 20 different diabetes management software programs, she really only has to use Glooko. Not only does this decrease the time she spends downloading my data while I’m there in clinic, but it also means that she doesn’t have to relearn where to look in a report to identify my trends or fluctuations. It has made my appointments with her a lot more productive.
What’s the best thing you have learned or advice that you want to share for navigating through diabetes?
By making my own body a “science project,” I use the charts and graphs on Glooko to see how my food choices and insulin doses are impacting my ability to reach my goals. Also, I try to never regret having food that might make my BG jump – I’ll do better next time.
