Tell us about yourself.
My body was not metabolizing what I was eating because my pancreas wasn’t working. As a result I had a Whipple procedure on January 3, 2006. At this time, I was still not a diabetic. On July 7, 2008, I retired from my job as an Educational Administrator for the New York City Department of Education. Exactly one day later, I had a total pancreatectomy and became insulin dependent (PWD T1).
Tell us about your diabetes.
I was put on insulin immediately after the completion of the total pancreatectomy surgery and started by injecting it, but then moved to the Omnipod® System because it was much easier for me to manage my insulin. I noticed that whenever I had low blood sugar, I would also break out into a sweat, but then not too long after, the typical symptoms of a low blood sugar went away and it was hard for me to know what was going on. This prompted my doctor to put me on the Dexcom CGM.
Hobbies?
Lifelong volunteer serving the youth of my community through the Boy Scouts of America. I enjoy being in the outdoors. Whether in the woods camping and hiking or walking 2-5 miles a day in my neighborhood. I spend a lot of quality time with our 2 grandsons.
Favorite Food?
I enjoy cooking. I love making my breakfast of egg white omelets with fresh vegetables and cheese or cereal with yogurt and fresh fruit. For lunch, besides making sandwiches, I make homemade chicken or turkey vegetable soup. For dinner, my wife usually cooks the dinner but on occasion, I make my shrimp or chicken stir fry. When dinning out I enjoy Asian, Italian, Greek and Middle Eastern Foods.
How did you hear about Glooko?
I’ve been using Glooko for over a year now, after I heard that Insulet was sponsoring Glooko for Omnipod® System users. I have an Android phone so I’m able to download my Omnipod® System and Dexcom® CGM data directly to my phone using Glooko.
Why Glooko?
I love it since it allows me to carb count more easily. I save my favorite foods so I can access it from the food database quicker. The Omnipod® System food database was lacking and I like that Glooko allows me to search for specific brands like Kirkland. I’ve luckily been able to find every type of food that I’ve searched for using the Glooko app. The Glooko food database is also nice because in addition to carb details, I can see other nutritional information like fiber and calories The Glooko statistics also allow me to compare my blood sugar trends from week to week and month to month. Now, I’m able to see at a glance not only what I’m eating, but also my insulin usage. It has also been super convenient! Since Glooko is on my phone, I can take it from my kitchen to my living room and so on.
What’s the best thing you have learned or advice that you want to share for navigating through diabetes?
I am not afraid to ask questions to the members of my medical team. I do plenty of research on line but check the validity of the sources. I have joined and check in on different diabetes blogs and Facebook groups. Every day I remind myself that I am not perfect in managing my diabetes but I am doing my best. I have to manage and live with my diabetes 24/7/365.
Thanks for sharing your story with us, Steven!
