During the NFL playoffs I was overcome with anger not only when the Bills lost to the Chiefs after some questionable calls, but also during a commercial for a startup company marketing continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) to non-diabetics.
Super interesting piece! I think there will be variability among people. I used one of the OTC blood glucose monitors for a few weeks after an iffy fasting blood glucose and before I could get to the doc to get A1C tested as a follow-up. It did help demystify what my body was doing with different types of meals and activities and made the process less scary. I would recommend it if someone asked me, particularly if they're someone who likes data (such as via smartwatch) and intends to use it for multi layered learning, not just freaking out any time the level gets high or low.
totally - I think there either has to be a good knowledge base or guidance on what the numbers mean, and for a lot of people that's just not the case. There are also other things that can impact blood sugar aside from food (stress, medications, exercise, etc.) that are important to understand. And also agree they are not easily accessible from a financial perspective.
Oh and of course this assumes a certain level of financial privilege which I recognize is not everyone's situation. The OTC ones aren't wildly expensive for medical devices, but not necessarily cheap.
This is so timely! I’ve been wearing a CGM since January, as I have gestational diabetes and I was just prescribed insulin last week. I’ve been pre-diabetic since having my first. The convenience and not having to stick my finger 4x a day until June was a no brainer, but I agree that there is a lot of hype around blood sugar these days.
Missy, congratulations!! I think you are definitely one to benefit from a CGM right now given the info you've shared (though I know GDM is very frustrating). I hope everything progresses smoothly for you! :)
Super interesting piece! I think there will be variability among people. I used one of the OTC blood glucose monitors for a few weeks after an iffy fasting blood glucose and before I could get to the doc to get A1C tested as a follow-up. It did help demystify what my body was doing with different types of meals and activities and made the process less scary. I would recommend it if someone asked me, particularly if they're someone who likes data (such as via smartwatch) and intends to use it for multi layered learning, not just freaking out any time the level gets high or low.
totally - I think there either has to be a good knowledge base or guidance on what the numbers mean, and for a lot of people that's just not the case. There are also other things that can impact blood sugar aside from food (stress, medications, exercise, etc.) that are important to understand. And also agree they are not easily accessible from a financial perspective.
Oh and of course this assumes a certain level of financial privilege which I recognize is not everyone's situation. The OTC ones aren't wildly expensive for medical devices, but not necessarily cheap.
This is so timely! I’ve been wearing a CGM since January, as I have gestational diabetes and I was just prescribed insulin last week. I’ve been pre-diabetic since having my first. The convenience and not having to stick my finger 4x a day until June was a no brainer, but I agree that there is a lot of hype around blood sugar these days.
Missy, congratulations!! I think you are definitely one to benefit from a CGM right now given the info you've shared (though I know GDM is very frustrating). I hope everything progresses smoothly for you! :)