Charles is an IT professional and avid Harley rider who takes yearly road trips with his friends. He’s a big fan of college football, hockey, and dirt-track racing. This is his story.
Can you tell us about your diagnosis?
I found out because I had a lot of accidents at night. I would wake up damp and wonder why it was happening. I went to Daytona one year and I drank pretty good when I wasn’t riding and had a good time. That night, I was getting up to use the bathroom every hour or hour and a half. When I would walk back to bed, I would get a bottle of water. Every hour and a half I did the same thing. I couldn’t finish going to the bathroom, but I couldn’t get enough water.
The same thing happened when I did a few road trips. I made an appointment with my doctor and they checked my blood sugar, and it was 395. They took the blood for the A1c, and when it came back it was a 14.3%. The doctor said, “You have to do something now.” I told him that I didn’t like this urinating business. I thought, if my quality of life is going to be like this the rest of my life, I don’t want it. I started on the oral medications and I pulled my A1c down really quick. I was in the 9s within a month or two.
Watching my health became a priority in 2017. I have been seeing an endocrinologist since April. It was around the same time that I got my Livongo equipment. I’m trucking along with the oral medications she’s given me, and my last A1c was a 5.9%.
How did you hear about Livongo?
I got a flyer in the mail and it seemed like my insurance provider wanted me to take a look at the Livongo meter. I was using another meter at the time. I said I’d try Livongo, and I liked it when I did. They offer a lot of help.
How has Livongo helped you?
My doctor told me that I should be taking a certain medication twice a day, not once. So I took it in the morning like I’ve been doing and I took the second one in the evening. About 11PM, I checked the meter and it said 61!
What I liked about Livongo is that it came back telling me to eat 15 grams of carbs right now and wait and check again in 15 minutes. I wouldn’t have known to do that. I would’ve gone to the emergency room and told them that I took too much medication. I don’t have orange juice or anything like that in my house. I have some protein bars that have about 14 grams of carbs and I ate one of those.
I still felt kind of jittery and felt like I couldn’t make a decision, so it must’ve really been low. Fifteen minutes later I checked it and it was up to 93. And I thought, Oh, good, now I can go to bed without worrying about dying in my sleep. So that was a really good experience for me with Livongo.
What’s the best thing about Livongo in your experience?
I’ll be honest: I like getting the strips and the lancets for free. I like the messages, the ease of use. You check your blood sugar and you put in your information. The other meters I’ve used don’t do that.
What is your motivation to be healthier?
To live. To not lose limbs. It’s as simple as that. It’s like sports: I play to win. It’s up to me, it’s not up to somebody else. That’s why I’m going to eat broccoli and some tomatoes tonight with some sugar-free jello.
What do you tell people about Livongo?
If they offer you a Livongo meter, you gotta take it. I really like what I’ve gotten out of it so far. I have recommended it and recommend it to people I know who have diabetes.
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