We all know about the market for health trackers, but in my case, the Apple Watch has become an indispensable health monitoring tool. I have been a type 2 diabetic for about 25 years and, until March of 2015, I was able to control it by diet, exercise, and oral medications. But during a trip last March, my blood sugar readings skyrocketed and no amount of medication or diet would help.
When I got home I went to see my doctor and he explained that, for many diabetics, oral drugs cease to work over time and they have to move to insulin. I had been fighting this move for the previous 5 years, but under the circumstances I needed insulin to get my blood sugar numbers under control. But the transition to using insulin was a difficult one. Getting the right amount based on carb counting and other factors was tough. I was pricking my fingers up to 7 times a day to see what my blood sugars were, which was difficult as a working person who travels a lot.
Over the last year I have been highly interested in a new category that has emerged with the Apple Watch called health monitoring. I have checked out things from the Withing Blood Pressure Cuff, where the results can be shown on the Apple Watch, to a new Apple Watch band that can record an EKG and display it on the watch. So I began to search to see if perhaps there was a blood sugar monitoring system on the market and discovered the Dexcom 5 Continuous Glucose Monitoring System.
I was aware of their early models but had read that they had some problems and was hesitant to get it in its early days on the 
market. When the Dexcom 5 came out, however, I saw a more positive response; but what sold me was the fact that the readings could be displayed on my iPhone and the Apple Watch.
Thankfully it was covered by my insurance and I asked my doctor to prescribe it for me since it is only sold by prescription. So about two months ago I received it and started using it to monitor my blood sugars.
The Dexcom 5 uses a sensor and a BLE transmitter that sits on top of the sensor and each sensor lasts a full 7 days. The sensor has a small needle like prong that is the equivalent of two human hairs. It embeds it in my stomach (hardly feel it going in) and monitors my blood sugar fluids 24/7.
Dexcom explains that these fluids are a bit different then monitoring the actual blood, but this method is accurate to within 5-20% of any actual true blood sugar reading. After two months of using it, I find that a Dexcom reading vs a pin prick reading of my blood is actually pretty close most of the time and, when different, the Dexcom is off by only 10-15%.
Even with these discrepancies, I can now tell with pretty good accuracy what my blood sugar readings are all of the time. Dexcom also has a separate transmitter I could carry, but since it works with my iPhone, I don’t need it. More importantly, that reading is on the watch and at any time I can check it and see where my blood glucose numbers are. In the past, I had no idea what the numbers were without doing a pin prick blood test. The other thing that has been transformative is that, when I eat something with carbs in it, within 15 minutes I know how it has impacted my blood sugar.
My actual target with my blood sugars are to keep them under 160 and no lower than 80. With the app, I can set alerts that let me know when my numbers go over 160 or under 80 and it gives me a loud beep as a warning. I actually try to keep the numbers under 140, and this app really helps me do that. Using the Dexcom 5 sensors and the Apple watch app, I now always know what my blood sugar ranges are.
Here’s a brief video clip that shows off the Dexcom app:
For those with Type 1 diabetes that are insulin dependent, the Dexcom 5 and the Apple Watch could be life changing. The alarms alone are worth the price. Yet, as a Type 2 diabetic, this device has also become a life changing tool and at least for me, the combination of this sensor system and the Apple watch is now something I wouldn’t want to live without. Yes I could go back to only using pin pricks, but I could never do this all day every day. With this new health monitoring device and the Apple Watch I have one of the most effective tools I have ever used to help me deal with this disease in a highly proactive manner.
Today there are over 29 million diabetics in the US and unfortunately that number is growing. And while the best thing would be for science to discover a cure, a tool like this can go a long way towards helping those of us with this disease monitor and manage it.
Now I won’t go as far as to say the Apple Watch is a life saver for me. On the other hand, it is now something I won’t live without since it has become a key part of how I manage this chronic disease.
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