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Dexcom G7 helps a community leader care for himself and others
“It’s allowed me to feel like I can tackle anything the day has for me, because I have something helping me be more in tune with what’s happening in my body.”
As a connections pastor at NPHX Church, 38-year-old Bryan Brown’s passion is caring for others, often to the point of selflessness. His mission includes work with Hope Center, the church’s charitable arm that offers a clothing center, barber shop, food pantry and other resources for the community.
“The biggest part of my calling is being able to help people and give back to my community,” he said. “I feel like I’ve been blessed a lot with a lot of things, so I want to be able to give back and encourage others.”
On one memorable Sunday, the married father of three and sports buff had an epiphany that called him to start focusing more on self-care. While enjoying Super Bowl Sunday 2022 with family and friends, he developed an unquenchable thirst and insatiable appetite. He chalked it up to just enjoying the big game party spread. Later that night, he couldn’t sleep because he had to visit the bathroom every 45 minutes. In the morning, he looked into the mirror and saw a saggy face. And when he stepped on the scale, he was 20 pounds lighter than the week before.
He rushed to urgent care, where a blood test revealed blood glucose so high, he had to go to an ER to get further testing. Another blood test showed his blood glucose was 670 mg/dL and A1C was 12.4% – type 2 diabetes. Though shocked, he was determined to fight.
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“My personality is when you push me against the wall, I’m going to push back,” Bryan said. “But I felt uneducated about what was happening to me. I was also a little embarrassed. How did I not take care of myself? And then I thought, how do I help other people not get in the same situation as me, not be caught off guard with their health? I want to make a difference for other people as well.”
The fight begins
Bryan buckled down and learned how to read nutrition labels, educating himself on proper diet and faced his dislike of fingersticks.
Bryan buckled down and learned how to read nutrition labels, educating himself on proper diet and faced his dislike of fingersticks.
“Taking insulin and monitoring your blood glucose when you’ve never done it can be nerve wracking,” he said. “I’m fine with needles, so taking the insulin was totally good for me. But pricking my finger to take my blood glucose – the first time I had to do it, I sat there for several minutes shaking. I didn’t want to inflict pain on myself.”
*Fingersticks required for diabetes treatment decisions if symptoms or expectations do not match readings.
“I don’t have to do it,” he said. “Dexcom CGM gives me real-time data that allows me to make wise decisions. I’m significantly healthier now this year than last year, and just being able to understand where my glucose levels are from the CGM helps me know how I need to operate. Whether I’m going to be sitting down in a long meeting or moving around, I know what to do beforehand to prevent my glucose levels from going too high.”
A nurse in his corner
Using Dexcom CGM, he’s lowered his A1C to 6%‡ and his average glucose levels to 119 mg/dL. And he has his wife, a nurse, to thank. She grew frustrated watching him struggle with fingersticks and trying to manage insulin dosages and pushed him to see an endocrinologist, who prescribed Dexcom G6.
Bryan said the upgrades on Dexcom G7 make managing diabetes even easier. Now he uses the Clarity|| trend data integrated into the Dexcom G7 app to get a quicker read on what’s working well and what he needs to adjust.
“I love how I can just turn my phone to the left and to the right and I can see the graph and bigger screen,” he said. “It just seems a little more user-friendly. I love how you can make it have silent alerts that your glucose levels are high or low. I like how small it is, and I am adjusting to it being on my arm. I didn’t realize how much my kids grabbed at me until I put it on my arm, but I like how discreet it is.”
And the real-time, sharable updates have allowed his wife to be a true partner in his diabetes journey.
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And the real-time, sharable updates have allowed his wife to be a true partner in his diabetes journey. Once before going for a run, he noticed his glucose levels were in the 140s and he took the doctor-recommended insulin dosage. But 15 minutes later into his run, he got an alert for a low reading that was dropping quickly. He began to panic.
“Since my wife also received the alert on the Dexcom Follow app§, she was able to see and texted me to tell me I needed to come home and eat something¶,” he said. Knowing that his wife was watching out for him helped Bryan feel more at ease. “And having that data allowed me to realize I was taking too much insulin. I called my doctor the next day, and he gave me a better method by which I could look at how much insulin I should take.”
For Bryan, to say Dexcom CGM was life-changing is an understatement.
“I always say I don’t know how people with diabetes before a CGM were able to manage,” he said. “And for me, my Dexcom CGM has been really freeing. It’s allowed me to feel like I can tackle anything the day has for me, because I have something helping me be more in tune with what’s happening in my body.”
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†Smart devices sold separately. For a list of compatible devices, visit https://www.dexcom.com/compatibility. ‡Individual results may vary. §Separate Follow app and internet connection required. ||An internet connection is required to send data to Dexcom Clarity. ¶Separate Follow app and internet connection required. Users should always confirm readings on the Dexcom CGM System app or receiver before making treatment decisions.
BRIEF SAFETY STATEMENT: Failure to use the Dexcom Continuous Glucose Monitoring System and its components according to the instructions for use provided with your device and available at https://www.dexcom.com/safety-information and to properly consider all indications, contraindications, warnings, precautions, and cautions in those instructions for use may result in you missing a severe hypoglycemia (low blood glucose) or hyperglycemia (high blood glucose) occurrence and/or making a treatment decision that may result in injury. If your glucose alerts and readings from the Dexcom CGM do not match symptoms, use a blood glucose meter to make diabetes treatment decisions. Seek medical advice and attention when appropriate, including for any medical emergency.