Shelley: Social Worker

As a social worker of 14 years, my passion is for helping others. I work in the transplant field, and I’ll admit that it isn’t always a walk in the park. It’s very rewarding, but emotions run high, the pace is quick and stress is certainly a job hazard. And that’s just my nine-to-five! When I get home, I’m mom to two amazing and energetic girls – a seven-year-old guitar-playing swimmer and martial arts champion, and a wonderful, wiggly 18-month-old toddler on a quest to explore every surface of our home. That means you can add “chauffeur” and “expert juggler” to the list of titles I assume. While you’re at it, toss on “Type 1.”

“Type 1” is just that – a title. I’m diabetic, but that’s not who I am. I promised myself I’d never let my diabetes get in the way of having a career I love, or from giving my family the best of me. Plus my seven-year-old also is Type 1, and the most important thing I can do for her is lead by example. I will admit that it’s hard to manage, and I guess I wear a lot of hats. But, at the end of the day, I think it’s manageable because I wear something else – my Dexcom.

I’m what you might call a skeptic-turned-believer, because I used to say I’d never take on another device in addition to the insulin pump I already wear. But after a few lunch dates with a group of trusted Type 1 friends who swore by their Dexcoms, I figured I’d give it a shot. Now I can’t imagine living without it, and tell every person with diabetes I meet about my confidence in Dexcom’s reliability and technology. When you find something life changing you just want to share it with everyone!

A friend of mine is an endocrinologist at the hospital where I work. She sometimes asks if I can come down to her office and show her newly-diagnosed Type 1 patients my Dexcom and tell them about how I incorporate it into my daily life. I love to show it off and I get so excited when I talk about it. I always say that the Dexcom offers something every person with diabetes needs – peace of mind.

I also tell people that not only does my Dexcom help me catch life-threatening lows and highs, but helps me to see patterns so that I can take preventive steps in managing my blood sugar as well. For example, I had no idea how high my blood sugar spiked due to certain foods or after mealtimes until I saw it on the Dexcom. Watching these trends has changed the way I bolus before meals, and it’s gone a long way in keeping my number stable.

I try to be as honest as possible about living with diabetes; there’s no denying that dealing with it is a job. Pricking fingers eight to ten times a day can be frustrating, exhausting, painful, and “gets in the way” of a busy life. But, as with many jobs, having an assistant to ease the workload can make all the difference. My Dexcom is my assistant, alerting me with a mindful BEEP! and giving me freedom. So much of the burden is lifted with a simple push of a button to know how my blood sugars are doing.

Although l dream every day of a cure, I truly believe that the pump and my Dexcom together are the closest thing to that dream becoming a reality right now. I know my daughter looks to me to understand how she should perceive and manage her own diabetes (she calls us partners), and I’m thankful that my Dexcom allows me to portray it as being simply a job – not a life-defining, debilitating disease. I’m passionate about helping and healing, and that’s why.

I’m passionate about this device. My Dexcom helps me be me – a mother, a wife, a sister, a social worker and a person who lives to make others’ quality of life better – all at once, with a fuller picture of my BG and a lot more peace of mind.