Dexcom Warrior Stories
How Dexcom Warrior Christina Creates Great Memories with CGM
Christina Marie Mulchandani is a Dexcom Warrior in more ways than one. When she’s not cosplaying as the ultimate warrior, Wonder Woman, she’s at the gym challenging herself to beat her personal chin-up record or hitting doubles at her evening softball games. At work as a healthcare benefits specialist in the human resources department, Christina supports her colleagues as they navigate some of the most vulnerable moments—often when they have health challenges themselves.
Christina was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D) at the age of 37 in 2016 after an extremely stressful period in her life. “It was like I was put on a merry-go-round and then dropped back into reality,” she recalls. “All I can remember is feeling that I was living life, almost three decades of doing things a different way, and suddenly I had to stop and relearn everything.”
The unexpected diagnosis changed the way Christina had to take care of herself, but it didn’t take away her fierce spirit, strength, and optimism. Christina’s curiosity about T1D, her determination to live life to the fullest, and tools like the Dexcom G6 Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) System have allowed her to focus on enjoying the things she loves to do and building her relationships with the people she loves. “When I think of CGM, I know it stands for continuous glucose monitoring, but for me, it stands for creating great memories,” she says.
Putting the Present Moment First
Since early on in her diagnosis, Christina has had to grapple with fear around the very real risk of hypoglycemia. “I call it mental quicksand, it’s like your body is shutting down,” she says. “Not being able to do what you want to do because of the fear of experiencing a low can be very crippling.” For Christina, worrying about her glucose levels changing stops her from being fully present, which is mentally and physically draining for her.
Christina initially used a blood glucose meter (BGM) but found that she didn’t have total visibility into where her glucose levels were in between finger pricks. Not knowing if her levels were changing and how fast they were dropping made it hard for her to keep her mind off of diabetes while trying to go about her day. And for Christina, maintaining her quality of life while managing diabetes is a high priority. “If I'm not physically or mentally able to do something, I'm robbed of that time,” she says. “I only have one life, and time is precious.”
“When I think of CGM, I know it stands for continuous glucose monitoring, but for me, it stands for creating great memories.”
Being present is especially important to her role as an HR professional who deals with healthcare benefits in her company. It’s part of Christina’s job to provide a listening ear for people. “I interact with about a thousand employees in my company, and if anyone needs something, I’m there,” she says. “I can't really listen to someone if I'm afraid of my blood sugar going down, or thinking ‘I need to prick my fingers,’ so CGM has been an essential tool for me to be able to show up fully at my job.”
Christina is a social butterfly who loves to cultivate relationships and go after her goals, which often include other people—from her softball teammates to her coworkers. Not being able to be present in the activities that she loves and fully engaged with the people around her impacted her quality of life. When she began using a Dexcom CGM System in 2018, she found that she wasn’t worrying as much about not catching the signs of a low thanks to the alerts and the ability to quickly see her glucose levels at a glance.
Using CGM technology has given Christina a tool to help her stay in control of her diabetes management, which in turn has reduced the amount of time she spends wrapped up in worrying about her glucose levels. With the Dexcom G6 app on her smartphone* and the extra peace of mind that gives her, Christina is able to focus on bringing her full self to every conversation and activity. “I want to be the best version of myself,” Christina reflects. “If I'm not who I am, I'm robbing people of what I could be in their lives and the relationships I could create.”
Courageously Cultivating a Circle of Support
Even though she values her independence, Christina has learned to lean on the strong relationships she has with her coworkers and teammates when it comes to her everyday diabetes management. Part of being able to enjoy her life on her own terms is looping in her loved ones, colleagues, and teammates on her needs. Asking for support from those around her is one of the ways Christina maintains a little more control over her environment and creates a safe space for herself while she’s participating in the activities that matter to her.
Christina does this by introducing her friends and coworkers to the Dexcom G6 alerts on her phone. She will charge her phone in the corner of the gym while working out and have the Dexcom G6 app open. If an alert goes off, her gym buddies know to check on her. “When I’m playing softball, my teammates will call out and say ‘Christina, your phone is making the low alert sound, you need hypo treats!’” At work, Christina’s colleagues keep a mini fridge stocked with juice and keep an ear out for the alerts on her phone, prompting her to have a drink if they notice she’s going low.
“When I’m playing softball, my teammates will call out and say ‘Christina, your phone is making the low alert sound, you need hypo treats!’”
Throughout her day, Christina stays open about the steps she needs to take to manage her diabetes. Her colleagues are aware that she might need to inject insulin during a meeting and that she’s keeping an eye on her phone to monitor her glucose—not because she’s distracted. When she knows that the people around her have her back, Christina says that she can relax and focus on what she’s doing because others are sharing the mental load of looking out for her glucose levels all the time.
Meeting the Unexpected with Confidence
Like most individuals living with diabetes, Christina knows to expect the unexpected. Using the Dexcom G6 helped Christina understand how different situations, certain foods, and even the site of her insulin injections affect her glucose levels. This knowledge helps Christina prepare and plan more effectively and it also empowers her to manage unexpected circumstances when they do come up.
Christina has experienced hypoglycemia while scraping ice off her car in the morning—a routine task the Montrealer didn’t initially think of as a strenuous activity. “Now I look at my Dexcom app while I’m clearing the car and I can see if I need to stop and take a break,” she says. “I’ll sit down for a bit and let it warm up. My brother even got me a car starter so that I could warm up my car from one kilometer away.”
“The Dexcom G6 gave me the opportunity to feel confident about going somewhere on my own when I probably would have said no before.”
She’s also dealt with shifting glucose levels when travelling. Christina has found that the rapid altitude change on an airplane can cause her glucose levels to drop, which can lead to an urgent low when she lands. She was able to successfully travel alone for the first time because of her CGM technology. “The Dexcom G6 gave me the opportunity to feel confident about going somewhere on my own when I probably would have said no before,” she says.
The unexpected isn’t always a bad thing. One of the freedoms that using the Dexcom G6 has given Christina is the ability to be spontaneous. She can do things like go out for a last-minute dinner with friends or stay late after a softball game to play some more. Having a better knowledge of what causes her to go high and low helps her take measures to support what’s going on in the moment.
CGM technology allows Christina to live life on her own terms, enabling her to take on new challenges that support her personal growth and sense of achievement. Using Dexcom G6 has inspired her to participate in the community of people who are living with diabetes. It’s given her greater confidence in showing off her Warrior pride with the knowledge that, every day, she’s doing exceptional things—all while managing diabetes.
See How Dexcom Warriors Like Christina Thrive while Living with Diabetes
As a Dexcom Warrior, Christina is passionate about diabetes awareness and advocacy. Along with the Warrior community, she’s working to make diabetes more visible and creating a strong network of support between individuals living with diabetes across Canada. Check out our Dexcom Warrior community to hear more stories like Christina’s and sign up to become a Dexcom Warrior yourself!
* For a list of compatible devices, visit www.dexcom.com/compatibility.
† Back of upper arm wear is available for users 18 years and older.
† Back of upper arm wear is available for users 18 years and older.