The CGM Blog - Dexcom Warriors
How Nathan Harms Takes Control of Type 2 Diabetes with Dexcom G7
Nathan Harms is a people person. The Edmontonian is deeply passionate about his work as a house painter because it gives him the chance to connect with others and make a small difference in their everyday lives. Nathan began learning how to paint homes in 1972, launching his own business in 1977. Now in his 70s, Nathan still loves breathing new life into the walls of his customers’ homes using the expert techniques he’s honed over 50 years in the trade.
When Nathan was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in 2004, the news came as a shock. At the time, he was a busy entrepreneur, working a physically active job six days a week, travelling with his wife, and making time to play sports with friends in his off hours. Though he noticed some initial symptoms while on the squash court, it wasn’t immediately obvious that the cause might be T2D. He booked an appointment with his doctor to see what was going on. After running blood tests to confirm the diagnosis, the doctor provided Nathan with metformin—a common medication prescribed for T2D—and instructed him to come back for another checkup in a year.
After Nathan received his diagnosis, it was mostly up to him to learn about diabetes and figure out how to monitor and manage his blood sugar levels. Not having a clear idea of how to do all that in the beginning made it challenging for Nathan to adjust to the diagnosis. As time went on, Nathan remained open to trying new ways to support his health. “I didn’t know very much about diabetes in the beginning, but I was always interested in taking care of myself and being as well as I could be,” he recalls.
“The more I took control of what I was doing to care for myself, the better I felt about being a person living with type 2 diabetes.”
Nathan was determined to keep living a vibrant life, helping clients beautify their homes, spending time with his wife, Kristen, and having fun with hobbies like playing guitar. “The more I took control of what I was doing to care for myself, the better I felt about being a person living with diabetes,” he says. With supportive treatment tools like insulin therapy and the Dexcom G7 Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) System, Nathan is able to reach his A1C goals while enjoying an active lifestyle and finding fulfillment in his life’s work.
Using CGM to Take the Guesswork Out of Glucose Management
When Nathan began insulin therapy in 2018 to support his T2D management, he discovered that it came with some challenges alongside the benefits. Individuals using insulin as part of their diabetes treatment are more likely to experience low glucose, also known as low blood sugar or hypoglycemia.1 Insulin works in the body to help the cells absorb glucose from the bloodstream.2 If you take too much insulin, the glucose levels in your blood can drop, potentially leading to serious lows that require emergency medical attention.1 Diabetes Canada generally defines a serious low as being below 3.0 mmol/L.3
Nathan works alone and frequently goes up and down tall ladders throughout the day. Nathan often felt anxious about experiencing a low while working because there would be no one around to check on him if he had a low glucose emergency, such as getting dizzy and falling off a ladder or passing out. At one point, he was pricking his fingers up to twelve times a day to make sure he was within his target glucose range. He found it frustrating that his blood glucose meter (BGM) could only show him a snapshot of where his glucose levels were in the moment, leaving him in the dark about where they were headed as he got back to work.
“In the first ten days after using Dexcom CGM, I knew everything had changed. There was a momentous improvement in my life. Just four months after I put my first sensor on, my A1C went down to 6.3%.”
Then, in 2022, Nathan caught a Dexcom CGM commercial on TV while relaxing one evening and decided to request a free sample. Just a few days after he started using his first sensor, Nathan was at work when the Urgent Low Soon alert sounded on his smartphone,* warning him that his glucose was headed for a low under 3.1 mmol/L within the next 20 minutes.† With the predictive alert, Nathan was able to take action to prevent the low before it disrupted his workday and before he even experienced symptoms of hypoglycemia.
Being notified about the urgent low prompted Nathan to investigate what caused the unexpected change in his glucose. He discovered that a herbal supplement he’d started taking was interacting with his insulin, leading to a serious drop in his glucose. The Dexcom CGM System gave him greater insight into what was going on in his body. Nathan became more confident managing his glucose and was able to see progress toward his A1C goals. “In the first ten days after using Dexcom CGM, I knew everything had changed. There was a momentous improvement in my life,” he says. “Just four months after I put my first sensor on, my A1C went down to 6.3%. My doctor was amazed and impressed!”
Everyday Freedom with Extra Peace of Mind
Using Dexcom CGM has also reduced Nathan’s everyday worries about managing T2D while he’s working. He no longer has to stop to prick his fingers multiple times a day,‡ enabling him to stay focused and work more efficiently. He’s also less concerned about going low while working alone thanks to the predictive Urgent Low Soon alert as well as the Dexcom Follow app, which allows his wife to keep an eye on his glucose levels remotely.§
“My favourite part of using the Dexcom G7 is when my numbers aren’t quite what Kristen wants to see and she texts or calls me to let me know she’s watching,” Nathan laughs. Kristen uses Dexcom Follow on her own smartphone*§ to check on Nathan’s glucose even if he’s painting a house across town. “Within seconds, I can see exactly what’s going on and can help steer him in the right direction,” she says. “I worry a great deal less than I did before.”
Sharing his data with Kristen gives Nathan greater confidence to serve customers anywhere in the city and to take on physically challenging jobs. “Even if I forget to check my glucose, I know that Kristen is on it,” Nathan says. Using Dexcom Follow gives both Nathan and Kristen some extra peace of mind, reducing the mental toll that diabetes management can take and increasing the couple’s overall sense of well-being.
Getting in the Driver’s Seat of Diabetes Management
Throughout his diabetes journey, Nathan has managed the condition with a combination of lifestyle changes, medication, and insulin. Despite doing his best to control his glucose with a variety of treatment options, he still struggled to see positive results from time to time. “Discouragement has often been part of the road,” he recalls. “It’s frustrating when you’re doing all you can do, but you’re not seeing a difference. You don’t know which way to turn.”
Before using Dexcom CGM, implementing new habits and treatment options felt like taking shots in the dark. “Living with T2D means you’re faced with a lot of decisions every day, sometimes hour-by-hour,” Nathan says. “If you’re going to make these decisions, you need accurate information and Dexcom CGM can provide just that.”
“Instead of using a BGM to tell me how my diabetes was managing my life, the data from Dexcom CGM showed me how I was managing my diabetes.”
Dexcom CGM Systems, including Dexcom G7, can offer a clear view into how treatment changes impact your glucose in the moment, and over time. This can empower you to make healthy choices and provide insights your doctor and diabetes healthcare team can use to improve your diabetes management plan. “Instead of using a BGM to tell me how my diabetes was managing my life, Dexcom CGM told me how I was managing my diabetes,” Nathan says.
Studies show that using Dexcom CGM Systems when starting treatment with a GLP-1 drug like Ozempic, Trulicity, or Mounjaro helps individuals get a better idea of how well the medication is working for them and whether they need to adjust their dosage.||,4 GLP-1 drugs and other diabetes medications can enhance the glucose-lowering effects of insulin, which means that individuals on insulin therapy may need to adjust their doses when they start taking them.5 Dexcom G7 readings can be your guide to figuring out whether a new medication is right for you.
Seeing how various diabetes treatments affect you empowers you to take steps to care for yourself, giving you a greater sense of control. It also gives you the chance to track your progress and celebrate your achievements, which is a great way to stay motivated and reduce some of the stress of managing diabetes. For Nathan, feeling in control and acknowledging his progress has been pivotal to his well-being. “I want people living with T2D to know that you feel way better when you realize you’re in the driver’s seat.”
Support Your GLP-1 Journey with Dexcom G7
Starting new medications like GLP-1 injections can change your glucose patterns in unexpected ways. Take the guesswork out of determining whether GLP-1 medications are right for you with a clear view of how your glucose levels are impacted by your doses and everyday habits. Using Dexcom G7 alongside GLP-1 medications can help you improve your diabetes management with confidence and a little extra peace of mind.
*For a list of compatible smart devices, please visit dexcom.com/compatibility.
†Provides a warning up to 20 minutes in advance of severe hypoglycemia (glucose levels at or below 3.1 mmol/L).
‡Fingersticks required for diabetes treatment decisions if symptoms or expectations do not match readings.
§Requires the Dexcom Follow App and an internet connection. Followers should always confirm readings on the Dexcom G6 or Dexcom G7 app or Receiver before making treatment decisions.
||Data comes from a 2018-2023 US Data Base of payor claims as a retrospective, observational analysis. CGM (N=101) + GLP-1 vs GLP-1 only (N=5840). GLP-1 only group (control) showed a 0.99% A1C reduction.
†Provides a warning up to 20 minutes in advance of severe hypoglycemia (glucose levels at or below 3.1 mmol/L).
‡Fingersticks required for diabetes treatment decisions if symptoms or expectations do not match readings.
§Requires the Dexcom Follow App and an internet connection. Followers should always confirm readings on the Dexcom G6 or Dexcom G7 app or Receiver before making treatment decisions.
||Data comes from a 2018-2023 US Data Base of payor claims as a retrospective, observational analysis. CGM (N=101) + GLP-1 vs GLP-1 only (N=5840). GLP-1 only group (control) showed a 0.99% A1C reduction.
1 Diabetic hypoglycemia. Mayo Clinic. Updated May 6, 2022. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetic-hypoglycemia/symptoms-causes/syc-20371525
2 Insulin. Cleveland Clinic. Reviewed January 17, 2024. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/22601-insulin
3 Lega IC, et al. Diabetes Canada 2018 Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Prevention and Management of Diabetes in Canada: Hypoglycemia in Adults. Can J Diabetes. 2023;47(7):548-559. doi:10.1016/j.jcjd.2023.08.003
4 Dexcom, Data on File, 2023.
5 GLP-1 Agonists. Cleveland Clinic. Reviewed July 3, 2023. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/13901-glp-1-agonists
2 Insulin. Cleveland Clinic. Reviewed January 17, 2024. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/22601-insulin
3 Lega IC, et al. Diabetes Canada 2018 Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Prevention and Management of Diabetes in Canada: Hypoglycemia in Adults. Can J Diabetes. 2023;47(7):548-559. doi:10.1016/j.jcjd.2023.08.003
4 Dexcom, Data on File, 2023.
5 GLP-1 Agonists. Cleveland Clinic. Reviewed July 3, 2023. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/13901-glp-1-agonists