Doctor checking Dexcom CGM sensor on Dexcom Warrior David's arm

Diabetes discussions: food and activity

A diabetes diagnosis adds complexity to daily life. But Dr. Aaron King, a family medicine doctor in San Antonio, Texas, who has been in the diabetes space for about 20 years, has found continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) technology helps simplify diabetes management. He sat down with Dexcom Warrior David to discuss how CGM has helped him demystify diabetes.

"Once I realized I could look at some data that gave me an indication of what I had been doing glucose-wise, kind of where I was heading like a GPS, then I could sit down and could enjoy my food. Because now I knew, this is what impacts me the most,” David shared.

Dr. King enjoys seeing how CGM enables his patients to take active control of decision-making for themselves.

“No longer is it me telling them what they should do, but they’re seeing what is coming across on the screen, and they’re making those valuable decisions for their health on their own,” he said. “It really empowers them.”

Watch the video to learn more about the benefits of CGM or read the transcript below.

The views expressed in this conversation are the speakers’ own and are not intended to be medical advice. Please consult your provider regarding your individual health needs. Dr. King and David are paid spokespersons of Dexcom, Inc

Video Transcript

David: My name is David Padilla. I’m so glad that I’ve got a chance to meet you, because I really want to understand more about my diabetes.

Dr. King: Hi, David. My name is Dr. Aaron King. I’m a family medicine doctor in San Antonio, Texas. I do not only adult family medicine, but also have been in the diabetes space for about 20 years. And I look forward to talking to you today. So many times providers, we think about the patient and the disease process, and we really don’t empathize with them and understand that people with diabetes have a normal life, and this layer of complexity is now added to that. Right? And I think CGM really helps to demystify that, and to simplify that complexity. Would you agree with that?

David: Absolutely. Because once I realized that I could look at some data that gave me an indication of what I had been doing glucose-wise, and kind of where I was going, kind of like a GPS direction, right?

Dr. King: Yeah.

David: Then I could sit down and I could enjoy my food. Because now I knew, this is what impacts me the most. And it was a learning process, because I didn’t know bagels were so bad for me. So now I just have a small piece of bagel.

Dr. King: So one of the things that I love, interacting with CGM and my patients, is that it really empowers them to take active control of decision making for themselves. No longer is it me just kind of telling them what they should do, but they’re seeing what is coming across on the screen, and they’re making those valuable decisions for their health on their own. Really empowers them.

David: And it takes the guilt away. Because now I’m not going to sit there and go, well, I’m going to eat the whole bagel because nobody’s really watching, and I can do that. Now I own it.

Dr. King: So David, you’ve been using CGM for a long time and you’re very comfortable with it. But what would you say to somebody, maybe your family member or a friend, who was new to CGM. What would you say to them about how to get started with that, and whether that’s a difficult or easy process?

David: Well, that’s a really interesting question for me. Because my brother also has diabetes, but isn’t using any device. He’s on the pills and whatever. So when I have a discussion with him, he tells me, yeah, but I don’t have diabetes as bad as you do. It’s really a learning process from me to him to say, this is how it works, this is why it’s good. It’s about a lifestyle, and how you can get back all the things that you want to do when you go out.

Dr. King: Any time we have a barrier there, it’s important that I try to take that barrier down and help them understand what the reality is. So one of the things I love is that I have samples in my office, and I can immediately just open that up, ask the patient for permission, apply the CGM. Usually less than 60 seconds, and they now understand how it goes on, how it works, and how quickly it can be done. And that really empowers a patient. And then, wear that. And I say, “Well, why don’t you wear this for 10 days? You come back and we’ll talk about it, we’ll understand what’s going on in your body better. We’ll have a conversation that’s more meaningful. Make some changes if we need to, and then you can tell me if you like the technology.”

David: Yeah, and that’s exactly what I said to my brother. I said, “Do you remember driving a stick shift, and then the next car you bought was an automatic, and how simple did that get?” And I thought, that’s how my CGM is.

Dr. King: Yeah, for sure. So tell me a little bit too about, if you had one thing you could say to primary care providers in particular who may not be comfortable with Dexcom CGM, what would you like to say to them to kind of open that up a little bit from the patient perspective?

David: I can tell you what I actually said to them, is that this is not about diabetes as much as it is about me, and how I can deal with it. To make me and my life much easier. And I kind of get a raised eyebrow when I say that, and then it starts to sink in. And they start to understand that we’re doing something invasive, and a little bit of help would be appreciated, and a little bit of understanding. So when you reach that point with the care person, it makes all the difference in the world.

Dr. King: Yeah, that’s great. David, I really enjoyed our conversation today. Good luck with everything going forward, and thank you for your time.

David: Well, thank you because I’ve learned a few things, and now I’m ready to go out.

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*Fingersticks required for diabetes treatment decisions if symptoms or expectations do not match readings.^†Compatible smart device sold separately. To view a list of compatible devices, visit dexcom.com/compatibility. Dr. King and David are paid spokespersons of Dexcom, Inc

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.