Real User Stories
Expecting and Empowered: Warrior Devon Garrett navigates pregnancy with Dexcom G7
Jan. 22, 2025 • 5 min read
The content in this article should not be taken as medical advice. Please
consult with your healthcare provider regarding your individual health needs.
Pregnancy inspires a range of emotions for expecting mothers – the wonder
of creating a new life, the excitement of feeling those little kicks and the joy of growing a family. Feeling stress and anxiety is also very common, even for the healthiest of mothers in the most “normal” of pregnancies.
For Dexcom Warrior Devon Garrett, a 33-year-old English teacher from Nashville, Tennessee, and mother of two, having Type 2 diabetes added another level of awareness to carrying a child. For anyone managing Type 2, watching glucose numbers and overall health can be a daily challenge. But for those with diabetes, pregnancy has the potential
to create complications that threaten both the mother and baby.
Diagnosed with Type 2 in 2017, Devon delivered a healthy baby boy, Lincoln, three years ago and used the Dexcom G6 Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) system to stay on top of her diabetes management throughout
her pregnancy.
Recently, she relied on the Dexcom G7 during her pregnancy and when she delivered a baby girl with her husband, Josh, in December 2024.
Bug bites and nagging concerns
Devon’s diabetes diagnosis surprised her. She’s a working mom who embodies her favorite Shakespeare quote, “Though she be but little, she is fierce.” She’s worked out for years with CrossFit and running, even once completing the New York City Marathon. She’s always watched what she ate, opting for healthy food choices. Then a pool party in the country changed everything.
While hanging out with friends at that get-together, she endured several bug bites. Unsure of what the red dots on her skin that didn’t heal were, she saw a dermatologist who diagnosed her with Necrobiosis Lepoidica, a condition typically associated with diabetes that causes lesions. Since she didn’t have any other classic diabetes symptoms, the doctor chalked it up as random.
When the prescribed topical cream didn’t improve the condition over time, she sought a second opinion, and that doctor ordered blood work. It showed her A1C was 11.9% and confirmed a diabetes diagnosis.
“It just felt like life was over,” Devon said. “How would I ever get to run again? How would I ever get to do all this stuff? I had a lot of days of ‘This isn't fair.’ I ate well, I worked out, I tried to keep myself fit and this is what happened?
So, what's the point? How can I ever be normal again?”
Doctors immediately put her on a long-acting insulin regimen, and the fingerpricking* began. She struggled with the mental adjustments and worried about how diabetes would impact her workouts.
Smart device sold separately.*
“I’m wondering if I can still work out,” Devon said. “What would happen if I’m working out and my glucose just drops and I’m rushed to the hospital? And I kept hearing about DKA [Diabetic Ketoacidosis]. Getting back to my normal routine took a long time because there was just a lot of fear and anxiety with the unknown of diabetes.”
She tried another CGM but found the glucose readings it provided were “always off,” sometimes by up to 100 points. Feeling as if she “couldn’t live
with this anymore,” she switched to the Dexcom G6 CGM in 2018.
“It was so much better, a totally different change,” Devon said. “My husband is in the military and gone a lot, so having alarms and the Follow app† so he and my mom could see my numbers brought me a lot more comfort in being alone. And when I’m working out, I can just check my watch and know if I’m doing well or if my numbers are low.
Anything can happen still, but I feel a little bit more control over what’s
going on by being able to keep up with it in real time. It definitely takes
away the worry.”
Pregnancy peace of mind
Dexcom CGM also had a positive impact during her first pregnancy
and delivery.
“I had a C-section with the first one, and that's the plan for this one,” she said. “The Dexcom G6 was nice because the anesthesiologist could watch it. He kept my receiver with him, and he knew during the process I was starting to dip and was able to give me whatever I needed in the IV. That will be the plan again, that they'll have access to my Dexcom G7.”
During her second pregnancy, the G7 helped her keep
her diabetes in check. In fact, her most recent bloodwork showed her A1C was 5.5%‡.
“I like to keep things controlled,” she said. “So, my doctor and I are looking at things like when my glucose levels are in the 200s for multiple hours at a time or lows I can't feel. The big thing is just watching the trends. And I appreciate that my doctor looks at my Dexcom data, versus me having to write everything down. She’s gracious, constantly telling me ‘No, you're doing good, what you're doing is fine,’ and just makes little tweaks with me.”
More importantly, Dexcom G7 brought some peace of mind.
“Having Dexcom G7 helps take away some of the anxiety. This has actually been an easier pregnancy than the first time around. Dexcom took a lot of the stress off the first time, and this time it’s great to know one less thing I have to worry about is pricking my finger four times a day.”
Today, she concentrates happily on being a mom, not the stresses of diabetes management.
“I'm not going back to work until August” she said. “I’m going to stay home and just be with the kids for a while. Dexcom definitely keeps my peace of mind high. People see that I do not let diabetes get in the way and never give up. That helps me stay motivated, and I hope it motivates others as well.”
Get a Free Dexcom G7 Sample
Are you living with diabetes and not using CGM? Talk to your doctor about Dexcom G7. We can also help you get started with a free benefits check. Click the button below to send us some basic information.
*Fingersticks required for diabetes treatment decisions if symptoms or expectations do not match readings. †A separate Follow app and internet connection are required to follow CGM users’ glucose readings and trends. CGM users should always confirm glucose readings on the Dexcom CGM apps or receiver before making treatment decisions. ‡Individual results
may vary.
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.
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