We sat down with one of our valued Orthus Health for Diabetes participants, Jessica, to learn a bit more about her and her experience in our program.
1. Tell us a bit about yourself!
I’m 53 years old, and I love to do Genealogy and study my family history. I live in Smyrna, TN and I have been helping restore my family’s gravestones. I am extremely family-oriented, so this year has been especially challenging.
In addition, I, like most people, have been working from home and unfortunately have not been able to be as active in the wintertime. I am excited to get active again once the warmer weather arrives.
2. What motivated you to join our diabetes management program?
My big wake-up call was when my bloodwork came back last summer showing I had moved from having prediabetes to having Type 2 diabetes. It made my condition seem much more real, and I knew I had to start taking action and make some changes.
3. What have you learned about your condition?
I honestly didn’t know any of my health numbers before enrolling in Orthus Health for Diabetes.
Through the program, I have not only learned those numbers, but I have also learned how impactful my food choices are on my condition.
Now, I feel so much more knowledgeable about how food is going to impact my body when I eat it. I’ve also learned the importance of portion control.
4. What type of monitoring device are you using (CGM, Bluetooth, Analogue) Did you find the platform easy to use?
I use a True Metrix Air Bluetooth meter that I purchased after joining the program for the ease of integration. I’ve found it easy to connect and recognize that if I had to physically input my individual readings, I likely wouldn’t properly manage my condition. The Bluetooth device made all the difference – and the fact that I had the freedom of choice to decide which device I wanted to use.
5. How were the coaching calls with Maria beneficial? What did you learn? What are you putting into practice?
I am self-motivated, especially since both of my parents have developed diabetes later in life. Through Maria’s coaching calls, I’ve learned more about my condition and am now aware of several different things I didn’t know before. I’ve realized that movement, food, knowing my readings – it all plays a role. A holistic, total wellness approach is the key to success. There is no one thing that will fix my condition, it’s all interconnected. I’ve also found it extremely helpful to have someone to be accountable to.
Maria has made the program so easy by staying on top of my readings and ensuring everything is working properly at all times.
6. What successes have you experienced throughout the program?
When I first started the program, my numbers improved. The winter months have been a struggle, but I’ve still been testing twice a day to keep on top of things. I’ve had to overcome recent challenges in my personal life that have caused me to become stressed. Maria has put a plan into action to first manage my stress which will then allow me to tackle my fitness and nutrition goals.
7. Has your A1C or blood sugar values improved since starting the program?
My A1C has improved from 6.4 when I began the program in July to 6.2. In addition, the application for my specific glucose meter allows me to compare my numbers to the national average. My values were in range 40% of the time and now I am maintaining them 70% of the time in range.
8. How has managing your diabetes changed since participating in our program? Do you find yourself checking your blood sugar more often? Do you feel more confident in how to handle management challenges than you did before?
Since joining Orthus Health for Diabetes, I’ve been checking my blood sugar much more often. Before the program, I was not checking at all and now I am consistently checking, at least twice a day.
When I first started the program, I checked my blood sugar 4-5 times a day to get an idea of where I was beginning my journey. With the exception of personal stressors, I am more confident in my condition management. The convenience of the Bluetooth working seamlessly within the Orthus Health platform makes monitoring so much easier, and I am excited to continue.
9. Have you used any other diabetes management platforms before? What makes Orthus Health different?
This is my first experience in a diabetes management program.
10. Would you recommend the program to other members managing their condition?
I would absolutely recommend the program to other members managing their diabetes condition!