The Internet of Things comes home

One of my retirement projects that will be a big focus for me is taking care ofmy health and getting it under control.   Diagnosed as a type 2 diabetic some 15 years ago, I have made big adjustments in my life (I have a huge sweet tooth), but it has not been enough. 

I have also had great interest in "the internet of things", and the massive trend to make virtually any and every device internet-capable, bluetooth enabled, and delivering sone kind of data to the universe.    Managing these devices and making the data meaningful and instructive will be (already is) a huge business of the future.

Like most of the major trends of the past decades, like most I usually need something to relate to my own life before I fully "get it".   In my case, my "get it" for the Internet of Things" has taken the form of a device called the Dexcom 5.    This is a blood sugar monitoring device that is attached to the body with a fairly easy, painless (and bloodless) procedure that you can do yourself.

 The results have been amazing.

Basically, I have a full-time display of my blood sugar level, and can see in real time the impact of anything I eat or do (such as exercise) on my blood sugar level.  Yes indeed, eating a bowl of cereal is really bad for the old blood sugar Kent.   Yup, key lime pie is out.    Egg nog for the holiday?   300+ level for half a day.   

Diabetes is a hard thing to figure out; your glucose level changes for no reason at all sometimes.  BUt when you have the data 24/7, you can figure it out.

So what are the results?   Since I started using this device 4 months ago, my A1C levels (the 90-day average of the glucose (sugar) level in your blood has, for the first time in many years, been where it is supposed to be (below 7.    I have to say that was a great moment in the doctor's office; the look on his face was priceless after years of bad news.

I had used the Dexcom before, but I used it with device that Dexcom provides for the readings and graphs etc.    That did not work for em.   The difference?    The data is now reported directly to my Iphone, and centrally collected by Dexcom for AWESOME reports and analysis - I think a necessary component to the real value of "internet of things" devices.   When my refrigerator can start telling me what food to get rid of and when, that will be a big deal.   

This device is helping me get back to normal.

My 4 year old nephew is a Type 1 diabetic and also is using this device.    I am full of hope not only that his condition will be cured in his lifetime, but also that his health will be far better protected by this real-time IoT data in the meantime.

So much of the data we've been collecting has not been useful to us over the years - this type of real-time, right-now, life-altering action-creating information is a big promise of the Internet of Things.


Happy Holidays!

Kent