What Glucose Data Revealed to Friends and Family

January 04, 2026

When the Dexcom Stelo Glucose Biosensor System was cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, many people in the CGM community—including myself—were skeptical.

I’ve spent a decade in the continuous glucose monitoring space, alongside people who rely on CGMs for non-optional, 24/7 blood sugar management.

There was real concern that over-the-counter CGMs could dilute the seriousness of this technology or oversimplify something that, for many of us, is deeply personal and medical.

But after more than a year of industry research—and seeing tangible results in my own family—my skepticism shifted into appreciation and curiosity for how over-the-counter CGMs could meaningfully improve the lives of millions.

I now believe that broader access to CGMs can support those who depend on medical devices by increasing understanding and helping reverse the stigma surrounding type 1 diabetes. There is a great deal everyone can learn from the lived experience of this community.

Helping My Dad Overcome Chronic Fatigue

This was the first time I saw CGM data change someone’s quality of life outside of diabetes.

My dad had been dealing with persistent fatigue for years, sleeping for 15 hours a day and not feeling able to be present with family. We thought that it was unavoidable after 2 strokes, a brain bleed, and continued sleep apnea.

Despite my work history, I never thought to look into his blood sugar.

When I did, I was able to help him regain his energy using glucose management best practices learned over the past 10 years from the T1D community.

The CGM community will find this obvious, but to him it was a new experience to count carbs and pay attention to exercise and food timing. He found it useful to compare his actions to the outcome on his Stelo.

Within weeks, his energy stabilized. He felt awake "for the first time in months".

Supporting My Mom During Autoimmune Treatment

What I learned with my dad became unexpectedly critical months later.

In July, I got a text that my mom was in the hospital with kidney failure. My siblings and I panicked, fearing a lifetime of dialysis or the need for a transplant.

She was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease, one that—like type 1 diabetes—involves the immune system attacking the body. For her, it was her kidneys.

She stayed in the hospital for several days receiving immune suppressing infusions. We were told the treatment would significantly disrupt her glucose regulation by increasing insulin resistance and hepatic glucose output—placing additional demand on the pancreas.

The first day her charts were crazy, a huge spike, followed by a huge crash. She felt awful. Her nurses said there was nothing she could do to prevent it.

Knowing what we know from the CGM community, we watched her glucose on the third day and she walked laps and did a few bodyweight exercises to attempt to lessen the spike and crash. It appeared to work. Her charts showed a less dramatic change when she made adjustments.

This wasn’t medical management. It was supportive insight—the kind that’s hard to get from lab work alone.

Beyond My Parents

I’ve seen similar insights emerge in people who never expected to learn something new about their own health.

One of my team members wore a Stelo and discovered patterns of hyperglycemia. Although her son has type 1 diabetes, she had never thought to monitor her own blood sugar. She knew the symptoms of type 1 diabetes—and she didn’t experience them.

While wearing a CGM, she also noticed frequent episodes of low blood sugar. After switching to a medical CGM, the Dexcom G7, she discovered her glucose was chronically dropping below 45 mg/dL. That data allowed her to work with an endocrinologist to understand and treat a condition she otherwise might not have detected.

This wasn’t about optimization. It was about awareness—and early intervention.

As Someone Without a Chronic Condition

This is where I was humbled.

I thought I understood CGMs and metabolic health from my years in the industry, but nothing teaches you how your body processes energy like seeing the data firsthand.

In the images on the left below, 38 grams of carbohydrates caused a sharp spike and crash that left me exhausted—falling asleep at 6:30 p.m. and waking up groggy. In the images on the right, my blood sugar barely moved after eating 45 grams of carbohydrates from three kiwis and a mint Greek yogurt bar. I felt energized and continued my day as usual.

What happened will be obvious to experienced CGM users—but it wasn’t obvious to me.

Over the next 13 days of running simple A/B tests with my Stelo, I learned that after intense exercise like tennis or a mid-distance run, I can personally eat up to 60 grams of carbohydrates with little risk of steep spikes. If I skip carbs after those workouts, my glucose drops below 70 and I feel tired and irritable. On sedentary days, as little as 20 grams of carbohydrates can push me out of range.

This isn’t advice, and it won’t look the same for everyone. Research consistently shows that people respond very differently to the same foods and activities.

What this reinforced is that blood sugar isn’t just about carb counting. This is something the type 1 diabetes community has understood for decades but many will learn in the upcoming years.

CGMs don’t change how the body works; they make invisible physiology visible. We all run on the same metabolic systems. Some people have simply been forced to understand them sooner, and we all stand to learn a lot from them.

How I Think This Will Change Society

I believe hundreds of thousands of people will begin paying attention to their metabolic health for the first time.

Some, like my parents, will use that awareness to recover and stabilize after major health events. Others, like me, will use it to better understand energy, build metabolic resilience, and reduce the risk of long-term health issues.

As this happens, I anticipate that long-time CGM users—people living with diabetes and hypoglycemia—will become some of the most influential educators in this space. Their lived experience, once niche, will suddenly be relevant to a much broader audience.

My hope is that this increased awareness leads to better food labeling, clearer carbohydrate information, and more low-glycemic options—changes that ultimately make everyday life easier for those who already depend on CGMs.

How I Want to be Involved and How You Can Too

Over the past three years, we’ve grown our YouTube channel to more than 400,000 followers. I want to continue creating content about CGMs and health conditions—but in a way that centers metabolic health while keeping people with diabetes in the narrative.

Our first example is a “Day in the Life” video featuring someone with type 1 diabetes and someone without.

If you have stories, insights, or experiences you’d like to share—or if you want to collaborate—please reach out to info@expressionmed.com.

If you want to try a Stelo with friends or family members who are exploring their health, it’s available through our site. Adding one to your cart will automatically unlock two free tapes. One for you and one for your friend - you pick the designs.

Stelo is not intended for the management of medical conditions or for children under 18. This post is not sponsored by Dexcom, though we do distribute Stelo alongside our tapes from our headquarters.

I’m excited to continue learning—and hopeful about where this industry is headed.

Thanks for reading,
Meghan Sharkus
CEO & Founder, ExpressionMed

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