When beauty journalist and entrepreneur Ateh Jewel, 48, was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, doctors told her it was a life sentence. She spoke with us about how her Dexcom ONE+ has helped her take back her life and feel better than ever.
Words: Amy Mica Marsden. Images: Ateh Jewel, Dexcom
It’s hard to imagine Ateh Jewel being anything other than vibrant and effusive. When I met with her to speak about her journey with diabetes, she was just that – but it hadn’t always been that way.
She was diagnosed with diabetes on August 16th 2016 – her ‘D-Day’, as she calls it – at a very stressful time in her life. She was taking care of her two young twin daughters, working 18-hour workdays, and dealing with everything that comes along with being a successful working mum.
But, despite developing stomach cramps, shaking, and sweats, she still describes her diagnosis as ‘shocking’ to her.
‘I’m tough. I can push past it. It doesn’t matter. Get past it, get through it,’ Ateh says of her mindset at the time. But when her skin started acting up – something she was very in-tune with, as a beauty journalist – she finally knew it was time to investigate.
‘I knew my skin was not right. I went to the doctor, saying, “My face is not right, my skin is screaming. Something’s wrong.” And then I got diagnosed [with type 2 diabetes].’
A gift and a curse
Like many of us do when times become stressful, Ateh had been seeking comfort in food for years. In fact, she describes herself as once being ‘a complete sugar addict’.
‘I used to have two pints of Ben and Jerry’s at night,’ she tells me, reminiscing on her old habits. ‘I would have loads of Diet Coke – I just ate wild, loved my carbs, loved my cakes, loved my sugar.’
‘It was the thing that kept me going. I was very productive. I was very successful, but my body was not happy, and type 2 diabetes was nature’s way of saying “stop. There’s something wrong.”’
It was her diagnosis which forced her to change her lifestyle and her relationship with food and exercise – something she’s since come to love.
‘I call it a strange gift and a curse, because it was the gift of a second chance and of being more healthy, of being in my body,’ she explains. ‘I started working out, doing yoga, started doing ballet, and being more joyful.’
A second chance
Since her diagnosis, Ateh had been using the finger-prick method of measuring her blood glucose levels – which she describes as ‘painful’, ‘annoying’, and ‘not comfortable’ – though she’s keen to stress that people should do whatever works best for them.
‘It made me feel like, “I am sick. There is something wrong with me.” Psychologically, I didn’t really like that,’ she says.
So when the opportunity to try the Dexcom ONE+ Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) system came up, she was very much on board.
‘What is great about Dexcom ONE+ is that it’s there all the time. It’s completely discreet. I wear it on the back of my arm. It’s just always working discreetly in the background. Anytime I want to check it, I can check it. It’s not painful. I go to the sauna with it, I go swimming with it, I live my life.’
The power of technology
A CGM, or continuous glucose monitor, is a small device which elimates the need for finger pricking (a method where a diabetic will prick their finger and draw blood, after which a machine will measure the glucose present).
Instead, a small sensor is inserted just under the skin, taking readings and sending them to an external device (like a smart phone) in real time, all the time. The sensors need to be changed, usually between 7-14 days, but can be a lot less invasive than a finger prick 4 to 6 times a day.
‘It just really helps me understand my patterns…I know it sounds crazy, but I think in our modern life, we’re so disconnected from our minds and our bodies,’ says Ateh, ruefully.
It’s this disconnect from her body which she feels may have contributed to her diagnosis in the first place, and she has since found the joy of being more closely attuned to her own needs.
Joining the dots
‘What’s amazing with Dexcom ONE+ is that if I have a great sleep, my glucose levels in the morning are very stable. If I am stressed out, I see it spiking… And you suddenly realise that all the things that you surround yourself with, the lifestyle choices, the exercise, it all paints a picture.’
‘[Now] I can literally see, in real time, what’s going on. So I can eat my ice cream, have a scoop, and then I’d be like, okay, I can see [my blood glucose levels are] on the rise. Let’s take myself for a little walk.’
So, what would Ateh say to anyone debating switching from finger pricking to the Dexcom ONE+ or other CGM system?
‘I would say it’s a really positive decision. You’ll never regret it. It’s really helped me and it’s been game-changing for how I have reframed my relationship with type 2 diabetes… I would say it is literally 2.0.’
As part of Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Week, Ateh Jewel has partnered with Dexcom to support its “Join the Dots” campaign, helping people living with Type 2 diabetes better understand the link between daily habits and their health. Ateh uses the Dexcom ONE+ continuous glucose monitor to track her glucose levels in real time. Visit dexcom.com for more information.
Those who qualify may be able to get NHS funding for Dexcom Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) Systems. See here for details.
