Welcome to the third installment in my blog series, Living Well with Lee. Here, I talk about my journey living with chronic conditions — while still living my best life.
I believe that we all have more power over our conditions than ever before. I believe in taking control of my health and making the most out of each and every day. And I love sharing thoughts, tips, and tricks with people like you.
I’ve always been into gadgets. Cooking gadgets, gardening gadgets, fishing gadgets — you name it, I can’t resist it. I guess it’s always made holiday and birthday shopping easy for me. When my kids were younger, they really ran with it. I now have the world’s biggest collection of barbecue tongs.
(I’m only maybe kidding.)
But with my chronic condition, some of my newer gadgets are much more than gadgets. I’m talking about my health monitors. My Bluetooth scale, my continuous glucose monitor, my activity tracker.Living with a chronic conditions means monitoring your body. Paying attention to that information is critical to taking care of ourselves — and helping our doctors provide us more informed care
And really, the devices are just the beginning. Bringing them together —and sharing that information automatically with your doctors— is how the secret sauce is made. I’ve been using an app called BlueStar®* to do just that.Six ways connected devices are changing my life
Having data at my fingertips lets me manage my chronic conditions. I’ve learned what to watch out for. How adjusting my behavior can help me live my best life. And when to reach out. When the readings on my health devices look off, I call my doctor – and I’m prepared.
Understanding the big picture (of your health) is important for your treatment team. By connecting your devices, you help your doctors and caretakers stay informed about everything that happens in between office visits. You come to appointments armed with information — unlocking a whole new level of care with your doctor.
You can get daily reminders of when to take my medication, and what to take. One less thing to worry about.
With the snap of a picture, you can get calorie and nutritional info on my meals. Or with the tap of a button, you can find the right restaurant. That data helps you see how what you eat affects your weight, and your body and mind.
With connected devices, you can get a much better idea of how sleep and exercise affect you. You can even problem-solve sleep issues and find new fitness motivation. Total gamechanger.
Your sleep. Your diet. Your exercise. Your meds. And your care team. With connected devices and a connected care team, you have a plan, and can take control of your health.
Today, I’m always a swipe or click away from advice that helps me make better decisions about my health. What a win.
It wasn’t easy to accept that I had a chronic condition, but I did it. And when I realized that acceptance wasn’t enough, I took advantage of the technology at my fingertips. And the more I make good use of my technology, the more I can do with it.
And frankly, I’ve never felt better. In more ways than one.