Meet Betty!

You may already know Betty -- she’s a One Drop Ambassador! And frequently shows up in the One Drop Community feed (in your app) by posting her blood sugar moments, plus any other health activity she logs in a day.

But what you may not know is Betty’s full diabetes story.

Some of it you can find in the One Drop app:

Betty’s One Drop Story

She was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes on January 1 of 2016, with an A1C of 7.1%. Her doctor only gave her metformin; it was Betty who requested that she also receive a blood glucose meter.

She began checking her blood sugar three times a day; six months later, her A1C was down to 6.7% and she had lost 10 pounds. At that point, Betty got off metformin, got onto herbs and spices, and started checking her blood sugar six times, daily.

Another six months later, and Betty’s A1C was down to 4.9%; she had lost 80 pounds.

Up until this point, insurance would pay for Betty to check her blood sugar three times each day; Betty was paying out-of-pocket for the other three. Today, insurance will only pay for Betty to check her blood sugar once daily.

Which is why she’s part of the One Drop family -- Betty can check as many times as she wants, with as many test strips as she needs. It doesn’t matter what kind of prescription the doctor writes for her or what insurance tells her they will cover. Betty owns her health.

The Rest of the Story

The rest of Betty’s story -- what you don't see in her One Drop profile -- is one of resilience and determination.

At her diabetes diagnosis, it was Betty who urged the doctor that she be given a meter. Betty’s older sister and mother also have type 2 diabetes, so she’s keenly aware of what’s needed in order to manage well.

She knew immediately that the more you check blood sugar, the more likely you are to know more about what exactly affects it. The more you check, the more you know! Betty’s doctor told her she only needed to check once a week; Betty determined that she would check at least every hour, if not more.

Betty is an avid horseback rider. She’s been riding with Sparky (her current horse) for eight years; each year, they ride together in the Czech Days Parade in Wilber, Nebraska. The two of them ride -- either bareback or with a saddle -- most days.

So when Betty realized her blood sugar kept spiking (because of the adrenaline rush) when she rode with Sparky, she knew she had to make a change. She did her own research, and landed on herbs and spices. Betty fills up capsules with blood-sugar-lowering herbs and spices like garlic, takes them before she goes riding (as well as throughout the day), and it keeps her from spiking at all.

When Betty was taking metformin, she saw no change in her blood sugars. Now, however, Betty uses her all-natural capsules throughout the day to keep her blood sugar in perfect range; her success with these herbs and spices has been so evident that now both her mother and husband are taking them (and having decreases in blood sugar and blood pressure)!

Betty is also blind. As a way to combat low blood sugar, she has two service cats always at her side. Young Foxglove Heart is the one you may recognize from her One Drop Ambassador profile. Betty trained him to detect when her blood sugars are going up or down, giving her constant (and priceless) peace of mind.

Master of Her Own Health

Betty does things her own way, including how she manages her diabetes.

From an early age, she knew her doctors might not always have the answer. Growing up, she endured a severe cough (so severe, that she was kicked out of school).

When Betty told her doctors about it, they sloughed it off as asthma. But she knew that wasn’t the case. Eventually, she determined (for herself) it was allergies.

Today, her allergies (and that cough) are totally under control.

Betty’s experience with diabetes was the same. She knew something was wrong well before her diagnosis, but no doctor would check to see if she had diabetes. It was Betty’s insistence that her doctor check her blood sugar that led to an eventual diagnosis.

Most of what Betty has learned about diabetes has been self-taught. She’s her own best advocate! Not only for herself, but for others with diabetes.

Betty’s mom had been on insulin for years. When Betty saw how well herbs and spices were working to regulate her blood sugar, she had her mom try it. Now, Betty’s mom is totally off insulin.

Through trial, error, and constant advocacy for herself (and others), Betty continues to crush her diabetes every single day.