"A simple gadget restored my energy!"

Saddled by chronic tiredness and headaches, Stephanie Jackson started to believe her symptoms were due to normal aging and menopause. Then she discovered a high-tech device that helped her figure out the real culprit and the solution

- Lisa Maxbauer

For years, I lived with what felt like a perpetual headache," recalls Stephanie Jackson, 53. “Every day I figured there was some reason: sinus issues from tree pollen or a bad night of sleep thanks to menopause, which I was discovering felt like puberty on steroids. As a result, I lived in a constant state of brain fog. Many days, staring at the spreadsheets on my work computer, my concentration and clarity seemed shot.

“If I’m being honest, my health felt shot too. I was overweight and had been diagnosed with metabolic syndrome. I sensed diabetes was on the horizon. Plus, I'd endured a number of surgeries: to remove my uterus, thyroid and tonsils. I joked that I was leaving this earth one piece at a time.”

An easy solution

“Then my company offered employees a chance to test out a Lingo CGM (continuous glucose monitor) to see how it impacted our health. Much like the FreeStyle Libre device used by diabetics, it’s a sensor worn on the back of the arm that tracks blood-sugar levels on a minute-by-minute basis so people can learn how their bodies work and how to better manage blood sugar. (The sensor has a filament, about as thick as three eyelashes, that painlessly inserts into skin.) Curious, I signed up for the 12-week program.