Life with Libre

[RichardDS]

I have been using the system for 7 weeks, just on my 4th sensor, helping me manage my diet, reduced carbs and dropped from 87mm/mol to 71 with some diet and device for 2 weeks. I am now down to 55 in 7 weeks. I have also been looking at the Blood Sugar Diet, worth reading, so last week is down to 40mmol/mol. the issue I had was the advice I was given on NHS, as well as Metformin I a on Glimepiride, so the advice was to make sure I had carbs and keep doing my pre breakfast finger prick, paranoid about lows I stuck to the advice. Libre has allowed me to monitor things closely, I can tweak my food intake and watch the effect, it is also a great motivator when you have good information. I am steadily losing weight, dropping my medication doses, but carefully monitoring, which is the beauty of the thing. I have paid for several additional HbA1c tests, the results seem to be on trend.

NHS are missing a trick here, yes it is expensive, but at the moment it is low volume item for Abbott, I would like to think that as their sales increase they might reduce prices, plus there will be other competition. I have written to my doctor, this could have a +ve impact for NHS.

 

[RichardDS]

I follow the sense of what you are saying and I could live with the variation if there was some consistency to it but it is swinging between too high or too low and realistic figures inbetween. The only thing it's telling me is I'm 100% within range which is true it's just it's range is broader than the one I'm really in.

There is the accuracy of the finger prick, the accuracy of the Libre, then the fact that we are all a little bit different, and of course what you have consumed, so I don't get too excited about the differences; I use the Libre scan, the Libre with Optium test strip and Accu-check test strip, sometimes they are very close other time a mol/l or two out from each other. The main thing is the up and down trends, so watch out for the lows, do a comparison test and see how you feel.

 

[maglil55]

You got it right. Finger prick, wait 10 to 15m., scan. However, I find mine runs nearer 15 to 20 minutes behind. My current sensor varies between spot on and 1mmol/l difference. Always lower. But what I find is each sensor is consistent in its own readings. By this I mean if it says you were 2 mmol/l higher post meal, that 2mmol/l is likely to be accurate no matter how silly the actual readings are.

Thanks for that - should put a sign up blood - wait - scan
Then I'll remember

 

[maglil55]

Thank you everyone for all the helpful comments. I'm not about to disconnect and give up at the 1st hurdle - I'm pretty pig headed and like to understand things. A bit frustrating as I was hoping to get to a couple of finger pricks but with the weird readings I've ended up having to check more than I intended.
Blood - Wait - Scan
After I bit of experimenting it seems 6 mins gets me reasonably close to the finger reading - as in 0.1 close. Will watch this tomorrow and see if I get the same results. The sensor is fine. Still very secure and living under Opsite. I skipped aqua today as I had Grandson but will be in the pool Friday and Saturday. Hopefully it will remain firmly attached.
Since I activated it this afternoon I've been in the 6's all day but one thing I have noticed now having checked the BG log against the Libre is they were moving in the same direction it just the Libre was well out at certain points I.e the 4.1 but I had dropped to 6.1 and an 8.2 that was actually 6.8. I just put a note on the readings on the Libre to say they were well out.
@Bluetit1802 I can't see anything about 15 min logs on the app. @Brunneria uses the App too so maybe she can add to this?
Both grandsons have now spotted the sensor now and are referring to it as Nana's secret sugar thing!
The other thing Nana's secret sugar thing told me today was that post dinner my BG did not go up - it fell and went on dropping. Not as low as the Libre thought but it was falling. All in all its been a pretty good day and it's nice to know I'm not harpooned by that needle

 

[Brunneria]

Hi, I use the Libre reader, so can't help you with the app, I am afraid...

Re the one off slightly wangy readings. I get them. A lot. I can be sitting in front of the tv or the computer, and the libre line is chugging away nice and steady. But if I leap to my feet and dash upstairs to the bathroom, or run to the door to answer the bell (and rescan immediately after) then the reading has blipped higher. But it is only temporary, and goes back to normal. No idea why it happens, but it also happens in the night when I get up for the bathroom. lol. Maybe something to do with sudden activity flushing the circulation through... though that is just a guess.

This is why it isn't the individual numbers that matter. It is the trends, and the line of the graph. Oh, and the arrows. Just keep an eye on those for a while.

Give it a few more days and you will start to get a feel for it.

 

[maglil55]

Hi, I use the Libre reader, so can't help you with the app, I am afraid...

Re the one off slightly wangy readings. I get them. A lot. I can be sitting in front of the tv or the computer, and the libre line is chugging away nice and steady. But if I leap to my feet and dash upstairs to the bathroom, or run to the door to answer the bell (and rescan immediately after) then the reading has blipped higher. But it is only temporary, and goes back to normal. No idea why it happens, but it also happens in the night when I get up for the bathroom. lol. Maybe something to do with sudden activity flushing the circulation through... though that is just a guess.

This is why it isn't the individual numbers that matter. It is the trends, and the line of the graph. Oh, and the arrows. Just keep an eye on those for a while.

Give it a few more days and you will start to get a feel for it.

I was sure you were an App user. Seems the reader does more than the App.

 

[Brunneria]

How did your first night go? And your first morning of DP/wake up blood glucose reading?
Am dying to know!

 

[Bluetit1802]

I was sure you were an App user. Seems the reader does more than the App.

With the reader and the software you can export a log to a spreadsheet or similar. This is a log of all the 15 minute readings in chronological order in one column and all your scans in another column. I often notice some of the scans are different from the 15 minute ones either side of it, which could even have been the same time or within a minute. I prefer the log readings.

 

[AndBreathe]

With the reader and the software you can export a log to a spreadsheet or similar. This is a log of all the 15 minute readings in chronological order in one column and all your scans in another column. I often notice some of the scans are different from the 15 minute ones either side of it, which could even have been the same time or within a minute. I prefer the log readings.

Blue - I may be wrong on this, but I had a look at the App functionality at a meeting, discussing a piece of research where they plan to use the Libre with the App, to look at the impact of exercise on blood sugars.

As I recall it, the App has a share facility, which these guys will be using, as they are only expecting their trialists to scan every 7-8 hours, but the shared data certainly shows all the graphs. I like the background data, but I have a feeling if I had had the choice of buying a reader or an additional sensor (for the same cash), I'd have likely gone for the sensor.

I'd be interested to see if their standpoint of comparing blood tests with an errant sensor, using an Abbott reader have changed, now that nobody needs to buy a reader if they have a suitable phone.

 

[maglil55]

Blue - I may be wrong on this, but I had a look at the App functionality at a meeting, discussing a piece of research where they plan to use the Libre with the App, to look at the impact of exercise on blood sugars.

As I recall it, the App has a share facility, which these guys will be using, as they are only expecting their trialists to scan every 7-8 hours, but the shared data certainly shows all the graphs. I like the background data, but I have a feeling if I had had the choice of buying a reader or an additional sensor (for the same cash), I'd have likely gone for the sensor.

I'd be interested to see if their standpoint of comparing blood tests with an errant sensor, using an Abbott reader have changed, now that nobody needs to buy a reader if they have a suitable phone.

The App does have a share facility and the scan log is there too. I'll get my first check on it with exercise tomorrow. Not used the share yet as that's just 1 days worth of data. It is still measuring high but I have a pretty good idea of where I am.

 

[maglil55]

How did your first night go? And your first morning of DP/wake up blood glucose reading?
Am dying to know!

It was good especially because I remained in the 6's until the usual DP.
Bed on 6.7 and FBG 6.9 2nd day running. Overnight , although the Libre was measuring higher BG was more or less stable apart from 3am when there was a significant fall. Body corrected that pretty quickly. Took a scan this morning just within the 8 hour requirement. Then did a check when I got up and another scan 10 mins later. Sensor is still higher than the finger prick. Trends are the same though.
The morning was interesting. I was late with breakfast so I did multiple scans to put figures in the log and to match with what I was doing. Libre arrows were going nowhere although there was a slow upward trend (but not enough for an upward arrow) 90 mins after FBG it shot up but then it was a bit of bouncing within a narrow range but a gradual downward trend. At 90 mins I was loading grandson and shopping in the car. I had breakfast 40 mins later and it was all down after that.
I'm finding it really interesting. I was used to picking things apart and analysing when I worked so I find this fascinating.

 

[maglil55]

Day 2 (Full day of Life with Libre). I wasn't convinced yesterday that I'd be jabbing less but I'm starting to get the measure of this now. As I mentioned above it is still measuring high but I get a finger test to see where I am so I know some of the sillier scans are wrong. Still got DP and I know 9 was the highest as I matched it up with the trends. So despite Libre putting me in the 10's I know I didn't get there. Interesting to see what goes on overnight and the morning dawn rush.
I was quite happy after breakfast that it dropped consistently and I knew I was likely sitting in the 6's. One scan made me curious enough to do a finger prick and currently I'm sitting on 5.2 (Libre still high but getting closer (0.8 out)
The other thing I've gleaned is anything I've eaten today has reduced my BG not increased it.
Is this due to the fact I'm relaxed and stress free? Is it the food I've eaten being pretty much carb free? Is it my overstuffed liver has finally deflated? I honestly don't know but something has changed.
Way too early to draw any firm conclusions but I'm hoping to see patterns as the data increases.

 

[maglil55]

Two discoveries on Day 3 of Life with Libre. Firstly, going to the toilet at 5am starts the liver dump and Opsite is no good for an energetic aqua fit class.
I went to bed on 7 last night which I can put down to a couple of walnuts and a few raspberries so fine. FBG 7.9 and I got to 8.8 pre breakfast so what had changed? I still had the 3am dip but not as pronounced as the night before. Again BG was quite stable until I noticed a gradual rise from 5 am right up to breakfast. The difference from the previous nights is I got up just before 5am to go to the loo and scanned the sensor while I was at it. Serves me right for drinking 2 pints of water before bed. So a nocturnal visit to the loo is enough for the liver to go 'woo hoo morning time' .
Aqua fit - time in pool and depth goes way beyond their 30min/ 1 meter recommendation. So sensor has to be protected. Opsite seemed secure enough but within 5 mins I could feel the sensor moving about and another 5 mins and Opsite started to detach. Ever tried an Aqua fit session trying to keep one arm still while holding tape on with the other. Had to get out of the pool and the staff retaped it. That didn't last either. Had to give up with 15 mins to go. Thankfully it still scans. Boots came up with a dressing from their dispensary which is the ideal size. Will use that tomorrow with a tubular support. For next week I reckon Rocktape H2O is the answer. At least I hope so!
Libre still scanning high but getting closer.

 

[maglil55]

I should have added despite all the trials and tribulations at aqua BG went on a sustained drop and is still falling 2 hours later. Looking forward to seeing what a session with 2 functional arms can do!

 

[AndBreathe]

Day 2 (Full day of Life with Libre). I wasn't convinced yesterday that I'd be jabbing less but I'm starting to get the measure of this now. As I mentioned above it is still measuring high but I get a finger test to see where I am so I know some of the sillier scans are wrong. Still got DP and I know 9 was the highest as I matched it up with the trends. So despite Libre putting me in the 10's I know I didn't get there. Interesting to see what goes on overnight and the morning dawn rush.
I was quite happy after breakfast that it dropped consistently and I knew I was likely sitting in the 6's. One scan made me curious enough to do a finger prick and currently I'm sitting on 5.2 (Libre still high but getting closer (0.8 out)
The other thing I've gleaned is anything I've eaten today has reduced my BG not increased it.
Is this due to the fact I'm relaxed and stress free? Is it the food I've eaten being pretty much carb free? Is it my overstuffed liver has finally deflated? I honestly don't know but something has changed.
Way too early to draw any firm conclusions but I'm hoping to see patterns as the data increases.

I think the 1m depth issue is only an issue, if you're snorkelling or the like. If you do Aquafit regularly, you may be able to find a neoprene armband to hold the sensor securely? They are definitely out there as they make them for securing iPads/phones to the arm whilst exercising. Something vaguely like this (a;though the pocket is superfluous).

https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/MP3-Play...=1490976560&sr=1-35&keywords=neoprene+armband

I still have a wetsuit that no longer fits me, which I keep meaning to bring home with me. When I get it home, I think I'll experiment making something like that (without the pocket), just for fun.

Being neoprene it could live in your swimming bag, just being rinsed, like your swimsuit when you finish your session. Just a thought.

 

[Brunneria]

Well done for saving the sensor! Very impressed.
It would have been a depressingly expensive class, otherwise.

The armband idea looks great.
I may look into something similar.

 

[maglil55]

I think the 1m depth issue is only an issue, if you're snorkelling or the like. If you do Aquafit regularly, you may be able to find a neoprene armband to hold the sensor securely? They are definitely out there as they make them for securing iPads/phones to the arm whilst exercising. Something vaguely like this (a;though the pocket is superfluous).

https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/MP3-Play...=1490976560&sr=1-35&keywords=neoprene+armband

I still have a wetsuit that no longer fits me, which I keep meaning to bring home with me. When I get it home, I think I'll experiment making something like that (without the pocket), just for fun.

Being neoprene it could live in your swimming bag, just being rinsed, like your swimsuit when you finish your session. Just a thought.

It might work. I'm going off the Rocktape idea as it doesn't have a good write up and I had more than enough today with dangling tapes. Although the tubular support isn't waterproof I think the Boots dispensary dressing will keep it waterproof and the support should hold everything in place. Bingo wings may be good for inserting the thing but not so good swinging about with an errant sensor on the end in deep water! Thank goodness I took a buoyancy belt with me today. Deep water aqua is difficult enough but Look - no arms is impossible.
The support thing you can double up as a compression support so I'll see what that is like tomorrow.
My other discovery today is I do actually spend a fair bit of time in the 5's. The scan is showing a lot of time in the 5's and since I know it's scanning high I know it's right. Also noticed in the lower range it's closer so I don't have to panic.
Tomorrow is grandson swimming but still energetic.

 

[Lorraine1973]

Have you tried looking in sports direct, I'm sure they'll have something to help keep it dry/safe x

 

[Scott-C]

Oh, go on, just wing it with some cling-wrap and gaffa tape!

 

[maglil55]

Oh, go on, just wing it with some cling-wrap and gaffa tape!

Could work?