Diabetes tech

There are always hoops to jump through with tech! In the Libre example you need to be testing at least 9 times a day! If you are only testing 4 times then you will not qualify. You should be testing before food and after food to see what effect your insulin is having on the food you are eating anyway.
My advice....start testing more

 

Thanks @Juicyj that's exactly how I wanted to put it

 

Hi @Jamiejaiden3310, roughly 12% of the adult UK T1 population is using a pump, so it's not really all that widespread as an insulin delivery device. It's just that you tend to see those people on Social Media.

Likewise, Libre (up until last year) and CGM is, in the most part, privately funded by individuals. Until April, accessing Libre on the NHS is fairly tricky, and most CGMs simply don't get funded. Again, Social Media gives a slightly skewed impression as to what the population really uses as by far the majority are still using fingersticks.

 

Sorry I was so blunt in my answer....BUT you need to be testing 9 times a day to qualify! I am luckily getting the Libre on prescription but I had to be testing 8 - 10 times a day with proof ie the meter readings. It was difficult to do but I wanted the Libre so for a month/month and a half I did as they wanted. I still finger prick a fair amount of times a day as well (to bolus for food) and to sort my readings for my pump.

 

Winner
Of course your efforts are going to be 100% on your son, but as you said you need to think about yourself as well. Small steps forward are the way to go

 

I’m a bit late to the party, such are the joys of my current job! I’m lucky enough to have both Libre and a pump after twenty years of doing it the old fashioned way. I got the Libre because my HbA1c was quite high at 94, and I had to drop it by 27 points after a three month trial. I halved it, and now have it long term. The better control highlighted horrendous dawn phenomenon and monthly insulin resistance, necessitating up to 18 injections a day - which is how I got my pump a few months ago. I’m in South Wales, if that’s of any help.

 

After 12 years, I was offered a pump.
The reasons for me are slightly different to most - I am very active and found exercise often led to hypos despite regular testing. The variable/temporary basal has enabled em to continue (and improve) exercise whilst reducing the number of hypos.
However, the pump is hard work. I find I have to be more accurate with my carb counting than when injecting and the wonders of variable basal mean there is more to work out and more that can go wrong.
For this reason, the pump is only offered to people in my area who match criteria for a need to improve their diabetes control AND shown a willingness and ability to put in the effort to do this.

In addition to the pump, I am an occasional self-funded Libre user. This is very useful but NOT as a replacement to finger pricks. I would say anyone wanting the Libre (or a CGM) because they don't test is wasting the tech. The value of the Libre is being able to see the trends. In fact, I don't find it accurate enough for bolusing but combined with finger pricks, my control is better: I can check my BG from my fingers and then work out whether my BG is going up or down and calculate my insulin dose appropriately.

I guess what I am saying is that diabetes tech is great. However, it does not make your life easier. It means you have more data, more control to improve your diabetes. If you do not have time or brain capacity to work with this, I would suggest now is not the time to adopt the tech but it is the time to maximise the tools you have available to you.

As other have said, your son is probably taking up most of your energy at the moment. But don't forget about yourself (and your diabetes). If you can give yourself a little time with your diabetes, you will have more energy to spend with your son.

 

I think I’m as sorted as a type one can be - my last HbA1c was 37 and I have very few hypos. There’s a lot of numbers to crunch, and I have to count every carb to dose accurately, but I’m really happy with it all.

 

Hi @Juicyj, I’m afraid I have to disagree having been told “a pump wouldn’t improve your [good] numbers much” ‍♀️ I’d been on the same regime for over 12 years (T1 for 27) . I asked for a pump multiple times, including crying once! But nothing. It was frustrating. I left the country and it’s better in Italy

 

Sorry I was misunderstood: the DOCTORS said a pump wouldn’t improve my control, for years. I did everything they told me, so had good control, but the result of that was I wasn’t allowed a pump or libre. Where I was, you had to show that you couldn’t control your diabetes, which leads to some tough choices.

My Italian doctor has seen my libre results, after 2 weeks, and booked me in for a discussion about pumps. I get angry and sad thinking I’ve damaged my body, through no fault of my own, because my U.K. doctors refused to acknowledge my requests and my HbA1c was always acceptable/ good. My doctor here was actually impressed with my HbA1c, but having seen the hourly reality he thinks a pump is best!

An utter relief to be finally heard.