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Type 1 For anyone who uses FreeStyle Libre and has their diabetic care done by their practice nurse

thewestiesmum

thewestiesmum

Well-Known Member
Messages
143
Location
North Yorkshire
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
When you have a diabetic appointment with your practice nurse and you take a print out of your FreeStyle libre graphs does your practice nurse understand your FSL graphs?
 
The DSN at my doctors certainly does understand the libre data when I was still using the libre - though I used the phone app to show her the data (pre-covid), though the DSN at my doctors is a good'un, I'll be sad when she retires (not too far off I think)

Note I'm also under the care of my local hospital, where the consultant understands all the data, definitely not convinced about the nurses though
 
When I was still under care from my GP's practice nurse she had absolutely no clue about my Libre graphs, but she was very interested!
I self funded at the time.
 
It's rather unlikely that a practice nurse and very many GPs would understand the data provided by Libre.
The DSNs at my local hospital do understand the data as does my diabetes consultant.
 
Antje77 said:
When I was still under care from my GP's practice nurse she had absolutely no clue about my Libre graphs, but she was very interested!
I self funded at the time.
Click to expand...

In August 2017 I got DKA through my own stupidity of skipping lots of injections of not only bolus but basal too. I was put with a DSN or 2 or 3 because of them leaving and a new one starting. The current DSN which I had firstly told me not all that long ago really to stop using the libre because at the time it was confusing me using the libre and also finger pricking and a few weeks ago has now discharged me from the specialist diabetic service. Just before Christmas another Type 1 diabetic person advised me to give the libre another try because it has the low alarm on which would be useful for my hypo unawareness. I started using again but I'm really worried because my practice nurse most likely won't know anything about the graphs.
 
thewestiesmum said:
In August 2017 I got DKA through my own stupidity of skipping lots of injections of not only bolus but basal too. I was put with a DSN or 2 or 3 because of them leaving and a new one starting. The current DSN which I had firstly told me not all that long ago really to stop using the libre because at the time it was confusing me using the libre and also finger pricking and a few weeks ago has now discharged me from the specialist diabetic service. Just before Christmas another Type 1 diabetic person advised me to give the libre another try because it has the low alarm on which would be useful for my hypo unawareness. I started using again but I'm really worried because my practice nurse most likely won't know anything about the graphs.
Click to expand...
Do what’s best for you Don’t worry if the nurse doesn’t know as long as you get what you need from the appointment. If there are questions you need answering and she doesn’t have the knowledge ask her to go and find out. And keep emailing until she comes up with some valid answers. If this keeps happening she will soon refer you back to the specialist diabetic team.
 
thewestiesmum said:
The current DSN which I had firstly told me not all that long ago really to stop using the libre because at the time it was confusing me using the libre
Click to expand...
You've asked some more questions about the data the Libre gives you. Do you by any chance have a friend who is a bit better versed in math than you are?
They don't need to know anything about diabetes, but they'd likely be able to spend a couple of hours going over the graphs with you to give you some more tools to use the information in them to your benefit.

It's a very useful tool to find patterns so you can adjust your management based on knowledge. But to do that, you'll need to be able to interpret what the Libre is showing you. And I think you can use some help with that, it might well improve your handle on your diabetes, with or without the help from your nurse!
 
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