To be honest, I thought I'd get the starter pack. Try it for the month and go from there.
I'm probably getting ahead of myself a bit, at this point I really don't know if it will work for me or not.
Hence by having the traditional kit as well I'll be able to make an informed descision.
I love gadgets, that's what initially appealed. Plus the amount of information it gives you.
Normally, as a rule my life is extremely busy. Currently off work sick, so life is slower.
I wonder if I'm just adding pressure to myself when there's no need. Making big descision like this without the full bigger picture if you get my drift. Probably, part of my reaction to the diagnosis.
The Libre wasn't available when I was diagnosed so I didn't quite have all the options you do, but I have thought about it all since then, and how I might have acted differently. I'll share that with you, on the basis it might instigate some further discussion (although I'm conscious of derailing your thread badly, so tell me off if you would rather begin another thread to cover this!
Firstly, I don't know anything about the levels you have been diagnosed at for your bloods, weight lipids etc., and it's also useful to know if you had any symptoms, or were diagnosed as part of some routine bloods or whatever, as those factors can have a bearing. Are you to be taking any prescribed medication for your diabetes, and do you have nay other significant health issues?
Personally, given my time again, I would adopt the following approach:
- I would get reading (as you are doing), and look at as many approaches as I find, in order to learn and make choices. We all have differing preferences.
- I would acquire a meter and strips as a matter of some urgency - that is your immediate feedback loop. Unless the person is taking certain medication, most GPs don't prescribe meters and strips to T2s, so we tend to be on our own there.
- I would start testing - even before making any changes to my diet or activities. That way you would see the impact of your current way of living on your bloods and begin to see where the numbers are bigger than you want them to be.
- Initial testing would be; on rising, after breakfast before and 2 hours after lunch and dinner. Before bedtime could be interesting, but not critical to my mind. I would test, with no changes for one week.
- Continue testing, but removing or reducing the foods you have already seen make a big (increase) difference to your test scores, substituting where required. Continue with this for a couple of weeks and review all your averages.
- Adjust further, so that after a month or so, you have a decent data set of your blood numbers with a good variety of things you have eaten and drunk. At this stage the actual test numbers are less important than just capturing the numbers, as longer terms you need to be looking at and for trends in your scores.
After a month or a couple of months, then consider the Libre. Honestly, initially there is so much feedback just from finger prick testing that I think the Libre too early could throw up confusions as much as enlightenment. For me, the Libre fills in the gaps; it doesn't give me fundamental data. In other words, I sort of think using the Libre too early could lead to a not being able to spot the wood for the trees situation. Others may think very differently.
So, there's my brain dump.
For many of us it is possible to make big improvements to our lives, health and wellbeing by adopting a simple, structured approach. Some of that is our efforts, but some is also how otherwise healthy we are, how long we may have been diabetic without realising it, our age, attitude to change and of course the cruel old genetic element in the mix. But, it is my strongly held belief that for T2s to make a difference, it is critical to pay attention to diet. What we eat and drink are our biggest weapons and our mainstay of control. Medication can impact and be extremely important but medication + a poor diet will not, in my view achieve the same results as either medication + a good diet, or just a decent diet on its own.
I have been fortunate never to have taken medication for my diabetes. I openly admit I got very lucky on many fronts, but I have worked hard. I'm not unusual on this forum, so for those equally fortunate, there's plenty to be achieved, simply.
Good luck with it all.
