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Obtaining a Freestyle Libre. (Self funded.)

Jaylee

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Staff Member
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19,080
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi,

Soooooo, I was a little low in ASDA today.. & for some reason.. (Whilst juggling poop bags, & light bulbs.) Decided to aproach the pharmacy.... (Join the 21st century.)

I now have a sensor... (VAT exempt with a flash of my script exemption card..)
Yep, even whilst low I know how to survive.

But, reading up on apps & plenty of other stuff? It dawned on me that I need a scanner to initially set this puppy up..

So, I go to the Abbott website.. & still see this.
"Thanks for your continued patience. The web shop is currently restricted to existing customers. We apologise for any inconvenience caused. If you have not yet registered to purchase the FreeStyle Libre system, please subscribe to our newsletter. We will notify you as soon as product becomes available."

Searches elsewhere show inflated prices from dubious sources..

It's seeming to get like "scoring" contraband..

I know how to get the sensors..

Is there a "workaround" on the scanner to get the ball rolling??

I'm just looking to primarily set up the sensor & use the NFC function on my phone to scan it..

Thanks in advance..
 
You can't get one for love nor money I have given up.
 
JohnEGreen said:
You can't get one for love nor money I have given up.
Click to expand...

Oddly the pharmacist said "they are very popular."
Lol, my low & her missconception. Neither of us knew what we were on about.. The VAT exemption form I filled out must have been illegible.

I should have stuck to my initial plan of buying trousers.. The pharmacy was right behind the men's stuff...
 
I don't have a scanner and my sensors work just fine on LibreLink. You are in Europe, aren't you? (Sorry, can't remember)
 
I do have a scanner but only use it as a backup finger prick meter.
I use the phone apps.
I use LibreLink to start the sensor and Glimp to scan it.
This may sound weird but Glimp allows you to calibrate with finger pricks so gives me more accurate readings for me. However, it does not start the sensor.

I believe Glimp is only available on Android phones but there is an equivalent app on Apple (who lost billions of $ today following their profit warning ... or whatever they called it ... which isn’t relevant but as an Android user, it made me smile) but I cannot remember its name.
 
I am in Europe @Antje77 & would very much like to remain part of it..

OK? It looks like the planets are converging after sifting through the NFT use "disclaimers." Reading of folk with compatibility issues.
I may have to remove the thin metal plate in the phone case for my magnetic phone cradle in the van, which could corrupt the NFT signal? Pending on where the antenna is on the phone. (Searches suggest it's near the top by the camera lense? Which may not be an issue?)
Then, getting drawn back to experince on the DCUK. Thanks for the tag @zand & the historical postings of @helensaramay in other threads..

This is looking like a goer...
Oddly, I happen to have a compatable Samsung 2017 A3 phone that I aquired for a modest sum last summer when my windows phone packed up..
I currently synch Diaconnect up twix my iPad & phone.

I've installed Librelink, Glimp & Glimp S on my phone. (For gratis. From Play.)

Just a question of me doing the experiment on 44 quids worth of hardware..
 
xdrip is the app name you are looking fro
 
I believe you can start the sensor from the libreapp and Glimp does have an option to start sensor, but not sure if that works.
 
All you'll need is LibreLink really to get started and if your phone is compatible as you say you should be good to go. Scan the sensor with the smartphone and use it for the data for 2 weeks.

Glimp/xDrip etc. are only necessary when using addons on top of the sensor to turn it into some form of CGM.
 
I found Glimp to be more accurate in regards to levels when comparing with my monitor. the librelink app is very erratic and usually not very accurate.
 
You definitely don't need a scanner @Jaylee
I would just see if the LibreLink App is compatible with your phone, and go from there.

In fact, I think it is now compatible with so many phones that you could probably get a cheap one and just use it as a scanner, if that was what you wanted...

I'm afraid I am still in the elderly iphone wilderness, where my phone won't support the Libre App, so I still use a scanner, for the 2 weeks a quarter when I have a sensor stuck to me
 
Muneeb said:
I found Glimp to be more accurate in regards to levels when comparing with my monitor. the librelink app is very erratic and usually not very accurate.
Click to expand...

It can depend on the sensor. Certainly on some of the sensors I've used with xDrip going also I've been able to recalibrate a wonky one. But ultimately if it's not working correctly you will not get the sensor replaced if using a 3rd party app.
 
db89 said:
Glimp/xDrip etc. are only necessary when using addons on top of the sensor to turn it into some form of CGM.
Click to expand...

I find Glimp absolutely necessary to calibrate each sensor to my body rather than a random factor calibration.
Glimp and Libre Link use different algorithms to convert interstitial fluid values to BG values. Glimp takes into consideration finger prick readings. The Glimp algorithm gives me readings much closer to finger prick than LibreLink.
This may be an oddity of my body being further from the factory default but I would recommend comparing finger prick, Glimp and LibreLink. You can run the two apps in parallel.
 

From what I'm seeing about Glimp. (Quite a few video tutorials from users.) my plan would be a calibration of -15%, due To the consitant fact my Accu-Chek reads 15% higher than the NHS calibrated monitors. & even my Daiconnect A1c estimations are 15% higher than what comes back from the lab...

Glimp looks like my app of choice when this is up & running..
Seeing as it's "unknown territory" for me at the moment I'll keep the other apps in "reserve."
 
db89 said:
It can depend on the sensor. Certainly on some of the sensors I've used with xDrip going also I've been able to recalibrate a wonky one. But ultimately if it's not working correctly you will not get the sensor replaced if using a 3rd party app.
Click to expand...

As mentioned below, I do run them both in parallel (glimp and libreapp), the libre app is less accurate the majority of the time.
 
If that is what you want to do, you would need to calculate Accu-check -15% to enter into Glimp.
But given in is about 15 minutes behind and our BGs are rarely completely stable (my graph "wobbles all the time), provided you enter your calibration value when your BG is low, the difference is not so big.
 
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