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Sorry to be a pain libre help

Soapybubs87

Well-Known Member
Messages
96
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
So i posted before i got my libre today that i paid for myself so i have a few questions if anyone could help

1 how do you remove it and when
2 does it have to go on your arm im onky a soze 8 so have timy arms and looks huge on it, at work i wear scrubs so it will be on show and im still very i dont want to say embarrassed but i dont want to feel im walking around with a stamp and have everyone stare at it

3 lastly if having a shower is it going to become loose when it is wet or is it sbugle in my arm

Sorry if i am being a pain posting all the time

X
 
1. The scanner tells you a few days before it expires that it is going to. When it finally expires the scanner won't read it any
 
Sorry about the short answer but the machinery refuses to upload the complete one.
 
Squire Fulwood said:
Sorry about the short answer but the machinery refuses to upload the complete one.
Click to expand...
Thanks do you just yank it off and does it hurt haha and do you know if i could put it on my tummy or leg, i know the app is playing up it seems
 
Soapybubs87 said:
Sorry if i am being a pain posting all the time
Click to expand...

We are in this forum to inform ourselves, and to try to help others. So there is no such thing as a bad question and you are not a pain.

It is great that @Squire Fulwood is helping you.

Forum user @Peter_Sylvester has created a long and very informative thread about the Libre. Perhaps you have seen it already? He provides a lot of information, so it is quite a long read: http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/freestyle-libre-my-life-with-the-machine.128605/.

I am following all this with interest. I don't currently self-test but that could change in the future.
 
It’s like taking a plaster off and it will stop working after 14 days.
They only warranty ones that have been put on your arm, but how would they know, others have put them on stomach, leg, etc
It should be ok in the shower unless you forget it’s there and knock it when washing.
There are loads of tips on this site. Have a look at the thread above.
 
Soapybubs87 said:
Thanks do you just yank it off and does it hurt haha and do you know if i could put it on my tummy or leg, i know the app is playing up it seems
Click to expand...
You peel it off while screwing up your face since it is like removing a plaster.
Water will not soak it off and I believe it claims to be waterproof up to a point. In the answer that wouldn't load I said that although placing it somewhere else is possible I have no firm information on that since I don't know of anyone who tried it.
 
Thank you all so much i will have a read up on that site! Its a shame there wasnt anything like this group 16 years ago my life may have been a lot different! All very kind for taking the time to reply
 
Hi @Soapybubs87
These are good questions- and ones which have gone through my mind over the last few weeks as I embarked upon my Libre journey

(1). The sensor lasts 2 weeks, and the reader tells you how many days left, and when to abandon it..!
Just peel it off gently, like peeling a plaster (that’s why they tell you to make sure it isn’t attached to any “hairy” areas with stray hairs at the back of your arm. A quick shave in that area is all that is needed
(2) Yes - it needs to go on your arm. However, I found on my 2nd sensor (fitted this week) that with a little planning and judicial use of the mirror, you can “hide” it above the hem of even the most short sleeved top (not a vest top, obviously..!)
(3). The shower is no problem. It is waterproof and you only need to cover it when swimming in deeper water.

It is a Life Changer - good luck and let me know if I can help.
Peter
 
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Thank you so much! When i put my bew one on in a couple of weeks i know to put it a bit higher didnt realise how big it was, it has been good so far, it showed my bg was 6.8 before my tea woth an arrow down so i assumed that i should probably eat now rather than later and saved me a hypo otherwise i would have left ir an hour or so then pricked my finger then realised i was low, it is so much easier, because of the state of my eyes and being 30 i check my sugars nearly 6 times a day to make sure im ok which was taking its toll (plus the mess of all them used strips) im seeing my consultant on monday so going to try and argue my point of getting it on nhs! I figure if anyone asked me about the sensor im jist going to say its my microphone to the government or im a spy and turning it activates my bat car haha!
 
Hi @Soapybubs87

There were two big takeaways for me in the 1st week of using the Libre (I have now been using it for 4 weeks)...

(1) It saved my little fingers ...!
(2) It gave me great information about the impacts of my food choices, and my "recovery times". By combining it with a Food Diary (My Fitness Pal app) and amending my food timings, I have managed to avoid Hypos (just 1 in 4 weeks), and reduce the amount of times that I am over my target level.

By avoiding the hi's and lo's , I have benefitted from a better quality of life each day (so far)

Good luck with your experience with Libre.
Direct message me if you prefer, and would like more specific info.
Thanks
Peter
 
Soapybubs87 said:
and saved me a hypo
Click to expand...

Exactly! Avoiding hypos is the first thing it's good for - unlike strips, you get advance warning of a hypo coming and take 5g or so to steer away from it, because you can see what's happened in the last 8 hours, see the way the arrow is pointing, and then pin it. Levels the game a lot when you're dealing with a moving target.

Getting a heads up on hypos is the obvious one, but after a few weeks of getting used to it, you'll start seeing things in the graphs which let you look at your overall T1 day and see things which makes the whole show much easier.

For example, getting up in the morning often raises bg just by getting up - I'll easily go from 5 to 9 just by getting up and going to work, so I'm already heading into lunch at noon out of range and it's all an uphill struggle from there. Libre helped me see that 9am rise - I could see it on the graph - so I learned to pin it as soon as I got up with 2 or 3u, so I'd end up going into lunch at a reasonable 5.

Also helps with figuring out how far in advance to pre-bolus.

Wouldn't worry about people seeing it - just tell them you're T1 and this little bit of plastic stuck on your arm makes your life much easier. Some of them will start asking questions, like, why, how, so tell them - random people know F all about T1, I've had a few people at work asking me about mine and they've actually been interested in it (well, up to a point!).

Taking it off after the 14 day time out - tease the disc slowly off the plaster first, then roll the plaster off. You'll only occasionally get a huge splurt of blood from an open vein - just kidding, that never happens!
 
Thank you is the plaster the bit thats under the sensor or is there supposed to be one that sticks it haha? Didnt have a clue about the wake up bg someone else has said that today and now looking at my diary ive noticed it! Used to always confuse me especially if i hadnt had breakfast how my bg went from 6 at 7.30 to 10 at 10am
 
Scott-C said:
just tell them you're T1 and this little bit of plastic stuck on your arm makes your life much easier.
Click to expand...
Mr S was asked by a mate in our local pub 'Did they forget to take the anti-theft tag off Snapsy when you bought her?'. It was very lighthearted, and I resisted temptation to spit in his pint.


I was self-conscious about it at first, @Soapybubs87 , but to be honest I'm so not bothered about it these days - I'm happy to be asked about it, and happy to tell people what a difference it makes to my life with diabetes!

For one day every fortnight I actually wear one on each arm - now actually that does make me feel a bit silly - but I find the sensors take a while to settle down, so I always apply my next sensor 24-36 hours before my current one expires. It's bearable!

Every day I either swim, run or go to the gym, and I always have bare arms when I'm doing those things, so the sensor is always visible.

Have fun with yours, @Soapybubs87 !
 
The plaster is the big white thing, the business part is tiny and is in the middle of the plaster. Some weeks ago I dropped the applicator and the plaster fell out. I didn't notice and carried on with the application. I ended up with a tiny bit of white plastic mounted on my arm and found the plaster on the floor.

If I had had the presence of mind to just put a sticking plaster over the tiny white thing it would have saved me £50. What I did wrong was to pull out the tiny white thing and go through the application process again. This time I had the big white round plaster on fine but the little white thing didn't work any more due to the filament being an odd shape due to misuse such that it wouldn't penetrate the skin.
 
Oh god i didnt even know ive disposed of the aplicator now as well
 
One last thing, i scan before and bg was 4.9 and then tested my finger and it was 6.6
 
Soapybubs87 said:
One last thing, i scan before and bg was 4.9 and then tested my finger and it was 6.6
Click to expand...
I always find the trend graph and trend arrow much more useful than the actual number. Do remember that there is a difference - a time delay, in fact - between interstitial fluid (Libre) and blood glucose (meter) readings.

Have a read of the Libre threads on this forum to get to know its ins and outs, including how it can sometimes differ from meter readings. For instance, @Peter_Sylvester 's thread is an absolute winner - http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/freestyle-libre-my-life-with-the-machine.128605/

 
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