Any funding available for CGMs at all?

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SB2015 said:
That is a new one on me.
I have far fewer sore spots since switching from injections to the pump. I used to have bruises all over the place when injecting 4/5 times a day. I now put in one cannula every two days most of the time. I have the odd one that goes a bit skanky and just put in a new cannula earlier. By tracking across my abdomen I can make sure that I don't revisit a site for ages. So far so good.
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Fair enough, I'm glad it works for you =) - shall have a look into it myself, but I don't mind the MDIs atm to be honest.
 
Smiric said:
I've not looked into a pump as of yet. Listened to one of Dr Bernstein's vids the other day & he doesn't recommend them because they can cause scar tissue and therefore affect insulin absorption.
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Birdbrain has never approved pumps mainly because he doesn't understand them. It has nothing to do with scar tissue, I've had a pump for many years and no sign of scar tissue at all.
 
SB2015 said:
Hi Smiric, there is no funding for Libre at present, and it is very difficult to get funding for CGM. Even with those there is still the need to finger test, so strips would be needed.

I use the Libre and find it helps me to head off a hypo or hyper I can see the direction of travel my BG is giong oats well as the reading (even if it is about 15 min behind my actual BG). As it is so much easier to use that finger prick I tend to check more often with just a swipe, and only test
- if I am about to drive ( requirement of DVLA who do not yet accept Libre)
- about to eat
- may be hypo

The sensors do indeed last exactly 14 days and are programmed to cut out exactly 14 days after being activated. I have had a couple of problem sensors but they have always been replaced by Abbott. I tend to put my next sensor in 48 hours before I want to activate it as I found the readings were a bit wobbly for the first couple of days (not due to BGs) and quite different from BG. I also try to keep well hydrated when using a Libre as this seems to improve the accuracy as well ( and it is a good plan anyway for health).

I hope that makes sense and helps
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I don't really drive very often (trying to be good to the environment =P) - but yeah, I'd test then.. and I test occasionally for hypos - don't bother with a finger prick test before meals though - the CGM has always been +/-1mmol, which isn't perfect, but it'll do.
 
Pumper_Sue said:
I tried that due to my Addison's disease and was told by the Pollock at the ccg that loads of diabetics took steroids so I was no different to anyone else and it wasn't fair to give me funding as no one else had it. I was very good and didn't point out that it wasn't fair I had Addison's as well as diabetes.
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Don't know whether that was good or not- should have fought the point & tried to get your hands on one. The system is a pile of crap that needs to change (a certain system of a down song comes to mind)
 
Pumper_Sue said:
Birdbrain has never approved pumps mainly because he doesn't understand them. It has nothing to do with scar tissue, I've had a pump for many years and no sign of scar tissue at all.
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I take it you're not a fan of him? Any particular reason why not?
 
Smiric said:
Don't know whether that was good or not- should have fought the point & tried to get your hands on one. The system is a pile of crap that needs to change (a certain system of a down song comes to mind)
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I have CGM and have had for about 2 years or more. I did some research and a charity kindly funds it for me 🙂
 
Smiric said:
Don't know whether that was good or not- should have fought the point & tried to get your hands on one. The system is a pile of crap that needs to change (a certain system of a down song comes to mind)
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We have people on here who have no pancreas through surgery and are not considered special enough for funding and they have fought to get one even got their MP on board, without getting one.
 
grovesy said:
We have people on here who have no pancreas through surgery and are not considered special enough for funding and they have fought to get one even got their MP on board, without getting one.
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That's ridiculous.
 
You mention about the hassle of doing calculations, do you have a handset that will do the calculations taking account of active insulin, BG and the carbs you are about to eat. That is what all the handsets I have had works, but it does involve diong a BG test before a meal.
 
SB2015 said:
You mention about the hassle of doing calculations, do you have a handset that will do the calculations taking account of active insulin, BG and the carbs you are about to eat. That is what all the handsets I have had works, but it does involve diong a BG test before a meal.
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No I don't, that sounds awesome. Where would I acquire one of those? I'm gonna be completely honest and say I'd probably still use the CGMs reading pre-meal. Only double check when I'm low/before driving and occasionally if I think I haven't done one for a while.
 
I used an Accu Chek Aviva Expert until I went onto a pump.
I got given one by DSN when I did DAFNE course.

Ask your DSN and then get your strips changed to match it.
 
I have asked my constituency MSP to have look at getting me funding for the Libre on the grounds that it allows me to enjoy the "outdoor " activities I did before diagnosis. I read somewhere that funding was available in some parts of England. Not holding my breath about the outcome!!!
 
Smiric said:
No I don't, that sounds awesome. Where would I acquire one of those? I'm gonna be completely honest and say I'd probably still use the CGMs reading pre-meal. Only double check when I'm low/before driving and occasionally if I think I haven't done one for a while.
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I also have a smart meter. The Accu Chek Aviva Expert, as someone else has. It's really useful, and once set up, will calculate how much insulin you need for a meal, and what type of correction you need if you test later.
Ask your DSN for a smart meter. There's several out there, but the accu chek is the best I've used. My DSN gave me one, and a spare. They normally have loads hanging around!
As for the libre, I'm about to commence a trial with one for two weeks under my local hospital. Which means I get to keep the handset 🙂 these trials are trying to prove and improve the accuracy of the meter in order for the NHS to fund them. However, as it measure the glucose of interstitial fluid and not blood, it can never be as accurate as a finger prick device, and therefore, I'm afraid, unlikely to be approved by the DVLA etc for driving etc.
 
Mini-Vicki said:
I also have a smart meter. The Accu Chek Aviva Expert, as someone else has. It's really useful, and once set up, will calculate how much insulin you need for a meal, and what type of correction you need if you test later.
Ask your DSN for a smart meter. There's several out there, but the accu chek is the best I've used. My DSN gave me one, and a spare. They normally have loads hanging around!
As for the libre, I'm about to commence a trial with one for two weeks under my local hospital. Which means I get to keep the handset 🙂 these trials are trying to prove and improve the accuracy of the meter in order for the NHS to fund them. However, as it measure the glucose of interstitial fluid and not blood, it can never be as accurate as a finger prick device, and therefore, I'm afraid, unlikely to be approved by the DVLA etc for driving etc.
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Any room left on that trial? =P .. seriously though?

So far mine's been +/- 1mmol, which isn't too shabby. Just gotta be careful around periods of rapid blood sugar change. Not too fussed about the whole driving aspect cause I don't drive very much at all - trying to do my bit for the environment =)
 
While everybody is piling in on this thread, smiric, I meant £100 pound a month as a one off payment. And frankly, it doesn't matter how long you bang on about the injustice of all this, the routine supply of CGMs is not going to happen. Ever. We have diabetics on here who were around before fingerprick blood tests, and had multi use insulin needles and glass syringes and all the primitive paraphernalia. They're still around, without the benefit of CGMs for years.

And if you can't afford the Libre costs, don't use it. It's not essential. I use it because I can afford to buy a box of 10 sensors without blinking just to save on postage. I know that's not right, its just the way it is.
 
As a footnote, if you drive on the basis of a Libre reading, you are breaking the law. The requirement is a fingerprick test. If you were to have an accident, you would have no medical defence.
 
mikeyB said:
While everybody is piling in on this thread, smiric, I meant £100 pound a month as a one off payment. And frankly, it doesn't matter how long you bang on about the injustice of all this, the routine supply of CGMs is not going to happen. Ever. We have diabetics on here who were around before fingerprick blood tests, and had multi use insulin needles and glass syringes and all the primitive paraphernalia. They're still around, without the benefit of CGMs for years.

And if you can't afford the Libre costs, don't use it. It's not essential. I use it because I can afford to buy a box of 10 sensors without blinking just to save on postage. I know that's not right, its just the way it is.
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Couple of points to make about your response:

1) I'm hoping if I bang on about it for long enough, then maybe the injustice will lessen and something will actually be done about it.
2) Just because they're still around, it doesn't mean they're healthy. And even if they are healthy (which I hope they are), they're not as healthy as they would have been if they had access to better monitoring equipment.
3) You've not mentioned why you think it'll never happen.
4) It isn't technically essential, but essentially it's essential. What I mean by that is that, without it, I've been frequently stressing about what my blood sugars are - and I don't want to be testing 20 times a day (roughly the amount I'm doing now I've got the libre) to mentally appease myself - and not only do I not want to do that, but that would cost a fortune in testing strips for the NHS.
5) "I know that's not right, it's just the way it is" isn't the best way of thinking about things, as it's not very conducive to change/progress.
6) I said I double check with a meter before driving. Based on my experience of the libre so far, accuracy-wise, I personally don't think I'd have to, but I shall follow the guidelines until they change.
7) Stating it as £100 a month as a one off payment makes it sound better than it is... which is a repeatable payment of £100 every month just to have access to adequate monitoring to keep us as healthy as possible. (I disagree that blood testing is adequate in the face of this new technology - it was bearable, but certainly not good enough)
 
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