Technology and Diabetes

[Bruce Stephens]

If you live in the right area, and have the right consultant/clinic thoigh it can certainly happen (one of our mods @MrDaibetes was recently granted funding for CGM with his insulin pump)

If you happen to be pregnant it's worth pressing a bit, since a CGM should now be offered, if I understand correctly. (Obviously pregnancy isn't something any of us have most of the time.)

 

[Dave W]

My involvement with technology and diabetes commenced when I was first diagnosed and issued with a test meter, finger pricker and a box of lancets. My control such as it was, relied on me keeping a record of blood glucose readings against carbohydrates consumed and certainly helped my control. I was perhaps fortunate that computer technology and the ability to construct spreadsheets gave me a slightly more refined insight into the relationships between foods and blood sugars.
My next step along the medical tech highway was taken when I commenced insulin therapy and was issued with a Libre CGM. This wonderful piece of microelectronics enables me to be more proactive with my control as I can test at will and spot trends in BG more or less in realtime and react accordingly to keep my BG within target.
I am well aware that there are some who feel the 15 minute delay between interstitial and plasma readings are a problem with the Libre system, but I am managing perfectly well. There are also those who have in some instances found a significant variation between plasma and interstitial results, but again I’ve not found a difference sufficient enough to impact on my control.
Bottom line as far as I’m concerned is medical tech really rocks and developments in all areas are accelerating year by year.

EDIT - Maybe slightly off course as far as Josh's original query goes, but communications technology has a very significant role in diabetes management. The fact that I'm posting this and others can read it it is a prime example and there are many very informative 'lectures', webinares etc available many of which can be extremely helpful in refining one's management of diabetes.

 

[Lizzzie]

Hello! Unfortunately I'm one of the very few, as I have brain damage that gives me a huge reduction in memory function (to the point of sometimes not knowing what I did a few moments ago - like find out I was hypo or take insulin); the Dex-com allows me to live a semi-normal life.