Technology - Libre Freestyle Blood Glucose Monitoring System

[Deleted member 21371]

I guess I wasn't clear @AnnSebastian I was asking to understand how you interpret the graphs to make a change to your diabetes management.

For example, as someone with Type 1 diabetes with an insulin pump, I keep any eye on my levels and, if they are rising, I can give myself some more insulin and if they are falling I can suspend my basal.

As a type 2, I can see good and bad coming from using a Libre.
For me, it would have definitely been good to use to adjust my diet initially, and see which low GI foods gave me an acceptable response.
I did a lot of fingerprick testing of all sorts of variables, this would have made it easier for that.

However, I have noticed a lot of possibly over zealous testing to chase spikes, looking at different times, then trying to keep within very close limits, and other behaviour, usually from internet gurus that HCP's already comment on.
While I did do this, I did it simply to find out how I respond, and then checked other people, and found most do the same.
I used It to define what I lived with, not what I avoided.

It is definitely a double edged sword, and has the potential to be used badly.

I am tempted to take a punt and see my reaction to red wine overnight though, as I have a suspicion I may go low now, but I wake up and go back to sleep instead of testing.

 

[AnnSebastian]

I completely apologise @AnnSebastian my intention has never been to make you look stupid or to troll you.
In fact it was the opposite - you have expressed your joy of the insights that Libre has given you so I was asking you to share those insights. The intelligence you have gained from having a sensor and how this has helped you manage your diabetes better. I thought it would be great for us to share our personal experience so that others who have just started using the Libre can learn from our combined knowledge.

As I said I have been unable to express myself in a way that you understand. That is totally my fault not yours.

Please accept my sincere apology. I will step away from this thread (once I have corrected another wrong on my part) as I have unintentionally upset you.

No! Please don’t do that. Stay connected - I’m sure we have mutual interests.
I overreacted. Truly sorry.

I have T2 and just use GP services. I’m working on getting access to some short acting insulin to deal with a regular daily spike.

Your insights could really help me and maybe some of mine could help you? It’s always better to have a little prior knowledge before asking for a prescription for something that isn’t generally offered.

I don’t have a ‘consultant’ just use GP services -

 

[AnnSebastian]

Inka is being patient. If someone doesn't understand how something works it is reasonable to expect them at the very least to read the operating instructions and videos that the manufacturers/suppliers provide for that very purpose. You freely admit you can't be bothered. It's time I walked away from you, too, for that reason.

Can’t work out who this is addressed to. Is it me?

@helli

If you mean that - thanks. Apology 100 % accepted.

I use Social Media regularly. Particular Twitter. And politics. I am used to conflict and disagreement there and give as good as I get without feeling targeted. If I make a comment I ‘own it’ But the rules are different on Twitter - you have to make your own judgements about responding to people who may be vulnerable.

I dipped into this site to find something different. I was feeling a little fragile and thought it might offer some relief. I wasn’t expecting the abrasive replies I saw from some of the members.

Admittedly I reacted more than I would normally - so I apologise for that. But there were a few comments that were unequivocally intended to be nasty. I don’t forgive those.

Again. Thanks for that. If you mean it I hope we are good now?

Ann x

I’m still struggling to post
on this site using a phone screen. My fault. I think I’m posting quite a few things more than once. Apologies if it’s getting to be a habit.

 

[AnnSebastian]

Sorry. Double posted an image. Again.

This is the list of options you have in the app. View attachment 19986

PS - mostly for the benefit of my own ego - I’m posting todays Libre ‘log’ as well - in case anyone looked at the older images with ‘raised eyebrows’ and instantly wrote me off.

I am so pleased that I’ve started to turn this around. I’ve had a few hiccups but so far I’ve overcome them. Just need to keep going. Next goal is ‘massive weight loss’. Probably keto orientated.

 

[Deleted member 21371]

PS - mostly for the benefit of my own ego - I’m posting todays Libre ‘log’ as well - in case anyone looked at the older images with ‘raised eyebrows’ and instantly wrote me off.

I am so pleased that I’ve started to turn this around. I’ve had a few hiccups but so far I’ve overcome them. Just need to keep going. Next goal is ‘massive weight loss’. Probably keto orientated.


View attachment 19989View attachment 19990

They look excellent numbers for type 2.

 

[AnnSebastian]

It’s the first day I haven’t had a massive spike a few hours after waking. Despite trying everything - before - fasting - eating carbs or fat or protein or all. Not sure why though.

 

[AnnSebastian]

Hi @AnnSebastian, if you post a screen shot of your daily graph instead of the logbook we can see more clearly.

Here is my daily graph. It gives more information at a glance.

View attachment 19991

Above the graph you can see the note icons, which show that I made a note of Insulin, or food, or exercise. Matching the notes to the graph helps you to work out what happened and why.

It was a screenshot. I should have trimmed the edges.

 

[AnnSebastian]

It won’t change their life if they can’t use it due to not having a suitable phone!!

It also won’t ‘change lives’ of a significant number of people if they are bombarded with a mass of information and told to learn it all before they even think about checking it out?

People often have different ways of learning.

 

[AnnSebastian]

I'm pretty sure people like me who pay out £100 a month to self fund the sensors, are funding that "free" trial. There is no point encouraging people to apply for it unless they know they can make use of the sensors.

@Lucyr - The ‘CGM’ (and other related product) market is a cutthroat movable feast. Popularity is growing exponentially. I hadn’t researched it until recently - but there are at least two large global corporations competing to lead the market and establish their brand as the global market leader. If the NHS may expand the use of Libre and similar on prescription, it seems sensible to get informed now?

As to having your money used to fund that ‘free trial’ it probably isn’t - but how much more selfish can people get? Just google a few of the technical terms as well as the brands - and check the ‘news’ tab. There’s plenty out there. They’re investing a fortune in promotions - and an alternative way to see it could be - don’t let those promotions go to waste?
#JustSaying

Kind regards.
Ann

 

[AnnSebastian]

@Lucyr - The ‘CGM’ (and other related product) market is a cutthroat movable feast. Popularity is growing exponentially. I hadn’t researched it until recently - but there are at least two large global corporations competing to lead the market and establish their brand as the global market leader. If the NHS may expand the use of Libre and similar on prescription, it seems sensible to get informed now?

As to having your money used to fund that ‘free trial’ it probably isn’t - but how much more selfish can people get? Just google a few of the technical terms as well as the brands - and check the ‘news’ tab. There’s plenty out there. They’re investing a fortune in promotions - and an alternative way to see it could be - don’t let those promotions go to waste?
#JustSaying

Kind regards.
Ann

A link to just one article - found without really trying too hard. There was plenty of choice. https://bristolcityst.org.uk/the-co...ems-market-2027-key-developmental-strategies/

 

[AnnSebastian]

A link to just one article - found without really trying too hard. There was plenty of choice. https://bristolcityst.org.uk/the-co...ems-market-2027-key-developmental-strategies/

I wouldn’t normally have bothered doing this - but - I came to this website looking for a bit of moral support. I was really happy - loved the results of my ‘CGM’. I wasn’t expecting everyone to agree with me - but I thought it was exciting.

Ignore me by all means - but please don’t jump on me with any more insults.



A few more articles. Afraid the focus is on money but I’ll leave this here and move on.

Don’t need to read them all the way through. Just skimming them is enough to get the idea.



Kind regards

Ann



Global Continuous Glucose Monitoring Market Forecast Report 2020-2028: The First Publicly Available Forecast in Volume and Value Terms – Construction News Portal







The continuous glucose monitors market grows rapidly due to fast customer adoption



New regulations due to Brexit may limit medical devices from entering the UK - Medical Device Network

 

[AnnSebastian]

It was a screenshot of the wrong page. Sharing the graph page gives 24 hours of data. The log page records the brief moments when you scanned.

It wasn’t the wrong page. I intended to post a screenshot of the log. It’s the simplest place to start for some people.

Did you come here to discuss CGM's, or simply to grind an axe against their invention, development and manufacture of them, while personally being happy to benefit from the technology?

I love the invention. I’m using it. It’s brilliant. But there appear to be a lot of competing systems that I wasn’t aware of until I logged on to this site.

I see from your bio that you were possibly involved in some of the earlier trial. Or not?

 

[AnnSebastian]

It wasn’t the wrong page. I intended to post a screenshot of the log. It’s the simplest place to start for some people.


I love the invention. I’m using it. It’s brilliant. But there appear to be a lot of competing systems that I wasn’t aware of until I logged on to this site.

I see from your bio that you were possibly involved in some of the earlier trial. Or not?

My post was ‘edited’ by the boss

It also said something along the lines of -
Please don’t reply to any more of my posts. You are really stressing me out. Leave me alone!

( I refined the form of words)
TBC

 

[Inka]

It also won’t ‘change lives’ of a significant number of people if they are bombarded with a mass of information and told to learn it all before they even think about checking it out?

People often have different ways of learning.

?? I don’t know why you’ve picked out my quote from a while back - which was to do with you not appreciating that having Bluetooth on your phone was not enough with regard to the free trial.

Nobody needs to learn a mass of information, but they do need to be able to actually use the Libre, don’t they? You say you’re replying on your phone and maybe that’s the problem? It’s easier to keep track of a thread and replies on a larger screen as they’re less discrete.

I believe @trophywench meant to say “Helli” not “Inka”. @helli is indeed being very patient.

 

[AnnSebastian]

My post was ‘edited’ by the boss

It also said something along the lines of -
Please don’t reply to any more of my posts. You are really stressing me out. Leave me alone!

( I refined the form of words)
TBC

@bennyg
Sorry, your post got muddled up with the other one.
You probably made the right decision though.
But I think I personally feel safer on Twitter.
Regards.

Ann

 

[Inka]

Ok, well I’m going to say it @AnnSebastian You came here informing us of a years old tech device that’s often discussed here and acted like we had never heard of it. You then said phones only needed Bluetooth and it took pages until you admitted you were wrong.

Poor Helli tried to be kind and nice but you even insulted her. People, including me, tried to tactfully hint that the Libre had been much discussed before but you just carried on. I know it’s hard to read someone’s tone online but yours is coming across (hopefully) not as you intended. My tone here is blunt, just to be clear. We know about the Libre; we know to benefit from it and how to use it; we know about the free trial. If you want to tell us how you individually use yours, like @helli suggested, then that’s great and it will be interesting to read.

 

[AnnSebastian]

Ok, well I’m going to say it @AnnSebastian You came here informing us of a years old tech device that’s often discussed here and acted like we had never heard of it. You then said phones only needed Bluetooth and it took pages until you admitted you were wrong.

Poor Helli tried to be kind and nice but you even insulted her. People, including me, tried to tactfully hint that the Libre had been much discussed before but you just carried on. I know it’s hard to read someone’s tone online but yours is coming across (hopefully) not as you intended. My tone here is blunt, just to be clear. We know about the Libre; we know to benefit from it and how to use it; we know about the free trial. If you want to tell us how you individually use yours, like @helli suggested, then that’s great and it will be interesting to read.

@helli and I are fine as far as I’m aware. You really seem to have a core of bullies on this site. This post will probably get ‘deleted’ but I’m going to post it anyway.

 

[Inka]

@helli and I are fine as far as I’m aware. You really seem to have a core of bullies on this site. This post will probably get ‘deleted’ but I’m going to post it anyway.

On the contrary, this site has many helpful, supportive and knowledgeable people. It takes a lot to wind people up here. Treating everyone like idiots, doggedly refusing to listen, and insulting even those who are patiently trying to help you and be pleasant and encouraging is a good way to do it.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

This thread has drifted from its original purpose and no longer seems constructive, so I am going to close it.

@AnnSebastian please do feel free to start another thread to discuss your experiences with Libre, to ask any questions that arise, and to benefit from the experiences of forum members, many of whom have been using Libre for many years.

 

[AnnSebastian]

I was reminded of a thread that we used to have as a ‘sticky’ penned by our old Admin @Northerner - and it felt like a timely reminder today.

If you can be anything, be kind.

Many people who come here may be using a forum for the first time, and often that can leave them unprepared if they encounter responses to their posts that they may find jarring or unsympathetic. Like any group of people anywhere, members are very diverse in character, and it's often not easy to spot nuances in language and presentation through text-only messages - there are no visual clues, or aural ones, so you just have to go on content and any prior experience of a particular person's writing style to determine if they are 'joking' or not. It's an age-old problem, and the chances of misinterpreting things are generally higher the greater emotional state the person reading may be.​

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Because of this I would like to ask that members bear these facts in mind, in posting, reading and responding - try and always put yourself in the other person's shoes, and if it conjures up any doubts about what you want to say, and how, then try and think of how you might reword things.​

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Remember always that this is a support forum and by that very fact people posting may be nervous, frightened, confused - or of course, confident, no-nonsense and brash. As I said, it takes all sorts, but try always to be first and foremost supportive 🙂 Above all, no personal insults or inflammatory statements - nothing wrong with rational, passionate debate, but not directed at individuals, such posts will be removed by the moderators. 😱​

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If you find that you don't like a particular member's style then I would urge you to use the 'Ignore' option on your profile settings: you can input member names and then no longer see content from that member.​

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Hope this helps! 🙂​

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NB See also: Courtesy guidelines, and forum rules​

Mike

Closed thread.

With the greatest respect to yourself and members who have commented on this thread -

I’ve only started using this forum recently and was a little overwhelmed by some of the comments.

People learn in different ways. Most read the rules and then follow that path. A minority of people don’t.

I’m pretty well educated, but I struggle to focus on details for long periods.

It was hard work to concentrate on the practical elements enough to get started with the Libre and the log books. But once I had that - I’m pretty quick with concepts and the graphs made sense to me in minutes. I would not have had the patience to sit through long videos.

I’m sure there will be other people with similar traits. My posts were aimed more at ‘people like me’ who ‘approach learning differently.’ If I had followed all of the advice from some of your popular members before I tried it, I probably would have given up before I started.

I just needed to say this so I really hope it won’t be deleted. It is not written ‘with prejudice’ just intended to promote ‘inclusion’

Ann