Happy Birthday Libre!

So, it was exactly three years ago today that it was possible to order the Libre sensors and reader. Having signed up for all the notifications about the system and joined the Facebook Abbott Freestyle Libre Users Group, I was able to know to order on Day 1, with my order being No. 594. The orders are into the millions now. I originally tracked order numbers by date as it seemed to correlate with the increases in ordering - like in 2016 when the waiting list requirement was abolished. It doesn't work as well now but the big increase in 2017 seems to match what users are saying.

Looking back, the system does seem to have a made a difference to many people's lives. The group has stories of how much easier it has made control of diabetes (T1, T2 and other related conditions) especially for parents of T1s. Luckily I'm not in that situation, but can imagine the massive increase in peace of mind.

Anyway, it's a good day to celebrate this great innovation for improving life with diabetes. Now to hope that one day those that really need it can get it on prescription (another blog post to follow on that subject!)

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4.0!

Took my levels this morning and they were at the magic 4.0mmol/l level (72 in US units)! Had a biscuit in celebration! Latest graph above. Seems less predictable than I thought, but at least I am now generally below 10 most of the time. I believe I am however in the 'Honeymoon Period'. This is the time when the body is still producing a little insulin and therefore your levels are easier to control. I don't think that it lasts long. A thick blanket of snow has fallen during the night. I was meant to be going to London today, but I think I'll give it a miss. My daughter (2) saw the snow and got very excited. She had not been out in snow before. We had an excellent half hour out the front of the house making tracks and getting cold! In my nice warm office now drinking a big mug of tea and looking at the snow continuing to fall. Won't be late home tonight.

Freestyle Liberating

So,what's all the fuss about? Today's graph with two Nutella-covered wraps - no Low Carb here! The Abbott Freestyle Libre is a paradigm-changing piece of medical equipment. It has been warmly embraced by many of the diabetic community since its launch almost three years ago (its birthday is on 16th October). So what's all the fuss about and is it justified? In my opinion, yes , but with some important caveats, especially with how you use it and interpret the results. These are my tips for getting the most out of it: Use it for trends - stop thinking you need to compare it to other meters. The only reason you should continue to test traditionally is to meet requirements of DVLA. OK, if you are hypo-unaware, I can see logic in checking. Yes, it can be 'inaccurate' but that's hard to quantify. If you're far enough into your journey with diabetes, you should have a fair idea of what the scan is going to show. If it doesn't match

Abbott dX 2022 Barcelona - "Make it Count"

For the past four years I've been invited by Abbott to a conference bringing together people with diabetes from across Europe to discuss various topics. The first year I was meant to attend, it was my 'man v horse' year (the horse won!), so was unable to attend and then the pandemic hit so two further dX's were held virtually. I was fortunate to be asked to present at last year's session. This year's event was back in-person and held in Barcelona, coinciding with the latter part of the ATTD conference. At this point, I must make it very clear - Abbott invited me to the 2022 European Diabetes Exchange forum (dX), that took place in Barcelona. I attended this two-day event to connect and interact with inspirational and influential people in the diabetes community. Abbott paid for my ticket and accommodation. #InvitedbyAbbott. This is formal and it needs to be - I have not been required to do anything by Abbott as a result of my attendance and I hope that m

T1 Tenor

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