I’ve currently got three, hows that for a humble brag. Started today.

Admittedly it’s only for two weeks as I’m taking part in a trial, and have masked readers so don’t know what they’re reading. But gives me an idea of what they feel like. I’m still finger pricking as part of the trial but even after a few hours I can see how ace they’d be.

Agreed, Colonel Wax, I’ve just had mine since Friday, ripped off the sensor this morning, and can’t wait to get a new one delivered!

What about in arm Buff thingie?

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/621578933/lycra-picc-line-or-freestyle-libre-cover?gpla=1&gao=1&utm_campaign=shopping_uk_en_gb_PICCLineDesign_sfc_osa&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_custom1=0&utm_content=11879395&gclid=Cj0KCQjwoInnBRDDARIsANBVyAS5aNkAOmyWJh-lwQhvnju05FTnUdwk2lzOn3sU0Nk0-kPXN64nJCIaAoNQEALw_wcB

Thanks HtS, I’ll try and get my arm measured up tomorrow.
When the sensor arrives, it’ll be Kinesio to try. Now, do I cut a hole in it, or not??

Not sure what the hole is for. If it is to do with being able to scan it you can get a reading through a duffle coat.

More aimed at kids, but this ladies does a number of products to help those with pumps and libre:

Home

Thanks HtS and Scud, ordered lycra buffs from both.

Bollocks.

Just had to go on full Hulk mode with my 18 year old. Daughter’s friends ‘wound him up’ – he’s not tested, so was running 20’s (now we know). Wife came home asked a few questions, he went off, cracked an interior door, so I had to intervene – kicked wife went mental…

Ran upstairs and pinned him down. He was screaming ‘assault’ and being etc, phone police…., let go, more violence, so chased him downstairs and ‘bear hugged’ him to the ground…. FFS.

Life with T1 eh….. got his bloods back to normal now….

Bloody good job I still ride a bike eh.. sheesh….

Seriously upset now, but the rage he had was impossible for anyone else to control.

Upset I’ve had to use all my force to pin him to the floor over ‘nothing’.

It’s a shitty condition for people to live with….

Serious stuff, Fossy.
Hopefully, he’ll grow out of his teen strops and gets his control, before you get too old to tackle him.

Knackered shoulder and painful toe this morning.

Kicking, smashing doors and throwing his insulin pump meter across the room is not a good start.

Fingers crossed, Fossy.
So, my new sensor arrived, 2 days isn’t a bad turnaround. I’ve put it on myself and a bit of blood came out of the centre hole. Is this going to be a problem?
Also, what do you do with all the disposable bits ie applicator etc?

I’ve put it on myself and a bit of blood came out of the centre hole.

Not in my experience. It has happened a couple of times with us.

Also, what do you do with all the disposable bits ie applicator etc?

It is meant to go in a sharps bin!? We were told to put the lid back on and bin it. Keep the outer box whilst you have that sensor as it has the batch number printed on it. If it fails Abbott will want to know it.

Number they require is also on the sensor…but you need decent eye sight!

Meter itself knows the batch number and can tell you if you have to phone them. I never keep the packaging.
Applicator part is supposed to go in sharps bin, as it’s theoretically a contaminated needle stick risk. In reality I can’t see it ever happening though. Other plastic bits can go into recycling.

Ok, folks, thanks.
I rang Abbott about the blood, and they said if it gives a reading after the first hour, it’ll be fine.
It’s reading! ☺️

Had two sensors fall off in the last 3 weeks. One on application, one shortly after. Abbott have replaced them both with minimal fuss.

We had to give up on Freestyle Libre, as i have mentioned, we cannot obtain it via NHS and we cannot now obtain direct from the company Abbot as they have a backlog due to all the ones they supply to the NHS. So like Harry the Spider above, we were self funding the sensors, often paying over the odds for them, only to have them either fall off or on two occasions give such imprecise readings, they were no good, and then struggled to get refund or new sensor from the seller as they were via ebay or Amazon (no local supermarket sells them near me either).

So we have decided to start using the more expensive Dexcom 6 system as although it is more than Abbott charge for the Libre, it is a proper CGM and at least we’ll have come back when any problems direct with company.

Currently nursing my daughter as she has Shingles and it has driven her BG levels up really high.

I got ‘busted’ by the consultant at my last diabetic clinic. I’ve always had low awareness (25 yrs now), but the doc didn’t see how low my hypos were going until I was issued with a new meter that had a USB port. At my last clinic they downloaded the data and boom….you’ll be going on a course and then issued with the Libre, Craigyboy!.

To be honest, the course was actually really good. I’ve always just ticked along with my diabetes, bloods have always come away okay, and I think because of that both myself and my diabetic care team have just left me to get on with it. Attending the course (carb counting, insulin:carb ratio, GI foods etc.), actually was a bit of a wakeup to the fact that my insulin regime is 25 years old and T1 care has progressed quite significantly over those years!

I’m now on a new insulin regime, and waiting to hear when I’m going to get my Libre device which sounds like a real game changer! Quite excited about all the changes…if only I can get on top of these hypos!

Ours are NHS, but as I only get four presciptions to last me two months (still on the trial, not prescribed by the GP yet) I can’t afford to have two fail as it leaves me four weeks short.

The package from Abbott turned up last night but contained a sensor and a scanner rather than two sensors. The spare scanner will come in handy, but I’ll have to get another sensor.

Regarding accuracy we find that it can give a “false low” when compared to the pin prick, but that isn’t a bad thing as it gives us a little more warning about a coming Hypo.

My daughter is really impressed with it though, and at the end of the day it is all about her.

Currently nursing my daughter as she has Shingles and it has driven her BG levels up really high.

Hope the Scudette recovers quickly!

Thanks Harry….

I still think it’s a shame that it is such a postcode lottery. We struggled because unfortunately the first time mini-Scud used the Libre, we fitted sensor (and this was actually at an open day at hospital) and a torrent of blood came of of the centre hole, really put her off using for a while.

I still think it’s a shame that it is such a postcode lottery.

Still no access to a CGM for my lad on the NHS here. Ho, and indeed, hum…

@Scud, we’ve self funded both the Libre and the Dexcom for summer holidays the last few years… the Dexcom is so much better than the Libre in everyway… it’s the one to stick with if you can afford to. We’ll get another for this summer, if I can find the money for it before then.

Hope your daughter is well soon. Illness like that with diabetes can be so flipping hard. Take care.

With you there Kelvin, especially as those getting the system via NHS mean that those wishing to purchase from Abbott cannot at present if they signed up after a certain date.

Thankfully we have such a caring Libre using Prime Minister to make it far for all……..

When she declared CGMs were now “available to all on the NHS” at PMQs, without qualification or explanation, I was unusually full of violent intentions, briefly. Proper blood boiling stuff.

I wanted easy access to my reader, just sharing what I’ve done for readings on the fly.
The 2nd image is a stick on mount

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tool-Interphone-Self-Adhesive-Phone-Holder-Sticker-Bicycle-Mount-Thin-for-Garmin/163982266182?hash=item262e1acf46:g:QzUAAOSwA5Rd73Qd

Images not showing…

Are now though…do you have the reader there?

Further edit…all 3 images now showing, so all my queries are answered!

Yes the top is my garmin and bottom my reader,
Very easy to test whilst still rolling.

Trying to put images via my iPad, it’s painful

Stoddys can you scan your arm whilst riding along with that?

Nice flip flops.

I use the app on my phone, so in theory could do the same setup with a quad lock etc.

If you use a third party app like xdrip (works with dexcom and the libre with the miaomiao device which turns it into a cgm like dexcom) you can get your levels directly on the garmin.

This is showing current blood glucose in the centre, rate and direction of change to left, data last updated to the right and pump current basal rate and amount of insulin currently in my system above.
Great to have it at a glance during a ride.

Poly
No but because it’s so easy to get to, I press the button, quick turn it’s off, scan and put back on to read it.

Nalla
Thanks I will look into that.

Anyone else having trouble getting sensors at the moment?

Our local pharmacy hasn’t been able to get them for weeks.

Got my first ones from the pharmacy about 3 weeks ago, had been getting them direct from Abbott but paid for by NHS, took them 2 weeks to get them special order apparently. What are you doing in the meantime, finger pricks?

Aye, they’re playing games again.
Claiming to be 3-4 weeks stock behind on pharmacy orders but funnily enough you can still get them through their retail site.
Problem is that they won’t supply pharmaceutical wholesalers and pharmacies can only buy direct from Abbott. Total monopoly over the product.
Part of it is they’re trying to stop the resale of pharmacy packs on eBay, part of it is stockpiling for Brexit and the rest is that they can’t keep up with demand since they went onto nhs.
I’m a pharmacist and can’t even get enough to fulfil my own script.

What are you doing in the meantime, finger pricks?

Got 3 days left on this one and our emergency spare. That’s it.

Yes, supply has been dry short since before Christmas.

I’ve spoken to a couple of pharmacists about it and they both said there’s at least a 3 week delay in getting their orders arrive from placing currently.

Neither were too impressed by the current supply chain.

FFS.

People are just going to start getting extra scripts in to build up their own stash.

Back in stock with one day to spare!

Got two, but am going to get a prescription in for a couple more. That was too close for comfort.

NAlla, whats xdrip like? I was using Spike and tomato but neither seems to work anymore so have stopped using the miaomiao.

Back in stock with one day to spare!

Got two, but am going to get a prescription in for a couple more. That was too close for comfort.

Pah! Bags of time! I got a call at 10am for mine, which ran out a 4pm that afternoon despite ordering 2 weeks previous. Given it 3 weeks this time.