Cyborg Times (new BG meter)

Thanks for your responses Mark and Tom
I spoke to Abbott, they are sending the emails "in waves" on a first come first serve basis as the machines become available. Tom you must be further up the list than I am!
I checked the swimming question with them - did you see what I did there - Waves / Swimming - oh never mind!!
Mustn't be submerged for longer than 30 mins so as long as you take your arm out of the water there is no problem. Also you can't go lower than 1 meter in depth.

Hi,

Swimming wise I am going to wait until the last few days of my sensor (as they're a bit expensive to waste one on a test) and try it. If and when I go I will update my findings here

Phil

P.S Have any other users found when they remove a sensor it leaves a nasty red circle for about a week, I didn't have this to start with, but last one has left quite a sore mark, bit like a lovebite

P.P.S Following on from the mark, the next one I am using is sooo itchy, worried about itching near it and pulling it out, have they changed the glue? Am I allergic? Anybody else having issues?

Following on from my recent comment about the mark and glue, I would be annoyed if I found they had changed the glue and I was allergic as I have got my HbA1c from 7.4 to 6.8 using the Libre and for the hour or so when I change the sensor I feel lost without it.

Even though its not perfect or 100% accurate I do like the knowledge of generally where by BG is

Thanks Phil - I would be very interested in your swimming experiment. In view of what they said I would have thought that if the sensor stops working after swimming Abbott will refund you.

As to the other problem I would ask Abbott - their number is 008000 2255232.

Hi guys

I to have not be brave enough to go swiming a yet but will igive it go soon. I have had one sensor fall off for no apparent reason but Abotts were great and send a replacement. As for the itchyness I have found that sometimes it is really really itchy , and then the itchyness goes away. The red marks do seem to take a while to go but I have found them not be painful, so have carried on using the sensors as it so cool to gym, and garden and check without having to stop.

Haven't been on the Dafne site for some time so am late into this discussion.

I was asked to trial the Libre by my diabetes team and jumped at the chance. I loved it from the word go. So much information at your fingertips - without pain to said fingertips! The trends are especially useful. I am on very small margins, so a slight error in either direction can create a big impact. With the help of the trend arrows and the insulin indicator, I was able to keep within target for 3 of the 14 days. Quite something for me. It is also the fact that you get such a complete picture, not just snapshots. You can see exactly what has been going on between testings. I am with Peter in that I believe this gives more information for the DVLA than finger pricking.

I found the software very informative too. I am not very IT literate and for me there was a lot of information there. It is possible to enable auto save if you so wish. Also you get information on the amount of carbs taken and insight into possible areas of special interest. I especially liked the projected HBA1c as it showed mine as a potential improvement of nearly 20 points!

Like Phil Maskell, I am sensitive to the adhesive and used tegaderm for this. Unfortunately, I suspect this may have caused several misfunctions which, so far with this latest sensor, seem to have been sorted by using Cavilon spray instead. I hope this is helpful Phil.

Being as I said earlier not brilliant with IT, it did not occur to me to e-mail Abbot, so I phoned them instead and found them very courteous and helpful.

I get the impression from reading other's comments that the feeling is that Abbot has rushed this onto the market. This could well be so as there are several shortfalls that I think they are bound to pick up on in time. Firstly, the blood monitor. It uses the old Optium strips which take a large amount of blood to activate, and if, like me, your skin is getting calloused from frequent testing, that amount of blood can be very painful and also rather slow to gather. Which brings me onto the next point. If you fail to get enough blood into the strip at first attempt, you don't get another chance - it's a new strip and more blood. Huh. Then there's the insulin calculator. Quite a handy gadget, but perhaps not essential for Dafnies. Anyway, it doesn't work on a scan it needs blood. To me this rather negates the point of it. Maybe they aren't that confident yet of the interstitial readings, but there we are. I have stopped using it now as I rarely finger prick and use the gingerbread man indicator and my Dafne knowledge to work it out for myself.

Having said that, I would recommend this product. It offers greater freedom and is very easy for others to use when one is ill - I speak from experience here. My sugars have improved since using the Libre and I hope they will continue to do so. The cost is a definite factor, but I look on it as around £25 per week which in terms of cigarettes ... or perhaps, pints? I don't know. For me, I think it worth paying for the freedom and the greater control. That doesn't stop me wishing it was on the NHS, but well, we can all wish.

Good luck with your Libre

NuMo - Thanks for you brilliant post - you have definitely inspired me to get one when my turn comes round

Hi, I quick update on this. No I don't have any more sensors yet but 'Dafneonline' had a conference call with one of their marketing team the other day on another subject so I took the opportunity to be nosey

They are still struggling to fulfil all the orders for sensors and are working their way through the waiting list. Once you reach the top of the list you will be contacted via email and once 'subscribed' will be able to order a regular supply of sensors. They don't want to send people a device and sensors only for them then not to be able to order any more sensors. This seems reasonable enough to me. Once you do get subscribed you are guaranteed to get sensors.

They launched the device in seven European countries and in everyone they have had to shutdown the webshop due to overwhelming demand. In the UK they didn't do ANY pre-publicity and still the web shop was overwhelmed in the first two days. They want to launch it in more countries but can't until they increase production. It has been a much bigger success than they expected, but it comes as no surprise to me and other T1's that see the potential benefits.

They are working with the NHS and still believe they CAN get it on prescription due to the demonstrable improvements in HBA1c and overall reduction in Hypo's. So what this space it's possible it could eventually be available on prescription .

marke said:
Hi, I quick update on this. No I don't have any more sensors yet but 'Dafneonline' had a conference call with one of their marketing team the other day on another subject so I took the opportunity to be nosey

They are still struggling to fulfil all the orders for sensors and are working their way through the waiting list. Once you reach the top of the list you will be contacted via email and once 'subscribed' will be able to order a regular supply of sensors. They don't want to send people a device and sensors only for them then not to be able to order any more sensors. This seems reasonable enough to me. Once you do get subscribed you are guaranteed to get sensors.

They launched the device in seven European countries and in everyone they have had to shutdown the webshop due to overwhelming demand. In the UK they didn't do ANY pre-publicity and still the web shop was overwhelmed in the first two days. They want to launch it in more countries but can't until they increase production. It has been a much bigger success than they expected, but it comes as no surprise to me and other T1's that see the potential benefits.

They are working with the NHS and still believe they CAN get it on prescription due to the demonstrable improvements in HBA1c and overall reduction in Hypo's. So what this space it's possible it could eventually be available on prescription .

I have had it since October (ish) last year, I've had a few teething troubles (Abbott have been brilliant). I had my last sensor pack up 6 days early last week (Abbott replaced it, without any issue), but this caught me off guard without a sensor for 2 days, I felt lost.

I know I shouldn't, but I only really test my blood at meal times now, so gone from 10 to 15 finger prick tests a day to 3, my fingers appreciate the relief

With seeing the overnight highs I have been unknowingly having my HbA1c has gone from 7.9 to 6.8

The drop in HbA1c and less finger prick test the NHS have to pay for, surely there are cost benefits? Its more of a known cost too, if it doesn't fail, they know it will cost X amount per 14 days, not a guess as to how many finger prick tests someone will need to do in a day.

I love it, and will continue to pay (I justify it by the fact I don't smoke and rarely drink so why not), but would rather get it on prescription, if nothing else for the ease of being able to go into the pharmacy and collect it, rather than waiting on DPD deliveries!