Recent Posts - DAFNE Online

Oct 24, 2014

Garry 328 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Cyborg Times (new BG meter)

Thanks marke and Simon. I have been an Abbott fan for a number of years and will have a look at this new technology.
I'm very disappointed by your feedback on Abbott support. Whenever I have had a problem with my current conventional Optium Xceed meters...their support, via helpful ladies on phone has been great.
Sounds like a bit of a rushed out set up for this.
Support would have to be first class for me to consider investing in the technology. I would not pay >Â£1300 pa without significant support. They need supply to pharmacists directly very quickly as I would not pay for delivery of sensors on an ongoing basis.
Regards
Garry

Oct 24, 2014

Garry 328 posts

Topic: General Discussion / QA ratios on the weekend

We are all the same Mike_p.
And we all appear to get round it in different ways!
Used to be for me that I had less exercise at a weekend. Not now though as I try to keep active all week.
Regards
Garry

Oct 24, 2014

Simon 578 posts

Topic: DAFNE Online Mobile / iOS 8 health integration

Hi,

Welcome to the forum! Yes indeed there is, it's just a matter of time unfortunately. What did the other app do which you'd like ours to do as well?

Thanks,

Simon

Oct 23, 2014

marke 686 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Cyborg Times (new BG meter)

How confident am I to go solo with the device ? Not very if I'm honest but I have no definite basis for this, its probably that I am used to my meter and individual blood tests. I am still checking through all the data that the sensor generated and comparing it with my meter. There are often differences of between 15-20% which is inside the legal requirement but still make me uneasy. Of course I have no idea which device was closer to the real value of my BG, it could be either, more likely both are off the true value. Once I have got to the bottom of some of the weird variations I will report back on here and maybe others can do the same. I'm sure many will run both the sensor and their current meter for a while.
With regards to airport security, providing you have the reader/meter with you and can show them you scan the sensor its unlikely to be an issue. I have never had an issue in an airport with any of my diabetes kit so I don't think there will be an issues.
Its nice that I'm not the only one who gets the bladerunner reference and indeed this technology would fit right in with the technology in the film Very Happy

Oct 23, 2014

Muna A H 34 posts

Topic: General Discussion / diet

Hi,

I lost few kg since last May and my last HBA1c which was done in September was 6.9. I didn't have major hypos, maybe few, actually what was strange being high rather than low. I just cut down my carbs and of course injecting less QA to avoid hypos.

Oct 23, 2014

Magmaticchimp8 2 posts

Topic: DAFNE Online Mobile / iOS 8 health integration

Hi,

I wondered if there was any plans to make the iOS DAFNE Online app integrate with the apple health function.

I have only just started using DAFNE online for recording my details but previously used an alternative app which did integrate with the apple health.

Thanks
Simon

Oct 23, 2014

sarahg 29 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Cyborg Times (new BG meter)

Hi marke ,I think this could kit have come directly out of Blade Runner, thanks for all your feedback on the kit, it has really helped me think how I will end up using the tech to help manage my testing , I think it will be great for the gym, and the night time checks, but keep to the traditional BG for driving, or where it is important, do you think the airports will be ok with it, not having a pump I wonder what security would think?
I am just waiting for my kit to come in the post hopefully not too long to I really can't to wait ! ðŸ˜ŠðŸ˜ŠðŸ˜Š

Oct 23, 2014

Julieann Brown 2 posts

Topic: Questions for HCPs / Help with BG

Hi Sue, this is Julieann, can you take a look at my diary and let me know if I need to up my ratio more..?

Oct 23, 2014

JamesW 24 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Cyborg Times (new BG meter)

An apt quote.

So, do you miss the convenience? The "dissolving" pin is an interesting facet that I have not seen mentioned elsewhere.

How confident would you feel about only using this device to monitor your levels? Pre-diagnosis you have no way of knowing/any interest in what your blood glucose levels are then all of a sudden you get handed a machine and some strips and told to deal with the numbers as they are presented. If you were put straight on to this device would you then doubt the test-strip approach if it was suggested? I suppose the best test would be over a period long enough to influence the HbA1c and see if the Flash meter's readings corresponded with the returned value.

Thanks for taking the time to write about it. Appreciated.

Oct 22, 2014

Mike_p 4 posts

Topic: General Discussion / QA ratios on the weekend

Hi all
I seem to have spotted a pattern in my BG that would suggest I need to use higher QA ratios at the weekend than during the week! Because my BGs are usually higher from Friday evening to Sunday, and corrective doses seem to do not as much as expected.
This sounds a bit bizarre, has anyone else noticed such a thing ?
I can only put it down to different foods being eaten at weekends, different meal times, different activities being undertaken ...
or maybe its just my CP counting of different foods eaten at the weekend is really bad and I need to tighten up on it..
thanks

Oct 22, 2014

marke 686 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Cyborg Times (new BG meter)

Day 15:
I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Abbott Sensors reading off the shoulder of my arm. I watched BG's glitter in the dark near the DAFNE targets. All those moments will be lost in time... like tears in rain... Time to die. (if you don't understand this quote, you have missed a great film !!)
So no more sensor, between you and me being a techie once I had removed it from my arm I pulled it apart to see what was inside. Basically a battery and a single device on a round circuit-board. The thing that goes in your arm clips into the sensor with three contacts onto the circuit-board. Interestingly the 'pin' in my arm when removed was soft like a hair, it must have a coating that disolves over the 14 days. So do you really need to dispose of it in a sharps bin ? Worst case you can inclip the 'pin' which is small and put that into a sharps bin.
I dumped all the data into csv file and examined it, very interesting. It looks like when you scan yourself it takes a reading there and then since these have a different 'type' id than the 15 min ones and are not in time sync with the other readings. Whats even more interesting is these readings don't seem to be consistent with the regular 15 min readings i,e a reading 1 minute before is 0.8 different to one a minute later. More investigation needed I think Very Happy

Oct 22, 2014

Trish Skidmore 18 posts

Topic: General Discussion / diet

Has anyone who's type 1 managed to lose weight successfully without it affecting there HBA1C and hypos.

Oct 22, 2014

Julieann Brown 2 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Help - BG Levels

hi, I am trying to regulate my BG and I am very high, I attended the dafne course last week.
I don't think its my BI as I don't a 3am check and it seems regulated.
I am checking my CP from what I am eating and I think I am 90% correct in what I am taking. Do you think I need to up my ratio for lunch & dinner..?
Julieann

Oct 22, 2014

Simon 578 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Cyborg Times (new BG meter)

Thanks, you can call me Simon F though Very Happy

I'm pleased to see that Abbot have now fixed the VAT removal on their website; when you add an item to the basket and specify that you are eligible for VAT relief then the price will be the VAT excluded one. They also seem to have realised that Â£10 for delivery was a bit steep and this is now reduced to Â£5. Still nothing on subscriptions though.

Oct 22, 2014

novorapidboi26 1,819 posts

Topic: General Discussion / BG diary help please (2) (mum2westiesGill diary)

no, I had mistaken the CP values for your QA values, so that's my fault..........

the large rise then is likely due to that 1.8 CPs, after you get your dose right for basal here, you can start to investigate your insulin/carb ratio for snacks at bed time.........obviously you had eaten something as 5.1 was a tad low for your liking, but in the future you could try something smaller maybe......

hopefully though you will find your right basal dose overnight anyway and you can start to become more confident going to bed on target.........;)

Oct 22, 2014

mum2westiesGill 502 posts

Topic: General Discussion / BG diary help please (2) (mum2westiesGill diary)

Hi NRB,
Thanks for your help.

Have I done the diary entry wrong? At the 5.1 reading I ate 18g of carbs with no bolus.

Oct 22, 2014

novorapidboi26 1,819 posts

Topic: General Discussion / BG diary help please (2) (mum2westiesGill diary)

your results from last night into this morning is promising.............you only dropped by 1.6..............so that's officially holding steady........

the previous night you actually went up from 5.8 [even with correction] to 16.4.............why did you correct at 5.1? a lot of folk would be wanting to take on carbs through fear of hypo........taking on insulin here means a basal test isn't giving accurate results...........it may be that you went low overnight and your liver has responded giving you the high........

if you can repeat last nights conditions, which was dinner at 19:00-20:00, try and stay away from large amounts of carbs and carbs that may still be digesting longer than normal, don't take any correction before bed if you can, then a 3am and morning..........another 2 days should confirm whats going on and what adjustments you need to do.......

good job.....

Oct 22, 2014

mum2westiesGill 502 posts

Topic: General Discussion / BG diary help please (2) (mum2westiesGill diary)

"take a before bed, ideally a 3 am then a morning"

Last night's (21/10) basal test

Oct 21, 2014

marke 686 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Cyborg Times (new BG meter)

Day 14: 20 hours left until shutdown Crying or Very sad

News today is a managed to get some questions answered by Abbott ! Some were not very useful and I have questioned the answers so won't bore you with them. One interesting point is the response to why the sensor only lasts 14 days, the answer is:
Among the reasons that the sensor life is 14 days is the reaction of the skin, both to the adhesive, and the presence of a foreign object (the fibre). Also, the enzymes in the sensor cannot continue to work indefinitely. Since the size and weight of the sensor had limitations to make it as discreet as possible, the battery had to be sized accordingly. The sensor life is not directly related to the number of readings it can hold, as readings older than 8 hours are overwritten.
Not convinced by the first part otherwise you would only be able to wear one for two weeks, so why sell a continuous supply ? But anyway an answer. The question of can it be worn in other places I can answer, no, they have only done testing with the sensor on the upper arm so their data is only for this area. If you attach it somewhere else then the readings cannot be gauranteed to be accurate.
SimonC thanks for your full write up as well, all useful info.
Final how did we get them to try ? luck, pure and simple Very Happy

Oct 21, 2014

CurlyWurly 15 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Cyborg Times (new BG meter)

How did you get to sample the system in the first place?

Question for Abbott: can the sensor be worn anywhere other than the arm?

What are the future plans for delivering the sensors to the users? Using a courier every month proves costly for the user - would pharmacies be an option?

Oct 21, 2014

sarahg 29 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Cyborg Times (new BG meter)

Hi Marke & Simon thanks for the heads up with the web site, I have ordered my starter pack, and would really like to use the web instructions for help with using the kit when the get it in the post. Hoping that Abotts will take on board what you guys have said and make sure it is all up and running soon. Ordering seemed fine, but as you say the standing order to place regular sensors appeared not to work, which you think would be key to them to make all the development of the kit worth while for them. Thanks for all the information on how you are getting on. Cheers

Oct 21, 2014

Alan M. 3 posts

Topic: DAFNE Online Mobile / Android App - Correction for high BG

I always add my correction manually e.g. 6 units with an additional correction of 2 units as 6+2
I have just switched to Android from IOS and the app does seem more clunky and basic. The first think I have noticed is that - and + symbols aren't on the default keypad view so you have to press the Sym button first to get them.
I hate to speak negatively of the Dafne apps as they are nothing but a great thing guys

Oct 20, 2014

Simon 578 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Cyborg Times (new BG meter)

I too have been privileged enough to have a 14 day go of the new Freestyle Libre system so thought I'd add in my 2p worth...

In terms of functionality, Mark is spot on. It gives you a chart plotted against your target range of interstitial glucose readings. The time lag between blood and interstitial readings is around 20 minutes and I believe that this is accurate having used the meter over the past 2 weeks. I was a bit concerned before using it as I'd been warned about the meter being way off with glucose measurements however am pleased to say I did some finger prick tests to verify the readings I was getting and they were largely the same.

In terms of the sensor, applying it to my upper arm was painless and it's very easy to forget it's there (I too have knocked it on more than one occasion). It's also been showerproof, and I've been doing some fairly vigorous circuit training over the past couple of weeks and am pleased to say the sensor stayed attached despite copious amounts of sweat production on my part.

Having the ability to see the trend leading up to your current glucose reading is really useful and I found it helped me more accurately judge my insulin requirements (e.g. I wouldn't correct as much if I was high but on the way down) and avoid hypos.

In terms of convenience it is so much easier to swipe the sensor with the meter rather than load a strip, prick my finger, apply the blood to the strip and clean the blood after. As my confidence in the sensors readings grew I needed to do finger prick tests less and less.

I also particularly liked the fact that the meter isn't continuously monitoring; a few months ago I tried the Navigator CGM system and got really annoyed when the meter woke me up a few times during the night telling me that I was headed for a hypo when that was nowhere near the case. That said I do have good hypo awareness so perhaps a true CGM would be of benefit to those who don't have good hypo awareness.

In terms of the meter it is well built, and the chart and logbook functions are as you'd expect. One annoyance for me was the fact that you could only add food/insulin notes to the reading you've just scanned - you couldn't add them in to earlier readings or points in time. Pretty useless if you're in a hurry.

I've not yet had a chance to try the software but will give that a go and let you know my thoughts when I do.

One major sticking point that to run this will be prohibitively expensive for a large amount of people. As Peter rightly says, the annual running cost without VAT is around Â£1300, which in comparison to the annual cost of finger prick testing Â£0 is a massive difference. I'm no expert in manufacturing however would guess that the sensors only cost a tiny fraction of their retail cost to produce. Given that these meters and sensors could greatly improve the management of a persons diabetes, I'd perhaps naively hope that Abbot would make this more affordable to the end user.

Which brings me on to Abbot and their website - it is pretty shocking. There is promise of training however none is there. Subscriptions are mentioned but after an email exchange with them it seems they are not available yet with no timeframe or details of discounts. The shopping cart system asks if you are eligible for VAT relief and then doesn't apply it, instead charging you full price. It all just seems a bit cobbled together. Which would be almost excusable if they weren't wanting you to pay Â£1300 a year to use the system. They seriously need to sort these issues out before I will have confidence in their ability to deliver.

So, in summary... This is fantastic technology. I've only been diabetic for 8 years so have missed out on the urine tests of yore but still feel that this is so much more advanced than finger prick testing. I really believe that it could improve my quality of life and management of diabetes, and would love to use thus system full time. The two major sticking points for me are the unjustifiably high cost for the end user, and poor website Abbot have created to sell this. That said, if you do get the chance to ha e a go, I would say go for it - experience the future!

Oct 20, 2014

marke 686 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Cyborg Times (new BG meter)

Day 13:
Not a lot to say about the sensor today, the reader/meter gave me another annoying error telling me that I would have to change the sensor in two days. You have to 'click' through this before it will show you the readings. It only does this once a day but in my opinion its completely un-neccesary. I had a quick look at the website again today now that its launched and to be honest its a bit half-baked, it talks about a subscription but has no pricing details for it on the same page, it talks about training webinars but none are available and I am confused about this statement when talking about the inbuilt bolus calculator:
'Yes, the system can calculate a suggested mealtime insulin dose when using the built blood glucose in meter since it has a built-in insulin dose calculator function.'
What does this mean ? Who knows, can you use the bolus calculator with the sensor or just blood test strips, no idea.

They need some web quality control I think Smile

Not anything that would necessarily stop you getting one but you would hope they would have presented a professional image.....

Oct 24, 2014 Garry 328 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Cyborg Times (new BG meter) Thanks marke and Simon. I have been an Abbott fan for a number of years and will have a look at this new technology. I'm very disappointed by your feedback on Abbott support. Whenever I have had a problem with my current conventional Optium Xceed meters...their support, via helpful ladies on phone has been great. Sounds like a bit of a rushed out set up for this. Support would have to be first class for me to consider investing in the technology. I would not pay >Â£1300 pa without significant support. They need supply to pharmacists directly very quickly as I would not pay for delivery of sensors on an ongoing basis. Regards Garry

Oct 24, 2014 Garry 328 posts	Topic: General Discussion / QA ratios on the weekend We are all the same Mike_p. And we all appear to get round it in different ways! Used to be for me that I had less exercise at a weekend. Not now though as I try to keep active all week. Regards Garry

Oct 24, 2014 Simon 578 posts	Topic: DAFNE Online Mobile / iOS 8 health integration Hi, Welcome to the forum! Yes indeed there is, it's just a matter of time unfortunately. What did the other app do which you'd like ours to do as well? Thanks, Simon

Oct 23, 2014 marke 686 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Cyborg Times (new BG meter) How confident am I to go solo with the device ? Not very if I'm honest but I have no definite basis for this, its probably that I am used to my meter and individual blood tests. I am still checking through all the data that the sensor generated and comparing it with my meter. There are often differences of between 15-20% which is inside the legal requirement but still make me uneasy. Of course I have no idea which device was closer to the real value of my BG, it could be either, more likely both are off the true value. Once I have got to the bottom of some of the weird variations I will report back on here and maybe others can do the same. I'm sure many will run both the sensor and their current meter for a while. With regards to airport security, providing you have the reader/meter with you and can show them you scan the sensor its unlikely to be an issue. I have never had an issue in an airport with any of my diabetes kit so I don't think there will be an issues. Its nice that I'm not the only one who gets the bladerunner reference and indeed this technology would fit right in with the technology in the film

Oct 23, 2014 Muna A H 34 posts	Topic: General Discussion / diet Hi, I lost few kg since last May and my last HBA1c which was done in September was 6.9. I didn't have major hypos, maybe few, actually what was strange being high rather than low. I just cut down my carbs and of course injecting less QA to avoid hypos.

Oct 23, 2014 Magmaticchimp8 2 posts	Topic: DAFNE Online Mobile / iOS 8 health integration Hi, I wondered if there was any plans to make the iOS DAFNE Online app integrate with the apple health function. I have only just started using DAFNE online for recording my details but previously used an alternative app which did integrate with the apple health. Thanks Simon

Oct 23, 2014 sarahg 29 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Cyborg Times (new BG meter) Hi marke ,I think this could kit have come directly out of Blade Runner, thanks for all your feedback on the kit, it has really helped me think how I will end up using the tech to help manage my testing , I think it will be great for the gym, and the night time checks, but keep to the traditional BG for driving, or where it is important, do you think the airports will be ok with it, not having a pump I wonder what security would think? I am just waiting for my kit to come in the post hopefully not too long to I really can't to wait ! ðŸ˜ŠðŸ˜ŠðŸ˜Š

Oct 23, 2014 Julieann Brown 2 posts	Topic: Questions for HCPs / Help with BG Hi Sue, this is Julieann, can you take a look at my diary and let me know if I need to up my ratio more..?

Oct 23, 2014 JamesW 24 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Cyborg Times (new BG meter) An apt quote. So, do you miss the convenience? The "dissolving" pin is an interesting facet that I have not seen mentioned elsewhere. How confident would you feel about only using this device to monitor your levels? Pre-diagnosis you have no way of knowing/any interest in what your blood glucose levels are then all of a sudden you get handed a machine and some strips and told to deal with the numbers as they are presented. If you were put straight on to this device would you then doubt the test-strip approach if it was suggested? I suppose the best test would be over a period long enough to influence the HbA1c and see if the Flash meter's readings corresponded with the returned value. Thanks for taking the time to write about it. Appreciated.

Oct 22, 2014 Mike_p 4 posts	Topic: General Discussion / QA ratios on the weekend Hi all I seem to have spotted a pattern in my BG that would suggest I need to use higher QA ratios at the weekend than during the week! Because my BGs are usually higher from Friday evening to Sunday, and corrective doses seem to do not as much as expected. This sounds a bit bizarre, has anyone else noticed such a thing ? I can only put it down to different foods being eaten at weekends, different meal times, different activities being undertaken ... or maybe its just my CP counting of different foods eaten at the weekend is really bad and I need to tighten up on it.. thanks

Oct 22, 2014 marke 686 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Cyborg Times (new BG meter) Day 15: I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Abbott Sensors reading off the shoulder of my arm. I watched BG's glitter in the dark near the DAFNE targets. All those moments will be lost in time... like tears in rain... Time to die. (if you don't understand this quote, you have missed a great film !!) So no more sensor, between you and me being a techie once I had removed it from my arm I pulled it apart to see what was inside. Basically a battery and a single device on a round circuit-board. The thing that goes in your arm clips into the sensor with three contacts onto the circuit-board. Interestingly the 'pin' in my arm when removed was soft like a hair, it must have a coating that disolves over the 14 days. So do you really need to dispose of it in a sharps bin ? Worst case you can inclip the 'pin' which is small and put that into a sharps bin. I dumped all the data into csv file and examined it, very interesting. It looks like when you scan yourself it takes a reading there and then since these have a different 'type' id than the 15 min ones and are not in time sync with the other readings. Whats even more interesting is these readings don't seem to be consistent with the regular 15 min readings i,e a reading 1 minute before is 0.8 different to one a minute later. More investigation needed I think

Oct 22, 2014 Trish Skidmore 18 posts	Topic: General Discussion / diet Has anyone who's type 1 managed to lose weight successfully without it affecting there HBA1C and hypos.

Oct 22, 2014 Julieann Brown 2 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Help - BG Levels hi, I am trying to regulate my BG and I am very high, I attended the dafne course last week. I don't think its my BI as I don't a 3am check and it seems regulated. I am checking my CP from what I am eating and I think I am 90% correct in what I am taking. Do you think I need to up my ratio for lunch & dinner..? Julieann

Oct 22, 2014 Simon 578 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Cyborg Times (new BG meter) Thanks, you can call me Simon F though I'm pleased to see that Abbot have now fixed the VAT removal on their website; when you add an item to the basket and specify that you are eligible for VAT relief then the price will be the VAT excluded one. They also seem to have realised that Â£10 for delivery was a bit steep and this is now reduced to Â£5. Still nothing on subscriptions though.

Oct 22, 2014 novorapidboi26 1,819 posts	Topic: General Discussion / BG diary help please (2) (mum2westiesGill diary) no, I had mistaken the CP values for your QA values, so that's my fault.......... the large rise then is likely due to that 1.8 CPs, after you get your dose right for basal here, you can start to investigate your insulin/carb ratio for snacks at bed time.........obviously you had eaten something as 5.1 was a tad low for your liking, but in the future you could try something smaller maybe...... hopefully though you will find your right basal dose overnight anyway and you can start to become more confident going to bed on target.........;)

Oct 22, 2014 mum2westiesGill 502 posts	Topic: General Discussion / BG diary help please (2) (mum2westiesGill diary) Hi NRB, Thanks for your help. Have I done the diary entry wrong? At the 5.1 reading I ate 18g of carbs with no bolus.

Oct 22, 2014 novorapidboi26 1,819 posts	Topic: General Discussion / BG diary help please (2) (mum2westiesGill diary) your results from last night into this morning is promising.............you only dropped by 1.6..............so that's officially holding steady........ the previous night you actually went up from 5.8 [even with correction] to 16.4.............why did you correct at 5.1? a lot of folk would be wanting to take on carbs through fear of hypo........taking on insulin here means a basal test isn't giving accurate results...........it may be that you went low overnight and your liver has responded giving you the high........ if you can repeat last nights conditions, which was dinner at 19:00-20:00, try and stay away from large amounts of carbs and carbs that may still be digesting longer than normal, don't take any correction before bed if you can, then a 3am and morning..........another 2 days should confirm whats going on and what adjustments you need to do....... good job.....

Oct 22, 2014 mum2westiesGill 502 posts	Topic: General Discussion / BG diary help please (2) (mum2westiesGill diary) "take a before bed, ideally a 3 am then a morning" Last night's (21/10) basal test

Oct 21, 2014 marke 686 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Cyborg Times (new BG meter) Day 14: 20 hours left until shutdown News today is a managed to get some questions answered by Abbott ! Some were not very useful and I have questioned the answers so won't bore you with them. One interesting point is the response to why the sensor only lasts 14 days, the answer is: Among the reasons that the sensor life is 14 days is the reaction of the skin, both to the adhesive, and the presence of a foreign object (the fibre). Also, the enzymes in the sensor cannot continue to work indefinitely. Since the size and weight of the sensor had limitations to make it as discreet as possible, the battery had to be sized accordingly. The sensor life is not directly related to the number of readings it can hold, as readings older than 8 hours are overwritten. Not convinced by the first part otherwise you would only be able to wear one for two weeks, so why sell a continuous supply ? But anyway an answer. The question of can it be worn in other places I can answer, no, they have only done testing with the sensor on the upper arm so their data is only for this area. If you attach it somewhere else then the readings cannot be gauranteed to be accurate. SimonC thanks for your full write up as well, all useful info. Final how did we get them to try ? luck, pure and simple

Oct 21, 2014 CurlyWurly 15 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Cyborg Times (new BG meter) How did you get to sample the system in the first place? Question for Abbott: can the sensor be worn anywhere other than the arm? What are the future plans for delivering the sensors to the users? Using a courier every month proves costly for the user - would pharmacies be an option?

Oct 21, 2014 sarahg 29 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Cyborg Times (new BG meter) Hi Marke & Simon thanks for the heads up with the web site, I have ordered my starter pack, and would really like to use the web instructions for help with using the kit when the get it in the post. Hoping that Abotts will take on board what you guys have said and make sure it is all up and running soon. Ordering seemed fine, but as you say the standing order to place regular sensors appeared not to work, which you think would be key to them to make all the development of the kit worth while for them. Thanks for all the information on how you are getting on. Cheers

Oct 21, 2014 Alan M. 3 posts	Topic: DAFNE Online Mobile / Android App - Correction for high BG I always add my correction manually e.g. 6 units with an additional correction of 2 units as 6+2 I have just switched to Android from IOS and the app does seem more clunky and basic. The first think I have noticed is that - and + symbols aren't on the default keypad view so you have to press the Sym button first to get them. I hate to speak negatively of the Dafne apps as they are nothing but a great thing guys

Oct 20, 2014 Simon 578 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Cyborg Times (new BG meter) I too have been privileged enough to have a 14 day go of the new Freestyle Libre system so thought I'd add in my 2p worth... In terms of functionality, Mark is spot on. It gives you a chart plotted against your target range of interstitial glucose readings. The time lag between blood and interstitial readings is around 20 minutes and I believe that this is accurate having used the meter over the past 2 weeks. I was a bit concerned before using it as I'd been warned about the meter being way off with glucose measurements however am pleased to say I did some finger prick tests to verify the readings I was getting and they were largely the same. In terms of the sensor, applying it to my upper arm was painless and it's very easy to forget it's there (I too have knocked it on more than one occasion). It's also been showerproof, and I've been doing some fairly vigorous circuit training over the past couple of weeks and am pleased to say the sensor stayed attached despite copious amounts of sweat production on my part. Having the ability to see the trend leading up to your current glucose reading is really useful and I found it helped me more accurately judge my insulin requirements (e.g. I wouldn't correct as much if I was high but on the way down) and avoid hypos. In terms of convenience it is so much easier to swipe the sensor with the meter rather than load a strip, prick my finger, apply the blood to the strip and clean the blood after. As my confidence in the sensors readings grew I needed to do finger prick tests less and less. I also particularly liked the fact that the meter isn't continuously monitoring; a few months ago I tried the Navigator CGM system and got really annoyed when the meter woke me up a few times during the night telling me that I was headed for a hypo when that was nowhere near the case. That said I do have good hypo awareness so perhaps a true CGM would be of benefit to those who don't have good hypo awareness. In terms of the meter it is well built, and the chart and logbook functions are as you'd expect. One annoyance for me was the fact that you could only add food/insulin notes to the reading you've just scanned - you couldn't add them in to earlier readings or points in time. Pretty useless if you're in a hurry. I've not yet had a chance to try the software but will give that a go and let you know my thoughts when I do. One major sticking point that to run this will be prohibitively expensive for a large amount of people. As Peter rightly says, the annual running cost without VAT is around Â£1300, which in comparison to the annual cost of finger prick testing Â£0 is a massive difference. I'm no expert in manufacturing however would guess that the sensors only cost a tiny fraction of their retail cost to produce. Given that these meters and sensors could greatly improve the management of a persons diabetes, I'd perhaps naively hope that Abbot would make this more affordable to the end user. Which brings me on to Abbot and their website - it is pretty shocking. There is promise of training however none is there. Subscriptions are mentioned but after an email exchange with them it seems they are not available yet with no timeframe or details of discounts. The shopping cart system asks if you are eligible for VAT relief and then doesn't apply it, instead charging you full price. It all just seems a bit cobbled together. Which would be almost excusable if they weren't wanting you to pay Â£1300 a year to use the system. They seriously need to sort these issues out before I will have confidence in their ability to deliver. So, in summary... This is fantastic technology. I've only been diabetic for 8 years so have missed out on the urine tests of yore but still feel that this is so much more advanced than finger prick testing. I really believe that it could improve my quality of life and management of diabetes, and would love to use thus system full time. The two major sticking points for me are the unjustifiably high cost for the end user, and poor website Abbot have created to sell this. That said, if you do get the chance to ha e a go, I would say go for it - experience the future!

Oct 20, 2014 marke 686 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Cyborg Times (new BG meter) Day 13: Not a lot to say about the sensor today, the reader/meter gave me another annoying error telling me that I would have to change the sensor in two days. You have to 'click' through this before it will show you the readings. It only does this once a day but in my opinion its completely un-neccesary. I had a quick look at the website again today now that its launched and to be honest its a bit half-baked, it talks about a subscription but has no pricing details for it on the same page, it talks about training webinars but none are available and I am confused about this statement when talking about the inbuilt bolus calculator: 'Yes, the system can calculate a suggested mealtime insulin dose when using the built blood glucose in meter since it has a built-in insulin dose calculator function.' What does this mean ? Who knows, can you use the bolus calculator with the sensor or just blood test strips, no idea. They need some web quality control I think Not anything that would necessarily stop you getting one but you would hope they would have presented a professional image.....