Recent Posts - DAFNE Online

Jul 21, 2017

JayBee 587 posts

DoricAndy said:
What I don't get is why this is happening now after all these years, I'm not suffering from some lurgy.
I'm sounding like a newbie here and I've been diabetic 50 years!!!!!!!!

Sadly the goal posts do move for all sorts of reasons. Sad

Keep working at it. All the best.

Jul 20, 2017

novorapidboi26 1,819 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Wits end

DoricAndy said:
Insulin - Novorapid & Levemir. Levemir split into am & pm dosage

Correction factor - 2 or 3 units max based on lowering bloods by 4-6, but CF dependant on how much I'm "over" 6

Could you elaborate on dose timings, what exactly do you mean.

What I don't get is why this is happening now after all these years, I'm not suffering from some lurgy.
I'm sounding like a newbie here and I've been diabetic 50 years!!!!!!!!

I thought I had responded on my phone....

Dose timings refers to the time between injecting and actually eating....novorapid takes 10-15 minutes to get going properly so you should wait that time minimum before eating. This will get your post meal spikes down...

You should do basal testing though and then move on to the insulin carb ratios...just the way DAFNE teaches...

Jul 20, 2017

torana 53 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Wits end

Hi Andy,
I can empathise with your situation of up and down BG's. I try to limit the amount of variables in order to get some data to ascertain where I'm going throughout the week. I find giving my doses as soon as I get home from work at say at 5.00pm creates a constant. It also gives time for small adjustments later on in the night without worrying too much. By doing this I can get measurements and BGs at the same time every day which makes it easier to compare.
On another tangent, there has been much discussion on low carb diets. I started on one and found my sugars were rising after dinner. I also love yoghurt with nuts, strawberries and cinnamon spread on top for my meal. After a meeting with my dietician I realised that in yogurt and nuts are fats and proteins which were not added to my calculations. There is literature on fats and proteins being a significant factor in increasing BGs. I have also found that diabetes control is not consistent or easy. All the best

Jul 19, 2017

Kamil 3 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Libre

marke said:
woah there a minute, the Libre doesn't show you accurate BG so using it as the basis to make corrections is potentially dangerous. It measures inter-cell fluid BG NOT blood BG and so is only a 'guide' . Whilst I agree that it would be concerning if your BG appears to stay at 11. You should do a normal BG test and base it on that. We can have too much information and make too many corrections based on this information. Easy to say I know, also easy to say but my cure for all this was a pump an advantage that I know NovarapidBoi also has. Unofrtunately getting them is a post code lottery. Hover if you get the chance , grab it as I believe they make a huge difference.

thank you. i know that it accuracy depends on a individual . i have tested it number of times and its always within 0.2 mmols unless im hypo which in my opinion is accurate enough to make decisions about corrections at meal time. but i will take your advice in the future

Jul 19, 2017

marke 686 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Libre

woah there a minute, the Libre doesn't show you accurate BG so using it as the basis to make corrections is potentially dangerous. It measures inter-cell fluid BG NOT blood BG and so is only a 'guide' . Whilst I agree that it would be concerning if your BG appears to stay at 11. You should do a normal BG test and base it on that. We can have too much information and make too many corrections based on this information. Easy to say I know, also easy to say but my cure for all this was a pump an advantage that I know NovarapidBoi also has. Unofrtunately getting them is a post code lottery. Hover if you get the chance , grab it as I believe they make a huge difference.

Jul 19, 2017

Kamil 3 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Libre

novorapidboi26 said:
Kamil said:
For me Libre was the best thing that happened to my diabetes management. Before Libre my HbA1c was 86 ( 10.0%) and now it's 60 ( 7.6). This is after 9 months of Libre; and I hope to get to 6.5-6.8 within next few months. I just finished my DAFNE course and Libre was very helpful with seeing my trend overnight, how quickly my insulin works for etc. In terms of Libre , I think it's very personal as some people find differences to be bigger then others and some people don't like or trust new technologies. Personally I love it and I can't imagine a day without it.

Would you say the overnight basal needs was the most significant bit of information you got from it.......how did that information effect your dose adjustment...?

i dont know if you are referring to libre in general or dafne. In terms of libre, it was adjusting my ratios and corrections as for example after breakfast my sugar level would stay at 11 and wouldn't decrease further so libre showed that corrections need increasing. also with basal it showed me that i have this dawn phenomenon and that increasing my basel will result in more hypos ( which did happen before libre ).
In terms of dafne, it was a bit tougher as DAFNE tells you to test 4 times a day and not to correct in between meals and i was doing something crazy like 30 scans before dafne so my diary was full and it was harder to see the pathen so i rewrote it. However, it was very usuful when increasing my background to see 24 h picture of my sugars and to see which basal needs increasing. i hope that answers your question

Jul 19, 2017

DoricAndy 2 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Wits end

Insulin - Novorapid & Levemir. Levemir split into am & pm dosage

Correction factor - 2 or 3 units max based on lowering bloods by 4-6, but CF dependant on how much I'm "over" 6

Could you elaborate on dose timings, what exactly do you mean.

What I don't get is why this is happening now after all these years, I'm not suffering from some lurgy.
I'm sounding like a newbie here and I've been diabetic 50 years!!!!!!!!

Jul 19, 2017

novorapidboi26 1,819 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Wits end

As you have said its time to reassess......both the ratios and the basal...........the basal first is wise......you should also try and establish your correction factor.....normally between 2 and 3 mmol per unit of insulin, but this can be tweaked too....

You should also consider experimenting with dose timing once you have conformed basal and insulin/carb ratios...

What insulin are you using...?

Jul 19, 2017

novorapidboi26 1,819 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Libre

Kamil said:
For me Libre was the best thing that happened to my diabetes management. Before Libre my HbA1c was 86 ( 10.0%) and now it's 60 ( 7.6). This is after 9 months of Libre; and I hope to get to 6.5-6.8 within next few months. I just finished my DAFNE course and Libre was very helpful with seeing my trend overnight, how quickly my insulin works for etc. In terms of Libre , I think it's very personal as some people find differences to be bigger then others and some people don't like or trust new technologies. Personally I love it and I can't imagine a day without it.

Would you say the overnight basal needs was the most significant bit of information you got from it.......how did that information effect your dose adjustment...?

Jul 19, 2017

DoricAndy 2 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Wits end

Been on Dafne now for 10 + years and have had a few ups and downs over the years BUT just recently I my bloods have been running riot and I cannot seem to get a grip of them. Just recently my partner decided it was time to try a low carb diet - good but since starting this regime my bloods have been running consistently high, running at around 14/15. In the morning I can be spot on at about 6, have my "low" carb breakfast, usually soya yogurt, some seeds and maybe 5 strawberries, I take 3 units to cover the strawberries as the yogurt and seed are negligible, Test 2 hours after breakfast and I'm running at 10/11, after that it's all downhill..........
What concerns me is that no matter how I try to correct I don't seem to bring down blood levels, even eating a low carb meal doesn't seem to help. There is no rhyme nor reason as to why this big change (or is there), or is it just a sign that I'm getting old Sad

Since starting Dafne I have always used a 1:2 ratio and this has worked out fine, but is it time to reassess ratios even though it hasn't let me down over the past 10+ years and nothing seems to have upset my regime (except my "new diet").
Any ideas?

Jul 16, 2017

Kamil 3 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Libre

For me Libre was the best thing that happened to my diabetes management. Before Libre my HbA1c was 86 ( 10.0%) and now it's 60 ( 7.6). This is after 9 months of Libre; and I hope to get to 6.5-6.8 within next few months. I just finished my DAFNE course and Libre was very helpful with seeing my trend overnight, how quickly my insulin works for etc. In terms of Libre , I think it's very personal as some people find differences to be bigger then others and some people don't like or trust new technologies. Personally I love it and I can't imagine a day without it.

Jul 14, 2017

Warwick 425 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Libre

Wow. I had one Dexcom sensor knocked out during basketball. Now I wear my cycle bib shorts over the sensor and under my basketball gear and had no further trouble. I'd be very upset through if someone tried to rip it out. I wear the Dexcom sensor on my abdomen so not usually visible to public.

Jul 13, 2017

sjohno 37 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Libre

DianeH said:
I've been wondering about Libre. What is Dexcom and is it available in the UK? Which works better? I am hesitating partly because I have not seen one as it (Libre) only seems to be available online and I am not sure what thickness it is. Is it like a thickish plaster or is it something hard, a couple of mm thick, that could catch on things. I tend to brush against furniture in the house and twigs etc when gardening and wonder whether that would be a problem. Diabetes nurse suggested it might help and I would find the data useful, at least occasionally, for a month or two, to check what is really going on. My fingers do get sore and very calloussed.I would welcome advice from other users.

Hi DianeH

I did actually chat to the lady with the Libre so I had quite a good look and she showed me how it worked. It was a grey round disc, quite big - you can't miss it Laughing

She did let me know that one day someone came up to her and told her 'oh you've got something on your arm' and started flicking at it till they flicked it off her arm Shocked

Jul 12, 2017

Warwick 425 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Libre

http://www.dexcom.com/en-GB I use the Dexcom G4 Platinum which I am not sure if it is still available. It works out more cost effective for me then the Libre as I can get sensors to last around 6 weeks as opposed to 2 weeks. I have no plans to upgrade to the Dexcom G5 though as its transmitter is hard-wired to last 3 months which would make it unaffordable for me. I'm currently getting in excess of a year from a G4 transmitter. If the G4 stops being supported then I'll switch to a Libre.

Jul 11, 2017

DianeH 7 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Libre

I've been wondering about Libre. What is Dexcom and is it available in the UK? Which works better? I am hesitating partly because I have not seen one as it (Libre) only seems to be available online and I am not sure what thickness it is. Is it like a thickish plaster or is it something hard, a couple of mm thick, that could catch on things. I tend to brush against furniture in the house and twigs etc when gardening and wonder whether that would be a problem. Diabetes nurse suggested it might help and I would find the data useful, at least occasionally, for a month or two, to check what is really going on. My fingers do get sore and very calloussed.I would welcome advice from other users. Smile

Jul 4, 2017

JayBee 587 posts

Topic: General Discussion / DAFNE Follow-Up Course - No Help?

If your DSN team are anything like mine, they expect that if you've done DAFNE then you should be able to suss everything out yourself with minimal follow up care from them (which is a stupid attitude to be frank but that's how it is with my DSN team).

All the best with tackling it all.

Jul 3, 2017

Simon Quinnell 16 posts

Topic: General Discussion / DAFNE Follow-Up Course - No Help?

Marke,

Without sounding a misery guts (I do appreciate that the NHS is overstretched), when I do see the consultant, he'll spend about 10 minutes with me, look at my BG diary, and say something like, "Your diabetes is unstable. Go and see the diabetes nurse to help stabilise it. Come back and see me in six months time."

Unfortunately for me I've been told that my diabetes is not unstable enough to qualify for an insulin pump, so I have to do the best I can with injections.

On a positive note, at least I get a proper check-up at my GPs once a year.

Jul 2, 2017

marke 686 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Kings Refresher Days

All,
If you are a King's DAFNE Graduate then we'd like to invite you to one of our DAFNE Refresher Days, which we run throughout the year. See here . for poster and dates.

They are for any King's College Hospital patients who have attended a DAFNE course in the past. The days are an ideal way to refresh carbohydrate counting and insulin dose adjustment skills, with morning workshops focusing on these areas for everyone and the afternoon sessions being a choice of two workshops including exercise, eating out and alcohol, pump management and emotional well-being.

The days are always well evaluated, with people enjoying being able to meet and chat to other people with type 1 diabetes as well as the pharmaceutical reps and charities we have supporting the event.

The day also has exciting talks by members of the team on new diabetes research developments, a focus on behaviour and beliefs and an "On The Sofa" session where you get to pose your questions to the team.

For further information, or to book your spot please contact the Kings Team on [email protected] or ring 0203 299 1812 with your information.

Jul 2, 2017

marke 686 posts

Topic: General Discussion / DAFNE Follow-Up Course - No Help?

sorry for the delayed reply, I probably passed out with Shock when I read you had not seen a consultant for two years !!! Which hospital are you under in Maidstone ? I live in Ashford just down the road from you and see consultants at two hospitals at the moment ( sorry). ALL T1's should be seen by a consultant ever 12 months and its ridiculous that you are being seen by no one. I don't accept staff shortages as an excuse. Are you a member of Diabetes UK ? I would let them know about this and if you are not a member I will let the know. Their campaigning manager for the South-East wants to come visit my local group soon and this is exactly the kind of issue that they should be campaigning about.

Jul 2, 2017

marke 686 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Blood sugar spiking between 3am and 7am

Hi,
What BI insulin are you taking and do you split doses i.e take two BI injections a day ? This will help us to advise. It 'could' be something called Dawn Phenomenon however without more information its impossible to suggest anything. It would be useful to know your QA insulin as well and how often you inject this ? ( in theory before meals, but other times ? )

Jul 2, 2017

Peter 109 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Top tips that people have learnt from their diabetes education course

I’ve been asked by Diabetes UK to ask for input to their latest survey:.

Hi

Diabetes UK is launching an exciting new project collecting the top tips that people have learnt from their diabetes education course. As a DAFNE graduate we want to hear from you about the top tip that you took away from the course. What was the best thing you learnt? What did you take away that changed your life?

We’ll use some of the tips we receive to produce a free resource for people living with diabetes that will launch in the autumn. The resource will give everyone an idea of just some of the life changing tips that you can learn from courses like DAFNE that can help you face the challenges of living with diabetes.

If you’d like to take part please follow this link to let us know your top tip.

We know that far too few people currently attend diabetes education courses. We hope that by sharing these top tips, the resource will help more people manage their diabetes well, and encourage more people to attend courses like DAFNE.

Thanks

Jess Hodge
Campaigns & Public Affairs Support Officer
Diabetes UK

Jul 2, 2017

Peter 109 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Libre

I fully agree with Warwick that DAFNE should be a pre-requisite and not just for CGM/Libre use but also for an insulin pump. Without the solid foundation that DAFNE provides on carb. counting and dosage adjustment, the extra technology will provide lots more control options and result data but no knowledge of what to do next.

I have used the Libre for 18 months now, find it unobtrusive (although it does have a tendency to leave marks on removal as Sarah says) and the simplicity of taking multiple readings vastly increase knowledge of what the impact of different food types and exercise are on control. In addition to Warwick's comments on post breakfast levels, the other thing that the Libre (or CGM) allows is to get clear visibility of the impacts of changing the timing of insulin dosage ahead of eating. It also shows clearly how (for me) insulin post meal is a bad idea.

Personally, I wouldn't go back to blood glucose testing solely with a strip now, even with the cost of Libre.

Jul 2, 2017

torana 53 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Blood sugar spiking between 3am and 7am

Hi Paul it's an awful feeling thinking that your BG is high for so long throughout the night and then makes a bad start to the day. I feel like I'm always chasing my tail. When my BG is rising at the end of the night and keeps on going higher towards morning before waking I increase my background insulin by one and then check how it's going at approximately 1-2am. There are so many variables such as amount of exercise, sickness, changes in diet etc etc that I am always careful when making changes to my insulin routine. Also, I have a split background insulin dosage for the morning and night. Best of luck.

Jul 21, 2017 JayBee 587 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Wits end DoricAndy said: What I don't get is why this is happening now after all these years, I'm not suffering from some lurgy. I'm sounding like a newbie here and I've been diabetic 50 years!!!!!!!! Sadly the goal posts do move for all sorts of reasons. Keep working at it. All the best.

Jul 20, 2017 novorapidboi26 1,819 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Wits end DoricAndy said: Insulin - Novorapid & Levemir. Levemir split into am & pm dosage Correction factor - 2 or 3 units max based on lowering bloods by 4-6, but CF dependant on how much I'm "over" 6 Could you elaborate on dose timings, what exactly do you mean. What I don't get is why this is happening now after all these years, I'm not suffering from some lurgy. I'm sounding like a newbie here and I've been diabetic 50 years!!!!!!!! I thought I had responded on my phone.... Dose timings refers to the time between injecting and actually eating....novorapid takes 10-15 minutes to get going properly so you should wait that time minimum before eating. This will get your post meal spikes down... You should do basal testing though and then move on to the insulin carb ratios...just the way DAFNE teaches...

Jul 20, 2017 torana 53 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Wits end Hi Andy, I can empathise with your situation of up and down BG's. I try to limit the amount of variables in order to get some data to ascertain where I'm going throughout the week. I find giving my doses as soon as I get home from work at say at 5.00pm creates a constant. It also gives time for small adjustments later on in the night without worrying too much. By doing this I can get measurements and BGs at the same time every day which makes it easier to compare. On another tangent, there has been much discussion on low carb diets. I started on one and found my sugars were rising after dinner. I also love yoghurt with nuts, strawberries and cinnamon spread on top for my meal. After a meeting with my dietician I realised that in yogurt and nuts are fats and proteins which were not added to my calculations. There is literature on fats and proteins being a significant factor in increasing BGs. I have also found that diabetes control is not consistent or easy. All the best

Jul 19, 2017 Kamil 3 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Libre marke said: woah there a minute, the Libre doesn't show you accurate BG so using it as the basis to make corrections is potentially dangerous. It measures inter-cell fluid BG NOT blood BG and so is only a 'guide' . Whilst I agree that it would be concerning if your BG appears to stay at 11. You should do a normal BG test and base it on that. We can have too much information and make too many corrections based on this information. Easy to say I know, also easy to say but my cure for all this was a pump an advantage that I know NovarapidBoi also has. Unofrtunately getting them is a post code lottery. Hover if you get the chance , grab it as I believe they make a huge difference. thank you. i know that it accuracy depends on a individual . i have tested it number of times and its always within 0.2 mmols unless im hypo which in my opinion is accurate enough to make decisions about corrections at meal time. but i will take your advice in the future

Jul 19, 2017 marke 686 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Libre woah there a minute, the Libre doesn't show you accurate BG so using it as the basis to make corrections is potentially dangerous. It measures inter-cell fluid BG NOT blood BG and so is only a 'guide' . Whilst I agree that it would be concerning if your BG appears to stay at 11. You should do a normal BG test and base it on that. We can have too much information and make too many corrections based on this information. Easy to say I know, also easy to say but my cure for all this was a pump an advantage that I know NovarapidBoi also has. Unofrtunately getting them is a post code lottery. Hover if you get the chance , grab it as I believe they make a huge difference.

Jul 19, 2017 Kamil 3 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Libre novorapidboi26 said: Kamil said: For me Libre was the best thing that happened to my diabetes management. Before Libre my HbA1c was 86 ( 10.0%) and now it's 60 ( 7.6). This is after 9 months of Libre; and I hope to get to 6.5-6.8 within next few months. I just finished my DAFNE course and Libre was very helpful with seeing my trend overnight, how quickly my insulin works for etc. In terms of Libre , I think it's very personal as some people find differences to be bigger then others and some people don't like or trust new technologies. Personally I love it and I can't imagine a day without it. Would you say the overnight basal needs was the most significant bit of information you got from it.......how did that information effect your dose adjustment...? i dont know if you are referring to libre in general or dafne. In terms of libre, it was adjusting my ratios and corrections as for example after breakfast my sugar level would stay at 11 and wouldn't decrease further so libre showed that corrections need increasing. also with basal it showed me that i have this dawn phenomenon and that increasing my basel will result in more hypos ( which did happen before libre ). In terms of dafne, it was a bit tougher as DAFNE tells you to test 4 times a day and not to correct in between meals and i was doing something crazy like 30 scans before dafne so my diary was full and it was harder to see the pathen so i rewrote it. However, it was very usuful when increasing my background to see 24 h picture of my sugars and to see which basal needs increasing. i hope that answers your question

Jul 19, 2017 DoricAndy 2 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Wits end Insulin - Novorapid & Levemir. Levemir split into am & pm dosage Correction factor - 2 or 3 units max based on lowering bloods by 4-6, but CF dependant on how much I'm "over" 6 Could you elaborate on dose timings, what exactly do you mean. What I don't get is why this is happening now after all these years, I'm not suffering from some lurgy. I'm sounding like a newbie here and I've been diabetic 50 years!!!!!!!!

Jul 19, 2017 novorapidboi26 1,819 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Wits end As you have said its time to reassess......both the ratios and the basal...........the basal first is wise......you should also try and establish your correction factor.....normally between 2 and 3 mmol per unit of insulin, but this can be tweaked too.... You should also consider experimenting with dose timing once you have conformed basal and insulin/carb ratios... What insulin are you using...?

Jul 19, 2017 novorapidboi26 1,819 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Libre Kamil said: For me Libre was the best thing that happened to my diabetes management. Before Libre my HbA1c was 86 ( 10.0%) and now it's 60 ( 7.6). This is after 9 months of Libre; and I hope to get to 6.5-6.8 within next few months. I just finished my DAFNE course and Libre was very helpful with seeing my trend overnight, how quickly my insulin works for etc. In terms of Libre , I think it's very personal as some people find differences to be bigger then others and some people don't like or trust new technologies. Personally I love it and I can't imagine a day without it. Would you say the overnight basal needs was the most significant bit of information you got from it.......how did that information effect your dose adjustment...?

Jul 19, 2017 DoricAndy 2 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Wits end Been on Dafne now for 10 + years and have had a few ups and downs over the years BUT just recently I my bloods have been running riot and I cannot seem to get a grip of them. Just recently my partner decided it was time to try a low carb diet - good but since starting this regime my bloods have been running consistently high, running at around 14/15. In the morning I can be spot on at about 6, have my "low" carb breakfast, usually soya yogurt, some seeds and maybe 5 strawberries, I take 3 units to cover the strawberries as the yogurt and seed are negligible, Test 2 hours after breakfast and I'm running at 10/11, after that it's all downhill.......... What concerns me is that no matter how I try to correct I don't seem to bring down blood levels, even eating a low carb meal doesn't seem to help. There is no rhyme nor reason as to why this big change (or is there), or is it just a sign that I'm getting old Since starting Dafne I have always used a 1:2 ratio and this has worked out fine, but is it time to reassess ratios even though it hasn't let me down over the past 10+ years and nothing seems to have upset my regime (except my "new diet"). Any ideas?

Jul 16, 2017 Kamil 3 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Libre For me Libre was the best thing that happened to my diabetes management. Before Libre my HbA1c was 86 ( 10.0%) and now it's 60 ( 7.6). This is after 9 months of Libre; and I hope to get to 6.5-6.8 within next few months. I just finished my DAFNE course and Libre was very helpful with seeing my trend overnight, how quickly my insulin works for etc. In terms of Libre , I think it's very personal as some people find differences to be bigger then others and some people don't like or trust new technologies. Personally I love it and I can't imagine a day without it.

Jul 14, 2017 Warwick 425 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Libre Wow. I had one Dexcom sensor knocked out during basketball. Now I wear my cycle bib shorts over the sensor and under my basketball gear and had no further trouble. I'd be very upset through if someone tried to rip it out. I wear the Dexcom sensor on my abdomen so not usually visible to public.

Jul 13, 2017 sjohno 37 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Libre DianeH said: I've been wondering about Libre. What is Dexcom and is it available in the UK? Which works better? I am hesitating partly because I have not seen one as it (Libre) only seems to be available online and I am not sure what thickness it is. Is it like a thickish plaster or is it something hard, a couple of mm thick, that could catch on things. I tend to brush against furniture in the house and twigs etc when gardening and wonder whether that would be a problem. Diabetes nurse suggested it might help and I would find the data useful, at least occasionally, for a month or two, to check what is really going on. My fingers do get sore and very calloussed.I would welcome advice from other users. Hi DianeH I did actually chat to the lady with the Libre so I had quite a good look and she showed me how it worked. It was a grey round disc, quite big - you can't miss it She did let me know that one day someone came up to her and told her 'oh you've got something on your arm' and started flicking at it till they flicked it off her arm

Jul 12, 2017 Warwick 425 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Libre http://www.dexcom.com/en-GB I use the Dexcom G4 Platinum which I am not sure if it is still available. It works out more cost effective for me then the Libre as I can get sensors to last around 6 weeks as opposed to 2 weeks. I have no plans to upgrade to the Dexcom G5 though as its transmitter is hard-wired to last 3 months which would make it unaffordable for me. I'm currently getting in excess of a year from a G4 transmitter. If the G4 stops being supported then I'll switch to a Libre.

Jul 11, 2017 DianeH 7 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Libre I've been wondering about Libre. What is Dexcom and is it available in the UK? Which works better? I am hesitating partly because I have not seen one as it (Libre) only seems to be available online and I am not sure what thickness it is. Is it like a thickish plaster or is it something hard, a couple of mm thick, that could catch on things. I tend to brush against furniture in the house and twigs etc when gardening and wonder whether that would be a problem. Diabetes nurse suggested it might help and I would find the data useful, at least occasionally, for a month or two, to check what is really going on. My fingers do get sore and very calloussed.I would welcome advice from other users.

Jul 4, 2017 JayBee 587 posts	Topic: General Discussion / DAFNE Follow-Up Course - No Help? If your DSN team are anything like mine, they expect that if you've done DAFNE then you should be able to suss everything out yourself with minimal follow up care from them (which is a stupid attitude to be frank but that's how it is with my DSN team). All the best with tackling it all.

Jul 3, 2017 Simon Quinnell 16 posts	Topic: General Discussion / DAFNE Follow-Up Course - No Help? Marke, Without sounding a misery guts (I do appreciate that the NHS is overstretched), when I do see the consultant, he'll spend about 10 minutes with me, look at my BG diary, and say something like, "Your diabetes is unstable. Go and see the diabetes nurse to help stabilise it. Come back and see me in six months time." Unfortunately for me I've been told that my diabetes is not unstable enough to qualify for an insulin pump, so I have to do the best I can with injections. On a positive note, at least I get a proper check-up at my GPs once a year.

Jul 2, 2017 marke 686 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Kings Refresher Days All, If you are a King's DAFNE Graduate then we'd like to invite you to one of our DAFNE Refresher Days, which we run throughout the year. See here . for poster and dates. They are for any King's College Hospital patients who have attended a DAFNE course in the past. The days are an ideal way to refresh carbohydrate counting and insulin dose adjustment skills, with morning workshops focusing on these areas for everyone and the afternoon sessions being a choice of two workshops including exercise, eating out and alcohol, pump management and emotional well-being. The days are always well evaluated, with people enjoying being able to meet and chat to other people with type 1 diabetes as well as the pharmaceutical reps and charities we have supporting the event. The day also has exciting talks by members of the team on new diabetes research developments, a focus on behaviour and beliefs and an "On The Sofa" session where you get to pose your questions to the team. For further information, or to book your spot please contact the Kings Team on [email protected] or ring 0203 299 1812 with your information.

Jul 2, 2017 marke 686 posts	Topic: General Discussion / DAFNE Follow-Up Course - No Help? sorry for the delayed reply, I probably passed out with Shock when I read you had not seen a consultant for two years !!! Which hospital are you under in Maidstone ? I live in Ashford just down the road from you and see consultants at two hospitals at the moment ( sorry). ALL T1's should be seen by a consultant ever 12 months and its ridiculous that you are being seen by no one. I don't accept staff shortages as an excuse. Are you a member of Diabetes UK ? I would let them know about this and if you are not a member I will let the know. Their campaigning manager for the South-East wants to come visit my local group soon and this is exactly the kind of issue that they should be campaigning about.

Jul 2, 2017 marke 686 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Blood sugar spiking between 3am and 7am Hi, What BI insulin are you taking and do you split doses i.e take two BI injections a day ? This will help us to advise. It 'could' be something called Dawn Phenomenon however without more information its impossible to suggest anything. It would be useful to know your QA insulin as well and how often you inject this ? ( in theory before meals, but other times ? )

Jul 2, 2017 Peter 109 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Top tips that people have learnt from their diabetes education course I’ve been asked by Diabetes UK to ask for input to their latest survey:. Hi Diabetes UK is launching an exciting new project collecting the top tips that people have learnt from their diabetes education course. As a DAFNE graduate we want to hear from you about the top tip that you took away from the course. What was the best thing you learnt? What did you take away that changed your life? We’ll use some of the tips we receive to produce a free resource for people living with diabetes that will launch in the autumn. The resource will give everyone an idea of just some of the life changing tips that you can learn from courses like DAFNE that can help you face the challenges of living with diabetes. If you’d like to take part please follow this link to let us know your top tip. We know that far too few people currently attend diabetes education courses. We hope that by sharing these top tips, the resource will help more people manage their diabetes well, and encourage more people to attend courses like DAFNE. Thanks Jess Hodge Campaigns & Public Affairs Support Officer Diabetes UK

Jul 2, 2017 Peter 109 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Libre I fully agree with Warwick that DAFNE should be a pre-requisite and not just for CGM/Libre use but also for an insulin pump. Without the solid foundation that DAFNE provides on carb. counting and dosage adjustment, the extra technology will provide lots more control options and result data but no knowledge of what to do next. I have used the Libre for 18 months now, find it unobtrusive (although it does have a tendency to leave marks on removal as Sarah says) and the simplicity of taking multiple readings vastly increase knowledge of what the impact of different food types and exercise are on control. In addition to Warwick's comments on post breakfast levels, the other thing that the Libre (or CGM) allows is to get clear visibility of the impacts of changing the timing of insulin dosage ahead of eating. It also shows clearly how (for me) insulin post meal is a bad idea. Personally, I wouldn't go back to blood glucose testing solely with a strip now, even with the cost of Libre.

Jul 2, 2017 torana 53 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Blood sugar spiking between 3am and 7am Hi Paul it's an awful feeling thinking that your BG is high for so long throughout the night and then makes a bad start to the day. I feel like I'm always chasing my tail. When my BG is rising at the end of the night and keeps on going higher towards morning before waking I increase my background insulin by one and then check how it's going at approximately 1-2am. There are so many variables such as amount of exercise, sickness, changes in diet etc etc that I am always careful when making changes to my insulin routine. Also, I have a split background insulin dosage for the morning and night. Best of luck.