Continuous Glucose Monitoring - my second week

My first week with my CGM was very much in awe of it - my second week was about using the information to reign in my diabetes management.

People get anywhere between seven to fourteen days out of a continuous glucose sensor. I was lucky enough to get reach over 14 days.

In my second week, I started to look at the data in detail and find trends. I downloaded the data from my insulin pump to the Animas software programme, Diasend. With this software I can create reports that tell me what my average blood glucose readings were at each time of the day for any time period I choose.

In particular, I wanted to address my night time basal insulin rates and the fact that it bounced up and down like a rubber ball from 10:30pm til 4am. I selected my date as Monday through to Friday. From the report created, it looked like my evening basal rates were too low and my dawn phenomenon cover was too high.

I made the adjustments and have had a couple of hypos, so I still need to tweak my rates. However, my one and only sensor, because I had it on trial, had bitten the dust and I now feel like I'm flying blind.

I really miss having the extra information to make daily decisions about my insulin dose. The CGM not only gives you an indication of what your blood sugar is, it also indicates, with an arrow, in which direction it is heading. Or a double arrow if it's going there quickly!

This information is soooo useful especially at bedtime. A blood sugar reading of 6.8 mmol/L(122 mg/dl)and holding is much better than 6.8 and dropping.

I hope to apply to the HSE long term illness scheme for funding for a CGM but with holidays and a family wedding it will be, at least, September before I knuckle down to that.