FreeStyle Libre: my new best friend?

This is my first post about my diabetes, and I am going to keep it fairly short.

Today I finally got sent my first FreeStyle Libre: a fancy flash glucose monitoring system that allows you to scan your arm like a barcode to check your bloodsugar. As long as you scan the sensor at least once every eight hours, you can see how your bloodsugar changes over time, tracking if it is heading for a high (hyperglycemia) or a crash (hypoglycemia). This is very cool.

The first time I attached the sensor on my arm was a little scary as it has a rather gnarly needle – admittedly I had to sit down post attachment while the dog looked at me nervously. I have linked my sensor with the Freestyle Libre App on my phone so I can track it from there, and all the data is automatically shared with my diabetes team.

I have now scanned my arm four times in 10 minutes, which is not the idea, but I am very excited.

This is because it has taken me numerous letters to various doctors and two practice changes to finally get this thing on the NHS. I am an avid runner, exercise lover, traveller and imbiber of alcoholic beverages, so I am hopeful this new device will change my life for the better.

In future posts I will share a lot more info about my journey as a Type 1 diabetic and the thrills and spills that have occurred.

I will also provide updates on my experience with the FreeStyle Libre and how it is impacting my control (or lack thereof) – there may even be graphs…

A quick thought to end this first post: Type 1 Diabetes does not have to rule your life – you just have to learn its tricksy ways and forgive yourself when all does not go to plan.

Disclaimer: this is a blog about my personal journey with diabetes. I am not a medical expert so please don’t use this as an advice column.