Getting Started Using The Freestyle Libre 2 CGM As A Type 1 Diabetic
I am still here, living my Red Sugar Life as a Type 1 Diabetic. One of the exciting changes in my life recently was beginning care with a new endocrinologist! One of the first things she did was switch me to a different insulin that acts as both a long-acting AND short-acting insulin! YAY! This was such a relief for me because I was taking two different insulins before. Now, I don’t have to worry about keeping up the costs of two sets of insulin, and that means I don’t have to take twice as many injections, that means a much SMALLER volume of insulin I am taking (the sheer amount I had to take previously was a MASSIVE burden on me and my body for many different reasons and was actually doing me more harm than good and causing problems in other areas of my body. I’m thinking I may go into more detail in a later article about these issues I was having), and so much more! This new insulin is also in pen form, so I am still using pen needles, which I talk about more here.
HUGE Change, GOOD Change
I mentioned to my new endocrinologist that I was so ready to try a CGM (continuous glucose meter) instead of having to prick my fingers over 10 times a day. I have to check very often because I have insulin resistance which causes my blood sugar to be unstable. By the way, another thing she is doing is looking into why I experience this horrific insulin resistance. So in time, I will have more answers to this awful thing I am going through.
She told me she was going to start me on a CGM, and that for now it would be the Freestyle Libre 2. She wanted to start me on the Dexcom G6 CGM which will take time to process (I’m getting it soon OMG!!!!! YAY!) so while we are waiting she started me on the Freestyle Libre 2 first. I was excited to start as it was my first time using a CGM ever, and I already knew that I would immediately benefit from it. It is such a relief not to have to worry about pricking my fingers, and that I can check my blood sugar in literally seconds from start to finish, instead of having to “set up” to do it each and every time. I honestly hated having to do it. I was tired of the calluses on my fingers from having to prick them so often and could not fathom having to go through this for the rest of my Red Sugar Life. The 10,000th plus time is no more pleasant than the first time. Seriously.
So the first time I had a sensor applied to me was right there the same day she prescribed it. Since it was a new sensor I had to wait 60 minutes before I could start monitoring my blood sugar levels. The nurse applied it and then showed me how it’s done. I was immediately in awe of its simplicity. It was such a stark contrast to all of the hubalub I had to go through to prick my fingers before. With this CGM, once it is placed it can stay on for 14 days before needing to be replaced. Now, this thing DEFINITELY has its challenges, such as the sensors COMING OFF or deactivating before 14 days have passed. But, I know for sure that using a CGM instead of finger pricking is way better for me overall. I have weighed the pros and cons of me using a cgm over finger pricking and CGM wins overall.
Speaking of Pricking…
I also expressed concerns to her that I was ready to try an insulin pump, which would be extremely beneficial for me for many reasons. Before this new endo I had been advised previously that I am a good candidate for the pump. However, because of the large amount of insulin I need to take, a pump isn’t feasible right now simply due to the limits a pump can hold at one time. I was sooooooooo disappointed to hear that. Seriously. So for now I am not able to do a pump but it is not off of the table entirely at this time. Yay! I think once we get to the root of this insulin resistance thing it can be reconsidered. But in the meantime, I am so exhausted with injections at this point. See here where I discuss more about my experience with insulin injections! Up until recently, I was doing at least 4 a day, not including corrections. So, let’s do the math here. Remember, being a Type 1 diabetic is a 24/7/365 thing, there are no breaks or holidays or time-off. No vacations. So:
365 days per year x 4 injections per day (minimum) = 1,460 injections I give myself per year.
Yup. 1460 injections per year, minimum. And I am definitely an expert at it at this point in my life. It’s exhausting, and yes that is a lot of injections. And a lot of needles. Some days are more or less, but that is about right. However, with this new insulin (new for ME) my endo has switched me to, I only need to do 3 minimum per day. YAY!
LISTEN UP!
As a reminder, Type 1 diabetes and Type 2 diabetes are not the same. At all. There is no “take-a-pill-eat-right-exercise-and-lose-weight-then-everything-will-be-okay” cure for Type 1 diabetes because Type 1 Diabetes is NOT a lifestyle disease nor is it preventable or curable (at this time). Type 1 diabetes is not about a person’s weight or diet. Type 1 diabetes is a genetic autoimmune disease and REQUIRES the use of insulin daily. Insulin is not optional here. As I type this, I’m thinking I will put up these reminders around my site as I see fit, because there is a lot of stigma and stereotypes surrounding diabetes in general, and a lot of ignorance regarding the different types of diabetes. Such stigmas are incredibly dismissive and ignorant of what we Type 1 diabetics go through and deal with day-to-day just trying to stay alive much less manage all of this stuff and live life too. There are still too many who think there is only one type of diabetes or they lump all types together as if they are the same. It’s really annoying.
Moving Right Along…
So anyway, I will go into even more depth in a later article about my experience with my Freestyle Libre 2 and how much using a CGM is benefitting me! It has certainly been quite the adventure so far in my Red Sugar Life. Since it is now fall, I am bringing out my yummy xylitol tea recipe to make a cup, see here!
As always, be well.
~Luna
