Watch BEFORE Getting a CGM!
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- Опубліковано 1 жов 2024
- 🩸The2lines.com
Episode 3 - Incorporating a Continuous Glucose Monitor was the single most impactful move I have made in my tango with Type 1 Diabetes. In this episode I discuss CGM's and a peek behind the curtain of life with Type 1 Diabetes and a continuous glucose monitor.
TWITTER: @_Between2Lines
INSTAGRAM: _betweentwolines
Insulin pumps, insulin, testing blood sugar, highs, lows, continuous glucose monitors, dealing with insurance and the supply distributors, it can be exhausting! Share this with someone you know has hit a wall with their diabetes. Don't let diabetes beat you! Keep it Between the Lines!
This is Between Two Lines, a UA-cam channel devoted specifically to Type 1 Diabetes. From sports, fitness, tips, tricks, product reviews, how-to's, and most of all, sharing all of my mistakes in an effort to help you, or a loved one, keep it between the lines.
Type 1 Diabetes, T1D, Insulin Pump, Continuous Glucose Monitor, CGM, Looping, Dexcom, Libre, G4, G5, G6, G7, Diabetic, Encouragement, Motivation, Video is made by Filmora
I got diagnosed last year at 40. The first month was a sh*t show with finger pricks and Dr recommendations. I thought I was going to have to quit my job and completely change my life. When I got on a CGM and started to read all the wonderful advice from the diabetic community, I started sugar surfing with micro doses of insulin. I'm 92% in range with a 6.3 a1c👍 I take more injections than most would like but I get cut and scraped at work so much, a little needle 10 or 12 times a day is way less impact than one work day. Get it on a watch, get it on your phone! GET IT! Knowlege is control!
My new favorite t1d channel!
Thanks Levi👍
Solid Video Levi - what are your thoughts on non-diabetics starting to use CGMs? There are companies like Levels Health, Veri Stable, NutriSense, January AI, etc that are now offering this. Do you have any thoughts or opinions?
I am using Abbott's FreeStyle Libre with Ambrosia's blucon and can get my glucose readings on my apple watch even without the phone. I can share readings with upto 5 people in almost real-time. Can get alarms and my loved one can also get an alarm if my glucose is out of range.
My endo suggested me to use Libre sensor with Ambrosia Blucon cgm. I have been using it for last one year and monitor blood glucose on phone and watch.
288 times a day, is way more information then testing by hand 10 times a day
Dexcom was life changing to me!! Recommend it to everyone!!
You gave me more information than my parents told me. Having a real-time cgm really improves your thinking and makes you more aware of your own body. Keep doing videos man!
That is awesome to hear. Thanks a lot. I was blown away when I was finally set up with it.
This channel should go viral, great diabetes content.
Thank you Rui! Please share it with others!
You once said T1 does not stop you from doing anything you want. I disagreed. With one exception.... u have a CGM device on u!!! I can run do high intensity stuff and pretty much anything thanks to CGM
I really wanted to try the CGM, but my insurance refused to pay a dime, and we couldn't afford it. It's so frustrating that everything for diabetic care is so darn expensive.
Duana that is so frustrating. I spent over 10k in medical expenses last year. I CERTAINLY feel your frustration. Keep going. You’ve got this. It will work out.
keep asking
keep asking dr to see if they can justify it
What type of insurance do you have
All medical stuff is more expensive than what it should be. My Cpap machine is no more complicated than a good coffee maker, but the coffee maker is a $100, and the Cpap is $2500.
I resisted a CGM for 10 years because I was already on a pump, older versions still required finger sticks & it just seemed like more trouble than it was worth. Then I had to switch pumps & discovered that Tandem worked with the Dexcom which didn't require calibrations.
Best change I've ever made! Within the first 3 months I lowered my A1C by a full percentage & within 6 months I had my first below 7% A1C EVER. Definite game changer.
Allison Everlith me too! Once I finally broke down and went with the tandem and dexcom... immediate results. Congratulations! Keep up the great work
CGMs are a Gamechanger for blood sugar control. I’m so glad you’ve found how beneficial they are. My doctors tells me that the only “bad” number is the one you don’t know! I’m so thankful diabetics can always know their blood sugar with the technology available.
Agreed. Whenever an instance arises now where I do not have CGM data available I feel absolutely lost! I couldn't imagine going back to not knowing. Thank you Hannah.
i hope i can get one soon! i am newly diagnosed in december and i have such bad anxiety about going low at night that i check my sugars manually 15 times a day and wake up in panic multiple times a night and check!
It will blow your mind. Gives you such peace of mind being aware of your blood sugar. Good luck!
@Sarah Ask your Diabetic Team to help you. Please look up my reply to Duana, as there is a way to ask if your insurance works with a Durable Medical Equipment (DME) company. IF so, allow your team to take he reigns and see what they can do to assist you. IF your insurance company denies you, then you can turn to a DME company. They are companies which help those who are unable to afford such diabetic tools when truly needed. As I explained to my insurance company it is much cheaper to give me a CGM (I now have the DEXCOM6 after my team took action I had it in 10 days after waiting 9 months since my denial as I did not know anything about DME’s and how invaluable they can be) rather than continuing to pay for hospital stays in the ICU due to going into DKA. I too used to suffer with real lows at night. A doctor at an urgent care said his mother had lows and finally figured out that if she drank 4 oz. of milk and just six almonds, her sugars were fine. My sugars can still plummet and when they do I find that if I have 4 oz. of water with 1 teaspoon of sugar for every 10 points below 90, my sugars come up fast and I have NOT flooded my body with ginger ale which is another great choice, but I no longer drink carbonated drinks as they irritate my bladder, plus I no long eat or drink anything with High Fructose Corn Syrup. So hang in there. Get a CGM as soon as you are able as it is the best of tools to see how food, exercise, stress, trauma, sickness, etc. can change your blood sugars. Keep up the search as it is worth it once you find your (pardon the pun) own sweet spot with what your insulin needs are each day!!
i've been type 1 for nearly 2 years and i have been struggling with depression every day since the diagnosis, your videos have given me a new look on life and man i thank you soo much!!!
@Sarah Garrett I have a CBM and it's fantastic. One of the really bad things about this disease is that it doesn't come with a big bank account!
@Sarah Meant CGM. Fat fingered that one.
CGMs should be covered by insurance! I am paying for my Eversence my self. They help to control my blood sugars. Why! Owe why won’t they cover them?
Look up the comment I sent to Duana. I think you should try what I told her. I think it may help you!! Best of luck!!
My CGM has saved my life. It captured nighttime low unawareness. The best thing is/was being able to take my a1C from 11.0 down to 6.2. I am now able to continually keep my a1C below 7.4. CGM has enabled me to do more and gives my family piece of mind.
That is awesome to hear!
I have no trust of interest in an insulin pump but I’m researching cgm right now and came across this video and I’m really looking forward to trying it. I’ve had type 1 diabetes for 35 years and cgm seems like a miracle I’ve been praying for since my first finger poke. Having a watch that will show me my blood sugar? Just curious as to which one you use? G6 or freestyle libre?
I use the Dexcom G6 and love it! I have used both android and iOS watches with it and both work great. LOVE knowing my BS with merely a glance at my wrist.
I called my insurance company for the coverage of CGM. The representative, in passing conversation, said "did you know your insurance has a diabetic rider?" I was like "what?" It includes 100% coverage on diabetic supplies. I said for the last two years of having this insurance I could've my supplies paid for in full. I thanked her for information. I was double-check. Two days later, I called the insurance co to confirm the 100% insurance rider.
I stumbled upon Between Two Lines in search of more CGM information. Thank you for the information.
Thanks for the video, I am using Freestyle Libre sensor with Ambrosia Blucon and check the glucose values on my phone directly without scanning the sensor and reader. Also, the app gives me updates with voice alerts when my glucose values go down.
Hi Jullie, which app you are using with NightRider Blucon? I am planning to buy this CGM for my daughter.
What kind do you use? I’m currently on Dexcom g5, best thing to happen in my 28 years diabetic career!!
Sarah Chludzinski hi Sarah, I currently use the G6 and I completely agree - biggest improvement by far. I could never go back.
I definitely can't wait for the next episode because I play tennis, and it's weird because i'm on a medtronics pump. I disconnect the pump every time I play tennis. but have the pump off for more than 2 hours at a time. It's weird because sometimes, my sugar goes down because of the physical exertion. Other times, it goes up because I've disconnected for so long,. it's so hard to get to a routine when the blood sugars are unpredictable when playing sports.
Miguel C well I certainly am looking forward to it as well. I will talk on some these exact scenarios. See you then!
I'm on the T-slim pump, the dexcom g6 has made difference in my diabetes. I would recommend it. Keep up the good work buddy. In between the two lines is what it's all about.
I have been doing research and they all seem to require a doctor and insurance. They don't just sell over the counter.
I am in Maryland and have found some independent pharmacies that will sell the Freestyle Libre without a prescription. It’s pricey -$60. per sensor (lasts 14 days). I am pre-diabetic, not on insulin so it’s optional for me. Good luck.
Dexcom is a life saver! Don't know what we would do without one after switching over from finger pricks.
Same for me. I was like putting on glasses/contacts for the first time. You didn't know what you couldn't see until that point. I could never go back. Thanks for the comment!
Exactly bro. That's what got my from a1c of 9 to 6s. The fear of tanking down with physical exertion when I'm in the mid 100s. Exercise used to mess me up. Now I go for hours of sports with BG of 90 and not worry about the snickers bar.
One suggestion I would make for a future show topic would be to test in public or not and you experiences with testing in public (if you did it) and if not, reasons for not testing in public. (especially at the time you didn't have CGMs, because CGMs, make it easy to not test in public now).
Thanks Miguel, I cannot think of any legitimate reasons someone could give me for not testing my blood sugar whenever/wherever I felt necessary, however, it is simply a matter of comfort level/confidence. Own it. No one really cares as much as it can feel sometimes. Great thought Miguel!
I remember testing once in a Burger King (I know, bad me, but this was over 10-12 years ago), and a friend in front of me saw me taking out the meter and the syringe (I was on syringes) and vial. He whispered in my ear that I should do it in the bathroom because people would think I was injecting drugs (which I thought was a lame excuse), but I've also heard people complain that T1D's should test in the bathroom and not in front of everyone. I know this hasn't been your experience (or at least I realize it), but that's something lots of T1D's face (I guess this was before the advent of CGM's), but that problem still exists.
@@miggy12081977 Well you make a good point and I will make note of this to talk about in the future. Thank you.
I am a full insulin dependent type 2. I couldn't handle the meds anymore. I was on a weekend trip and was testing in the bathroom. I was too shy to be public.
Nice video, for monitoring my glucose values I use Nightrider CGM with Libre sensor. I am able to get alarms for out of range readings, share readings with my endo and caregivers. It's the best method of tracking exercise, diet, and other activities on one platform..
Hey Levi, great video! I wanted to add that it does take time to adjust to using a CGM, seeing your blood sugar every 5 min is much different than a finger prick every few hours. Personally, I developed bad anxiety when I first started using my Dexcom G6 because I wasn’t used to seeing the real time results, and sometimes I’d have the double down arrow in the low 100s and freak out thinking I’m going super low. All in all I do love my CGM but it does take a little time to adjust to. Keep it real buddy 👊💪🙏
Oh for sure. It is information overload at first but fortunately that is short lived. Great point!
My opinion only but the Medtronic CGM sucks and I personally don’t use the libre. I love dex though
Type 1 diabetes must be so hard. I'm happy for you that this device exists. I'm type 2, and that is hard enough.
I have BED but my doctor won't give me a prescription for one. Because I'm not diabetic.
Dexcom is life changing wish some Insurance was better about paying
Your videos are getting better and better.
Thanks and congratulations from Spain.
Thanks a lot, I appreciate that. Definitely a difficult thing to do and I really appreciate the positive words!
lol, i love your baseball analogy...it was a bit confusing for me, but it was very visual.
Hahaha you said a gatorade and a snickers and I lost my mind. In high school baseball, "Snickers" was my nickname because that was my go to when dropping low. With low blood sugar you are all weak and cant perform like normal while the higher blood sugar would make my vision blurry and my hitting would suffer. Different sports made mine go different directions. Baseball would send me low, while football made me shoot up to 400 or 500 from all the adrenaline. Cant wait for next week!!! Thanks again for awesome content!
Managing blood sugar is certainly a battle! With the number of variables that influence your blood sugar in addition to food intake, having a CGM helped a ton with identifying trends that I was previously unaware of. Thanks Tyler!
Crayola should make a crayon the unique color of your eyes
dexcom served well for diabetic communities now its time to look into senseonics cgm
I'm very new to this channel 😊
I live in The Netherlands and have been a T1 for 6 months now and after one month I got the Freestyle Libre...it totally changed my life going forward as a T1. Finger pricking was not only painful but it got to the point where i felt like I was running low on blood 😬 as I was checking up to 10 times a day! It’s taken a while to get used to having something attached all the time (the Freestyle Libre lasts 14 days) but I wouldn’t go back. I love knowing what direction my blood sugars are going, it was really helpful over the summer when my husband and I went on a road trip through France, Switzerland and Italy. Looking forward to more videos 👍🏻😀
Thank you Linda. Imagine checking by finger prick for decades! We are certainly amidst a boom in technology for the type 1 diabetic. Sounds like you are off to a great start!
Right on man! Right there with you. Thanks for sharing this!
this channel is so interesting! the cgm really is a game-changer. a topic i would talk about in the future is diabetes in school. being 14, i’ve had some horrible experiences with bullying, but mostly bad experiences with adults! they seem to be unwilling to learn and understand diabetes, denying 504 accommodations. they’re rude to me every time i pull out my pump, meter, or phone to manage my diabetes and it’s a huge problem. i’ve been to 5 different schools and almost all of them have been like this, even elementary. it would be interesting to see your take on this issue for many kids in school, and maybe some solutions!
I will have to look into this more! When I was in school no one cared lol. Diabetes was a problem, but it was my problem to manage and make sure I got to where I needed to and did what I needed to. School sports, college, collegiate sports, all with self managed T1D. It was tough, and rough. I certainly wish I could go through school with all of today's rules to help T1D's! That is a blessing overall. Frustrating I'm sure, but over all it is a good thing. I will put this on my list to make a video about. Great idea!
I absolutely love your videos! THE SUGAR PATCH has been sharing them with our friends around the world. Great information, and a great help to the T1D community. Thank YOU! Ashley at The Sugar Patch
Thank you Ashley! I sincerely appreciate hearing that. I will keep them coming, thank you for sharing!
Thank you for this. I was recently prescribed the libre. I have a medical condition that causes chronic inflammation and immune response. I’m also 27 weeks pregnant and have “higher than desirable” glucose levels. Typically I have hypoglycemia... the complete opposite direction of diabetes. As a result of all of these issues, and now constantly fluxing glucose levels and my inability to constantly stick my fingers (since it triggers the inflammation response which can actually make glucose levels high) It makes a lot of sense why this is going to be a much better way of monitoring for me especially when my symptoms and levels swing so violently during the day and night. Thanks for your perspective, it really was helpful!
No problem Heather! I’m really glad it helped with your situation. Good luck with your baby!
Omgosh I feel ya Dude, I'm dealing with site changes, I had 3 site changes, and 2 fails
Really cool to hear it changed your life . My husbands mom passed away from diabetic heart attack less than 2 years ago. I never even heard about CGM until a year ago …would have helped her keep from going to the ER so much and like you could have shown her what foods effect her. Food is the most confusing and one of the most important aspects which cause so much confusion. Senseonics is working on their GEMINI project which is a year long sensor with an internal battery and they are working on getting insulin pumps compatible with them. Very cool stuff .
I got a dexcom g6 about 21 days, and the problems have mounted with it. They have a urgent low 2 with putting 2 in, even know my blood sugar was fine. The third one I put in drew blood and the sensor failed a few hours later. I have so many questions now it is going to take another 3 to 4 months to figure it out. Do you keep it on your abdomen, or in other places. I give myself injections and it is usually in the abdomen . . . you see where these questions are coming from!
What’s the best CGM?
Which cgm do you use??
Levi thank you so much! It is so nice to hear a Type 1 similar to me. I fall into landmines a lot and you are a Brightspot with your words and information. Thank you,
Heather
No problem Heather! I appreciate the kind words. Please subscribe and share it with others that need it! Working on tomorrow’s video as we speak. Good luck!
I’m on my 10th day only on CGM and have been able to lower my a1c from 9.8 to 7.7… 10 days! It’s helping me deal with the challenges and encourages me to keep up the control. Thanks for your great videos!
I have no trust of interest in an insulin pump but I’m researching cgm right now and came across this video and I’m really looking forward to trying it. I’ve had type 1 diabetes for 35 years and cgm seems like a miracle I’ve been praying for since my first finger poke. Having a watch that will show me my blood sugar? Just curious as to which one you use? G6 or freestyle libre?
I use a Dexcom G6 and it is not painless for me and it has made me gush blood on many occasions. It is very expensive ( sensors about 400 per box this is a months worth and then transmitters are 750 per 3 this is not a years worth you need to buy them every 6 months these are not insurance prices this is the cash cost per year 6,300 us ). I hate to say this I think people rely on it's accuracy too much because in my comparisons it is usually okay(10-20 points off) but I find it pretty far off at times(60-215 points off). They say you should only calibrate if its been 30 points higher than your fingerstick for 30 mins. I don't think thats widely known. Never trust it at face value. I try to check it once a day even within the 10-day time frame.
Mandi T mandi I’m sorry to hear you are having such a bad experience. This is a perfect example for anyone on the fence - if Mandi is willing to spend all of that money, endures personal experience with pain, and has difficulty with her readings being accurate - yet still uses a CGM, then that should tell you what a value it is even for those with an unusually poor experience. Thanks mandi.
I'm on Dexcom G6, it has its perks, my question is the purpose of not pricking my finger, but asking for calibration, what's the point??
I’m not getting any calibration requests. I put a lot of prep into applying the sensor. Maybe that is something to look in to?
thank you
very well done. good stuff.
😧 Wish you would have added, which are the 3 best CGM'S!!
I only didn’t because people are insanely loyal to the one they have. Like Ford and Chevy guys going at it lol. The most widely used are the Dexcom CGM and the Libre Freestyle. I personally use the Dexcom and have nothing but good things to say about it.