# Hello!



## David B (Feb 27, 2009)

Hi everyone out there, I was diagnosed about 10 years ago, after losing a lot of weight, as Type 2 (although my GP has said I have a mixture of type 1 & 2 symptoms!?). Started off on gliclazide tablets and really good control (ah, those were the days), then after a couple of years got a bad throat infection which seemed to mess it up and was started on insulin. Latest HbA1c 7.5, but tests can be anything between 2.6 and 17.

Bit of excitement coming up next week - I'm due to be rigged up with a CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitor) for 3 days - did this once before, couple of years ago, the results were helpful. Has anyone else used one? They seem to be quite difficult to get hold of.


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## kojack (Feb 27, 2009)

Hi David and welcome

Be interested to hear how you get on with your CGM.
HbA1c of 7.5 seems good.

Are your bs fluctuations linked to any particular food or activity? I suppose this is what the monitor is checking. All the best


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## Ikklemo (Mar 1, 2009)

Hi David and welcome.

I would love to have a HbA1c of 7.5.

I would also be interested to hear how you get on with your CGM.


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## David B (Mar 17, 2009)

*CGM results*

Hi Kojack and Ikklemo

Took the CGM back to the hospital last week and the nurse looked through all the results (it does a test every 15 minutes I think!) and she was quite impressed. Although I think my BG levels were better than normal because I was able to keep an eye on them all the time! That was great, not having to test before going out, before/after exercising, before bed etc. Almost wish I could use one all the time.

She printed out the results as a graph covering the 3 days - I'm going to try to upload it with this message - ignore the almost vertical spike, the machine went haywire briefly on the first day! The peaks after breakfast were of interest, I can avoid the biggest one by not eating that particular food again. Also it was reassuring to see things are fairly even at night, falling slowly and not by too much.

I'd recommend anyone to try a CGM if they can get hold of one, providing they're reasonably OK with gadgets and don't mind the idea of having the sensor inserted in their abdomen. The worst bit was removing the dressings from my (hairy) tummy!


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## pam1407 (Mar 17, 2009)

*hi all*

ignorance is bliss but can someone tell me what HbA1c means i have just been diagnosed a week and a half ago and been reading some threads on this site which by the way is great and it gets mentioned a lot would love to understand what it is and why its so important


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## Northerner (Mar 17, 2009)

Fascinating David - thank you for posting this. I've been thinking about having one of these for a while now, mainly to see what happens to me in the night and to see if I need to change the timing of my lantus.


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## Northerner (Mar 17, 2009)

pam1407 said:


> ignorance is bliss but can someone tell me what HbA1c means i have just been diagnosed a week and a half ago and been reading some threads on this site which by the way is great and it gets mentioned a lot would love to understand what it is and why its so important



Hi pam, it's a blood test that measures your average blood glucose level over the period of the last 2 to 3 months. It's not the same as the 'snapshot' readings that you get from a blood glucose meter. It's important because it gives a good indication of how good your control has been over the preceding couple of months.


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## Sugarbum (Mar 17, 2009)

Thats really interesting David, thanks for sharing your results. I would love to know this about myself! Can I ask how it came about, did you persue it? I have never been offered it, should I be asking? Very interesting!


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## Steff (Mar 17, 2009)

hi David and welcome


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## sofaraway (Mar 18, 2009)

I had one end of last year to see if I was having overnight hypos (I wasn't), Most clinics have one and can lend it out for 3 days. The one I used I couldn't see the results whilst wearing it, got the results afterwards.


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## Copepod (Mar 18, 2009)

*shave before sticking!*



David B said:


> The worst bit was removing the dressings from my (hairy) tummy!



The tip is to shave skin BEFORE applying adhesive tape - it doesn't hurt so much when you remove it. Last time I had to use that technique was to help an elderly Chilean man (with diabetes) who'd broken his hip on a cruise ship and was evacuated onto a Royal Navy ship, where the female doctor and male medical assistant were a bit unsure what to do with him. They asked for my help with interpretting, then when they found out I knew how to apply skin traction, they asked for further help. So, with the help of the ship's carpenter to attach a pole with a hole on top, a PT instructor who lent a gym weight, and the leg shaving skills of the medical assistant, the gentleman was much more comfortable for the next 3 days in the South Atlantic Ocean! My home made blood glucose units conversion chart was also used by the doctor, bemused by the readings shown to her by the Chilean man.


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## C*5_Dodger (Mar 23, 2009)

Dear David B,

Welcome, how interesting to see the results of a CGM I must try and get/borrow one!

Regards  Dodger


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## David B (Mar 24, 2009)

Sugarbum said:


> Thats really interesting David, thanks for sharing your results. I would love to know this about myself! Can I ask how it came about, did you persue it? I have never been offered it, should I be asking? Very interesting!



Hi Sugarbum - I phoned the hospital diabetes clinic I go to every year and spoke to a nurse, asked if I could use it. Must admit I was quite surprised when she said yes, I thought they would only be for people having problems with their control.

Let me know if you want any more info.


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