# How long before people get / got their CGM with type 1?



## highlander317 (Sep 11, 2022)

Hi all,
Being recently diagnosed with type 1, just over 2 months ago, was interested to find out when others got their first CGM. 
I'm currently out of work, but have increased my searches over the last 2 weeks and although not had the need to mention diabetes as yet, I know at some point, I will have to tell an employer.
I have no issue in this, but being a Pest Controller including driving most of the day and not exactly the most sterile of environments, I was worried about,
1.) finger pricks every 2 hours etc due to the driving between sites, some days it won't be every 2 hours as in the sake location.
2.) Whilst the testing only takes a matter of moments I can imagine some employers, querying why I'm always stopping to take tests.

I've asked if it's possible to get a CGM sooner than the 12 months they said, due to work and driving.

Cheers
Lee


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## Bruce Stephens (Sep 11, 2022)

highlander317 said:


> I've asked if it's possible to get a CGM sooner than the 12 months they said, due to work and driving.


There shouldn't be any delay. You have type 1 diabetes, and the NICE guidelines recommend a CGM suitable for you. So if someone's delaying, you should challenge that. Partha Kar has repeatedly said he's fine assisting with that, one patient at a time if that's necessary.


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## PhoebeC (Sep 11, 2022)

I don’t think there’s any reason for the 12 month wait, I know a few nearly diagnosed who went straight onto the libre. 

Especially with you driving for work I would say a CGM or at least flash would be a must.

Ask your team why the 12 months


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## helli (Sep 11, 2022)

Are you asking for a CGM Luke Dexcom or a Flash Glucose Monitor like Libre. The difference is subtle - do you have to physically do something (scan the sensor) to get the readings or do they appear instantly? But the cost difference is not. Libre (the ones to scan) should be available to anyone treating diabetes with insulin. The true CGM require far more hoop jumping (for me that means getting pregnant!).

But, both types are pretty useless if you are expecting accurate readings at every level all the time or a waste if you think of it as just a replacement for finger pricks. Getting the most out of Libre or a CGM is another step of diabetes understanding and another chance to obsess about it. So, I understand why there may be a reluctance to hand them out like sweeties.


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## Bruce Stephens (Sep 12, 2022)

helli said:


> The true CGM require far more hoop jumping (for me that means getting pregnant!).


Some do, but there are 4 CGMs that GPs can prescribe, only one of which is Libre 2. So Dexcom ONE should be just as easy to access as Libre 2, for example. (Wouldn't be for me since my phone's not compatible.)


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## highlander317 (Sep 16, 2022)

Well after having a chat with the first time visit to see diabetic dietician a few hours later I received a call to say I could have the Libre 2. 
Went to the usual chemist and 5 trips later and from a different chemist (Boots had no pharmacist, again, so moved pharmacies, long long day and not a happy bunny!!), expecting 1 prescription, I got 3, including the Libre 2's, wasn't expecting them that quick.

Whilst installing it on my arm, I couldn't help but wonder about the excess plastic in the applicator and sensor packaging. 
What do other users do with the outer plastics after use? household waste or plastic recycling? I presume the actual sensor goes in the sharps bin? but surely there is some form of battery on the sensor, so if incinerated, there would be pops and bangs to keep the workers on their toes lol

Quite impressed so far, no pain on fitting the sensor, yes the needle looks quite big but less that a finger prick.

Lee


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## PhoebeC (Sep 16, 2022)

highlander317 said:


> Well after having a chat with the first time visit to see diabetic dietician a few hours later I received a call to say I could have the Libre 2.
> Went to the usual chemist and 5 trips later and from a different chemist (Boots had no pharmacist, again, so moved pharmacies, long long day and not a happy bunny!!), expecting 1 prescription, I got 3, including the Libre 2's, wasn't expecting them that quick.
> 
> Whilst installing it on my arm, I couldn't help but wonder about the excess plastic in the applicator and sensor packaging.
> ...


The plastic in the bin and only the sensor bit in the sharpes bin.
I’m glad you have it. I loved it instantly. It’s life changing.


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## Lucyr (Sep 16, 2022)

Just put everything in the bin except outer cardboard box


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## Eternal422 (Sep 16, 2022)

The applicator has a needle inside it, so technically it should go in a bio waste bag and not in recycling.  I did see a YouTube video of someone opening the applicator up to remove the needle, put that in a sharps bin and the rest can then safely go in recycling.

The plastic pot the sensor comes in can go in recycling as can the cardboard box, etc.  The sensor has to go in bio waste or your sharps bin as the filament on the sensor has been in your arm.  It does indeed have a battery so not sure how that works in the bio incinerator!

Glad you like the Libre, you will love all the data you will now get, it is indeed a game-changer!


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## helli (Sep 16, 2022)

Eternal422 said:


> The sensor has to go in bio waste or your sharps bin as the filament on the sensor has been in your arm.


I do not have a bio waste bin. I have a sharps bin only and this is only for sharp items. The sensor is not sharp.
There is no need to worry about the bio danger - women are not given bio waste bins when we start menstruation.


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## highlander317 (Sep 17, 2022)

Well, fitted the sensor just after 4pm yesterday evening, started ok I think but has been no where close to finger pricks.
Initially first sensor reading was 4.6 with a finger prick of 4.7, straight after. I k ow about the lag, so was happy that they were so close.
Later that night after quite a few reading and the finger pricks thing went really odd. About 8pm I had a muffin, first time since being diagnosed almost 3 months ago. Waited about an hour with sensor reading 3.3 and prick of 7.2, then slight panic set in. Another sensor reading at 22.05 was 2.9 and then 22.30 going to bed was 2.9 sensor and 8.2 prick. 
Was expecting things to sort themselves out this morning and wanted to do a reading before the end of the 8 hour period, 06.05 sensor gave reading of 3.9 and then when I got up 5.3 sensor and prick of 6.4. 
In the last 10/11 weeks I've never been under 5 a couple of highs around 8.5 but pretty constant mostly between 5.5 & 7.0.
I asked to get the sensor due to the amount of driving and work conditions not ideal for finger pricks but with readings like this I'd have to do finger pricks every 2 hours regardless and sort of defeats the reason I asked for it. 
Today I will do a finger prick test and then wait 15 mins to read sensor and hope they are closer together.
First impressions are not great.


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## helli (Sep 17, 2022)

@highlander317 some of us find the first day or two of a sensor can be a bit random as our body get familiar with the alien object in our arm 
I tend to apply my sensor 2 days before activating it to allow it to bed in to avoid this 

The limitations of any CGM are more than just the lag .... which the Libre algorithm attempts to compensate for.


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## Eternal422 (Sep 17, 2022)

helli said:


> I do not have a bio waste bin. I have a sharps bin only and this is only for sharp items. The sensor is not sharp.
> There is no need to worry about the bio danger - women are not given bio waste bins when we start menstruation.


Very good point @helli.  

I have been putting old sensors into my sharps bin and the rest into recycling.  My thinking is that the needle in the applicator is enclosed anyway and I know really it is bio waste, with the amount of plastic it would not be practical in a home environment to dispose of in clinical waste.  Like I would imagine everyone here, I only have a small sharps bin for needles.


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## Eternal422 (Sep 17, 2022)

@highlander317 - sorry to hear you have a sensor reading low, hopefully it will settle down for you today!

My very first sensor was ok initially then started reading low before final expiring after 8 days.  Before it had expired I called Abbott and gave them 3 examples of it being lower and they sent a free replacement which arrived in about 5 working days.  It’s a bit of a pain to have to do that, but at least they send out the replacements without any trouble.  My last sensor also started reading low on its last day (day 14) so I wonder whether the issue may be down to batteries running out?  But of course there are probably loads of other reasons why people get readings that are way off from bent filament to the body attacking the “alien“ filament in the arm!


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## everydayupsanddowns (Sep 18, 2022)

Eternal422 said:


> I did see a YouTube video of someone opening the applicator up to remove the needle, put that in a sharps bin and the rest can then safely go in recycling.



That what I‘ve always done with Libre applicators. 

Dexcom G6 applicators are much trickier to take apart, but I’ve worked out a method for those now too.


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