# Carelink (Medtronic)



## Sugarbum (Nov 29, 2009)

I have just downloaded from my pump to my Carelink so that I am up to date for my doctors appointment on Monday.....Im am worried in fact my HbA1c will be creeping up slightly  but I'll sweat that one later....

.....anyway, I thought I would share my stats!


*In the last 12 weeks....*

I have done 452 readings of my blood sugar 
I have had 18 hypos
my lowest sugar is 1.6 mmols
my highest is 21.8 mmols (that ironically was at our forum meet up drinking cider!)
my average BG is 8.6
Average readings a day 6.4
I look an average of 6 years younger on my pump*

Unfortunately I cant share the tables, graphs and logging with you as it wont let me link it in or cut and paste, sounds properly chronic but I think Tom will really like Carelink (!) which is what I was thinking by putting my stats up. 

I know a few more people are starting pumping, Randomange, Shelley and Tom, hopefully this gives a rough insight to what is going for me 5 months down the line.....its not easy, but its better (just!). Its weird to see your life in a timeline with dots all over it, I just hope I am not coming under too much criticism on Monday. Pressure?? Just a sizable chunk, I got dots bloody everywhere....

Please dont try guessing my HbA1c, Id feel better just being a 'work in progress' for now  

Cheers,
Lou x

**Number of years can go up as well as down. Total number of people surveyed = 1 (Katie)*


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## Mand (Nov 29, 2009)

Those numbers look good, Lou! I don't use carelink regularly but i will give it a go now as it would be interesting to get stats like yours.

Good luck for your appointment. I am sure they won't give you a hard time (or they shouldn't anyway). You are doing your best and no one can ask more than that! 

Keep us posted! 

Mand xx


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## Patricia (Nov 29, 2009)

Hi Lou

Wow, very cool. Please try not to sweat tomorrow, like you say. This is one long process...like, never-ending long...

See what they say and don't sweat the small stuff. What I'm impressed by is the low number of hypos, and I'll be curious to see how they 'translate' to hba1c. Maybe it's not a low number of hypos, but from here it looks it! It's unusual for E to go more than 2 days without one or two, to be honest...

Are you thinking about sensors at all? Must say, two days in and we're virtually converted, depending on how E feels in the long run. The interesting thing is not some kind of incredible accuracy or anything (though it's now not far off), but the ability to follow food reactions and trends. We haven't downloaded anything, but already we can see the uses... Maybe sound out your team, if you are feeling at all at a loss?

Hope you get some good support tomorrow, anyway...

xxoo 

(p.s. I dig the colours and point sizing!)


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## Sugarbum (Nov 29, 2009)

Thanks both,

Im glad you think that is a low number of hypos Patricia, I dont have anything to compare it to so I was hoping it seemed low. I also think that Carelink is taking any number 4.0 (or 3.9?) and below as a 'hypo' number, where anything 3.5 and under really is what I would now what I would consider to be low enough to call a hypo.

Thanks for the encouragement, I will let you know how I go.

xx


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## Tezzz (Nov 29, 2009)

Sugarbum said:


> **Number of years can go up as well as down. Total number of people surveyed = 1 (Katie)*



I love it Lou! Now was that survey done before or after a trip to the pub...?

Just a thought - can you print out the results? If yes then perhaps you can create a PDF file of your results.


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## Sugarbum (Nov 29, 2009)

brightontez said:


> I love it Lou! Now was that survey done before or after a trip to the pub...?
> 
> Just a thought - can you print out the results? If yes then perhaps you can create a PDF file of your results.




I can print them, I think I can save them to my computer as well. Does that mean if they are a pdf file I can make a link that I can post to here? (sorry if that sounds daft, Im abit challenged in this department!).


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## Northerner (Nov 29, 2009)

Sugarbum said:


> I can print them, I think I can save them to my computer as well. Does that mean if they are a pdf file I can make a link that I can post to here? (sorry if that sounds daft, Im abit challenged in this department!).



If you can see things on the screen then you can usually press 'Alt + Print Screen' and then paste the screen image into a graphics utility like Paint. You can then save it off as a picture and upload to photobucket. A bit fiddly, but it works!


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## Northerner (Nov 29, 2009)

OK, in the last 12 weeks:

518 readings
28 hypos
14.3 highest BG
2.5 lowest BG
5.93 average BG
6.1 average tests per day

8 more pints that I look like I've drunk in that picture as opposed to actual pints consumed

Graph:


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## katie (Nov 29, 2009)

Sugarbum said:


> **Number of years can go up as well as down. Total number of people surveyed = 1 (Katie)*



You're welcome 

I hope your appointment goes well.  Those results look pretty good to me!


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## Sugarbum (Nov 29, 2009)

Northerner said:


> If you can see things on the screen then you can usually press 'Alt + Print Screen' and then paste the screen image into a graphics utility like Paint. You can then save it off as a picture and upload to photobucket. A bit fiddly, but it works!



Im slightly baffled, but I'll give it a shot, ta! 



Northerner said:


> OK, in the last 12 weeks:
> 
> 518 readings
> 28 hypos
> ...



BRILLIANT!!! Im liking that you stole my format- makes me feel happy it was worth stealing!

Your numbers are amazing. We get the same amount of test strips (200) so I am guessing I squeeze a measly few more days out of mine than you but that it equates to renewing my script approximately every 5-6 weeks. I must shut up about averages, Im sounding like John Snow 

So a little more about averages then.....I just read a chapter this afternoon from the pumping bible by sexpot John Walsh (check out the moody looking profile in the intro) who slates all this averaging and analysis, unless you do it properly with a pre-meal blood test every single time you eat and a test again at 2 hours after every single food. He says its not worth bothering your noggin about your avaerage unless you have done it like this- or something like that anyway.

Doesnt stop me though. Im gonna do my thing with my graphs. See ya!


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## Freddie99 (Nov 29, 2009)

Wow,

I've just read through this! This is interesting stuff. Beats my spreadsheets by a long way I'd say. It also beats my little slips of paper by a long way too. Roll on Wednesday and my pump clinic!

Tom


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## Sugarbum (Nov 29, 2009)

I give up I cant seem to upload them. Im going to stop before I chew my arm off and it all gets very ugly


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## Adrienne (Nov 29, 2009)

Hiya

As you say you can save them and they are saved as pdf files.   The only problem is, is that they are too big to upload to here, the site doesn't allow them.  I've tried numerous times so I can show people the benefits of carelink.   I'm so pleased you are using carelink, it is so user friendly and gives very good graphs and print outs.


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## Patricia (Nov 30, 2009)

We're all depressed this end because we can't use Carlink at the moment -- no Mac interface! And none coming, as far as we can see... What we are going to investigate though is some kind of thing which 'converts' a Mac to Windows...

Also can't read sensors until and unless...

Poo. Love the graphs.

xxoo


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## Sugarbum (Nov 30, 2009)

Anyone who is interested in Carelink and seeing what it looks like is welcome to my login to have a ganders, it was Tom I was thinking of originally, just so you can see in what way the present your data to you to make it easier for you to analyse.

Feel free to PM me anyone if you want to log in as me (I can always change the password in a few days to keep it secure!).

There is a sensor overlay graph Patricia, Its even more so annoying you cant get into now....


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## Alzibiff (Nov 30, 2009)

Just wondering if any Carelink users out there have tried to edit the PDF reports in a PDF editor for saving on their home PC - I tried once and failed! (Admittedly with a freeware PDF editor so was just wondering if it was possible with the real thing - the full version of the Adobe software which would need paying for). The reason I ask is because I would like to annotate the reports - I don't feel that there is enough in the Carelink system to make comments on each day's activities. It would be nice to see a freeform text field. (If there is such a thing - I haven't found it yet).

Alan


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## Sugarbum (Nov 30, 2009)

Hi,

I have never managed to save them as pdf let alone get editing them! I was trying to edit them last night, just to blot out my surname and upload them to here but it didnt work out (that might have been me rather than the software).

What you have suggested about making written entries is really good, I wish they had incorporated it. I dont see why on earth not? I was just on it and wanted to log something about my consultation with the doc today and I have had to put it in the HbA1c box. My doctor today said when she logged on to Carelink that they are changing it soon? 

Seems so simple......?


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