*DISCLAIMER - Please note in
this article I am purely referring to Type One Diabetes and my personal views
in relation to the Animas Vibe as well as my own personal
experiences of NovoRapid and Fiasp. Remember Your Doses May Vary and all
information found in this blog post is my opinion and is what works for me
ONLY. It is not intended as medical advice. Please consult the
relevant health care professionals before you make a change to your treatment
plan in any way*
Well it's been a while hasn't it....
This year has certainly been one of
ups and downs...and I'm not even talking my diabetes. There has undoubtedly been
a lot going on with job changes, buying a house, family illness, house
renovations to name but a few. Oh, and then of course there's the diabetes to
throw into the mix.
Well after the HUGE transformation that the insulin pump made to my life back in July 2016, I would love to say that it's been smooth sailing ever since. In reality though - that just isn't diabetes now is it?
Despite my control being vastly
improved from the 49 hypos a month.... (that’s right...49 a month!!) that I was
having prior to starting Insulin Pump Therapy (IPT), I had still been having a
few night hypos and some before meals. As a result, I trialled the Dexcom G4
sensor in the hope that the CGM link-up to my Animas Vibe pump would help with
the night time hypos. Unfortunately, despite a number of attempts to use the
Dexcom, for some reason I cannot get on it with. After seeing some amazing
results from other people using it, I was sadly disappointed to have many false
alarms and very inaccurate readings on every sensor, despite trying different
sites.
As a consequence, I intermittently
used the Abbott Freestyle Libre to gain an insight into the patterns of my
diabetes during those 2-week periods.
Although, as many will point out, it
doesn't have the full features of CGM's such as the alarm functions
or insulin suspension option, the accuracy that I get from using the Libre made
it a much more reliable method of gaining continual, uninterrupted data.
I didn’t just look at the CGM/ Flash
Glucose Monitoring options in isolation though. I also looked at the effects of
how my recently developed (past 2 years) insulin-sensitivity affected my
control. One major issue I kept facing was the difficulty of pre-bolusing at
the correct time before a meal. This was particularly problematic when eating
out at a restaurant or when eating at other people's houses. I would find that
I would often hypo before the meal arrived, meaning a lot of explanation as to
why I was eating just before we were about to eat. Step up FIASP!!!
Fiasp (a form of faster acting
insulin) despite eliminating the vast majority of pre-meal hypos in a
short space of time, it did take a couple of weeks to adjust to. One of the
major adjustments I had to make was lowering the amount of insulin I needed for
meals. It seemed, that with the differing profile of Fiasp and also not needing
to pre-bolus before eating food meant that I didn't need quite as much insulin
as I previously did. Conversely, I had to increase my basal rate slightly to
keep my levels within the desired range. These adjustments were aided by the
use of the Libre in the first few weeks of transitioning to Fiasp. Again, I am aware that a number
of people have had difficulty adjusting/ using to Fiasp, however I have
personally found it really beneficial.
And this was only half way through
2017...
Although some of hypos previously
mentioned were still happening and my diabetes levels were erratic at times,
progress was being made bit by bit. Pre-meal hypos had now been addressed!
Despite all the above, there was
still another big step forward towards better diabetes management to come
thanks to some hard work of a group within the NHS.
On 1st November 2017, the Abbott
Freestyle Libre sensors became available on the NHS to those who meet the
criteria. Despite some inevitable teething issues, as is often the case with
new drugs and change, almost 2 months in there are a number of people around
the UK who are benefiting from this prescription introduction. I am very
grateful to be one of these people who has been massively helped by 6 weeks’
worth of data, patterns and invaluable information that I’ve seen already. What
a way to end the year!
Therefore, although progress can be
slow at times and it can often feel like things don't progress much from the
research stage in some areas of diabetes, I would say that 2017 has been a year
of fruition. This year has given us more choice in terms of the diabetes
technology available on the NHS, a new insulin coming to market, trials of new
CGM'S such as the Roche Eversense taking place as well as lots of pipeline developments
(the DVLA changes for example) that I'm sure we will see in 2018.
Despite there also being some
potentially negative changes with Animas pumps no longer being offered to new
patients, I personally view 2017 as a year of advancement, with the progress
still continuing into the year ahead. Additionally, and definitely on a
personal level, 2017 has also provided me with the amazing opportunities to be
part of formal/national diabetes events/ meetings, social meet-ups across the
country and getting to know more local people with diabetes. All of these
events, combined with new technology and differing approaches has certainly
enriched my knowledge when looking at my diabetes management choices and
decisions.
So, let me wrap up this post by
saying that despite being optimistic, I am also not blinkered to the
challenges that the NHS, people with diabetes and Health Care Professionals
will face in the coming years as new technologies and approaches are
introduced. I am yet to master the art of perfect diabetes blood glucose/ sugar levels as you can see from my Ayres Rock impression that happened before Christmas due to illness and festive eating (ooops!). However, I was able to see this thanks to the progressions of 2017 and to monitor my corrections and adjustments in addition to regular finger-prick tests.
Yet despite the challenges that diabetes throws our way...I am excited to see where we will be in a year’s time when we
reflect on all that's happened in the world of diabetes in 2018! Bring it on...
Thank you to everyone who has read my
posts and I have met in 2017. I wish you all a wonderful and safe New Years Eve
and I look forward to sharing my 2018 adventures with you very soon.
Until next time, keep injecting ๐ or pumping ๐ insulin!
Ros x
Until next time, keep injecting ๐ or pumping ๐ insulin!
Ros x
A great read Ros - thanks! Lovely to read such a positive outlook for the coming year too, we seem to spend our lives eagerly expecting things that will help us mange our T1D more easily. Am really sad that the Vibe - and it's long awaited successor - will not now be available as I love it's connectivity with Dex and can't see any other option on the horizon.
ReplyDeleteRe your Dex experience, I've been a 24/7 Dex user for well over 4 yrs now and in the last 6 months or so, have also experienced so many inaccurate readings and much shorter sensor life, sometimes causing dreadful inconvenience and aggro. Am really fed up with it but I've impaired hypo awareness so I simply can't safe use the Libre (I tried briefly but had too many hypos). So my hope for 2018 is a pump that works with Dexcom that doesn't need a phone or receiver (I hate carrying additional kit around!)
Happy New Year and hope to see you again soon ;-)
Thank you so much for your comment Lis - I’m very much looking forward to seeing what is in store for 2018!
DeleteSorry to hear about your recent Dexcom experience. Yes a substitute for the Vibe and Dex would I’m sure be very popular. I await to see what is revealed...
I hope you had a lovely New Years Eve and I hope to see you again this coming year! ๐