Another A-Ha! Moment !

We’ve all had those moments where something just clicks into place, the clouds part, and we suddenly have clarity.  My discovery of the Freestyle Libre was one of those moments!

I’ll try to make a long story short, but, sometimes the longer stories are so much better. 😊  This post contains affiliate links, please see my disclaimer for additional information.

Bonk Prevention?

I was perusing Facebook one day, and as I mentioned in previous posts, I am a Triathlete.  I’m also a member of the Facebook group “The Pathetic Triathletes Group.”  While scrolling through my feed, I saw a post and the comment was:

“Wow! This would be awesome for bonk prevention!”

The link in the post was to the Freestyle Libre, a relatively inexpensive, and new continuous glucose monitor for diabetics.  What the poster was discussing was the tendency for endurance athletes to deplete their glycogen reserves, which we refer to as “bonking.”   The intent was to monitor blood sugar to refine and improve their nutrition and hydration strategy.

As a Triathlete, and T2D, I definitely needed to look into this.  I went to the Libre website to see what this was about, within seconds, I knew this had HUGE potential, and I mean HUGE! 

No more Finger Sticks!

My eyes locked onto the following sentence:  

“Check your glucose with a painless scan, instead of a routine finger-stick.”

What? You mean no more finger sticks??? 

Yep, that’s what they said.

It had to be too good to be true.  I read it again… nope, no more finger sticks, except there is an asterisk at the end…

“Finger sticks are required for treatment decisions when you see Check Blood Glucose symbol, when symptoms do not match system readings, when you suspect readings may be inaccurate, or when you experience symptoms that may be due to high or low blood glucose.”

Ok, so not completely eliminating finger sticks, but I was guessing at the time there would be significantly fewer finger sticks.  They had a sign-up form, and a way to send something to my Doctor to asking them to write a prescription for me. With a few inputs, and a click of the mouse… Sign me up!

Could they make this any easier? 

Yes, they could, but just a little.  In the USA, the manufacturer had initially restricted the number of Pharmacies which can dispense the product.  At that time, only Walmart,  Walgreens, CVS, and Rite Aid (essentially Walgreens now), were allowed to stock, and dispense the product.  I have mentioned before, I’m a Pharmacist.  I’ll add here that I do not work at any of those pharmacy chains.  It is a slight inconvenience for me to have to go to a pharmacy other than my own.  More Chains have been added to the list of approved list of Pharmacies, the list is available here which was updated in July 2018.

It felt kind of weird going to Walmart to pick up a prescription.  I worked there several years ago, but I had not seen the people at the store for quite some time.  It was kind of like old home week, even though many of the faces were new.  The people at the Bangor Walmart Pharmacy made this super easy, and I appreciate their assistance! 

Just Like Christmas Morning!

I pick up my sensor system feeling like a kid opening gifts on Christmas Morning.

I bring it home and go through the process of getting my first sensor implanted.  Yes, I said implanted, you have to install the sensor subcutaneously, but they system includes an incredibly simple device which essentially does it all for you.

The manufacturer recommends the back of the upper arm.  Using both alcohol pads included in the kit, I make sure to get all of the surface oils off of my skin for the sensor to adhere fully and stay on for the full 10 days.  I read in the USA Users – Abbot Freestyle Libre Facebook group, some people had adherence issues, so I went above and beyond their advice. I scrub my skin thoroughly in the area where I intend to install the sensor, almost rubbing it raw.  It works, I haven’t lost a sensor yet!

“Pop!” 

Hmm, that didn’t hurt a bit…  I’m not afraid of needles, after all I’ve been a diabetic for 11 years.  What was even better, NO MORE FINGER STICKS for the next 10 days.

In the USA, currently, there is a 12 hour warm up period, and the sensor lasts 10 days.  In Europe, the warm up is an hour, and the sensor lasts for 14 days.  Soon, Abbot is going to update the system in the USA to be 1 hour and 14 days as it is in Europe. (I’ll update this post when it happens)

So, What’s Next?

The next morning and quickly grab the scanner to look at my results.  I don’t recall the exact figure, but I was approximately 150mg/dl.  Interesting, when I was doing my finger sticks, I was usually in the 120-130mg/dl range.  I wondered which was more accurate?  I told myself, trust the meter, see what it says as the day goes by.  

If you have a Libre, you know what happens next… I was that kid on Christmas morning again, obsessed playing with my new gadget. By scanning every 5 minutes, and watched the numbers go all over the place that day.  I learned there is a bit of an adjustment period, it usually takes 24 hours to settle down.

Let’s Experiment!

What happens if I eat Chips and Queso?

Oh boy…  My readings went through the roof.  I topped out around 270mg/dl after eating, admittedly a few too many chips.

The previous 7 months I had been practicing Intermittent Fasting, also known as IF. My wife and I were introduced to a booked by Gin Stevens called “Delay Don’t Deny” by friends Kim and Ryan Smith aka The Super Shrinking Smiths. The quick and dirty summary is if you practice intermittent fasting, and clean fast during the day, you can have whatever you want during your eating window. Stay tuned for my book reviews on Delay Don’t Deny, and The Super Shrinking Smiths (Which is coming out soon!)

In general, the advice in Delay Don’t Deny is great, and I embraced it.  However, with the Libre, I was able to identify a few things that didn’t work out perfectly for me.

Carbs caused my blood sugar to skyrocket, even in moderation.  Can you imagine what was happening to my body over the years which contributed to my T2D.  Yikes!

Time to Eat Cleaner… 

With the Libre, and further digging into the world of Intermittent Fasting(IF), I discovered Dr. Jason Fung.  I devoured his book, The Diabetes Code, over the course of a camping weekend.  I will admit, I indulged in a few S’mores, but we all learn somewhere…

While monitoring my glucose numbers, and following the advice of Dr Fung, I cleaned up my eating habits even more.  My readings on the Libre gradually normalized.  A month later, I stopped taking my Metformin.  I decided to do this as a Pharmacist assisting in my own treatment of my T2D.  DO NOT DO THIS without consulting with your Doctor/PCP.  I have a wonderful relationship with my provider, and we have a mutual understanding.

At the two-month mark, I reached a point where my daily numbers were averaging approximately 110mg/dl, which if you don’t know is pretty darn good!  To this day, I am continually looking for ways to improve my health and refine my process, and hope to keep the trend going downward.

Let the Libre Liberate you!

If you want to improve your Type 2 Diabetes, reach out to your provider about getting a Libre.

Are you motivated to make some changes? I am looking for a few adventurous individuals, who would consider working together to use the things I have learned  to help us improve our Diabetes together.  Please join the T2D Adventures Mailing list by entering your e-mail, and please message me directly at: todd@t2dadventures.com so we can discuss some options and devise a plan together!

Hope to hear from you soon!

-Todd

P.S Check out our other posts:

1. 4 Ways Sugar is like Other Drugs
2. One Fun-Sized Candy Bar… Really?
3. 1 Simple Reason

And our Recommendations Page!