I have recently transitioned to the fsl and omnipod, have been on fsl 4+ months and pod 3 weeks. I feel like I have been chasing my sugar for a few months. Alot has to do with my eating habblit (terrible stomach issues) This weekend I started experimenting with my bg #'s, I know the fsl and cgm have a lag compared to fs. I like to check my bg by fs before bolusing but have been either over or under shooting, have tested and adjusted my values to little help.
This weekend I came up with a plan but am not sure if I am right in my thinking on this. I have started reading my fsl and doing a finger stick at the same time, knowing my fsl lags the difference between let’s me know which way my sugar is going and how fast, I don’t put much faith in those arrows. I think doing this is helping keep me from going low. Tonite for example my fsl read 233, when I did fs it was 153, this told me is was heading down I waited and when I checked again (both) I was right at 100 with only a 2 point difference which let me know I was stable.
This info is important to me because of my stomach I learned long ago I have to do things a little different as in when I eat I can’t bolus for meals at one time, I have learned to do a temp basal increase an hour before and do a series of small (to me) 1 or 2 unit boluses until I start to drop.
Anyway the way I am comparing the reading sound correct? Haven’t been doing for long so not knowing how well it works. Do know I have had very few lows doing this, normally keep b’s under 180 but lately I have been venturing into the mid 200’s.
I might be wrong, but I love it, @T1john. I think it’s a great way to use the numbers… and to make use of the lag. Part of me says that seeing a drop from 223 to 153 between finger sticks would be enough evidence to know you’re dropping (and you could conclude it was fast depending on how long it took to drop), but I like how you’re using those matching CGM and finger stick values to show a more stable status. Although… as soon as I say that, I realize there is one other thing to keep in mind, and that is the fact that just seeing one matching set doesn’t necessarily mean you’re no longer on the move. It is possible for the sensor to catch up (and the Libre is relatively fast), only for your BG to move out again. Maybe you can just kind of keep that in mind and see what that might look like? The beauty of the Libre is you can swipe as often as you like and get a new value every time which can help you determine if there’s still movement.
I would be careful relying too heavily on it just because it obviously is not a perfect science, but s far as using it for context, I think it’s a really cool idea. I’ve got 2 days left of my Libre. I think I’ll mess with it today, too, and see if I come across any real problems.
I may have phrased this porely, the values represent 223 on fsl and 153 fs at same time. Representing to me I am dropping rapidly as shown by the point difference, I scan alot especially when moving rapidly. And I fs right much also. When my fsl and fs are close i am stable. Other than when low (below 70 mabey) the libre and fs are almost right on, if deference is large i can tell which way i am moving and how fast.
We haven’t thought to use this approach, but it makes sense to me if you have confidence that the CGM is working well for you. Thanks for posting the approach. Yet another way of doing things. Good stuff.
what have been your experiences (all of you on the FSL) with lag time? i just started the fsl 2 days ago.
Mine is much faster on the rise than it is on the fall. In fact, my 10 day sensors, which I no longer use but did pay greater attention to, used to overshoot many of my highs but failed to reflect my lows in their entirety. I think the 14 day is better on both ends now. I’m low now ANd not wearing the Libre so my answer
Is becoming more and more useless by the word…
thats the Libre that i have (14 day). i didnt even know that there was a 10 day one when i started using it. why would anyone bother with a 10 day one if they can use a 14 day one???
It was what was available before. Then they transitioned everyone over to the 14 day so there was a spell you could get either, but you needed a prescription for the one you were
picking up, so I continued to get 10 days until I finally got the change in prescription. I do think there has been a huge improvement in the 14 day though… and only bother with my 10 day if I can find a reason to experiment with it.