3 ms·
Worth noting, if they are covered by the person's insurance, it may be worth looking into using a CGM (Continuous glucose monitor) and the self-hostable applica
by VoidWhisperer 2mo ago
Worth noting, if they are covered by the person's insurance, it may be worth looking into using a CGM (Continuous glucose monitor) and the self-hostable application Nightscout[0].
CGMs use the interstitial fluid in (usually, although people also use other spots) inside side of the upper arm to measure blood sugar. As long as they are placed in the right spot (i.e. in a fattier area instead of directly on top of muscle, hence why it is on the inside side of the upper arm and not the outside) and the sensor doesn't fail, they will measure blood sugar fairly accurately for 10-15 days depending on the CGM model (disclaimer: They do tend to run approximately 15 minutes behind the number that an actual finger poke would show you).
Nightscout is an awesome tool because it can be self-hosted so that you keep full control over your health data, but since it is a web application, you can still easily share it with other people too, like family or your endocrinologist.
On android, you can use the xdrip+ application to pair with most types of CGMs to completely keep your data out of the cloud, or you can also pair it with the API from Abbott or Dexcom (depending on the CGM model) to pull data from their 'share/link' applications, if you opt to pair with/use their official apps
[0]: https://nightscout.github.io/ https://nightscout.github.io/
[1]: https://github.com/nightscoutfoundation/xdrip https://github.com/nightscoutfoundation/xdrip
I personally use Dexcom G7 15 day sensors (because it is what my insurance covers) and use xdrip+ to upload the data to a nightscout instance hosted in my homelab
- arjie 2mo agoInteresting. My dad wears his on the back of the arm (posterior) not the inside (medial) - and when I asked him he pointed to the official instructions which do actually have it there https://www.freestyle.abbott/content/dam/adc/freestyle/countries/us-en/documents/support-page/freestyle-libre-sensor-application-guide.pdf https://www.freestyle.abbott/content/dam/adc/freestyle/count... It must be a different kind of device.
- VoidWhisperer 2mo agoNo, he is correct. When I wrote this comment originally I was having trouble thinking of how exactly to describe the location
- close04 2mo agoAlways follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Most CGMs are going on the back of the upper arm but some were put on the lower back, or other places. The manufacturer develops the CGM with a very specific placement in mind and they make sure to tell you very clearly.
- kuerbel 2mo agoMy parents dog has diabetes and since they failed to draw blood from his ear he got the freestyle libre 2. The vet just put it near his shoulder. I'm not sure how accurate this is...
- close04 2mo agoProbably very inaccurate numbers but the trends could be okish.
- Projectiboga 2mo agoIt can be roughly calibrated to blood work later.
- hunzaboy 2mo agoUnfortunately, that’s not really an option for my target audience. In remote areas, the issue isn't only the cost. Its availability, access to the devices, internet connectivity, and the expertise needed to set them up can all be barriers. A basic glucometer and a phone are much more realistic.
- nabedam 2mo agoAnd if you really want to live on the bleeding edge, check out https://androidaps.readthedocs.io/en/latest/ https://androidaps.readthedocs.io/en/latest/