CGM

                                                   

Last yeah it was approved to have the CGM technology made available to all people with Type 1 Diabetes who are under 21 in Australia. This is an amazing step and will help dramatically in improving lives of those and those who care for people within the life long battle.
As you could imagine though the life with disease doesn’t finish when you turn 22 and the next goal is to see it available for everyone. There are huge benefits to making it available both from a individual and a country perspective... I thought I would have a go at putting a few of them down -

1. Information is King - no matter what decision one makes in life we gather as much information as possible to ensure that we make a decision that is going to benefit us into the immediate and long term future. Well why would the decisions we make on our everyday health be any different. Doing traditional finger stick tests will still need to be a part of Management there are a lot of holes in the day that most of us have only an idea on. The CGM technology fills in all those holes with readings every 5 minutes that it is attached and in operation. So for someone that would do 10 blood tests a day (this would be a lot for most) the CGM would do more tests in just 1 hour in the day. So in multiplying this out we are seeing information on 288 CGM readings per day. I think you would agree that this Information is King.

2. The possibility for finer control - With the results of the 288 CGM readings you have the ability to refine your insulin intake and especially when on a pump you can change both your basal rates and basal rates down to each minute of the day. The minimal increments that can be made, down to 0.025, units of insulin changes means control can be exact. It will not take away having to monitor and manage but that is what Type 1 Diabetes fundamentally is. You have to know that everything has an effect and no matter how much you think your under control things will always change.

3. Reduce anxiety - Being both someone that lives with T1D and also a parent of a child with it I see how the anxiety and worry that comes along with it can effect more than just the individual living with it. The CGM technology helps reduce just that the worry about what is happening and the anxiety around missing something. You can start to be proactive rather than reactive all the time. Be alerted before it happens.

4. Cost of emergency medical treatment - I strongly believe that this technology has the long term ability to minimize the chance of ending up in our hospital system over and over again. The ability to predict things before they get to a point of needing intervention can only be a good thing for both the individual and the greater health system.

No longer is randomly checking your blood glucose levels by pricking your finger the best management method. Technology has been developed that will not only help each and every type one diabetic but will also help all the loved ones that care and love the type 1 diabetic. As children and families become used to the technology to then take it away when they probably most need it when they are heading into the wider world, often by them selves, they will have less than appropriate amount of support to ensure they are fit and healthy as they begin life in the wider community

In the wider picture around the world it is time for governments to understand the true cost that this disease takes both financially, mentally and physically. The price of what keeps us alive is difficult to justify and to hear that people go without around the world is heart breaking.

Type 1 needs to stand out and stand separate so that governments understand that this chronic disease is one that is can be managed better with the technology that is quickly developing however governments need to understand and listen. Stand up and educate.