Last weekend I was incredibly fortunate to have flown out to the Netherlands with the Medtronic Diabetes team and fellow European bloggers, to try the new Guardian Connect CGM system! We headed to the Diabeter centre in Rotterdam to get set-up, which you can
read all about in my other blog. The other bloggers and I got set-up on the Guardian Connect together and it was a moment reminiscent of getting set-up on my insulin pump a few years back. As there was a real buzz of excitement in the room and camaraderie that diabetes had brought us all together, to try something new that could help us manage our condition more effectively.
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The Guardian Connect transmitter |
Prior to arriving in the Netherlands, we had all completed the online education course on the Guardian Connect and diabetes/ CGM (continuous glucose monitoring) and had also downloaded the app that connects with the sensor. When we entered the room in Diabeter, Medtronic had kindly laid out our place settings with an sensor inserter device, the Guardian Connect transmitter and charging dock and Guardian Connect sensors. A great amount of diabetes kit, which I felt very fortunate to receive.
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Guardian Connect Goodies |
The set-up was led by the Medtronic team, with support of diabetes nurses and consultants and we began by pairing our transmitter devices to the app on the phone so that they would only be able to recognise each other in future (however, you can ask the app to forget the device should it be replaced by a different one in the future). We then followed the on-screen instructions for setting up the transmitter and sensor which are the devices that read your glucose levels and report back to the phone. We then used the inserter device to put on the sensor, which is a pretty painless task.
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Lenny the Lion |
Once the sensor was inserted, we then connected the transmitter. Our transmitters had been charged already by the Medtronic team, so we just needed to remove them from their charging docks and wait for the green light to flash. Once it had stopped flashing, we continued to follow the information on the app for setup, connecting the transmitter to the sensor, we waited for the green light to flash again. If it flashes, this shows that the sensor is connected and can be read. Then using the tape provided to secure it to the skin, the warm-up began on the app. The warm-up time differed between each of us, but we were all 'warmed-up' and ready to calibrate within 2 hours. The Guardian Connect requires calibration after warm-up at; 2hr, 6hr and then a 12hr intervals, then 4 times/ day in the right settings daily there after. After 2hrs it started displaying my blood glucose level on the screen, which was nothing short of amazing!
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My First Meal with Guardian Connect |
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