installing the Libre

by Jackie Patti

So I have my shiny new Libre. I read the manual and see how to insert the sensor. And I hesitate.

Problem #1: What if I screw up? I mean, I screw up with bG testing strips sometimes, no big deal. But this thing cost $50 rather than $0.50! I need to think this through carefully.

Problem #2: I want to blog about this and need pictures. The thing goes in one arm and you insert it with the other, so I need a third arm to take pictures. So I need to coordinate with someone else.

So, it wound up taking a few days to get the thing in my arm.

Image credit: sensor in my arm Steve Fredette

I got a Libre!

by Jackie Patti

Diabetic geeks have been following the progression of the technology of continuous glucose monitoring systems (CGMS) for some time. They have been commercially available for some time, but prohibitively expensive and rarely covered by insurance.

A CGMS allows you to insert a very shallow needle that just stays there and provides glucose readings. These are not blood glucose (bG) readings like we get from standard bG meters, but readings of the glucose in interstitial fluid, the liquid between cells.

That's why I was so excited to see Jenny, author of Blood Sugar 101: What They Don't Tell You About Diabetes, post that she had gotten a Freestyle Libre to play with back in November, before they were even on the market. I've been following along excitedly with her experience since.

I'm a T2 and a geek; I wanted one!

Image credit: Freestyle Libre system © 2018 Abbott Laboratories. All rights reserved.

review of Perfect Health Diet, second edition

by Jackie Patti

I guess like most real foodies, I vaguely knew about the "Perfect Health Diet" long before I got the book.

Paul and Shou-Ching Jaminet took the basic Paleo diet, added to it what they call "safe starches" (which for most people means rice and potatoes), and came up with their unfortunately-named diet.

I say it has an unfortunate name because the name itself kept me from reading this book for quite a long time. I'd think, "Sure, YOUR diet is perfect, as opposed to paleo or primal or WAPF or GAPS or AIP or Wahls' protocol or even my own diet recommendations" and the implied hubris in there bugged me.

But I think I was misreading that all this time, as the adjective "perfect" modifies "health" not "diet". My reading comprehension was way off.

Paul regularly posts on Facebook and blogs on their own site and it's quite obvious he is not full of himself, but conversely open to ideas and discussion and extremely approachable.

My mistaken aversion to the book was unfortunate for me; this is the book I'd have liked to write myself, if only I had a couple years to devote to such a project and a couple graduate students to work for me.

Not having those resources, I am grateful to the Jaminets for this book.