Wednesday, December 20, 2006

RGMS/CGMS PROOF! Amazing Results

It has been 4 months since I started using the Minimed 522 CGMS pump with the glucose sensor.

I went a few weeks ago and had my first HA1c. I found out my results today - AMAZING! I know the value itself may not be amazing, but the CHANGE is what I find amazing!! Here is the outline:

Nov 2005 HA1c 8.0
Aug 2005 HA1c 7.7 (not much better!!!)
Aug 2006 Started Minimed Paradigm 522 sensor system
Nov 2006 HA1c 6.7

I went down a whole percent point, with no effort. The sensor did all the work - alarmed me when I was rising to high, and I would quickly correct. Simple as that! I find that I do not feel the slow creep - hyperglycemic unawareness. I will feel the high glucose feeling, but not until I hit arond 15 mmol/L. If I am sleeping, I will not wake up to feel the rise in glucose - and many many morning had terrible glucose values! This has been eliminated by the sensor system - it wakes me if my glucose goes outside of my desired range!

I work shift work, and have a very hectic lifestyle - so this 6.7 HA1c, with the 1% drop over 4 months - is the best Christmas present I could ever ask for! Enouch evidence for me!

Research is starting to show the same results. There have been multiple articles in the Diabetes Care Journal about the reduction in HA1c values - both published in November, 2006. I am gathering all this info to present to my insurance company soon! BUT not sure if the clinical guidelines for the use of the sensors is out and available for the insurance companies!?????

3 comments:

Sarah said...

I hope that all those studies start showing this same thing so insurance companies will be more on the ball with paying for CGMS systems. I want one desperately! Congrats on the awesome a1c! How are you feeling? Any better with a whole point difference?

Scott K. Johnson said...

Way to go!!!

That is a real significant improvement with what seems to be very little work (as you say, the system did most of it for you).

Wonderful.

This type of thing will go a long way towards convincing insurance companies to cover them.

Anonymous said...

Go Drea!!
You had better post this awesome news at the forums! ;)
So how does it feel to be in the under-7's club?

I am so bad...I've been on my Paradigm CGMS for almost seven months now and I still haven't gotten an A1c done...ACK!