I have been a Type 1 Diabetic for 37 years.

I was diagnosed with diabetes when I was 7 years old in December 1985.

In my 37 years of being T1D I have seen the glucose meters get better over the years which is great when now you can check both BG’s and Ketones from one meter. When I started it was all visual checks no meters.

I never considered using a CGM or FGM due to the running costs of having one  which is about $100 every two weeks and is a lot of money when I am on quite a low income.

It wasn’t until September 2021 after getting into some trouble I was given the FreeStyle Libre (FGM) system to use.

I have been using the FreeStyle Libre for 6 months now and it’s great.

As I work outside in all weathers it has been very easy to use.

I can check my BGs without getting meter out of my work bag and I can carry on moving with a quick scan to see where I am and if I need to take action I can from the information in front of me.

I have found that having the FGM gives me more freedom to go about my day without getting out the meter to check BGs.

Being easily able to do several reading has given me a much better idea of my BG control is and also to get an idea of what is happening in the night has allowed me to achieve much better control.

I feel that the CGM or FGM should be available for all T1D in New Zealand as the technology is here to help keep us out of hospital and give us more freedom to lead a more normal life as a T1D.