Diabetes Blog – Happy-Medium.net

Funny you should ask.

First, let me bring you up to speed: I started participating in a clinical trial back in the middle of April. Participation means wearing a Dexcom™ G4 continuous glucose monitor (CGM), and giving daily updates (keeping a diary, if you will) about glucose readings, boluses, meals, how I’m feeling that day, and a host of other things. If you want to read about it, here’s a link:
http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01767831?term=iBOLUSED&rank=1

Okay, so how’s it going? Pretty well so far. I should tell you that we’re taking a break from the study for a short time so web developers can work out some details with the website we’re accessing. Our group in this study is the first to use this system, so it was inevitable that we’d run into a blip here or there.

But I am getting first-rate information on how my glucose is trending on a daily basis, and which foods really help or hurt my BG management. Hint: being away last weekend and eating out for every meal meant mostly high readings all day Saturday and Sunday. Being home this week and eating homemade meals has meant significantly lower readings and lower variability too. Too bad, ‘cause I like eating out. But I also like cooking for myself, so life’s a balance, I guess.

Also, I’m starting to think about my answers to all of the questions I’m asked when I log on daily and give my information. I’m thinking about meals and exercise, and stress and other things that I’m giving information on. I suppose that’s part of what they’re trying to find out in the study.

At any rate, I’m still happy to be participating, and I’m finding the CGM to be more of a help than a nuisance. As the study rolls on, I’ll give you what information I can without compromising the trial.
 
 
In the meantime… in case you’re interested in participating in a trial of your own (and not the legal kind), here are a couple of places to start:

From the USA’s National Institutes of Health:
http://clinicaltrials.gov/

Also, the Clinical Trials page on JDRF’s website lists a number of helpful links:
http://jdrf.org/research/clinical-trials/
 
 
Have a great weekend!