How much does technology cost?
While technology helped Laurie get back on his feet, he also shared how much technology has cost him.
For every $4 Laurie receives as part of his pension, $1 is spent on diabetes technology.
Laurie pays $111 a fortnight to keep using Libre 2 technology to monitor his glucose levels to help him self-manage his type 2 diabetes.
Although he wishes Libre 2 was cheaper, Laurie finds the high and low alerts very useful, as they alert him if his glucose levels are out of his target range.
Laurie says spending a quarter of his pension on diabetes technology is worth it to save his fingers.
Years of finger pricking had caused the nerve endings on his fingertips to become very sensitive. His fingertips had become so weakened and painful that he could not use them to pull himself up by holding on to a chair, or for other daily activities.
Laurie had done the maths. For the past seven years, he pricked his fingers at least four times a day. That came to 1500 to 2000 finger pricks a year, or just over 10,000 pricks on his ten fingers. Or a thousand pricks per finger.
Today’s increased cost of living means Laurie makes sacrifices so he can use diabetes technology. Many older adults already struggle to meet their needs, let alone include their wants.
“Being independent is number one, and to be self-sufficient” are Laurie’s priorities in his life. Ultimately, managing his diabetes well means that he can focus on his other health conditions, so he can live a more fulfilling life.
Even though Laurie chooses to use Libre 2 continually, not everyone needs to. Using this technology to map out your glucose levels across two weeks before you see your diabetes team may be useful. It can also be helpful if you want to see how a lifestyle change can benefit your glucose levels.
And give your fingers a rest in the meantime.
If you would like to know more about diabetes technology, book a chat with one of our professionals at the Diabetes Victoria Clinic.
