Hi. I am trying to reflect anew on my diabetes management and would like to begin using some of the software that helps a person analyze her results.
I wear a Tandem pump and Dexcom G6.
Might some folks out there who are systematic analyzers write about the applications they use, the numbers/charts they look at, and how they use them to gain tighter control.
In particular I am struggling with highs after eating - not immediately but eventually - and would like to figure out a better way to time my insulin so that it meets the rise in blood sugar.
I am not particularly tech saavy and only have an old i-phone so starting simple would be most helpful.
Thanks,
Barbara
The clarity app itself is useful, https://clarity.dexcom.com/#/overview. You would need to sign up, but you can look over trends, compare date ranges etc.
Personally, the pattern detection is useless, but the AGP (image #2) can be a useful snapshot, and if you want to look at more details, it has multiple pages for analysis and comparison.
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While I also use Clarity, I find that I like Tidepool (http://www.tidepool.org) a bit better. Tidepool is a third-party, free package that will upload data from a variety of pumps and CGMs including a Dexcom G6 receiver and your t:Slim X2 pump.
When you upload to Tidepool from your t:Slim, you not only get a variety of looks at your CGM data, but you get a detailed look at your basal insulin rate, boluses (both normal and extended) and the number of carbs. I find this particularly useful with Control-IQ when it can be increasing or decreasing you basal automatically, adding little mini-boluses when you are high etc.
I think that it’s only downside is that it runs only on a Chrome browser.
Here is a screenshot of a single day:
Below that, it will show you statistics about that day:
Disclaimer: that is NOT a normal day for me. I had to look high and low for a day with that much TIR. I normally have 80-85% TIR.
Another plot that I like in Tidepool is their multi-day tool: (I think they call it the Trend tool …)
In this case, I’m looking at 4 weeks worth of data overlayed onto a single 24-hour period and can see the average CGM value and how wide the spread is. Also, you can easily look at specific days (for example, weekends only …). And at the bottom of that trend plot, it shows you a bunch of relevant statistics for the period of time you are examining:
Time in Range of 82% … that’s more typical for me.
In any event, while I look at Clarity I also use Tidepool.
The final thing worth considering is what your endo or PCP prefers to use. Mine prefer Tidepool because it is “one size fits all” for their patients that use Medtronics, Onmipod, Dexcom, or Tandem. They can use one tool to look at all of their patients’ data … whether they upload it in the office of you upload it the night before.
Stay safe!
John
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@John_S2, good point, about sharing with one’s doctors. Clarity has a built-in ability to share with medical institutions so that once you set up sharing, they can immediately access the data without you uploading anything. I’m not sure if Tidepool is automatic, but that still might be the better option, considering your hardware setup is pump and CGM.
You are certainly correct … having the data automatically uploaded is very nice! Tidepool does not have an automatic upload capability. In my case, I either upload ahead of time or many places will hook up a USB cable and upload in the office. I think that once the data is uploaded, you can either SHARE it with the doc’s account or you or the doc can login to your account. For that reason, I use a Tidepool password that is unique to my Tidepool account.
Also, particularly in bigger medical enterprises, the network security folks have a lot to say about what can and can’t be downloaded onto the in-house medical computers. As I recall, it took months for them to approve the Tidepool uploader …
Stay safe!
John
I just started to use Clarity. I like it because I can simplistically confirm trends and see where I am having highs and or lows It may help u determine whether the bolus amt is the problem or whether it is the timing of the prebolus or if the basal needs to be adjusted. My doc wanted to know if i could share but i never set it. Probably will since visits are virtual now. downloaded tide pool but have not set it up.
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Have you tried using T:connect app and/or web version?
If you have tandem X2 reading dexcom, then both data can be loaded and graphed.
I just started using X2 and find it helpful to data combined on same timeline.
I use Xdrip which automatically uploads to both Tidepool and my Nightscout site. My Dr and my spouse has access to both real time
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Thanks so much to all of you who have shared information on diabetes technology.
Here is my next naive question. How does one get one’s computer to upload the data. Is it as simple as using the charging port on one’s pump?
Next step is taking the plunge to actually go to one of these sites. (-:
yes. that simple. download the software, and plug in usb to computer and dexcom should be that simple for clarity. u can look at a bunch of youtube videos, The software guides u through
Thank you but I seem to have run into problems. My computer’s operating system seems to be too old for the download (Apple 10.10.5)
I then resorted to my phone and began the process but got stuck when I needed to open the uploader. Do I want to upload in Airbox? I really have no idea what this means…
Ah, I am feeling like an idiot, but I know that I can figure this out with a little help from my tudiabetes friends.
You received a lot of good advice. Regarding high BGs later after eating, I have some thoughts and questions:
- Does this happen more with certain types of meals or certain carb totals OR does it happen regardless of what you eat? It is important to be sure your profile settings with basal rates, carb ratios, etc are optimal.
- I wear a Tandem pump, also. It is great. It can do lots of things other than the basic ones. If there are certain foods that lead to higher values later after eating, you may want to consider using the extended mode to lengthen delivery. I have used this in several ways. For example, I don’t eat a lot of rice or cake. However, I have found if I eat rice, I will go quite high later so I decide my total carbs for the meal and my diabetic educator advised entering 70%/30% instead of 50/50 in the extended mode. This has worked pretty well. Another example is if I do eat a piece of red velvet cake with icing after supper, I enter 35-40 carbs and I choose 25%/75% for the cake part. I have already entered my carbs for the meal. What this does, is add a little more insulin at the time I start eating the cake and then gives the rest later. This second scenario has worked quite well and avoids going too low early with a large dose of insulin but gives enough insulin to cover the extra carbs.
- Everybody is different. You may have to play around with it a little to see what works best for you. Just remember these pumps are very sophisticated and they can do a lot of good things once you understand how it works. It is still important to have the best profile settings for day to day control. It is also important to minimize eating a lot of foods with unknown carb values. Minimize the guess work.
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I also checked Diasend (diasend.com) which is another upload and data visualization tool … but it also seems to require a Mac with an OS in the 10.13 to 10.15 range.
Do you happen to know if the Mac that you have is upgradable? The answer to that probably depends on three or four questions:
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The current OS which you know is 10.10 … also known as Yosemite.
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What hardware type your Mac is (and probably year of Manufacture).
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How much disk space you have … downloading and installing a new OS often takes 12-15 GB.
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Whether it is 32- or 64-bit hardware.
I don’t expect you to be easily able answer those questions … and upgrading your OS in this forum is not likely the best way to proceed.
I would suggest that you call Apple support, tell you that you have MacOS 10.10 … and ask them if your machine is upgradable. They can easily walk you through the steps to determine if you machine is upgradable so 10.13 or better.
Best of luck and stay safe!
John