I was thinking about asking this question for a while, but then saw an NYT article that provided the impetus.
So, what are you using to monitor your health, e.g., weight, BP, sleep, blood glucose, etc?
I asked, so I will respond to get it started:
Hardware
- Dexcom G6
- Phone (Samsung 10+)
- Fossil Gen 5 watch
- Omron Evolv Blood Pressure Monitor
- Withings Body+ Scale (weight + body fat)
- OneTouch Verio Flex BG monitor / strips
Watch / Phone / iPad Apps
- Dexcom G6
- Dexcom Follow
- Dexcom Clarity
- Google Fit (steps, HR (workouts), sleep, BP, weight)
- Omron Connect (BP)
Non-smart Devices
- Oximeter
- Infrared Thermometer
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Dexcom G5 going to G6 when G5 supplies run out
Blipcare Wireless Digital Scale (weight to .1 LBS.)
Blipcare Wireless Digital Blood Pressure Monitor
Pendiq 2.0 Bluetooth Digital Insulin Pen (doses in 0.1u increment)
Contour Next One BG Meter and Test Strips
Dexcom Clarity App
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@CJ114 - The Pendiq pen sounds intriguing. I was happy to move to the Humalog Kwikpen since that gave 0.5u dosing. Can you provide some details on your use and experience?
I have been using Pendiq Pens for about the past 15 years and love them, however, there are a few quirks you need to be able to get past.
- They are not FDA approved and not available in the US. There are several suppliers in Europe that will deliver to the US and I have been using the original supplier in Germany since they first came out.
- They are highly accurate for both Basal and Bolus use. I stopped using Basal insulin after going onto Dexcom CGM as I could prove to my endo that my nighttime lows were all being caused by my Levemir/Lantus so now only have 1 pen I use for Bolus.
- They are not very robust. Although they have like a 3 year warranty, mine only last on average 1 year and forget about making a claim. They make you send it back to Germany and then find an excuse to not honor warranty.
- They cost Euro 177.65 including DHL delivery to the US. I usually figure about 3-5 week delivery time. DHL takes care of all customs clearance so it is an easy transaction. The pharmacy does all the paperwork so no extra work on your part. I did try doing it myself many years ago with UPS and that was a total disaster. My supplier takes all major credit cards and PayPal which is what I use to order.
- I believe one reason my pens only last one year is because I micro-manage my BG with dose to 0.1u and can find myself doing up to 6-8 injections a day. The pens seem to be good for about 2500 injections. It would last longer but I am quite active and do not treat the pen kindly so I really can’t complain about its longevity.
- It is bluetooth and there is software available to follow more than you could ever want or need but I have not used the software in years as I eat, exercise and dose to my Dexcom CGM which allows me to flatline and keep GMI in the low 5’s.
- In order to mitigate the lack of quick availability I always keep 1 extra unused spare Pendiq 2.0 pen so that when my pen gives out, I have another one ready to go. Yes, it is an added expense but in the overall scheme of diabetes management, the pens get an awful amount of use at very low cost, and when you get hooked on using this pen you never want to be without one.
- These pens take cartridges. Humalog cartridges are available in the US or Canada without any problem and cost a little less than the Humalog pens. I order my Insulin from Canada for a far lower cost than even my co-pay in the US. Long-acting Lantus/Levemir cartridges are only available through Canada mail-order sources, as the US suppliers do not carry them. The Pendiq pen comes with a couple of different cartridge holders for the different manufacturers as not all cartridges are identical among manufacturers.
This is all I can think of at the top of my head so if you want my supplier information in Germany, or have any other questions, just let me know.
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I use:
Inspire HR Fitbit
One touch verio flex linked to my iPad
Digital BP Cuff
Digital scale
Would do more but as a Type 2 on Medicare can’t on Trulicity and Tresiba. Nancy50
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Dexcom G6 w/iPhone, Clarity, Sugarmate
Tandem X2 w/T:connect
Apple Watch - fitness, heart rate/EKG, Dexcom & Sugarmate complications
Digital scale
BP cuff
Pulse oximeter
MyChart
I likes all the data. But I must admit, some days it’s TMI
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I use the following:
- Tandem Control IQ
- Dexcom G6
- Fitbit versa 2 for sleep, exercise tracking
- Phone apps-Clarity, t:connect, Fitbit
No longer use a blood testing meter.
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@Paytone - I’m a software developer and have given thought to writing my own software to combine Google Fit with my Dexcom data. Then again, a lot of other things are competing for my time, so this morning started searching for premade solutions.
Nothing top-level was obviously available, so I need to keep searching or dig in and get coding…
BTW, I also use a pulse oximeter, but it is not connected to the other information, or even uploadable for storage…
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@Sally7 - I still use the blood testing meter to calibrate the G6, primarily when inserting a new sensor, as it can be horribly incorrect.
Let us know what you find. There’s definitely an unmet need to put all this information (easily) into a single platform so you can see how the individual data streams interact with each other in a way that could guide our daily lives with the big D.
As one example I’d love to be able to look at details of my exercise/activities, and sleep with BG so I could develop a well reasoned strategy to vary insulin dosing based on the conditions at hand. I can do some of that now with a lot of hand-waving arguments, but the scientist in me would like to see something better.
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Sheryl 4.2 - she tells me when i have a problem. After 43 years, you bet she tells me about it.
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I use fitbit ionic, dexcom G6, tandemX2 and xDrip.
Via xDrip, I can see fitbit info, with shading overlay on bg trend for steps activity, and HR, step count.
I use X2 as receiver for G6, and android phone (currently wo phone service) to view T:connect app, xDrip and fitbit info.
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Dexcom G6
Tandem T-Slim X2 with Control IQ
Google Pixel 3 phone
Google Fit app
T:connect app
Dexcom app
Clarity app
One Drop app(record manual BG’s and food searches)
Freestyle Lite BG meter
generic digital scale
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The whole idea behind diabetes technology should be to make your life easier, ie less decision making and less effort in maintaining reasonable blood glucose levels. I’ve been running pretty old school hardware with a mix of open source DIY software and conventional Dexcom for over 3 1/2 years now.
Hardware:
- Medtronic Paradigm pump
- RileyLink
- Dexcom G6
- iPhone
- Pebble watch
Apps:
- Loop
- Dexcom G6 Mobile, Clarity, Follow
- Apple Health (BG’s, Carbs, Insulin Delivery, Steps)
- Tidepool Mobile Uploader
- Nightscout
- Sugarmate
- Pebble/Rebble CGM watchfaces
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Very nice Brian 
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I just switched to Dexcom from Libre and love it.
I am an apple guy now so i use:
Iphone 11 Pro Max for Dexcom and Clarity
Apple Watch 5 for Dexcom display
Apple Health App very good
AutoSleep to track my sleep and integrates with Apple health
Proven for BP
Fitbit scale
Inexpensive Pulse Ox from Walmart
Thermal forhead temp scanner
I have been looking at inpen, very cool but my insurance doesn’t cover cartridges yet
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@MM1 is using xDrip for an overlay of activity and BG, and that seem like an interesting idea, but I’d wonder if it would work with my Google Fit data collection.
A few ideas for analysis, nothing original, although some are intuitively obvious:
- General activity and BG / Insulin / BP / HR / Weight
- Fitness intensity and BG / Insulin / BP / HR / Weight
- Fitness length and BG / Insulin / BP / HR / Weight
- Sleep and BG / Insulin / BP / HR
- Weight and BG / Insulin / BP / HR
Just thinking this makes me want to get the raw data and do some basic statistical/AI/ML analysis…
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@JamesIgoe … I’m sure you saw this …
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I came across it in different ways and also the Fitbit Sense, the upcoming tracker powered by its acquisition by Google.
As a side issue, one of the issues the CTO of my employer, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), is the encroaching ‘Digital Dragons’ using the power of their platforms to undermine MSKCC as a cancer center. With their huge data aggregation, that could be used for good, could just extend their quasi-monopolies, and undercut the mission of MSKCC.
It would be great if all this data meant less disease, reducing it preventively and proactively, instead of for marketing…
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