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Type1 in France needs help!

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Posted 4/22/2008 8:32 AM (GMT 0)
Hello,
I am a French citizenship , living in France and diabetic from 24 years now. Here in France teh last system from Medtronic, the Paradigm-Gardian real-Time system to check the level of glucose in real time continuously is not available at all. it is even forbidden to buy it, so Medtronic do not sale at all.
I found a way to be supplied on consumable by a Luxembourg company. but i need to buy first the Gardian monitor. Please could you help to find a way to buy in Canada. Here in Europe it is impossible, and medtronic Canada is not allowed to provide me whith goods in France. i need to find a diabetic in Canada who will be very kingd to be an intermediate for me and give me a chance to buy either a brand new one either someone has choose to go for the Paradigm 722/522 pump and want to resale his Gardian monitor.
Please help me. my diabetes is very unstable, and my eyes come more and more injured, I want to test this system may be i will be wrong to have faith on it, be I wish I will be in safe life and will not be scared to have a crash with my babes because of low glucose level in my blood and not feeling it. Last night again i had 4.27 g of glucose and I did not felt it, in the morning i was nearly in a coma. Please, give me a answer.

thank you very much.

Post Edited By Moderator (Jeannie143) : 4/22/2008 10:45:15 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 4/22/2008 2:11 PM (GMT 0)
Touria,
Are you Type1 or Type2? I do not use this monitor but I will keep moving your post to the top so others will read it.
Posted 4/22/2008 3:34 PM (GMT 0)
hello Jeannie,
thank you very much for your quick answer.
I am Type 1. I am diabetic since I am 12 years.
do you know this system gardian real-time from medtronic??
Posted 4/22/2008 4:49 PM (GMT 0)
I have changed the subject of your post so others who are Type1 will have a better chance of finding it. We do not have many Type1 members but the members who belong are very helpful. Bonne chance mon ami.
Posted 4/24/2008 8:41 AM (GMT 0)
Hello
I saw that 40 persons red my scream for a help, but nobody answers. Please it is really a chance for me to have my diabete going more stable. i am starting already to have some disease resulting from it, specially on my kidney.

thank you to give me a way to buy this monitor system.
Posted 4/24/2008 2:06 PM (GMT 0)
Hi touria.... Unfortunately, it's just not that easy to purchase a continuous glucose monitoring system (CGM). Just like an insulin pump, but to a much lesser extent, this technology is invasive and means a whole lot of training/ upfront & continued education to be eligible to use them. You need a support system in place; a bunch of people who also know as much and/or more about the technology and how it's used to manage your diabetes. You can't do it alone. Are you on an insulin pump already?

The CGM you refer to just became available in the USA recently (less than 2 years ago). Here in Canada, it's only been available recently. There are other GCM systems: Guardian REAL-Time Continuous Glucose Monitoring System, Dexcom SEVEN, MiniMed Paradigm® REAL-Time System, Abbott FreeStyle Navigator®. Have you looked into any of those or maybe other European companies making CGM systems? Because it's such new technology and because of the training involved, we still need letters/forms/prescriptions from our doctors in order to get/use them. Even once a CGM is purchased, there are things like sensors, batteries, canulas, etc. that need to be regularly purchased. Are those things readily available to you? If not, them your system is useless.

The first place to start is with your doctor, hopefully a specialist (Endocrinologist). Express your interest in GCM systems and ask to be referred to people and/or hospital programs that'll put you in the right direction to either get one or be able to trial one. Try contacting Medtronic's European head office and inquire about hospital/medical grant programs that you might be eligible for. You may have to go outside France or pay out of pocket yourself but, you may have more options. I think I read somewhere that folks in the UK were able to get CGM systems. I just don't remember the details.

As for what you can do right now with regularly going low.... does your insulin regimen need to be adjusted? What are you currently using: an insulin pump? or daily injections? How often do you test your sugars? How are you treating your lows? What's your diet like? I ask these questions because maybe there are things that can be adjusted in these areas. What does your doctor say about your management? Do you see him/her or a diabetes nurse regularly? One thing to keep in mind... even if you use a CGM, you'd still have to do a lot of finger testing (to calibrate, etc.)...do you do this already?

I can't help you obtain a CGM system but I may be able to offer some help elsewhere if I knew some more info.
Posted 4/25/2008 7:52 AM (GMT 0)
Hello Phishbowl,

thank you very much for all this dtails and your offer to help.
You ask several questions, and to be short but as clear as possible. Let's start by my actual situation. I am under insulin pump since more than 10 years. I used to be in every "new" technology , medicine and program to improve my diabete survey. I am under a survey of a diabete specialist in France, in Paris. I am already doing a lot of finger testing, I am correcting my insulin injection with a bonus/malus system. i try as many as possible to have a diet for diabete, minimum of suggar, bread and other are balanced and I meet my specialist 1 time a quarter. Finaly we conclude to go for a test with a CGM system. It was the Guardian REAL-Time Continuous Glucose Monitoring System. We decide to go for this test with my specialist because I want to give birth and I need to really follow my glucose level more closer. I have already 2 boys and one is brain injured, we thing that it can be because of really often loss, specially during nights, and sometimes also during nights i can have very high level of glucose (4,27 g teh last one). My specialist things that because of my weight the insulin is not absorbed teh same way everytime by my body. And it is why it's hard fro her to stabilize me. As you suggest, i've been in contact whith Medronic France, who said directly that it is forbidden for them to provide me with this system because of the health insurance not giving the authorization for teh French market. So i've been in contact with Medronic Holland., and i found a way to be supplied by a luxembourg company but only for consumables: sensors basically. All the other things, like canula, battery pump, insulin is taken in care by the health insurance in france. So i am really just missing the Guardian monitor, and i will be supplied for the sensors here in Luxembourg. For sure i can provide the according of my specialist to survey me with this system. i would like to go for this one since it was this one tested in hospital. But as there is not a lot, just 1 by hospital they were not agree to let it to me more that 15 days. I know from Medronic Canada that persons in canada can by the Guardian monitor and the mini-link transmitter if they have an agreement from their specialist to use it. Want i am looking is either someone who want to change from the seperate monitor to a global pump system(paradigm one) either someone who will be very understanding and byu for me the system, for sure i will send the money first.
If you can give me more information about people in UK who were able to byu CGM system, please telle me more. If you are knowing another system as efficient as the Medtronic one, please tell me more. But really I know what I am talking about, do not be affraid to let me fall in a complicated system with no data. I even already agreed with Medtronic Holland to have a training for the CGM. It is really just a matter to buy it. Do not ask me why thexy can provide me whith teh consumables but not the monitor and mini-link, I simply do not understand and they do not either. They found a way to give away the sensors by a non medical branch of their company , but the monitor is hard to by-pass the health needs obviously.

thank you very much for all your help.
Posted 4/25/2008 6:51 PM (GMT 0)
Hi touria,
Thanks for providing a bit more info. Sounds to me like you're doing all the right things to manage your diabetes: regular doc visits, tests, diet, etc. and may be one of those unfortunate individuals that has to work really hard at just trying to keep things balanced. I understand. I'm one of those "brittle" diabetics that suffers from even the slightest changes in routine. Kinda hard to live the exact same routine every single day so, I'm always having to stay on top of things every few hours. I still test almost every night between 1-3AM.

I think you're on the right track for trying to obtain a CGM through someone who may be upgrading to the "all-in-one" unit (pump + CGM). They're the most likely people to have the older model you're looking for. Purchasing a new one might not be possible (here in Canada, anyway) because, as I mentioned, the purchase of these devices is tied to doctor prescriptions, insurance papers, etc. I might suggest:
- try to purchase from MiniMed USA directly. There are forms to fill out but might be worth a try. They do mention having the proper certification for sale in Europe, but that may be only for the newest model. Not sure???
- put your request toward insulin pumpers. They are the most likely candidates to be upgrading and may have a device to offer you. There is an "insulin-pumpers.org" website that has a members forum you can join to make your request. There is a specific UK and Canada link, too.

Sorry I can't be more helpful in helping you actually obtain a CGM. I'll certainly continue to keep my eyes and ears open for anything I can pass along that might help you do so. Best of luck.
Posted 4/26/2008 12:15 AM (GMT 0)
Not the exact CGM you're looking for but, this one is apparently available in Europe:

Press Release: Abbott Receives European CE Mark Approval for FreeStyle Navigator® Continuous Glucose Monitoring System

http://www.abbott.com/global/url/pressRelease/en_US/60.5:5/Press_Release_0478.htm

Additional information about Abbott Diabetes Care may be found at www.abbottdiabetescare.com and www.abbottdiabetescare.co.uk

As someone on another board mentioned,
"the Navigator has been launched in the Netherlands and
Germany on December 1st. Pricing is at 795 Euro (1150$) for a starter
kit (receiver, transmitter + 50 test strips for the built in
Freestyle). Sensors are 55 Euro a piece (a whopping 80$!)"

CGM systems are so expensive and hard to come by right now. Insurance companies have lightened up recently in Canada & US to allow coverage for insulin pumps. Maybe now that more folks have the opportunity to go on pumps, that'll mean more of a market for CGMS, especially since many are working towards designs that combine pump and CGMS.
Posted 4/29/2008 8:38 AM (GMT 0)
hello Phishbowl,
thank you very much for your answers. It will help me a lot. i still go further to try have a CGM here in France.
Hope the best for you.
cheers
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