Freestyle Libre FGM


If you didn't know by the title, this week's post is about the Freestyle Libre FGM. What is an FGM? Let me break it down for you.

FGM stands for Flash Glucose Monitor. An FGM is a sensor that, similar to an insulin pump, is inserted into your body. The sensor sits on your skin, held in place by some adhesive tape, and a cannula is inserted into your body with a needle. But don't worry! The needle doesn't stay in your body for more than five seconds. It's just like an insulin injection.

The sensor tests your blood sugar every few minutes and can connect to a monitor/display device, also known as your receiver. The monitor/display device reads your blood glucose numbers when you use it to scan the sensor on your skin, stores them in a logbook, displays trends, and shows you which direction your blood glucose numbers are heading. FGMs are similar to CGMs, but are not exactly the same.


There are two of these kinds of devices I know of that you could try. As of one week ago, I've tried both of them. My last post was about the Dexcom G5 Mobile CGM. If you haven't read it yet, then I suggest you get caught up by clicking here! Ready? Okay, let's keep going.



 Freestyle Libre FGM

 As I mentioned before, this week's post is about the Freestyle Libre FGM. I just started using it a week ago, and I am loving it so far! These are the reasons why I would recommend it:

  • The Freestyle Libre has a very simple insertion process 
  • The instructions are very easy to navigate
  • Testing your blood sugar is so easy -simply scan!
  • The sensor is small
  • The sensor lasts 14 days 
  • You can set reminders on the receiver to remind you to test your blood!
  • If my mom needs to test me in the middle of the night, she can do so without waking me up!
  • You can make note of when you take insulin and how much you took in Settings! 



The insertion process of the sensor is very simple. It has three easy steps to follow, and detailed instructions if you don't understand how to do it. The steps are so easy, and the needle doesn't hurt at all. You can barely feel it!

It's important that you completely understand everything that goes into your body -especially something like this. So I was glad to see that there are dozens of manuals and instruction booklets included in each sensor package, allowing you to fully understand what you are injecting into yourself. 

A big game changer for me is that it is now so easy to test my blood sugars. I've stuck a needle into my fingers over a thousand times just to stay alive! But now, with the Freestyle Libre, I only have to scan the sensor on my arm and that's that. It's a whole lot easier, less time consuming, and doesn't hurt my fingers anymore. 

One of my favourite things about the sensor is its size! If there is something large attached to you, it is easily noticed by the public and might arouse questions. I don't mind answering people's questions, but it can get annoying after a certain amount of time. The Freestyle Libre sensor is about the size of a toonie, and nobody has asked me any questions about it so far. 

My other favourite thing about the sensor is that it works for two weeks. It's a different story with the Dexcom G5 Mobile CGM, where the sensor lasts only for one week. Because the Libre is expensive, I feel like it is worth the money to get a break from finger pokes for two weeks. 

One downside to the sensor is that you can only wear it on the back of your arm. However, with the Dexcom G5 Mobile CGM, you can wear it on your arms, legs, or stomach. 

Don't you just hate it when you are in the middle of a really good dream, and you suddenly wake up to the face of your mother telling you that you need to test your blood? Well, this doesn't ever happen when you're using the Freestyle Libre! Your parents can scan your sensor instead of waking you up in the middle of the night to test you. I've gotten a lot more sleep using this product.



I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Freestyle Libre FGM!!! It is an EXTRAORDINARY product that will most certainly help you with your diabetes management. Abbott is not paying me to review their product, I just wanted to share it with you because it is helping me with my diabetes so much!

However, I am not a medical professional. If you are considering using the Freestyle Libre FGM, then you should talk to your doctors about it and determine if this is a good option for your diabetes management. 


Thanks for reading this post of That Stupid Pancreas!

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Till next time, Type 1 Warriors!

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