As somebody living with an incurable disease, anything which could make my daily routine a little easier fills me with excitement. Diabetes technology has rocketed in the past few decades and new gadgets are really helping to minimise the hassles of life with Type 1.

When I heard a new version of the FreeStyle Libre system was being launched, I couldn’t wait to give it a go. And one of the busiest times of year on our family farm was the perfect opportunity.

Farming when you live with diabetes

We lamb our 800 ewes indoors in two batches, and for two months of the year spend practically 18 hours a day in the lambing shed. There are always plenty of hungry mouths to feed and lots of newborns needing our TLC.

Always on the go, it can be really tricky to manage my glucose levels at lambing time. I’m doing much more physical activity than normal, working throughout the night and regular mealtimes can be skewed by an ewe needing urgent midwife assistance!

Despite adjusting my insulin, I find it a big challenge to keep my glucose levels within an ideal range. I also find that I can confuse my hypo symptoms, such as increased heart rate, sweating and hunger pangs, with just the effects of physical activity. Sometimes this means that I don’t realise my glucose levels are plummeting, or I load up on sweets when they’re not needed – potentially sending my levels sky high!

I know full well that regular monitoring is the best way to understand where your glucose levels are at. However, having to leave the lambing shed and potentially critical problems, to return to the house, wash my hands and finger prick is a real inconvenience.

Early alerts with alarms

That’s where the FreeStyle Libre 2 system massively improved the ease of managing Type 1 diabetes at this hectic time. I set up the optional alarms, customising them to the low and high glucose thresholds I wanted to be alerted at**. Luckily for my slightly frazzled brain, the system was super easy to get my head around.

Even if I didn’t recognise my glucose levels dropping, the FreeStyle LibreLink app^§ popped up a notification on my phone alerting me to scan my sensor^◊. With no need to go anywhere, I could simply scan in seconds using my phone - which is always in my pocket!^†

I could quickly treat falling glucose levels, preventing disruptive and unenjoyable hypos. At the same time, this also meant I wasn’t unnecessarily treating suspected hypos, preventing consequent spikes.

A smooth transition

It was so straightforward to transition from the original FreeStyle Libre system to FreeStyle Libre 2, I would definitely recommend it. This fab technology meant that lambing time was disrupted a lot less by my Type 1 diabetes, making it so much easier to manage my fluctuating glucose levels. I’m not sure how I’d manage another lambing season without it!

Laura Yates is a farmer, marketing professional and a FreeStyle Libre ambassador. You can follow Laura on Instagram @farminglifeoflaura