Tag Archives: Tidepool

Learning to Like Tidepool

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In previous blogposts I have mentioned my frustration with finding a platform where I can download and view data from all of my diabetes devices. Diasend used to be my go-to site and would still work for me if I used my Dexcom G5 receiver. But I am a hipster-oldster who uses her iPhone and Apple Watch for CGM numbers. An email to Diasend followed by a phone call to Dexcom last week indicated that there are no plans to allow G5 Mobile integration into Diasend for US users. Dexcom Clarity is great for analyzing my CGM data but it doesn’t include pump or BG meter information. Tandem t:connect allows me to download my pump and Freestyle Lite meters but does not show CGM information. Maybe when the Dexcom G5 is integrated into the t:slim X2 later this year, the Tandem site will include all of my information. Although I love mySugr and the cute monsters, I don’t need a day-to-day logging app. Pretty quickly I get down to Tidepool as the only platform that is compatible with all of my devices.

My first experience with Tidepool was last fall when I participated in a research study through Glu. I downloaded my pump and meters weekly while my CGM synced to Tidepool through Apple Health. I was required to enter my food and carb counts through the Blip Notes app. The use of hashtags for notes initially bugged me but with practice it became quite easy. The Basics screen in the Blip dashboard was novel and my data was displayed in charts and domino dot patterns. I don’t recall spending much time reviewing the Daily View screen. In general I couldn’t envision how my endocrinologist would work with Tidepool because she requires printed reports. After the Glu study ended, I drifted away from Tidepool.

Fast forward 7-8 months and I am becoming a Tidepool fan. A couple of things happened to bring the website back to my attention. One, Chris Snider was hired as Community Manager and I assume that he is instrumental in the new informative emails showing up in my inbox. Two, it was announced that Tidepool users are now able to share their data with Type 1 diabetes researchers. You can learn more about the Tidepool Big Data Donation Project and how to participate at this link. Three, a recent email shared a clinician’s video featuring Diabetologist Dr. Anne Peters demonstrating how she uses and interprets Tidepool reports. I am always interested in what endocrinologists are seeing and thinking and her presentation helped me understand how I could gain insights into my diabetes using Tidepool.

I encourage you to take the opportunity to watch this video.

 

***** Interruption *****

Why do I download data?

I download data: 1) to take to every endocrinology appointment,  2) to review my numbers for a pat-on-the-head or a kick-in-the-butt, 3) to provide printed reports for Medicare which requires a 30-day log for pump supplies and a 60-day log for CGM supplies, 4) for various clinical studies and/or beta-testing apps, and 5) for curiosity to test new data platforms.

***** End of Interruption *****

Tidepool is a non-profit company and was founded in 2013 by Howard Look, a self-described nerd who has a daughter with Type 1 diabetes. Like many small diabetes tech companies it grew out of the #WeAreNotWaiting movement and is powered by geeks, D-parents, and PWD’s. As Look mentions at the end of the video, employees at Tidepool “have pancreas in the game.”

To get started with Tidepool, go to www.tidepool.org. Although you can check out the website in any browser, the Uploader is a Google App and you must use Chrome on either a Windows or Mac computer for downloading and viewing data. I have contacted Tidepool support several times by email and have always received prompt and courteous help.

Where do I go with Tidepool from here? I am pleased to be participating in the Big Data Donation Project and have recurring calendar reminders to download my pump and meters. My Dexcom G5 syncs to Tidepool continuously through Apple health. I also plan to periodically review my own D-numbers and graphs through the Blip dashboard. After 40+ years of Type 1, I am not good about day-to-day logging and probably won’t use the phone app very often, but you never know. I am currently a beta-tester for a new version of the app and maybe I’ll get hooked. Rather than reviewing my graphs and numbers on a computer, my endocrinologist uses print-outs that are eventually scanned into my medical record. In the Tidepool video above, Dr. Peters provides a glimpse of the future where diabetes data is viewed online and interactively with patients. It will be a long time before that future shows up at my doctor’s office.

In addition to exploring Tidepool.org and signing up for the Big Data Donation Project, you can learn more about the company through these links:

Diatribe (2014):  How the Tidepool Data Integration Platform Can Ease Diabetes Management: Our Interview with Tidepool CEO Howard Look

Six Until Me (2015):  #WeAreNotWaiting: The (Not So?) Brief Story of Tidepool

Diabetes Mine (2016):  Tidepool Goes Big After White House Visit

Diabetes Numbers Podcast Episode 23 (2017):  Tidepool’s Big Data Donation Project

In conclusion here are screenshots provided by Tidepool of the Blip Basics Home screen and a Daily data view. Note that the Daily view shows insulin, carbs, BG’s, and notes in the same timeline as CGM data.

A Diabetes Data Machine

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Laddie_Head SquareI am currently involved in a couple of projects that require tracking my diabetes data. The good part is that some of the data is automatically logged with little or no input from me. The bad part is that I am using 3 different apps on my phone and must enter food information twice. The good part is that I have learned new things about my diabetes. The bad part is that I am uber-involved in the input of data and not paying much attention to the output.

Big Blue Test

Most of you are familiar with the Big Blue Test sponsored by the Diabetes Hands Foundation. Every test logged between October 14 and November 14 will result inBig Blue Test Logo a $3 donation to support people with diabetes. Three charities will receive $5000:  Diabetes Sisters, We Are Diabetes, and the Riverside Community Diabetes Collaborative.

The Big Blue Test is by far the easiest of my current data projects. I use the app on my phone and it’s a quick 30 seconds to record my exercise. Although participation is easy, I am no Big Blue Test slouch. Yesterday I managed to input 5 (!) tests. Dog walk. Gym session. Rake. Rake again. Dog walk. That translates into a $15 donation for diabetes.

If you are participating in the Big Blue Test, keep up the good work. If you are not involved, check out this link to learn more. It’s not just walking and running. You can include housework, yard work, weight work, and dancing. You can help a couple of diabetes groups while receiving the physical and mental benefits of moving your body. Sounds like a win for all.

mySugr Consulting

I continue to be a beta-tester for the mySugr consulting module. As outlined in my September post, mySugr is launching a feature to allow virtual coaching from Gary Scheiner and the team at Integrated Diabetes Services. You can learn more about themysugr-copy program here and here.

Today I am not addressing the coaching experience except to say that Gary Scheiner does a better job of understanding my D-data than I do. Instead I am writing to share that amazingly I am still logging after 3 months!

I am still learning shortcuts for entering my data and have reduced the number of data points I am tracking. I continue to enter food and carb counts, but don’t classify the food anymore as vegetable, meat, etc. Similarly I am not distinguishing between food and correction bolus amounts, just total insulin. What I like about mySugr is the ability to customize my logbook to show only the data points that are important to me and to list them in an order that makes sense to me.

My newest “cool” discovery about mySugr is that if I use the workout app on my Apple Watch, it automatically transfers the activity to mySugr. Another diabetes/life datapoint automatically logged!

Glu and T1D Exchange

Glu is the patient community of the T1D Exchange and provides an easy way to participate in research relating to type 1 diabetes. I am currently part of a study about blood sugar results and treatment satisfaction for T1 adults using pumps or multiple daily injections.blip_logo

The logging requirements of this study are not difficult because most of my data goes into Tidepool’s Blip. If you don’t know about Tidepool and their innovative diabetes apps, check it out here. I download my Animas pump and Freestyle meters once a week. My Dexcom CGM automatically links with the Blip Notes app on my iPhone. My only daily responsibility is to create a Blip note whenever I eat. I click on #food and record the meal with the carb count. To make it easy, I copy and paste the meal info just entered into mySugr. Takes 30 seconds or less.

Where to from here?

The Big Blue Test ends November 14.

The mySugr logging has no end date and I’ll keep at it a while longer. But not forever.

The T1D Exchange study lasts 4 weeks.

I have learned a lot from this intensive logging. I tend to eat a little bit all of the time and now have visual proof that my BG is better when I eat more at meals and reduce snacking. I have done some basal testing and am seeing better CGM tracings. Better basals allow for less snacking.

But I am tired of logging. My head is exploding with numbers and my brain is drowning in data. I am thinking about diabetes too much and will be happy to quit recording my life in a couple of weeks. Being a diabetes data machine is fine for a while, but for me the benefit gets lost when I do it too long. For sure I will quit before Thanksgiving because there is no way I want to start the holiday season being accountable for my food decisions….