Testing: just a snapshot of time.

I'm a sitter-on-the-fence in regards to CGM. The inaccuracies in the technology make me dislike the concept, but the one underlying and undoubtable feature it offers, from my point of view, is the reassurance it gives.

I don't have access to CGM technology, and when I did have access to it for 5 days, I was still hanging in the air if I liked it or not. What I hear is that the more you use it, the more 'in tune' it becomes with your body, and thus the more accurate the readings are.

Because one of my greatest frustrations with blood glucose testing, that stupid little prick on the edge of my poor fingers that I do time and time again, is that it is only a snapshot of what is happening *right* then. For instance, I'm 5.7 right now which is pretty damn good for pre-bed. But I've been at work - so will I fall a little? I have a decreased basal for the hour after work to allow my body to 'catch up' with itself, if you know what I mean --

but guess what I just checked? I was on the wrong basal pattern all day. It explains a lot...I have 3 basal patterns - day off, early shift, late shift. Yesterday I worked the early shift and must have forgotten to change over to the late shift pattern for today. D'oh.

I guess that means a 3am test to see where I am.

But back to my general point - BG testing only gives you an instant update. The beauty of CGM, so I hear, is that it gives a much wider picture. As I say, I appreciate it isn't 100% accurate and doesn't replace testing - but the overwhelming benefit I found was the reassurance of having some general idea of what the heck my levels were doing.

Sometimes my little brain just can't work out what to do with a BG of 5.7 and having been on the wrong basal and active insulin and having a snack before bed and having a lie in tomorrow and how do you even BEGIN to work that out?!