(Sorry about the inconsistencies in the video, I made it when I was reaching out to facebook friends and family and was eventually convinced that going with indiegogo was a good idea.)
Who?
Hi, I'm Nick Glauber. You're probably a friend or family member of mine and you know full well who I am. If not, perhaps you know me from
Check it Out, Comrade! on duckfeed.tv, or just "the internet" in general.
In any case, I'm a
Type 1 Diabetic. It's not my fault, my immune system is just really dumb. This means my body no longer produces insulin on it's own and I have to do all the work of a pancreas myself. A big part of this is monitoring blood glucose (or blood sugar) levels to see how far off target I am, and then taking insulin or glucose to bring me down or up to be closer to target levels.
The CGM
Currently, checking my blood glucose levels is done the "standard" way: by pricking a finger, pushing a drop of blood out, and feeding that into a glucose meter. This has to be done every time I need to have an idea of where I am at, which is all the time. I probably do this about 10-20 times a day.
But, there's a different way available. A Continuous Glucose Monitor has a sensor that sits just under the skin and communicates wirelessly with a receiver. The device then automatically checks your blood sugar every 5 minutes, which is incredible. You can actually see trends and preemptively treat for highs or lows before they start having a negative impact.
I've been working with my doctor, insurance, and the manufacturer to get approved for a Dexcom G4 Platinum Continuous Glucose Monitor, which is currently the best CGM on the market. They finally approved me, but the out-of-pocket cost of $600 is a little out of my reach. I'm hoping my friends and family can pitch in and help me get this incredible device that is going to vastly improve my quality of life.
Funding Details
I've set the goal at $1000 dollars, as this will with absolute certainty (even after the cut taken by IndieGoGo and credit card/paypal fees) cover the cost of the meter ($600) as well as doctors visits and additional supplies.
This is set up as a flex-funding campaign. No matter what, anything contributed will go towards paying for the CGM, and any supplies or doctor visits surrounding.
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Extra funds will go towards future sensors and transmitters, as those are replaced every week and 6 months respectively.
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If we do not meet the whole goal, I will use whatever contributions were given and do everything in my power to still make this happen.
Thank you all for being so supportive already. It really means a lot to me.