Words by Jen Hanson | Photos courtesy of Bayer Diabetes Care
Disclaimer: This is not a ‘sponsored’ post, but Connected in Motion is benefiting through Bayer Diabetes Care’s #PoweredByAccuracy Campaign – For each share of the #PoweredByAccuracy videos, $1 will be donated to Connected in Motion.
It’s hard to believe that seven whole years have passed since Connected in Motion moved from idea to reality. Over the years, Connected in Motion has had the opportunity to partner with many different partners across the Type 1 diabetes world, and beyond. Our relationships with our Type 1 diabetes industry partners always hold a special place in our hearts – We love connecting with the people in the industry who ‘get it’ and who value the experiences of people living with Type 1 diabetes.
One of our earliest supporters was Bayer. They have been supporting our Slipstream Weekends and our Adventure Series canoe trips for years, donating meters, test strips, A1CNow testing kits, and funds to help give more people the chance to experience ‘The Slipstream’. We were especially excited this year when the team at Bayer came to us with a new idea – They were looking to support people living with Type 1 diabetes by donating to the organizations that fuel research, drive innovation, and provide education. And they were looking for people who were passionate about accuracy in their Type 1 diabetes care.
If you’ve been out to a Slipstream event before, you have probably been involved in a conversation around what makes or breaks a meter. Sure, we all love our meters to be small, to be colourful, to have neat little add-ons, and, really, why don’t ALL meters come with a flashlight to light up the strip? But when it really comes down to it, time and time again, the CIM community talk about the accuracy of their meters. If it’s not accurate, does it matter what colour it is? Does it matter how many readings it can store? Does it matter if the screen is backlit?
These conversations happen time and time again. It’s probably, in part, due to the fact that the CIM community is made up, for the most part, of active, healthy, information-seeking individuals. People who depend on the accuracy of their BG monitoring gear so that they can continue to work towards a life without limits.
In 2013, Health Canada changed the acceptable level of accuracy for a BG meter from 20% to 15%. What does that mean, you ask? Well, prior to 2013, meters were allowed to be ‘off’ by 15% in either direction from what your ‘true’ BG was. Let’s make that make more sense – If your BG was 9.0mmol/L on your meter, you should accept that it might be anywhere between 7.2mmol/L and 10.8mmol/L. Or what if you were running higher? A test of 16.0mmol/L would mean that you ACTUALLY could be anywhere between 12.8mmol/L and 19.2mmol/L. Would you treat a 12 differently from a 19? You get why this whole meter accuracy thing such a reoccurring conversation!
We were thrilled when Bayer Diabetes Care reached out to Connected in Motion to be a part of their Powered by Accuracy campaign, focused on why meter accuracy was so important and why withe the proper tools and education, people with Type 1 diabetes can do remarkable things. Bayer has teamed up with just a few of the many remarkable people with Type 1 diabetes in our community, including IIHF Team Canada World Junior Captain, Max Domi; Fire Captain, James Coones; and International Tae Kwon Do Bronze Medalist and Mixed Martial Artist (and CIM friend!), Dessi Zaharieva.
Each time a #PoweredByAccuracy video is shared, $1 will be donated to Connected in Motion. You can learn more about the campaign and the other great charities that are a part of it, here.
Please help us to spread the word! To help get even MORE dollars donated, CIM is hosting a contest – Share any one of the videos below and tag Connected in Motion on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter anytime between now and 11:59pm on Monday August 17th and we’ll enter you in a draw to win a Team Canada prize pack valued at $150 and signed by Max Domi!
Be sure to use the hashtags #CIMluv and #PoweredByAccuracy in your post to be entered. Winners will be contacted via social media on Wednesday August 18th.
