1 day with DEX - I'm 2 years old

T1 for 6 months now, using Omni..&. My new DEXCOM 7!! placed on me yesterday on my upper buttocks, but it surprised us all -- DAD & MOM-- when it stopped working over night bc out of range??. Well, it was right next to my crib on the floor w/ less than 2 ft from me. Of course I did not notice because I was dreaming about my next bottle, but MOM & DAD didn't like it very much from waking up all night long due to the alarm & trying to read the manual to figure it out...

After doing some research, they had it re-started & placed it over the crib to see what happens tonight. Any suggestions on improving reception? where would you suggest wearing the receptor for a little guy such as myself? I like playing around with it & punching all the buttons!! See you. SANTI.

2 feet may just be too far… I sometimes have trouble with mine going out of range if I keep it in the pocket on the opposite side of my body.

It doesn’t let me go very far. Like Sarah, I have also had it be out of range when it is on the other side of my body. Maybe you could hang it above the crib? From the mobil or somewhere just out of reach. At least until he learns to reach for it, anyway! Good Luck! And congrats on being such proactive parents!
j.

The DexCom is not a “set it and forget it” device. All the new users have tales to tell of anxious moments during the initial learning period that they go through until they understand how to get the most benefit from this system. The sensors do not like to be pressed and disturbed. Placement may be a problem if the sensor is located right where Santi’s buttocks rub and meet the mattress when he moves around in his sleep. Personally my receiver works well even at 10 feet distance. However, sometimes I turn away from the receiver so my body blocks the path to the receiver and this stops reception for a while. (However I am a large adult.) I have to be careful that I don’t place the sensor in a spot where my body presses the sensor against the mattress or my sensor fails. Also if the receiver is plugged into the charger, this will interfere with reception on occasion. The first 12 hour period after the sensor is placed under the skin, generates the most unreliable readings. It is not uncommon for the receiver to post ??? or even show no reading at all. New users tend to calibrate the system too often which may confuse the system. Please go back and read the many posts by DexCom users on this site for some additional ideas. A good place for the receiver might be hanging over the crib, out of reach, preferably with some sort of cloth cover to hide it so it is not an attractive nuisance. If this were my child, I would provide Santi with a “toy receiver” that he can hold or play with, if necessary. I would keep control of the real receiver and treat it like the serious tool that it is. Lastly, while the receiver has programmable alarms for absolute high and low BG values, These alarms cannot be relied upon as the DexCom is not always accurate enough. The real value of the system is in spotting developing trends. To do this you need to keep an eye on the receiver and check for results often. By making the observations regularly, you will learn to anticipate problems based on changing trends and not necessarily absolute Bg readings from the DexCom. Good Luck AaronM

There is a guy on the Yahoo CGMS group that said he somehow clips Dex on a rubber band and hangs it from a nob on a cupboard that is above his waterbed (it sounded like the cupboard is part of the headboard of the waterbed). Anyway, with how he has Dex dangling from a rubberband above his body, I was wondering if you have a mobile attached to the crib? Maybe somehow dangle Dex from the mobile at night?

Good Luck!

Hi Santi,

If you sleep on your back, your buttocks may not be the best place to attach your sensor. If you ask mom or dad to call Dexcom support, they might have suggestions of a good place to attach your sensor on a little guy. If you lay on your sensor, it tends not to work well.

I have unpredictable results during the first day or so on a new sensor. When I changed sensors Wednesday, I didn’t get readings for 10 - 12 hours. Despite occasional problems, I love my Dex and would not give it up.

Brad

THANK YOU ALL FOR RESPONDING.

DAD & MOM re so greatful of having TUDIABETES friends as a reliable source of support. Just like some of you have mentioned, above the crib worked well, and as new user we have to give time for the sensor to work properly. Other users have recommended 6 hrs -12 hrs for the sensor to start reading properly. In my case, it took 24 hrs, and still have episodes where the DEX reading is well off my METER’s readings.

However, identifying trends is what DEX does well, so we’ll use the DATA to make adjustments. ONE problem we haven’t figure out yet is since SANTI is so little, he does not have sites with enough fatty tissue to interchange the OMNIPOD & DEXCOM in the way is recommended (3 inches away form the pump). We’re still trying to figure out a way to make them work for him. THANKS ALL!! We’ll keep posting… Santi.

Ah to be young! I’m 55 and I have plenty of fatty tissue! I will be happy however, when the Dexcom and Omnipod integration is available.

Brad