@Dave44 - What is the reason you stop using your sensors at 9 days? ie - Is the the question marks, the shaky data, the bad data, something else?
EDIT - I just re-read your OP and saw that sometimes you have the question marks and sometimes the bad data.
My suggestion for the question marks (particularly if right after a shower) is to carefully remove the transmitter from the sensor. Clean the surfaces with an alcohol wipe. Let them air dry a couple minutes. Carefully put the transmitter back in place being careful both of the back tabs of the transmitter click into place. (It is relatively easy to only click one tab - have to be careful and sure.)
But if you are getting bad data then it is probably just a new sensor you need.
No, I reuse a plastic zip-top sandwich bag that I cut in half to separate from from back. (Not sure why I did that. You could easily use a whole bag.) I attach one half over the sensor with, along the top, a short strip of the cheapest waterproof tape I can find. One half a bag lasts a couple of months before it weakens and tears, and then I use the other half. I guess the tape isn’t that cheap, but it’s sure cheaper than a new sensor.
I started doing this after I noticed I sometimes got the ??? after showering. I then read here that others had the same issue. Since I’ve been covering the sensor, I’ve never had that problem again.
1st one-- repeated ??? and it wasn’t after getting it wet and occurred over 2 days.
2nd one – bg’s on Dexcom kept drifted down, despite attempts to recal.
beacher, thanks. now I understand. someone on a board said they used a large transparent dressing (forgot the brand) for showering and I know that none of the transparent dressings are cheap enough for me to use daily for that purpose.
I never cover my Dexcom for showers, I do use opsite flexfix from the getgo around the sensor to anchor it in place, and it lasts at least 2, usually 3 weeks for me. I almost never get ??? after showers, at least not by the time I check my phone.
Today I used 3M transpore tape to tape around the edges of a baggy over the sensor and after I got out of the shower about 25% of the dressing around the sensor was wet. I don’t know how it leaked but it obviously did a little bit
I can keep mine close to 100% dry by using 2 things. First I cover with Glad Press and Seal. Glad Cling wrap may also work, but I like the tacky side of the press and seal.
Then I also use a Mueller sport support wrap to keep it snug. It is about 2 ft by 3in, with Velcro on one end, so it stays on, found on AZ. This avoids needing to use tape, but could use tape instead.
I have never covered my G5 up for a shower and have not had an issue. I don’t have to ad any additional adhesive or tape and I get 2 weeks on my sensors
went 12 days this time. Would like to make it a full 14 days. Got the dreaded ??? after a few hours of up/down readings that I took to mean the sensor was failing. and it did.
@Dave44 - I think you said your wife also has a Dexcom? Does she get a similar length of time per sensor as you do or is it significantly different?
My thinking is you are both seeing how each other uses the Dexcom and likely either doing or trying stuff out together. If this is so but you continue to have significantly different results in terms of length of time per sensor then it may simply be how your body reacts internally to the Dexcom sensor wire under your skin and perhaps entirely out of your control?
She’s always had better luck with sensors. Even the awful sensors MM made prior to Enlites, worked for her. Not for me, though. I’m sure there’s something different about our chemistry or tissues that causes sensors to be more problematic for me. I’m just happy that I can get at least 7 days of accurate readings.
Just my two cent on this topic. I have used the G4 since January 2013. My first two years or so was great, 14 days with good accuracy after the first day and no ???. Now my use time is down to 8 to 10 days before ??? all the time. I have changed nothing so who does that leave???.
Today marks the longest running G5 sensor for me since I started Sept 12th. I got 19 days this time. Not sure if it was coincidence, but just as I lightly tapped the xmitter to show someone where it was located under my shirt, the receiver immediately began to show ???. I removed the xmitter, cleaned it off in hopes that it would resume working quickly. It didn’t. that was a bummer as I was about to go for a long walk in Monterrey (one of our fav spots). After a shorter walk than anticipated (because the sun was sinking faster than I realized), I got back in the car to head home and after a few minutes it began working, but was low by 45 pts. Calibrated. few minutes later, another ???. A few minutes later it showed me in the 70’s and 80s so I thought it was going to work for quite a while. Less than 20 minutes later it was back to showing ??? I have never had good luck with a sensor once it gives me ???.
However, I cleaned my wifes xmitter when it showed ??? and it resumed working for well more than a week.
