I was diagnosed as type 1 since 1959 and yes, I have had a few related issues but general health is very good. I used to post here often but got out of the habit. My first CGM, the DG4, should arrive Friday.
Any advice, suggestions, warnings for a noob on CGMing or the G4 specifically? Also, I have been pumping for a while, first Cozmore, then Omnipod and now the Ping.
Thanks in advance!
http://www.tudiabetes.org/profiles/blogs/things-i-have-learned-about-the-g4-after-3-months
Ron congratulations the G4 is a great piece of technology and has made my life with D a whole lot easier. I posted the above blog a month ago or so with my take on some of the ins and outs of the G4. Good luck
Clare has good advice. I will add that my accuracy on day one with the G4 is MUCH better than it was with the System 7. I am conservative by nature, so I will treat a low off the G$ readings, but not a high without verifying with a finger stick.
Excellent review, thanks! I appreciate the locations (and bad ones) and the call back warning too.
OK, dumb question #1. Why do you not use the same for a low or high? I have heard to always do a finger stick before eating (which personally I may not do too often) but why the difference between low and high verifications? TIA
There are no dumb questions. For me, the Dexcom is very accurate especially in the middle range if you're 70-200 the Dex will be very close to a finger stick. But what I have found is the dex will never get as high as I do, nor will it get as low as I do (mostly because it stops at 39 and that's as low as it will register even though you could be lower). So if I get a low alarm it makes sense to have a few skittles or whatever. If I get a high alarm, I need to see how high I am in order to do a correction dose of insulin - I am not on a pump so I have a correction factor to bring me back in to range.
Thank you, this was very helpful to read. I've been on the g4 for a little over a week (and am also new to the cgm) and as far as management of data is concerned came to the same conclusions. I'll try my arm for the next sensor placement!
OK, gotcha and mine will be a snack sized Reese Cup...11 carbs.
Do you know if (and I know each is different) the insurance companies will lower the number of test strips they will provide prescriptions for? I am now on a limit of 6 a day, with the Dex I figure I will need less, but I also know how they love to restrict us. (thanks to Anthem BC/BS)
Again, I know that is different everywhere but just wondering about the experiences of others.
Don'ts: don't drop it in the toilet! :-P
Dos: RTFM. (Read the F**king Manual). And if you're having problems, be sure and call customer support. They've treated me very well, and I really like the Dex.
Other than that, Clare's link should provide you with a lot better info than I can, LOL!!
I was allowed 12 per day before the Dex and I get them through the mail order. So I get 1100 per 90 day period. But I needed my doctor to provide a prescription for that number per day and give a reason for the extra strips on hospital letterhead. My insurance company covers the Dexcom 100% with no co-pay at all and no deductible independently from the strips. I'm not sure about BC/BS or any insurance company being intelligent enough to say "oh well he now has a CGM so we can decrease the number of strips we allow". But I have found that I use far fewer strips now, which just means I don't fill the prescription as often as before.
And I like Reese's too but once started it is hard to just stop at the snack size...
Claire's link was very good Natalie, but I haven't seen any better advise than you gave.
I just got word that I will get my Dexcom tomorrow, too! I'm interested in hearing more replies -- please keep them coming.
In particular, does anyone have a sense of how close the numbers run to the iBGstar readings?
I was just being a smart ■■■. Sometimes the urge just overcomes me, LOL!!
NP, and I did last night when I hooked it up. Works great but today an issue. It is now showing either 3 question marks or an hourglass. I read it says it will come back in up to 3 hours...it has been 2 and I'm starting to be concerned. Why does this happen and will it occur everyday?
Most importantly will it really come back?
Panic is over. At 2 hours 50 minutes it came back up, schoooo, glad that's over. I still wonder what caused it.
Update: I've been on for a week today and I'm loving it. The info is extremely helpful in managing my BGs and I highly recommend the G4 to anyone who may be considering one. And thanks for all the tips you guys gave me.
Now I am deciding if I will stretch the week on the sensor for another week or so...any thoughts?
Oops, hit the save twice, but will ask you opinions on the "extension" of time.
Do it, Ron! :)
I wear mine until:
a) all the adhesive and opsite flexifix tape give up the ghost and the sensor is literally flopping around on me.
b) it keeps giving me consistently wonky readings and won't fix itself with calibration. It's usually pretty evident when it's just done.
c) it becomes uncomfortable. I don't mess with infection.
Each sensor has a life of it's own. If you like to always change on Saturdays, you may not want to chance that week 2 or 3 of the sensor will make it that long. FWIW, I think the 7+ lasted longer (the adhesive DEFINITELY did!).
I almost always get at least 2 weeks out of a sensor. I agree with Kate if the sensor becomes uncomfortable or it gives me the _ _ _ or the ??? or really aberrant readings I know it is time to change it out. The last one I wore was on my stomach for 17 days. On day 17 I went for a swim and spent an hour in the pool as I do most days. When I got out of the pool I waited for the receiver to start giving me readings again and it failed to resume communication. So I changed it out, but when I pulled the transmitter off of the sensor, I noticed there was water underneath, so I might have been able to get it to start reading again if I had maybe dried it off with a hair dryer ? I'm still very happy though we 17 days. I don't have any set day that I change it out but I do try to give myself as much time before bed as I can to get the sensor "marinated".
I have never had the adhesive give up and with the opsite flexifix on it as well, after 17 days of wear I have still had to pull it off of my thigh or stomach.
Don't - lose the transmitter (or receiver).
Do - if you ever need to end/remove a sensor, and don't immediately insert a new one, be sure to put the transmitter in a safe place ! Some have reported they can easily be misplaced, or even accidentally thrown out with the old sensor. I either put it in my BG meter case, or in the shelf with my other supplies. An empty BG strip container can also be used, but be sure to label it.
Do - Label the receiver with name/phone number in case it is lost.
I also regularly get 14+ days, and use my arms and thighs. !