Hi Everyone,
Love the CGM been wearing it for about 3 weeks now. for thje most part it is about 30 points higher than the finger stick. but i love being able to see my trends on the graph, it will be a big help when i see the Endo the 17th. The IV3000 Tape is a joke it is to small to grab enough skin to hold on to ( 2 3/4 x 2 7/8 ). Keep in mind I am very active and I climb under cars and tend to get greasy and sweat alot. So the tape may work fine for others..... Now trying to find the best spot to put it. I tried the outside of the thigh, that lasted about 2 days and pulled it out. and had to put in another one, then i tried the back of the arm and made it 4 days and reached behind the chair and pulled it out ( each was covered with the IV3000 tape) Thinking about trying a wide ace bandage and cutting it to fit my arm or leg and see how that works.......Now for the ANGLE of the inserter, I have been using the 45 degree and it works ok but is uncomfortable for about a day and a half and somewhat sore. I have not tried the 60 degree yet. Which do you prefer as far as less uncomfortable? I am a small framed guy not much meat on the bones lol.... 6 foot 140 lbs now.
Hi Chuck - glad to hear the cgm is working for you! I have the dexcom and use opsite flexifix tape to keep that sucker on there and it works awesome! If you get it from American Diabetes Wholesale you can also use the TuD discount code (TUDIAB7).
The dexcom only has one insertion angle, so I'm no help there, but I hope you get some good feedback from the MM users. I get my best readings on my inner thigh and am able to wear my sensor for about 12 days (usually). Good luck!
Agree about the opsite flexfix tape, that sensor is not going ANYWERE when you use that stuff. You can get a nice roll of it, and cut it down to size to.
As far as the CGM for MM, I insert mine probably at about probably more a 45 degree angle. I really havent had any discomfort with it. My recommendation if you are using MM CGM, call their customer service and ask for some tips on insertion techniques. That made a HUGE difference with my infusion sets.
I wear my sensor on the upper part of my abdomen. its above the waist line of any jeans or pants I might wear.
I started the Dexcom in mid-December and then stopped it a couple weeks ago because it was so off. But, to answer your question about tape, I read a poster somewhere (Tud or maybe elsewhere) who said that the tape on the sensor is good for about three days and then he added the Flexifix. I followed his instructions and it worked great. He also emphasized that after you wipe with IV Prep, which I use for my pump and also used for the dex, be sure that the skin is completely dry before applying any tape. He used a hair dryer but I did not.
I guess I will restart the Dex and try again. But it drove me nuts for it to be so off--way off.
PS. It was by Rickst29 on May 21, 2011 at 11:58pm. You can search for that and find the thread. It was excellent. This copying back and forth from my search is a little tricky.
I second to making sure that the IV Prep is completely dry before applying the infusion set or CGM. It just doesn't stick right if you don't wait long enough... I've even had sets fall off immediately after insertion just because the IV Prep hadn't dried enough, and made the adhesive on the set virtually useless.
Hi Chuck,
I wear a MiniMed CGM with the Revel pump... I agree that IV3000 is a total travesty, I have a whole box of it upstairs that I don't know what to do with. My problem wasn't that I sweated it off, but after a couple of showers it would start to come loose on its own.
I switched to Tegaderm, which is made by 3M and is about the same size as a piece of IV3000, but SO much better at adhering. Sometimes if I don't get it centered on the CGM correctly, I have to "frame" one or more sides of the tape with something else, and I have a roll of tear-off medical tape for that. (BTW you might want to experiment with how you place the tape over the CGM; I have started marking an X in the center of the tape with a sharpie marker, and then putting that X about 4-5mm from the sensor-transmitter joint, and then pressing the tape out to the edges in a radial pattern.) So far I've only been able to find Tegaderm in boxes of 8 pieces at a time (!) at CVS for about $7/box, so I usally get it when I have coupons :)
I tried the 60 degree angle for a while, and found that it became really uncomfortable to wear the sensor after a couple days; when I removed the sensor, the wire was actually bent a couple of times. So I've "shallowed" it out a bit, maybe to 45 or 50 degrees. It took me a couple months to really find the angle that was comfortable. If you've only been at this 3-4 weeks, give yourself a chance to figure out what's right for you.
I have a Dexcom CGM and I can usually get my sensor to stay for 3 week w/o issue. I found the best location and most unobtrusive to be the top of my butt. Just in line w/ the top of my back pocket. I too am lean 5'11" 170 so you have to grab some fat when injecting the device. Also as others have mentioned make sure the skin has been dry for a while (not right after or before a shower). Also by having the sensor in that location I've noticed it stays out of the way and clean thus prolonging the life of the tape.
Chuck -- I'm looking at your profile photo and you say you climb under cars a lot... are you on/with some kind of auto racing team? (It looks like you and your lovely female companion are wearing some kind of team shirts.) My hubby and I are big race fans, so I'm just curious :)
Hello ABCPAV,
Not a Racer, but would love to have the chance to do so ! I am a big race fan as well, anything with a motor on it catches my eye. LOL. I am a Shriner and a Member of the KERBELA TEMPLE in Knoxville, That is the shirts that the Potentate,s Aides wore last year. The female companion is my wife of 25 years on Jan. 23rd. As far as crawling under cars I restore old cars as a hobby, my favorite ones to do is the Model T ford, I am in the process of building a ratrod from the ground up. If you want ro check out some of the cars I have feel free to check out pictures on facebook (chuck Godfrey Knoxville tn). you will see my 27 model t, 63 falcon futura, 61 Galaxie barney fife police car, maybe a couple more i cant remeber what all i have on there.
nifty! My husband is an autocrosser and heavily involved in our local SCCA chapter (central Pennsylvania). We don't watch NASCAR but love ALMS and IndyCar (although we liked it better when it was ChampCar). We took a trip to Le Mans, France this past summer and watched the 24 hours of Le Mans race, which was a life-changing experience. My husband Chris drives a 2001 Trans Am and is constantly tinkering with the brakes, suspension, wheel hub assemblies, etc. :) Amanda
I had a 63 Falcon Futura Black with red leather bucket seats. If I recall it had a 2 speed automatic transmission. That tranny was not one of Fords better ideas:)
This one is red on red covertible whit top bucket seats 170 engine with factory 4 speed all Original. still has the 13 inch wheels LOL man are those small
He sounds like me , he's not happy unless he is greasy. I come in sometimes from the garage and the wife gives me that look. ( say whay) know i am coverd from head to toe with grease and dirt LOL
our fault for marrying motorheads, I guess. Grease comes with the territory!
Cool!
Glad to hear you and your hubby passes on NASCAR, not a fan.. I'm a racer and instructor of road course racing and also tinker on my race cars.. Tied to "d" I have my CGM mounted on my steering wheel. Back to the OP the devices can withstand alot...
I'm Jealous of your Le Mans trip... Best I get is the Petit LeMans here in GA.. I'd love to make the trip to the 24hr in France one day..
Tegaderm is the best adhesive - cover the whole thing. I have used the CGM for several years no and I am lost without it. I insert the sensor at about 60-90 degrees. The inserter kind of "stands up on its feet". I think most type 1's tend to have not much meat on their bones....so I use the "love handle" area. I honestly think the CGM is not so much for telling what the exact number is but the RATE you are falling or climbing. I am just amazed at how quick it changes. I have very, very rarely had the graph "flat-line". I cannot believe in a short period of time your BG's change so much. By the way I have had type 1 for 58 years and you can "teach an old dog new tricks".Sheila