Maybe you should have also included Schrodinger’s cat?
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@YogaO, I believe that this double-talk is the child of the non-adjunctive claim. Dexcom must walk a fine line between giving sound advice and giving up the non-adjunctive claim.
I had to look up “non-adjunctive”
“It means the Dexcom G5 Mobile can now be used to make diabetes treatment decisions without confirming the reading with a blood glucose meter. Previously, all CGM devices were indicated for use only as a complement (adjunct), not a replacement, for blood glucose meters.”
Thats a good word.
@mohe0001, the reason that Dexcom was fighting for the non-adjunctive label was that Medicare would not pay for Dexcom if it was an add-on only. It had to be non-adjunctive. Now Medicare pays for Dexcom and many seniors are very happy. However, because of the non-adjunctive label Medicare does not pay for strips in addition. It is either or.
FWIW, my examples were directed towards @mohe0001’s doctor’s comments, not at anything from Dexcom.
Speaking of non-adjunctive (and a classic case of YDMV), I started using the G4 for dosing in 2016.
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My understanding is that Dexcom is no longer required to bundle sensors with bg strips.
However many MC users have reported they can still get strips from part B or part D from pharmacy or dme supplier, separate from dexcom, depending on their MC plan and doctors RX/orders.
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I’ve been dosing off G4 for ten years no problem. But, now G4 is gone. There’s gonna be problems if sensor accuracy can’t be increased thru calibration. Fingers crossed.
As I’m sure you all know, but I will state again…I couldn’t survive without ya’.
I went to over $700 in office visits - 2 specialist appointments and have been operating this device for over 5 months without anybody running through the basics on how to work it. I gave my Doc 1 month worth of detailed data - with all the % difference calculations on manual vs sensor readings. It was all clearly laid out. All he had to do was look at it.
But, when I inquired about it (which I think was a VERY reasonable question given what Dexcom said today), he raised his voice at me.
He and I can no longer do business. I fire Dr. Sh!thead.
I present to you, the first page of data containing 8 instances of concerning percent difference between sensor and manual stick readings.
I gotta find a Doc I can tolerate, and fast. How difficult is that gonna be?
Here’s my 2cents… I have used the G4, G5, and G6. I even used the G5 & G6 concurrently for months for comparison purposes.
It is my opinion that my BG meter is quite accurate – except when it is not. I could tell when it was not because it would disagree with my G5 by a significant amount. In those cases (about 2% of the time), a 2nd BG meter reading would result in a reading that closely matched my G5.
The situation is not so straight forward with the G6. Some sensors don’t align very well with their code. Others are OK, but perhaps not during the first 12 hours of use. Many will be occasionally erratic after day 7, sometimes to the point of sensor errors.
So… With the G6, I don’t trust it during the first 12 hours (or 36 hours if restarting a sensor) and after that only after doing calibration(s) as needed to make it accurate. However, any calibrations that I do perform are based on back-to-back BG meter readings to insure I don’t use a wild test strip for calibration.
I also have found the more calibrations a G6 needs to be accurate, the more likely it is I will run into sensor and/or calibration errors.
The bottom line is that I am not convinced the G6 doesn’t need calibrations. I just think it needs fewer calibrations. Although I am somewhat inclined to try it with ‘no code’ to see if that is more reliable.
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I’m very sad to hear that you had that experience. Sounds extremely unprofessional and a very unmotivating atmosphere for you -ugh!
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Some endo’s are jerks, I had one once. I went to him twice and then refused to go back to him.
I’ve had two endos since then and I have liked them both, one of them especially as she was a type 1 too.
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Please try the no code thing, @T1D40yr. Everybody keeps saying they want to, but no one does (including me). Somebody’s gotta take the time to just do it.
I’ve been thinking about this - because this Doc has got me really scared. He’s made some subtle, but substantial threats.
He really kinda spazed out. Now, Docs and high power medical people do that sometimes. Sometimes they are just being unreasonable. But, this guy is a diabetic - an MT 670g user, I think. Maybe my data made him feel bad. Like, maybe he took the data kinda personal. I’ve done that before. That’s sorta what it seemed like. Maybe his sugar was a little low and he reacted kinda emotionally. Maybe I’ll see him again. I still don’t trust him. But, maybe its good that he and I talk. Never know. Maybe some good comes of it.
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If any of this is true, that’s still unprofessional.
FWIW, when I meet with my HCPs and there’s multiple things to discuss, I bring a meeting agenda with me (two copies, of course). This helps me make sure I get everything I wanted to cover addressed, because I can get side-tracked easily by doctor-speak.
It also helps to set the tone, and makes sure I leave with clearly defined goals, action items, etc.
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You should have had Dexcom replace your bad sensor at the first sign of a calibration error in excess of 30%. I don’t get why you are hanging on to a bad sensor. It’s your responsibility to contact Dexcom not your Endoncrinologist.
I have maxed out the amount of sensors that can be replaced, according to my understanding. I’m getting a relatively high number of failed senors (mostly due to bad adhesion - yes, I’m using the basic adhesive strategies.) This is causing me to run out pretty regularly, although I do contact them with documentation of the failures after three fail. They only mail 3 at a time. I don’t think replacing the sensor is gonna help. It might just be me. The device might just be a bad fit, physiologically.
I’ll take a step back, collect another data set and see if I feel comfortable operating an insulin pump with the amount of error that I see. Its kinda a strange full circle. I think YogaO gave me some super helpful information many years ago that got me off MI and back on a pump. Now, info involving YogaO might cause the return to MI. Its funny and strange how things come full circle.
Yoga pointed out that I wasn’t using 20/20 rule to judge the sensor at this point in time, I was using % difference. Turns out pretty much the same when I checked. I was initially allowing for around 30% error, and not calling the sensor bad until I saw readings consistently off by 40 - 60%. There’s a bad initial calibration in this set. With no calibrations, I still see errors that are pretty similar. But, I’m gonna try theor 20/20 cali rule and see if that improves things.
Don’t calibrate on day one. This might help too.
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???
When I have a sensor fail, I call, they ship, repeat ad infintum.
In September when I had a bad transmitter, but Dex wouldn’t acknowledge that fact, I had seven sensors that were sequentially replaced.
Sometimes when I get a failure at night, I will wait until the next day. I now always make sure I have recorded the date and time of the error/failure, code, lot number and my transmitter ID. They are always placed in my lower abdomen.
When I call, I record the date, the name of the CSR, and the case # they provide. I do this if I have to refer to this when/if the replacement order slips through the cracks. Mistakes can happen even in the best companies and Dex is having some growing pains.