I received news that my Dexcom CGM will be shipped today! I was diagnosed with late onset approx 6 months ago so I’m still feel like a newbie I sort of! Do you suggest any additional supplies that I should order online for prep, keeping it in place, or removal? Thanks! 
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You may want to see how using just plain alcohol to clean the site before adhesion works. After you’ve had a chance to use it, you could consider:
Flexifix tape to reinforce the adhesive if it starts to peel away.
Unisolve or Remove to remove the sensors, although usually a good soaking in a shower will allow it to come off easily. Or just the extended wear of a sensor usually weakens the adhesive enough that removal is not a big deal.
SkinTac serves as both a barrier as well as extra reinforcement for adhesion.
There are lots of other options as well. These are what we use. We use SkinTac regularly for adhesion and Flexifix for reinforcement. Removal is never an issue with the sensors.
Good luck! Hope you find dexcom as useful as we do!
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I suggest shaving the area that you’re going to put it on, too.
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I can’t tell if you are making a joke or not? 
Do y’all really shave your belly or back of your arm?
Oh yes. If you put the sensor in an area with any hair, it won’t stick as well, for one thing, and, if it does stick, it will hurt when you pull out the hairs as you take it off. I’ve gotten in the habit of putting it in places where I don’t grow hair - like my sides, or the side of my chest, though, when I feel I need to use areas with hair, I take out a shaver first.
(And yes, I got a shaver just for this purpose 
.)
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Good to know! I’m getting my CGM as soon as insurance is hammered out and it would have been a rude surprise to rip out all the tiny hairs on my arm!
Nothing sticks to my skin, including waterproof/sports tape. Griff Grips does work and sticks firmly for more than a week (I make sure to rinse my skin with water, dry, affix the sticker, and then heat it with my hairdryer to lock it in place).
Congrats on committing to learn how your blood glucose moves in the real world. The CGM is one of the most useful tools I use to manage BGs.
After you’re hooked up for a while and things smooth out, you may want to take a look at the web-based program, Dexcom Clarity. Some people simply prefer the real-time view that a CGM gives. But I’m telling you, there’s a lot to learn looking at the data from the recent past, like the last 14 days. It’s helped me identify and adopt many different tactics for managing blood sugar.
Good luck. The CGM changes the entire effort for the better.
My endorsement supports me with use of a.CGM but I haven’t gotten one yet. Would love to hear a newbie with one so keep.US informed. How exciting.
No joke. Even on my belly I shave. I don’t have a hairy belly, but there are very fine hairs there. I also think exfoliating the area well helps a little, too. I could just be crazy, though.
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You’re not crazy: exfoliating definitely helps. Get out the loofah!
Perhaps we should get a free spa treatment every time we change our sites?
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I’ve been using the CGM for about three months now. I’ve had substantial problems with adhesion. I’m an endurance athlete, so I work out long and often, and it’s been a hot summer. The CGM sensor adhesion pad does not seem to agree with perspiration.
One thing that really helps (I think) is Tagaderm. You need to cut a hole in the center to fit around the sensor/transmitter in order to use it. This is important, especially if you like to swim.
I also use Skin Tac. I suggest using gloves when you apply it. That stuff is sticky. I might check out Unisolve (the suggestion above) to see if I can use this to get Skin Tac off my skin!
Of course, you may not need any of this. Anticipate a period of trial and error. Dexcom is pretty good though about sending our replacement sensors if one falls off prior to its life expectancy (7 days).
One thing that I didn’t see mentioned was residual adhesive after removal.
After removal with Unisolve I always thought I had done a great job of cleaning everything up until hours later I realize my clothes are stuck to the area or in the morning I’ve got a spot littered with lint from the bed sheets . And all this was even after hopping into the shower to wash the area with soap and water. 
To avoid those gray spots of old adhesive I wipe the whole area with a cotton ball saturated with baby oil. Then another clean cotton ball to pick up the adhesive. Then I wash the area and add a dab of neosporin. Done!
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I use Skin Tac and am able to use rubbing alcohol to clean up the adhesive.
I will have to give the rubbing alcohol a try. Thanks for the tip.
I’d suggest buying GrifGrips. It has really helped me keep the senor on whether it’s from sweat at the gym or the shower, the regular CGM adhesive is not amazingly sticky.
As far as supplies go, I use 2 alcohol pads to clean the site of my son. I then apply “I.V Prep” to the surface…it’s a cleanser but also sticky so that it makes the surface more adhesive. I then apply the sensor and set it up. After it’s set up, I put a piece of Tegaderm film over top of the CGM…but you have to cut a hole in the film so that the actual sensor isn’t covered…the film should just fit snuggly around the sensor.
Using this method, I can keep the sensor attached to his skin for 2 weeks. Today makes 2 weeks, 3 days he’s worn his sensor and we’ll be changing it out (by choice) this weekend. During the 2 weeks, if I need to “trim some loose film” I do that when he’s asleep. 
If one side is becoming unstuck, I just cut away the part that’s becoming unstuck and apply a new piece (trimmed to w/e size I want) over that part to apply new film.
It’s worked well for us.
I will be moving; however, to skin tac after my I.V Prep is extinguished. To remove the sensor, use uni-solve or some similar chemical to allow the sticky tape to come off easily. I don’t recommend the Uni-solve wipes…get the bottle with the roller on the bottom of the lid. I hear it works much better. I have to use 4 wipes each time I want to remove any of this tape.
Hope this helps some. 
I’m finally getting my G5 next week!
I remember reading that the first day of the sensor is pretty wonky, and that some people put on the next one before the current one is done. Then just move the transmitter when taking off the old one. Do I have that right? Is that still a recommendation for the G5?
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I didn’t experience anything wonky with our first sensor. We wore it for 1 week then changed it out as normal. Nothing special required.
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