Hi all
My 11 yr old son started on the the pump last summer. Going well. Now looking at the Dexcom G5. Thought, suggestions, experiences? How often to you change it? Our nurse said she has some people going 10-12 days. Does your kid bolus off it? (I know officially you are not supposed to but …)
Do you like the iPhone app?
My 12 yr old wears Dexcom and we love it! We haven’t upgraded to the G5 yet, we use the adult G4. We tried the pediatric G4 but didn’t find it accurate enough since it didn’t have the 505 update.
Pros:
Cons:
We use Dexcom G5 with Share and love it! It is very accurate for my daughter, but I believe this is because we calibrate it the “right way.” The Share alarms on our iPhones are VERY LOUD. As far as how often to change the sensor, we are trying to break our current record of 22 days. Our experience is the longer you keep the same sensor, the more accurate the readings. Until it starts going wonky, which is our criteria for when it is time to change sensors. Oh, and I very strongly recommend using the back of the upper arms for sites. For the majority of people, especially children, this seems to lead to improved accuracy and longer wear.
It goes without saying that longer is NOT better with infusion sites. No longer than 3 days max unless you want to play Russian roulette (is that term politically incorrect?) with developing lipoatrophy/lipodystrophy.
Thanks for the replies! I have been a bit on the fence because we don’t have many problems with him being hypo unaware or night time lows and it seems like one more thing.
That said, in last month or so he had a number of lows in the 50s which alarmed his doctor’s office when we went in for our 4 month visit. I have been thinking about the pattern which goes like this, he is snacking at home and I over estimate what to cover it with. In about 1.5 hours he is coming to me saying he feels low. We test and he is suddenly in the 50s.
Anyway, in theory I love the idea of the CGM. I just get a little cross-eyed thinking about another thing to track and stick on his body. It’s good to hear about it in practice!
“One more thing”. I say its “the thing”. Cgm is it. The tight control you are trying to get is too hard without it. Think of it this way: how would you like having low blood sugar.
Would not go without. Has let me see what happens with the meals I like to eat. Has helped me figure out when they will or will not work.
Has helped getting basal rates set properly, and made testing DIA, I:C ratios and CF so much easier.
The trends are the most help fill as you can see which direction things are going in and stay ahead of issues rather than reacting after the fact.
If your son becomes more active in sports in middle/junior high school, you and he will find it easier to avoid exercise lows with a CGM.
tommy6, you say that you don’t have too many problems with overnight lows, but you don’t actually know how many overnight lows your child is experiencing (unless you finger stick every 5 minutes) without a CGM.
What method do you recommend for calibration?
CALIBRATING YOUR DEXCOM G5 (or G-whatever)
There are “good” and “not-so-good” ways to calibrate. The following is what has worked well for my daughter:
After starting a new sensor (or re-starting one that’s still working at the 7-day mark), wait at least 15 minutes between the first two calibrations.
Although it can be very tempting, do not calibrate more than twice daily when requested to do so.
*Exception: I throw in one to two extra calibrations during the first 12 hours of a new sensor. Kind of like yelling, “Are you finally understanding what I’m telling you?”
**Sometimes I get a little calibration-happy when my daughter’s sensor is getting a little “ripe”, i.e. over 15 plus days old, if the Dex readings seem significantly wonky. At which point, she’d be better off if I just bit the bullet and put in a new sensor.
CALIBRATE ONLY WHEN THE DIRECTIONAL ARROW IS HORIZONTAL. I repeat: CALIBRATE ONLY WHEN THE DIRECTIONAL ARROW IS HORIZONTAL. Trust me on this! Your sensor continues to function after the big red blood drop screams at you to calibrate right now, dammit. Tell it to hold its horses and you’ll calibrate when you’re good and ready to (when the directional arrow mellows out and becomes horizontal.) No ones Dexcom has stopped working or imploded, creating a black hole that engulfed the universe, because they didn’t calibrate the instant the Red Drop of Dexcom appeared.
Try to avoid calibrating when BG is below 80 or over 250. Correct and get your BG within this range and then calibrate ONCE THE DIRECTIONAL ARROW IS HORIZONTAL.
Learn to question the accuracy of your BG meter as much as, if not more than, your Dexcom. Personally, I trust the Dexcom more often than I trust the BG meter. But my daughter’s Type 1 vibes seem to resonate exceptionally well with those of her Dexcom. I often think that my daughter and her Dexcom are as one.
Stay well hydrated. I believe it helps produce enough interstitial fluid that more accurately reflects BG levels.
Good luck. In short order, you will wonder how you lived without this miracle of diabetes technology.
If I had to choose between my daughter’s pump (which works exceptionally well) and her Dexcom G-5, I’d give up her pump in a heartbeat.
Nice list. I agree with everything.
A few things I’ll add. If your fingerstick number is much different than the the Dex number, wash your hands with soap and hot water, dry, and retest. In fact, wash your hands before every calibration. I like to do two fingersticks and average them for calibration.
I only bolus off the G5 if I somewhere I don’t want people to see me test, which is rare.
my son is geting this one to. he happy about it. i’m happy about it to.
Hi all!
So we got started on the G5 and I am having a mixed reaction to it. Makes me a little crazy because I wind up looking at his numbers compulsively. This is not so good. I like the accuracy and the ability to know when he is still going up or down. I have not been able to tell if it has made his management any better. I know this is counter to what people say so I am trying to not judge at this point.
He is sort of hating it because I am constantly checking him. He hates how large it is and says he would rather just prick his finger. We actually took a short few days off because he did not want to insert a new one when the time came. Ugh
Any suggestions? Hang in there? Is it something he just has to get used to?
He’d rather test his blood? Every five minutes? Not really. He’d rather test his blood before some meals? Yea. Probably has lots of energy being young. But he is in his growing years and that requires tight blood glucose management. The dex cgm doesn’t cure. Does he have the pump yet? You should quit Kaiser if he doesn’t.
Hi! I am 16 and recently got a G5. For the most part I would definitely recommend it. I started off wearing it for only a week but realized that 1-2 weeks works for me, especially if I am too busy to change the sensor. I have had a few experiences with very strange numbers on the dexcom but I have had it be within 2 numbers from my meter several times. It’s a great way to not only avoid lows and highs but understand what foods are better in terms of bg. Also if the user is active, you will be able to tell which activities most affect bg and in which direction to better avoid off numbers. One downside would be less independence in terms of control (for a kid this would not be an issue). Personally, I asked my parents to look at my follow app less unless they receive an alarm, because I am able to handle it on my own especially if in a normal range. Good luck!
I wish someone cared to look at my follow app. None respond to my invite.
Having it makes it easier to talk about and for others to understand what you mean. And just to know when you’re low so you don’t try to function when you can’t makes it worth it. When I started I too hated the insertion and would put it off. And when it was finiky and inaccurate and felt like a burden not a help I didn’t like it. I don’t think you can look at it compulsively. There’s a new BG reading every five minutes. And the more you look at it the better. The book “sugar surfing” says fifty times a day is appropriate.
Hi!
I have been meaning to respond but it’s been busy. It’s good to get some perspective from a teen. At 11, my son is about 50/50 on the independence scale. Rides his bike to middle school and swim team during the summer, runs around with his friends ect… But he still doesn’t fully grok taking full control of his blood sugar. He will put in for a soda, good, then not put in for frozen yogurt, not good. The CGM is helpful for sure, although he still hates changing it and in fact called for a hiatus last time we tried. Sigh…Thanks!