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1

So I'm kinda bad at keeping up with this! (sigh) life just gets in the way sometimes. Anyways, good news...I FINALLY got a dexcom cgm!!!!! yay! :)

I was talking to my CDE about how I have a lot of trouble with affording a cgm and one of her other patients had a receiver/transmitter and a box of sensors that she was willing to give to me! :) I have had "Dexie" as my daughter calls her..(receiver is pink (bonus!!) :) for about a week now. I really really really love it! I had a little problem with putting it in...I am NOT a needle person..so when I used to do shots I'd do it really slowly..but I heard it's easiest to just do it quickly with this..so that's what I did..it just took some convincing of my mind and a lot of hyperventilating! lol I put skin tac underneath it and it was holding up good for 2 days..I probably could have gone longer but I decided to tape it up after that and used opsite flexifix. It's been working really well..it has started to peel a tiny bit around the edges but it's working well. I haven't had any itchiness or anything yet..and the numbers have been pretty spot on! I've only been calibrating when I'm steady and I think that helps. So now..the only thing I'm worried about is what is going to happen after I run out of sensors... :( Hopefully I get some income tax money coming in..it's still going to be pretty expensive though especially when the receiver and transmitter expire and I have to get everything new again...I think last time I did the math for everything it would have been $3,000 for the receiver/transmitter/ and 6 boxes of sensors (at the discounted rate of $300) so....we shall see how it goes...

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I've been considering a cgm. My issue is also the insertion. I do shots very slowly, and when I was on the pump (I used the Minimed angled set that you insert by hand) I used to absolutely torture myself building up to doing it, and then inserting very slowly. I'm not sure I would have a very enjoyable experience with the cgm. That's been my only hang up keeping me from moving forward with getting one.

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It's really not that bad... you don't even see the needle (dexcom) it just hurts for a second but to me it was just like when I put my infusion set in (I use mio's) so it inserts for me. It would probably be even easier if you have some one else do it for you, I'm seriously considering letting my 7 yr. old daughter push it for me (it's that easy!) I think it's just harder when you do it yourself because you start hesitating once it's going in..when I did it I was psyching myself up to do it fast and at first it was good until I started feeling a little pain then I just had to grit my teeth and finish the job fast! lol I really would recommend you try it atleast..I have had this on for atleast a week and it's just amazing! For me, I feel so much safer now and I feel once I do the inserting more often that it will get easier with time.. Also, I'm leaving these in for as long as I possibly can..so really your only having to put it on once every 2 weeks to a month..I can definitely handle that! :) Good luck!