Hello, everyone,
After a year of debating with myself, I finally decided to give CGM another try. I've just ordered a Dexcom. I had an expensive, frustrating experience with a CGM system about 5 years ago. Too many "lost sensor" readings. It now sits in my closet.
I am thankful for this forum, which was really helpful in helping me decide to give CGM another try. There's nothing like talking to people who are actually using the system.
The CGM and the "care and feeding" it needs is not for everyone. I have used a Dexcom CGM continuously since September 2009. It's been invaluable to me. Some people don't like being bothered with alarms, especially false alarms. I understand that but for me the benefits far outweigh the negatives.
It'll take a little while to learn how it works and to get an effective calibration system working. I wish for you the same good experience that I've had.
This is a good place to post questions as you learn. Good luck.
I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. The technology has advanced dramatically since 5 years ago. For me it's an invaluable tool in maintaining good control.
Welcome to DEXCOM!! I've had mine for just two weeks and LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!! The range is great! It doesn't matter if I am sleeping, in the shower, or 30-40 feet away...that thing never loses me!! :-) Much better than the Medtronic one I tried a couple weeks ago! So, please! I've been tracking my stats with the Dexcom software and I haven't been above 200 in days! Also, it has helped me wake up to a few night time lows as well! :-)
how has the calibration process been? this is the part that drove me nuts about the Medtronic one. I kept getting "lost sensor" alerts, even when I had mastered inserting the sensor.
Planning to insert the first sensor tomorrow a.m. Wish me luck!
Good luck.
I love my Dexcom....feel totally lost without it. I'm not sure if you've used the Dex before buy mine is so accurate and I've worn mine for sometimes up to 2+ weeks. If you have problems with your sensors, dexcom will usually replace them. They've been great as well. It takes a while so the first few days, maybe a week, your numbers might be off a bit but like many have said, it's very accurate. One thing though, it certainly shows trends, highs, lows, rising, dropping but it doesn't give an explanation as to why it's happening, i.e., rises, drops in the middle of the night. that's still a piece of this big D puzzle we all need to figure out. good luck!
Calibration is easy. Once the two hour warm up period is over you will get the two blood drop screen. Just do two BG checks and enter the numbers and is will be good to go. After that it will prompt you ever 12 hours. If you enter FS numbers at other times it resets the 12 hour clock. If I do more frequent sticks- beyond the two required- I will enter the number if it is off, if it's very close I do not until calibration is requested.
Placement location can effect accuracy, so experiment with where it goes. For me I get best readings on back of arms and on the girls. Think about and avoid, where you roll onto while you sleep as you may/ will get false lows in the night if you lay on it for extended periods of time.
The Dex is such a powerful tool, I had a low last night at bedtime, the Dex warned me,(before I felt it)in plenty of time to correct. I went to bed with the peace of mind if I trended low again overnight, Dexter would wake me.