… and after 2 years, it finally happened: a filament stayed in my body, because I removed the G5 xmitter prior to removal of the sensor from my body. Luckily, enough of it was sticking out of my skin that I could remove it.
To all that don’t know this: when u don’t have the transmitter installed, if the plate that holds the contacts raises up, it takes very little tension for the filament to become dislodged from the sensor body, which also means the filament could easily remain inside of YOU.
Nasty!
Just curious… why would you want to remove the transmitter first? It would have never even crossed my mind that it might be something I might want to do
Because I soak sensors and had already moved the xmitter from the old sensor to the new sensor.
What does soaking sensors mean?
Have you Googled it yet?
No…
Just means you insert the new sensor 12-24hrs before ending the old session, thus giving the new one more time to acclimate to your body, which seems to ameliorate the problem of flaky readings the first day of a new session.
Rather a sore spot for me at the moment, as I had to rip out a sensor I had started only a few days ago when I went for an MRI this afternoon. I always get CT-Scans and MRIs confused (which one you have an IV for vs having to drink chalk-flavored glup; which one you can keep your sensor on for if it’s on your arm and they’re doing your abdomen, etc.) SO… I had to toss a perfectly good, well-acclimated sensor with at least another week still left on it, and replace it on getting home without doing a pre-soak or go without CGM overnight. Hobson’s choice.
@Dave44 Argh! I’m glad you were able to remove it without much trouble! Thanks for the headsup!
@DrBB Bummer! Did you try to call Dexcom and see if they would be kind enough to replace the sensor for you?
That’s one reason I like to extend them, I’ve had several MRI’s this past couple of years and it’s much nicer if your sensor is on day 25 or even better day 35 if you have to yank them off. I’ve crossed my fingers and put up with an iffy one because I didn’t want to yank off a new one.
Thanks @Dave44 for the heads up, I didn’t realize that could happen, I wonder if the G6 is the same?
Been trying to get through all night because the one I went to replace it with did something I’ve never experienced before, namely that it wouldn’t detach from the (G6) inserter. Like I pushed the button, snap! but then when I went to pull the inserter off, it wouldn’t let go of the filament. The little “tray” for the transmitter stuck to my arm, but the inserter didn’t want to let go, trying to pull the whole assembly along when I went to remove it. I finally had no choice but to forcibly pull it off my arm and it yanked the filament right out, leaving the tray still stuck on. So that’s two wasted in one day. I certainly expect they’ll at least replace that last one.
ETA: They’re going to replace both. Having to remove a sensor for a medical procedure is an automatic ok for replacement—good to know. The faulty insertion likewise, but they said it’s very rare and they do want to have you return the bad applicator so their QC engineers can autopsy it.
Whoa, talk about having a bad day! 
That’s a good description. I guess I still don’t understand why one would ever be pulling off the sensor without the transmitter attached to it though…
The one that has been “soaking” would be the new one without a transmitter attached wouldn’t it? What am I missing? Why not just pull of the old one with the transmitter then attach transmitter to new one? Or alternatively to protect the new one just attach an old dead transmitter to it then take the live one off the old sensor and attach
The point is that you insert the new one about a day before you’re going to make the switch, so you’re still using the current one while the next one is acclimating, i.e., “soaking” though that term kinda grosses me out. It’s just about getting a jump on the acclimation process, as the filament needs a certain amount of time in the interstitial fluids before it starts registering accurately.
This last time I wasn’t able to do it and had to start a new session only an hour or so before bedtime, which sucks because false lows at 3am are the worst. Looking at my overnight track I see a lot of fluctuations and indeed it had me down in the 50s at one point. For whatever reason, the alarm didn’t wake me up though, which is either a good thing or a bad thing, depending. But it was spot-on with my meter when I got up just now so hopefully it has settled in.
If you must know: because I find it far easier to extricate the xmitters when still installed! If I first remove the sensor, it’s far more fiddly for me to hold the sensor and spread the clips open.
I always soak my sensors for 24 hours but have never put an old “dead transmitter” into the soaking sensor. I just leave the sensor soak on my abdomen unprotected and have never had a problem. As I am quite active, from time to time the clip that snaps the transmitter into place comes off but I either snap it back into place or just forget about it and snap the transmitter into place with fingers. I have never had either the wire, sensor or tab that holds the wire give me any trouble doing this.
My routine is every Tuesday early morning, I shave the area where the soaking sensor will go, take a shower and then install new sensor (Without any transmitter). On Wednesday early AM, I rip out sensor with transmitter when it expires, remove transmitter from expired sensor, place it into the sensor that has been soaking and start sensor in Dexcom receiver. Easy peasy, something I can just about do in my sleep so very little possibility of an error.
Yes that is pretty gross. I prefer “marinate”
ewwww lol
How about presetting a sensor for future use… 
I had that happen too. I think it 6-8 months ago. When I pulled it out, everything came out. I took pictures and sent them, asking for a replacement. They sent a new one out right away and also sent a return kit.
Also, is it just me, or has anyone else ever inserted the sensor without removing the covers on the adhesive? Yeah…probably just me.
Are you using a G5 or G6? With the G6, I just fold the back end of the removed sensor to let the transmitter slide right out. The G5 was a bit more fiddly. The do-hickey that keeps the G5 inserter from being actuated prematurely doubles as a transmitter remover. Thinking back, I think I used to pull the transmitter before removing the sensor too. I never left a filament behind…at least I don’t think so. We do what’s works. Cheers!
@DrBB I’m so glad to hear they are replacing both! Sometimes, when it rains, it pours (having to take one off and then having one fail to insert) and in this case it (the rain) went in both directions … both are being replaced!