I got my Dexcom a couple weeks ago but hadn't gotten the opportunity to take the time to read through the materials and go through the online tutorial. I started one yesterday morning after I showered. I heard the receiver beep at me on my way to work. When I got there, I discovered that it was a Failed Sensor alarm. I called customer service, explained the situation, and they are sending a replacement. I only had 3 or 4 callers ahead of me, but by the time the call was over it was 20 minutes later. I was only on the phone with a technician for maybe 4 minutes. I'll do the call back option next time. When I removed the sensor/transmitter I discovered that one side of the transmitter wasn't seated into the sensor. So I guess I didn't hear the two clicks when I inserted the transmitter.
I tried it again this morning and have been successful. It has been quite accurate already. My first glucose reading from my meter was 115. The dex said 116. Not sure if this accuracy will be consistent, but I certainly didn't expect it so soon after starting (about 2 hours after the initial 2 calibration readings).
I used the Medtronic CGM prior to this. I had heard about how much smaller the introducer needle was on the Dexcom. I still was a bit apprehensive about any possible pain. However, the insertion was completely painless (both times!). I don't even know it's on. Very comfortable. The sensor wire is considerably thinner than the Medtronic was well. I'm anxious to find out how long it lasts. I plan to restart the sensor when the 7 days is up. I'm hoping to be able to stretch my supply to help offset the out of pocket cost for the sensors.
Congrats on getting started and on the accurate readings. I have found the readings are pretty consistent but usually that is after the sensor has been in a couple of days. I started with the system on November 12. I got the whole shooting match, 12 sensors, receiver and transmitter all covered by insurance. If I did it their way, I should have started sensor #12 on Monday, but I still have a box of 4 sensors in my closet and one on my arm that is not going to be changed out probably until late next week. The readings do tend to get more accurate over time. Dexcom has replaced 3 sensors that have failed for whatever reason either wildly aberrant readings or ??? or failed signal but in every case they have been extremely helpful and I have received the replacements within a couple of days. I have found the longest I have worn a sensor was 12-14 days, but other people have gone far longer, I just get antsy with it sticking in me for so long. I agree wholeheartedly about the Medtronic CGM insertion device that harpoon was horrible and I only used it for 3 days during the summer. It was the Ipro model which is for the CDE at the clinic to use and download the results so I didn't get any information from it until she had hooked it to her computer. I wish you the best with the device I have gone from 12 fingersticks a day to the G4 reminding me to calibrate so I have no complaints.
I have had similar trouble reaching Dexcom support. I have been having some strange readings and I called Dexcom yesterday and was able to get right though this time. What support suggested is to check the expiration date on the sensors, mine were expired as of 11/2012, seem like a good answer. Other things that have caused weird reading is if the sensor is pulled out, mine caught on my shirt, when I removed it it was bent \/ like this. I have shut down and restarted at times and that has helped. I just take so long to restart and that is one complaint that I have. Dondi
Like you I started on my own. My biggest trouble was that I had the factory settings left to default and the High and low BG alarms would go off every 15 minutes. At night, I would hear the alarm,PANIC, and go take a dose from my Omnipod pump and go back to bed. I didn't realize it take at least two hours for the effects to show. I would take multi doses and then my BG would crash to bottom levels in seconds. Then the low alarm would start going off I would get up, load up on carbs go back to bed then in 15 minutes do the same until I would skyrocket to a high BG triggering more alarms. My Dr. was very upset with me. We reset the alarms to two hours and even then I would need to restrict my correction rates on both high and low, especially when I was too sleepy to understand what was going on since then I am doing much better. Less panic, more patience. We need to understand that corrections take a little longer using the pump and some up and down movement is acceptable and normal. Hope this helps. Once you get used to it, the meter can tell you many things about how your body reacts to different foods and situations.Dpndi
My CDE told me to set the high and low alerts initially very high and very low, like 400 and 60 because initially the sensor takes a while to really "get used to you" and if you don't you will not get any sleep, which is what happened to me the first night I used the thing. I NEVER correct from the Dexcom, I always do a fingerstick because there are times they have been wildly different.
It definitely takes time to get used to the different alarms. My learning curve was more getting used to the menus of the Dex vs. Medtronic. I would not recommend using the Dex to treat highs or lows. Always do a finger stick! Especially if your blood sugar is rapidly rising or falling, the reading on your Dex could be considerably different. There is typically a 15-20 minute "lag" between a fingerstick and the Dex. I hope you got things straightened out!
I had the whole Medtronic system, but I found myself not using it much. I'd wear it for a three day session and typically restarted it. I'd only get another 1-2 days on it, then it would "flat line" so I knew it wasn't working anymore. I almost never put a new one in the next morning. The inserter, the size of the introducer needle (harpoon!), and the pain associated with having it in was too much of a turn off. I will say that I got decent accuracy with it, especially after the first day or so.
