I am going snorkeling next month… first time with a sensor and insulin pump. I know just to detach my pump… but is it possible to keep my sensor and transmitter watertight so I don’t have to change out every time I snorkel?
Thanks for your help,
Ahnalira
I am confused. By sensor and transmitter, are you referring to the disposable thing that sticks to/in you that is thrown out when you change it, and the electronic thing that you do not throw away on your CGM? If so, those are water tight. You shower with them attached, snorkeling is no different. I have heard that diving under pressure may not be best for the transmitter, but you would not be diving deep with a snorkel.
The base/receiver is not water tight, and you may as well leave it on shore since most CGMs do not read well under water anyway. Some have gotten water proof diving boxes. I’m not sure there would be any point to that since I have seen people post that their CGM does not read well through water.
I use Tegaderm as my usual taping method to secure my CGM and that has worked well for me snorkeling. It’s occlusive and adheres well especially if you use some type of skin prep with it.
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I have been snorkelling with my Dexcom. Not a problem - unless you are one of those slightly crazy people who free dive to extreme depths, you won’t be going much deeper than 3 metres. Even if you are using a waterproof pump like an Animas, they are only waterproof to a depth of 3 metres, so I would recommend detaching as you are planning to do.
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My suggestion would be to get completely disconnected during your holidays (snorkeling), and to go back to the pens and fingerpricking. Having to think about the pump, sensors and all the gear will just take too much attention. Also, being disconnected from the pump without the basal is not a good solution in the long run, especially if you are snorkeling for more than 1 hour at the time.
Exactly. I didn’t realize that I could put them in sea water for 45 minutes to an hour…thanks!
I am crazy in so many ways… just not this one 
I think what I will do is give myself a small bolus to cover the missed basal while I snorkel. I am too in love with my pump and CGM to live without them for a week
Sorry but I disagree 100%. It is SO much easier to fine tune control using a pump than MDI. Swimming and/or snorkelling in the sea for an hour is quite effort intensive. I would have my basal temped down to near zero even if I was not disconnected. I started out trying a small bolus to make up for lost basal, but didn’t really find it necessary. After moving from Medtronic to Animas 2 years ago, I could easily have kept the pump connected, but frankly it is easier to leave it on the shore.
I have had loads of water based vacations and the disconnects are simply not a problem - OTOH, the thought of having to “reset” everything for a trip back to the stone age (AKA MDI) wouldn’t fill me with anticipatory joy.
I am with @Ahnalira on this one!!
Good point… I’ll be exercising the entire time I’m without the pump so I think I’ll wait until after exercise to determine whether to bolus or not. Thanks!
@Ahnalira – Enjoy your warm weather vacation! I went snorkeling in Hawaii a few years back. I disconnected my pump and bridged the missed insulin with a before and after mini-bolus.
The only thing I was worried about was scraping off my CGM sensor/transmitter during the excursion. Rubbing up against ladders, snorkeling equipment, or other obstruction could cause a loss of a transmitter. I would just make sure it’s adhering well before the snorkeling place it on a favorable position on your body. I think I had mine on the back of my arm. Also do a close visual inspection with a mirror to ascertain that both of the pincher arms are securing the transmitter within the sensor cradle.
Bring along an extra transmitter so that if you do lose it you can enjoy your CGM for the balance your vacation. I think this risk is definitely worth it when you can marvel at the beauty of under-water nature. Have fun!
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you could also give your cgm on your arm extra protection w product like sleek sleeves
http://sleeksleeves.com/
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When I do water vacations, I use the Untethered Regimen with my pump. Essentially I take 75% of my basal using Lantus and use my pump for boluses and wear it overnight. It gives you the best of both worlds. You have the pump when you want it, but can leave it in your hotel room when you don’t. For added flexibility you can also use an insulin pen or vial/syringe with rapid insulin when you’re out on a boat if you want to leave your pump safe on dry land.
Here is a link to my blogpost about this. My post contains a link to a 2004 article by Steve Edelman who is credited with “inventing” this. Some athletes use this approach all of the time. I have tried doing that, but my basal rates are so low that it didn’t work well for me. But it has worked great for beach/boat vacations.
I followed @MarieB’s advice and ordered a sleek sleeve for those times that I am in the water and worry about losing my Dexcom transmitter. (I almost always use my upper arm for sensors.) In general you might have wonky sensor results if you are in the water for several hours, but remember that you can remove the transmitter, dry the underside and the contacts, and then put it back on.
Have a great vacation!
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That’s what I do… essentially replacing the basal with Lantus and bolus with Humalog, going back to the roots 
. I appreciate the comfort of being completely disconnected at the beach being able to play beach volleyball, frying in the sun without the insulin getting bad, run and swim with my kid or going scuba diving without the sensors falling off. On the other hand, this may be a lifestyle or age difference issue.
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This sounds like a plan which works out best for someone whose insulin sensitivity is relatively unaffected by activity. In my case any thought of going back on a basal insulin coupled with physical activity would make nervous. I actually don’t know that the activity would cause me to go hypo, but I’d worry about it.
I’d also worry that I would shoot up in the other direction because the dose was too low.
Clearly the thing I like most about my pump is having control over my basal. Using a basal insulin simply does not feel like freedom to me.
These things really do depend on one’s personal experience of D, no?
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Exactly how I feel. Now, if I see my blood sugar trending low, I can reduce basal where as before I could only try to stay ahead of the lantus with food. I love my insulin pump 
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My basals are based on a high level of exercise. If I do not exercise, I have to use a temporary rate to increase my basal. I am extremely sensitive to insulin, but in general find that temporary basals do not work fast enough to be much help. On the other hand when I am on long hikes (for example 12 miles in the mountains), I use temporary basals for long periods of time
The idea of the untethered regimen is just another tool to give increased flexibility for different situations. I am not willing to wear my pump in the ocean or leave it in a cooler on the beach. The untethered regimen allows me the freedom to swim in the ocean and play in the sand with my grandchildren without worrying about diabetes.
For whatever reason this works very well for me on vacation.
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