Just came from a Diabetes center in my city...talked to an omnipod representative about the cgms and omnipod together. She said it was still about 5 years out. She said the canula would both deliver insulin and measure interstitial fluids and that they're testing on animals right now. 5 years seem so far away.
Sounds like the VA is working on it...
5 years is a LOOOONG time! They should have worked to bring out a CGM that shared the PDM with the OmniPod and had 2 separate sites first. When I got my Dexcom, I needed to buy a bigger handbag because 1 extra bit of kit, plus spares was too much for my handbag!
My current sensor is on its 22nd day. I shudder to think how much more it would cost to have a 3 day sensor and an OmniPod combined. I have no idea who gave Ypsomed that idea!
I am lucky: I’m British and my OmniPod, Insulin, Test Strips and Dexcom are funded by the NHS. I can use 1 Dexcom sensor per week, but extending their life reduces the cost and makes it more likely that the NHS will continue to fund it. How many Americans, with Co-Pay etc will choose the all-singing, all-dancing OmniPod over the Dexcom?
Please tell me how you make it last 22 days. I have a Dexcom and have just started CGM'ing.
thank you,
It's pretty much standard practice to use the sensors as long as possible. After the 7-day period expires, simply restart the CGM as if you had just put on a new sensor. The length of time varies per individual. The longest one has ever lasted for me was 20 days, but I average about 2 weeks out of each sensor. Toward the end of life, my sensors drop some of the measurements leaving some gaps in the data, but not too much so that you don't have an idea where your BS is currently at. The accuracy of the numbers also seems to decline for me after 2 weeks of use. Just be aware of these things and hopefully you too also can get at least double the life of their advertised life span. Good luck.
PS - I just remembered one more thing about sensor reuse. I read in another forum that someone had a theory that depending on how high your numbers are (e.g., a lot over 200), that could also affect the life of the sensor. They indicated that the sensor has some chemical on it and the higher your numbers are, the more that chemical would be used. Thus, higher numbers = shorter life span. Take this explanation with a grain of salt though as it was just someone's idea why the sensors last different lengths of time for different individuals.
Thank you. I am starting a new one today and will see how long I can get it to go.
Becky