Going on my 4th month and up til now hasn't been too bad. but tonight it was almost unbearable. almost pulled it out after it only going in about halfway. it hurt so bad! i don't do well on the days i have to change the sensor on my DEX and/or my insertion site for my pump. it gets me REALLY upset. i go into my "why me" mode, and after all that pain i was really having a pity party.
any ideas on why it was so painful? i've been using the same general area. my upper stomach area, kind of my rib area. using both left and right sides. been on the left side for over a month; just switched to the right side again and it was really awful.
i'm so glad i have a place like this to air out my thoughts. my husband is pretty supportive; but he was wrapped up in his tv show as i'm standing in the bathroom crying. he has no idea.
For me, I always insert it into an area full of fat. That usually helps, other ways is to insert it quickly...maybe you could ask your husband to injected in for you.
I don't do well either, my DEX stays for 2 to 3 weeks. At least your stays for a month or so :)
thanks ahmad. believe me, it's going into plenty of fat, LOL! and i wish mine would last that long! my very first sensor lasted 26 days! but since then i'm lucky to get 9-10 days out of one. that's very frustrating too, because of the emotional toll it takes on me every time i have to change it. i get the dreaded ??? after 7-8 days, and then i just kind of see where it goes and don't rely on it for a few days. sometimes it will come back and be right on, but most of the time after the ??? its pretty much a dead one.
OUCH is right! I can imagine how much it would hurt if I tried inserting it on my stomach, which is really sensitive real estate. May I suggest trying it on your flank or outer thigh? I never have had a problem there, and I am a total wimp.
I CANNOT abide doing it in my abdomen. Did it once there: never again. As you've heard me say before, go for the arms, or some folks even like placing it on their thighs (not I!). Works just as well in either location so far as I know (definitely good on the arms). Why torture yourself?
i do it on my stomach because it's the only place i can really "hide" it with loose shirts. it would be obvious on my arm and most of my pants are pretty tight so it would just be this big bump under my pants. it's not really a vanity thing; i just don't want to draw attention to it. i'm pretty private with my diabetes, and if i wore it on my arm or leg it would be a lot more obvious and imagine many questions would be asked from others that don't know i have it. i've only had it for about 4 years, diagnosed at age 48. haven't "outed" myself to the world yet, just family and small circle of close friends. i've been at my present job for almost 2 years, and no one there knows either!
My VERY FIRST day at work in my current job at Disney Animation (now 17.5 years ago!) I told my boss and my direct report co-workers I had the D! I get that it is a private thing for you, but there's no shame in it. Better for them to know in case something goes awry for you one day, isn't it? And I also get that four years is short (32.5 years for me now), so maybe you need some time with it, but I would urge you to tell anyone and everyone who intersects your life for more than a passing moment (friends, family, selective co-workers, bosses). You never know when one of them might be able to save you from something (has happened to me at work before...). Just think on it.
I still won't do it on my stomach. Hurts too damn much down there!
yah, i know. it just never seems to be the right time to do it. i know it's dumb not to tell them. i've never had a low at work yet, but i know it can easily happen!
I have only had D for two years, and have also told no one at work. My CDE put my first sensor in for me (told you I’m a wimp). She put it 3"-4" below my waistline on my backside. You never see it under shirts.
I usually only keep my sensor in for the week and I pretty much only use my abdomen. I’m sure you already do this but I try to pinch up the skin while doing the insertion and I try to do it very fast. Also, right after I insert I gently massage the area which sort of numbs it a bit. I do that at my pump insertion site as well when taking a big dose to try to avoid that stinging sensation. I would like to try a different site but I primarily use my legs for my pump and I tried once on my arm and it ached to the point where I just had to take it off! I feel your pain though, I get total anxiety right before an insertion and I have to talk myself through it.
I am a new user of dexcomG4. Although I was told to change sensor every week, I see here that peeps leave it in for much longer. Is that OK? And how do I know when I do need to change it??
A few times I've had very painful insertions. I am assuming that I'm hitting a nerve or area around it - I can usually wiggle it around and make the pain go away. But usually I have to endure the pain on and off for most of the sensor life. I can't abide taking out a brand new sensor just because it hurts - pain is easier to deal with than losing all that money at once.
I understand how it can hurt to insert the Dexcom Sensor. Sometime it goes in with no pain and other times I'm crying like a baby. I look it as which do I want a little pain or a longer life without complications.
the ironic thing is that i normally have wacky numbers on the Dex (not matching my meter)the first 24-48 hours after insertion. for the first time it has been spot on since insertion - very strange!
hi longsands, yes, you can leave it in longer than the week. 7 days is what it is FDA approved for; many of us leave it in longer by "tricking" it into thinking we've inserted a new one. you simply hit "stop sensor" on your dexcom receiver. i wait a few minutes, then click on "start sensor" on the receiver. it thinks you've inserted a new one and you may get another day, another week, 2-3 weeks out of it. doesn't seem any logic to why they last sometimes, but if you get it to last through another 7 day cycle, just repeat the same thing. you'll know when the sensor is going dead when you get the dreaded ??? on the receiver. good luck!
YEAH, my first trick was successfully done today! I wonder why we need to trick it,why we can't just use it as long as it works.
thanks for your response
Gayle I haven't posted in a while but when I first began using the CGMS I used Medtronic. Now that was painful. So I learned to ice the area before inserting. Switched over to the Dexcom and still ice before insertion. Ice cube, I "pick" the spot where I am going to insert, rub ice on area till it gets pretty cold (usually skin changes color). Then prep/clean area with alcohol wipe. But will take pretty long time to dry, wait for it to dry completely before inserting. Usually pain free. As to reason why it's more painful on one side vs other - could be your body position. i.e. its easier for me to insert on the left of my belly button as I'm right handed and the reach across is more comfortable. Suggest try going lower down on belly too - I think upper region near ribs much more sensitive. Ice before infusion set insertion too. Good luck!
