Okay, our Dexcom should be here within 24 hrs. So…if your child/children use a Dexcom what can you tell me that would be good to know? Do you use additional tape for it? How about skin prep before insertion etc? Any tips will be appreciated!!!
Our trial with a different CGM had a horrible start - the insertion at the doctor’s office was pretty much a nightmare of an experience for Naomi. The first attempt didn’t poke in and so they had to try again. I’m hoping to have a smooth start with our new Dexcom that is not a trial! 
Thanks!!!
Hi, my daughter is nearly 3 and we have been using the Dexcom for about 7 months.
Tips and tricks:
- We always cut a hole in a piece of IV3000 and put it on over. It lengthens the life of our sensors considerably. Prevents them starting to peel off or being lifted by a yank.
- We use Emla numbing cream for insertions. We didn’t at first and your child may be different but we found that resistance to the Dex was considerably lessened when we switched to using Emla. You can easily get a scrip from your doctor if you want to try it. I leave it on for about 45 minutes and wipe off thoroughly before insertion.
- We used to use Skin Prep before we started using the Emla and now don’t bother. I don’t think it made much of a difference.
- Try to arrange it so that you are calibrating a new sensor at a stable BG time of day. Makes for a more accurate sensor, imo. Also, don’t calibrate constantly. I only calibrate if the Dex is substantially off the real BG.
I can’t say enough about what a difference the Dexcom has made for us, or the number of times it has saved us from a bad low. Having said that, learning to manage and utilize it is something of an art. If you feel frustrated at first, hang in there! It will be worth the time and patience.
I agree with most of that. We don’t usually start with tape over the sensor tape, but before my son’s first shower we have to at least cover the top edge or it starts to peel off. We use skin tac as well which seems to help with the initial adhesive.
We also use Emla - I’m not sure how necessary it is, since when I tried the sensor myself, it didn’t really hurt that much - but since my son has some anxiety issues it seems to keep him calm about the insertion.
We do use Skin Prep - I do think it’s really important to keep the site really clean before insertion (whether it’s skin prep, alcohol, soap and water . . .) - we are dealing with our first insertion site infection (I think it was started by a skateboard accident) and it’s not easy to get it cleared up for us.
Lastly - my son -EVERY single new sensor start, goes into ??? mode for a couple of hours. The Dexcom thinks he’s going really high, and then it ??? for a while. I’ve learned to ignore it completely until it comes back after the first ???. Dexcom told me that since he has very little body fat it can take longer for the sensor wire to “settle” and I’ve heard of a couple of other people who have the same issue, so we just assume it now.
Thank you!!! Naomi has little body fat so I will expect the ???'s THANK YOU!!!
Thank you!!! Can I get that IV3000 anywhere? Any tips for site removal that would help make it a smooth and painless pull off? 14 finger sticks yesterday!
I know you can get it online and possibly in pharmacies. We get it from our pump company. We use Uni-Solve (which we get from Amazon) for removal. They are remover wipes and we just wipe the whole thing down and let it set for a minute and then I kind of scrub the skin with it as I pull away the tape. By the time the IV3000 is off, the Dex is totally saturated and comes off very easily. She never complains about it.
We also get ??? on a new sensor sometimes, especially at night. We have noticed that since we started a new insertion technique, we get them less. We use arm sites for my daughter which aren’t super fatty. I read somewhere about rocking the inserter back to get a shallower insertion angle, keeping it out of the muscle and more in the fatty area. Doing this has minimized our ??? and our sensors seem more accurate.
I would watch the insertion video on the Dex website. Kinda boring but helps you get a feel for the insertion and you will feel more confident which will let your child relax a little more. Also, call the trainer now and get your appt set up.
We use an alcohol wipe, then insert sensor, then we put a tegaderm over the white patch only (don’t cover the sensor itself - cut a rectangular hole in the middle of the tegaderm so the sensor isn’t covered). We don’t use any tape, just the tegaderm which is a bit bigger than the adhesive patch on the dex.
The Dex insertion process is so much better than MM! Plus once it’s in my DD really can’t feel it (she complained a lot about pain with the MM). I really think you will love your Dex.
The arms are the only place on my son that might be considered to have a little fat - so that’s where he wears his omnipod. So that only leaves us his “love handle” area (he doesn’t have them, but if he did - that’s where they would be) He refuses to try his stomach. Every sensor wire we pull out is bent, but it’s still very accurate. We try to go from the back to the front of the side/hip area, so we are kind of going “around a corner” to get somewhere that isn’t in muscle. We also pinch up, although it seems to be just skin we are getting when we do that . . .
I haven’t tried rocking it back - maybe I’ll try that next time! Thanks for the tip!
Thanks!!!