Does anyone have any experience with swimming and wearing the DexCom 7 Plus sensor? The documentation says it is waterproof for up to 30 minutes. The last thing I want to do is blow out the sensor when I take clients on a field trip next week. We are going to a park with a pool and a lake and I have been told that the staff need to be with the clients at all times. My coworkers have decided I need to be in the water with them as I am the only one who is willing to wear a bathing suit (my coworkers are chicken to wear swim suits I guess).
I know I have to keep the receiver away from the water but how long can I stay in the water? Should I just take the sensor off? I would hate to do that as I will be on the 7th day on the sensor and I usually can get 12 to 14 days out of a sensor…I figure that taping it up to try to cover it won’t really make it waterproof and then I have a ton of peeling tape on me. I appreciate any feedback you can offer 
I saw this question last night and I was thinking about I’m about to take the kids swimming next weekend. Now I’m kinda worried myself as I’m going out of town and really don’t want the worry of bringing another sensor (I also tend to go out of whack with my blood sugar levels on long trips as I don’t remember to snack in car and with being in the hot sun while camping will also give me some extreme lows).
I had a weird idea though… LOL! Okay, I know it sounds kinda outrageous but it just might work and I think I might just be trying my weird idea… Currently I have my sensor on above my belly button/below the boobs but in the middle (but higher than my belly button). I thought I would put saran wrap around myself a few times (I think I’ll have to have Hubby’s help to really get saran wrapped good) and then I’ll put my tankini on or one piece bathing suit on top of saran wrap.
How did your sensor/transmitter do after the swimming day?
I just called Dexcom and the tech said you can buy a big size bandage from pharmacy, etc. and put over transmitter. She said that Dexcom sells something to go over the transmitter for those who go swimming.
As I also need to bring a back-up sensor, I found out the new sensor (not inserted in me) should be kept in a temp of between 36 to 77 degrees F. (where I’m going it’ll possibly get to 98 degrees). So now I need to put my new back-up sensor in a tupperware type item and put it in a cooler with ice but not directly on ice.
When I didn’t hear back from anyone on this I decided to just wing it and cover the darn thing with some flexfix tape and relimed IV site dressing. I didn’t stay in the water long at all because I was still worried about the waterproofing on the tape I used. I spent most of the afternoon in the lake just up to my knees to be on the safe side. The sensor behaved fine the next day (in fact, I am still wearing it now and the tape isn’t peeling too badly).
What did you do with the receiver? Did you put it in a Ziploc baggie? Or did you just keep your receiver at home, etc.? I started wearing Dex on May 6, 2009 and I feel like I can’t go a day without Dex - especially when I’m out in the sun while I’m watching my kids either playing in their pool or on their bikes in yard (I tend to drop pretty low just being out in sun). Last time I went outside to watch kids splash in baby pool, I put Dex in a Ziploc baggie and anchored him onto a tie around my waist (that way he could Yodel at me as usual when I start to drop into the bad low zone).
It was in a ziploc bag within a few feet of me on a large rock. I think I am going to buy one of the waterproof camera bags to put it in for future swimming excursions. This way I can wear it around my neck. I don’t like being without my Dex either. I started in May too!
That is too cool!!! Thanks a ton for the link!!! I think I need to order that item immediately. Thanks for the link and suggestion. I hate how my blood sugar level drops just being out in the sun and with the horrible horrible hot weather we’re having right now in the midwest, I’m constantly dropping (argh!!!).
Thanks again!
Okay…
Need your help as you gave a great link/idea for waterproofing… HELP!!! How would you go about keeping your sensor cool (but not frozen) while on a camping trip in 95+++ degree weather? (one idea Dexcom gave was in a cooler but trying to keep sensor in tupperware but not directly on ice). What I mean is an extra sensor in case the current sensor I wear on trip dies and I need to insert a new sensor (hope that makes sense?).
Just curious of your thoughts?
Again thanks for the link for the waterproof bag! I love how it has a necklace string so I can wear my yodeling Dex around my neck.
How long will you be camping and how long will the sensor need to stay cool before you use it? Let me know and we can see what ideas we can come up with
Thanks Suzanne!
I leave sometime Thursday and won’t return until Sunday. I think I’m going to try to make my current sensor last for another week (during the trip) which will make the sensor be inside of me for 2 weeks. I plan to bring a new sensor by putting it into a tupperware container and then put it into a cooler. The weather has been in the high 90’s where I’m going this past week but from noaa.gov it looks like it has cooled off to the 80’s due to the rain last night. I also thought I would bring the sensor in my backpack bag purse (Baggallini Messenger Bag Tomato Mango) while my family & I play tourists in the town (possibly going on a tour of a cave to get out of the heat). Here’s a link to what my Baggallini bag purse looks like…
Baggallini Messenger Bag
Thanks again Suzanne. You have some great ideas. I can’t wait for the waterproof bag and waterproof phone necklace by Lewis N. Clark that I ordered from Amazon to arrive - especially with how my kids have been splashing around in the baby pool outside everyday this past week (I’ve been sitting quite a distance away while the three of them splash around for fear of Dex not being able to yodel at me anymore).
I would probably just put some ice in a cooler and put alot of towels in there between the ice and the tupperware container. Then keep an eye on it and remove towels as your ice level depletes. You could even try a small amount of dry ice (1/2 a pound), with regular ice on top of that and then put about 2 to 3 inches of towels on top of all this. My hubby uses dry ice all the time and says this works well for what you are trying to accomplish.
Let me know how the waterproof bag works, I need to get one too
Suzanne whats up girl? You know i think you mentioned it but Dexcom sells a “waterproof” patch. I have used it. AWESOME results for me using it. I am not sure how it is ordered because the Dexcom rep in my area had given me some to use. They made my sensors last much longer as well. I think its worth the investment.
Good to know those patches worked for you! I will definitely have to get an order in for it. I will need one for sure in the next month when I can swim again. I am not allowed in the pool for the next 6 weeks while my new tattoo heals
How about putting the extra sensors in a waterproof bag (Ziploc) and keeping it in a Frio cooling wallet ?
Okay… I didn’t get to go swimming while on vacation but took the kids outside to use kiddie pool outside. Here is the Lewis N Clark item I got through Amazon…
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Okay, the good... It is nice having the rubber on one side so that I can push buttons while Dex is in case.
The bad… Lewis N Clark does not have anywhere on packaging that they will insure your item (meaning that they stand behind product that it will always keep item dry) and second problem, the clasp on one side likes to come unlatched (but the plus is that there are 2 clips on side to keep it triple locked). The rubber finds stray hairs that fall out of my girls’ heads but that can be washed off.
It did what I need it to do as my kids like to splash water out of their kiddie pool. Maybe the main clasp would stay closed if I wasn’t constantly on the move?
I haven’t had a chance to use the other waterproof camera bag I bought from Amazon.
