Living with Diabetes

Category: Dexcom

  • Dexcom Seven – Day 1

    It hasn’t been as accurate as my last STS-3 sensor.  I do believe the trend is accurate, but the numbers have been quite a bit different.  For example, it said I was in the 120’s this morning, when I was really in the 140’s.  If you account for 10% error for each device, it’s not bad.

  • Bad Girl Yesterday

    After seeing 2 readings right on the money between the CGMS and the meter, I decided to stop finger testing and dosing off of CGMS.  Note:  I don’t recommend it.

    It was a nice break from finger testing. 

    At the end of the day and the next morning, I didn’t see any difference.

    However, when I calibrated I did see that I had a “drift” in the high direction.  The CGMS said I was going up while I had obviously gone down.

    That’s the biggest issue I’ve seen with the Dexcom meter — drift, either a drift to the low where the CGMS says I’m still low but the meter says I’m not, OR  a high drift.  They are fairly easy to stop and calibrating usually solves the problem.

    I’m still on the three day system and I’ve just reset this sensor for the third time.

    I love data, and I hate those two hours where I don’t have it.  Yes, I’m hooked.

  • Dexcom — more adventures

    Yesterday was a perfect Dexcom day.  All day, I had data that made sense and data that kept me from doing stupid stuff.   Stupid stuff like walking across CMU campus to get food to eat without eating something.

    This morning was yikes!  No data, and no data since about 2 in the morning.  Took a shower, got dressed, still not data.  Transmitter was wet.  Dried it, waited a while, no data.

    Reset it, waited two hours, started it, no data.  Did that twice.

    Finally bit the bullet and put in a new sensor.  I feel so much happier, I have data now. 

    Odd how you get hooked on something so fast. 

    I love data.

  • Traveling

    Things I learned traveling this week.

    Dexcom rocks.  The first day or two, not so much which means if it really was a 3 day sensor life would really suck.

    When I drive, my blood sugar goes high.  I suspect I need the same setting as if I were in a workshop.  I need to work on this.

    When I do agility, my blood sugar goes high.  Also, right before I go into the ring, I spike high.  It causes a surreal feeling.

    I need my comforter.  I’ve talked to CPAP users and we all have the same problem, no matter the room temperature we get cold from the air on our face.  I cocoon, I completely wrap myself in my comforter, in fact, I might as well have a sleeping bag, the kind for arctic weather.  Well take that to Pittsburgh next week.

    Taking three dogs was a mistake.

    I feel bad for my husband, as I am leaving him with three for about 2 weeks.  Depends on how fast I get home.

  • Traveling

    I’m off to Monroe (Louisiana) to an agility trial in a few minutes.  Bad thing about traveling with dogs, the truck is completely filled with their stuff and there isn’t much room for my stuff.

    They have an exercise pen and matt for the trial site, and an extra set of cages for the hotel — that DOES make life easier, food, bowls, water, etc.  Three dogs takes up a lot of room in a small truck.

    I’m traveling with the Dexcom for the first time.  I am going to leave manuals, etc. at home as they have 24/7 support AND have the manual on line, and I have that available to me.

    I’m also taking Fitness4Diabetics on the road for the first time too.  My workouts will be curtailed to some extend, but then I’ve been known to put in over 15,000 steps at a trial.

    Next week I’m going on a road trip by myself, so this will be a good rehearsal.

  • Dexcom – Removed first sensor and put in a new one

    Last night, after I got out of the hot tub, the sensor was reading disconnected.  I had already planned to switch sensors, as the back part of the adhesive was coming loose.  I wanted a new sensor in, stable and working before I drove to Monroe, Louisiana, and I wanted to have it going smoothly for at least the first day of dog agility.

    Next time, I’ll know better, I bet I could have gotten the sensor to go a full two weeks.  The majority of the adhesive was down good and solid.

    This time I did feel the sensor needle go in and out.  But I do believe I have a good install — I don’t feel anything once I got everything in place — including the sensor. 

    So far, I am exceptionally pleased with the Dexcom sensor.  As I get more comfortable with it, I’ll start pushing the envelope more and see if I can get my A1C and my weight down. 

  • Dexcom – 6 days

    Reset everything again — and seriously, this sucker gets more stable as time goes on.  Numbers are very close to the meter, trends make sense, etc.  I still finger stick as normal and dose as normal, but it is nice to see what is going on.

    Also got in the hot tub again last night AND the shower yesterday morning and not only missed only one data point or two, but the system was stable then.

    Still very pleased.

  • Dexcom

    Came home from dog class, covered in dirt, sweat, sun block and bug spray.  Shed the clothing (leaving the receiver in my skirt) and dumped it into the hamper and hopped into the hot tub.

    Completely bypassed the shower covers.

    Oh well, I thought, probably have to replace it — and that’s after thinking I’d popped out the sensor in the humidity, but had popped out a set instead.

    WOW!  Got out of the hot tub, dried off, pulled out the transmitter and it was dry and STILL working — after retrieving the receiver from the hamper.

    Are the numbers 100% accurate?  Are the meters?  Of course not (and those of you who still think they are, do two fingers sticks in a row and measure with your meter. Heck, measure the blood twice from the SAME finger stick.

    Does the graph of the meter match what is happening in my body?  Yeah, it think so.  It peaks when I eat, it falls when I exercise or take insulin.

    Am I going to use Dexcom every day?  I don’t know — it depends on if I can afford it and if I need it.  I’m certainly going to use it the next few weeks while life is weird, especially since I’m driving so much.

  • Lousy night

    Dexcom is still working well. 

    Weight is going well. 

    Exercise with Fitness for Diabetics is going well.

     However … apparently it hit the whole city — no storm, but the power kept going out.  It would go out, then back on for a few minutes than out again.

    First, that’s a huge problem with the CPAP, because all of a sudden I don’t get any air and I start strangling.  Needless to say, the mask comes off.

    I did grab my emergency battery and use it.

    However, I need a cool room to sleep and the humidifier on the cpap, neither of which was happening.

    I’m hoping to finish the major project I was whining about this week.  Hopefully tomorrow.

    Dog classes have been completely rescheduled — those of you who read the real news would have seen we had major flooding in north Texas which flooded the agility barn.  Not a major problem since our school is the only school that has been able to hold classes on a regular basis.

  • Dexcom – wild excusion

    The Dexcom showed a wild excusion this morning – I was going high but not as high as the Dexcom. it settled down though after a few fingersticks and calibrations.
    goes to show that fingersticks are still important.
    and the trend is right on, just not the variation.