I had an endo appointment the other day and my doctor mentioned the Dexcom G4 Platinum Pediatric, a type of CGM. I had been doing some research on it ahead of time and now my family and I will have to look into it together more. Does anyone have any thoughts about this certain monitor? If so, please share below.
Hi, I’m Emily. I’ve had a CGM For about a year and a half. I had the Medtronic version and was not pleased with the infusion sites and accuracy. I’ve had the G4 for a year, and like it much better. As with any piece if technology you have to take it at it’s best. Unlike the infusion site much better, and the accuracy was great. There are times when it is perfectly matching my meter glucose. Having a CGM really helps follow trends. And I sometimes feel really odd without mine, even though I had diabetes for 10 years before getting a CGM. I hope you like it!
@EmilyLake Thank you for responding so quickly. Have you had any major issues with the G4 or has it been great all around? I tend to get very anxious about where my blood sugar is so this would either be the best thing ever or the worst thing ever (if I was constantly looking at the device). Also, is it a pain to have to carry around or is it small enough that you don’t care? And is the sensor part uncomfortable to insert and wear?
Hope to hear from you soon! (Sorry for all of the questions!)
I wouldn’t say that I’ve had any major issues with the G4, aside from dropping it 
but that’s just because I’m a clutz. I am also very anxious about my sugars and was also worried about having them constantly at hand. But I found, for me, that having the sensor was like a safety net. If for some reason I just didn’t feel the low, my dexcom would alarm - this is a major difference between the dexcom and the Medtronic, I had times where the Medtronic sensor didn’t even pick up a low until possibly half an hour later, or even not at all - and I would move in to treat the sugar. There is a small lag between the sensor and what your sugar actually is, but this is because you’re getting the sensor reading from a less direct source than your meter reading, which I’m sure your doctor has, or will, talk about with you. The lag on dexcom I found to be about five minutes, and only happens when you are dropping or rising quickly. Having a sensor is also a matter of knowing your body and what you feel comfortable having your sugars at. You can set it so that the sensor will alarm as low, or high as you want. And it will keep alarming until you turn it off (which usually goes along with treating the blood sugar). The monitor is about the size of an iPod nano. Many people have actually asked me what type of mp3 it was when I’ve had it out 
I put it in the pocket of my jeans and it’s fits fine there, and isn’t really bulky. I don’t know if you have a pump, but the dexcom site is not much different Han a pump site. It will stay in for seven days, or is supposed to. The only problem I have with it is sometimes the adhesive wears off and the site falls off, but thats because I’m very active and sweat doesn’t really mix well with adhesive. The size of the transmitter is about the size of the pad of your thumb and sticks out maybe half an inch. It does sometimes get caught on things, but I’ve never had it fall out because of bumping it into something. I find the insertion relatively straightforward, it all comes packaged together in one spot so you don’t need to worry about keeping an extra device simply to insert the sensor. If you have any more questions id be happy to answer them!
This device rocks! I can’t imagine life without it. The only downside is that even with insurance it is very expensive. Always use Skin Tac for extra adhesive when you put in the sensor because it will fall off and then you’ve wasted it. If you do sports you can put the monitor in a plastic sandwich bag and tuck it in your sports bra. When your sugar goes out of range it will vibrate.
We are about a month in for my daughter who is 8. It has been great so far. I have found that some weeks it doesn’t last the full 7 days, so we are having to change early. She is very active. The accuracy varies, sometimes right one, but a few times it has been way off. Yesterday it alarmed low, which is set for 80. Her actual BS was 42, a little to late! My favorite time is at night, I was getting up sometimes 2-3 times a night. Now I set my alarm and just check the monitor. If she’s running low then I get up, but I am sleeping better. She does gymnastics team so I feel more comfortable with her wearing it. Now I only pull her from practice if I see a problem. It takes the quess work out!
@ChloesMom , @scooch770 , and @EmilyLake
Thank you all so much for your advice and intake on the G4. I will definitely take your experiences into account when deciding whether or not to get the product. I feel like this would be a great relief to me, but it is also another poke and thing to keep track of. And yes, unfortunately it is very expensive. However, I still feel as though this could be a relief to me, for I am always worrying about where my blood sugar is.
This will be a big decision and hopefully will turn out right.
Thank you all again for your help!