Hi! My daughter was diagnosed with T1D a year and a half ago, she’s now 7. We started the Dexcom G6 a few days ago (it just came out in Canada last week). This is her first CGM. I have a few questions!
She has to have her phone within range (6 metres) to get readings. This is a big deal when you’re seven to remember to take your phone with you everywhere you go. Any suggestions for how to make this easier? We have a cute bag she’s been carrying the phone in but realistically that’s not going to happen 24/7. Any suggestions on cute holsters that clip to pants as I haven’t come across any.
SPORTS! Chloe is super active, she plays soccer, volleyball, horseback rides and swims. Obviously she won’t have her phone on her swimming but I’d also prefer she didn’t have it on during games and riding. If her phone is out of range, she doesn’t get any readings and our phones (which have the app) aren’t getting reading either, just lost signal alerts. Is there a way to get around this?
I appreciate any advice, it’s been an overwhelming few days and she didn’t want to go to school this morning
Hi @natieg Natalie, you need a small Bluetooth enabled cellular data device. The Bluetooth connection is weak and so the device needs to be on her person if you want data for sharing.
There are ultra small android handsets that you can set up and then place in a pocket somewhere which will do the job as she does not need to touch the phone for the share to work. Amazon sells a bunch and they’re very small.
You can also just take readings when she is between sets, on break, quarterly or when she is rotated out.
In a little while, her blood sugar will be more predictable to you and so the constant and continuous data will not be as life-or-death importance as it seems to be right now.
Yes for swimming you have to take readings between heats because even if there was a tiny waterproof Bluetooth enabled handset there isn’t any place to hold it during a swim.
Hope you are getting all the support you need and welcome to the forum.
Thanks Joe! I’ve sent my hubby on the hunt for one. Very much appreciated. I’ve been T1D for 30 years (I’m on the 670G and guardian CGM), but when it’s your child it’s a whole other ball game!
Well then it’s nice to have your expertise on the forum! Welcome aboard. I would start with your cellular carrier and find the smallest smartphone with Bluetooth. You only need 3g data for it to work. Good luck!
Hi, Sorry to jump in. My kid (also 7) has been diagnosed last month, and we just ordered Dexcom G6. I have been worrying about the same thing: whether he’d need to have the phone nearby all the time for it to work, even when he goes out for recess. @joe When you said “small Bluetooth enabled cellular data device”, do you mean something like this?
@mariaanalugo HI Maria Ana, no that product is a geo-locator. Good for finding your kid and other treasures, but not to host the G6 application software.
In my opinion, you’ll need a LG, Nokia, or Motorola (probably the cheapest choices) that is compatible with your cell network (talk to ATT/Sprint/ Verizon, etc.) . An expensive phone will work just as well… but the OP was asking for a device and I immediately thought small and cheap. You will need to download the G6 share app and run it/connect it to the G6 transmitter - The “CGM”. Once that’s all on, you can zip the phone into a pocket or into a sporty arm leg or waist band, and it will be able to hold the bluetooth signal from the G6 transmitter. The child does not have to interact with the phone device once it’s on and the bluetooth is connected.
The phone will be connected to your cellular carrier and so the data connection (the connection from the phone to the cell service) makes the connection to the “follower app” (the one on your phone) limitless in terms of distance. You’ll be able to read her data anywhere in the world.
but you MUST call your cellular provider to ensure the proposed phone is compatible with their network (verizon is notorious for incompatible phones). You could visit your cell providers store and just ask them for their cheapest smartphone with bluetooth.
Our 11 year old son wears a FlipBelt for sports and when he is playing with his friends. It allows him to hold his phone and a couple packs of gummies. We highly recommend it and it’s used pretty much daily in our household.
Our very active 7 year old son was diagnosed May 2019 and he’s been using the G6 since Aug 2019. What has worked very well for him/us is we bought a child sized insulin pump belt on Amazon that he wears every day, just like any other piece of clothing. His phone/receiver can fit comfortably in the belt, and it doesn’t bother him much at all. (It fits comfortably above his pant waste line, and under his shirt.) He takes off his belt every night to charge the receiver/phone, then he puts it back on in the morning when he gets dressed. This allows us not to worry about losing it as much too! I hope this helps.
We had the same concerns. So far we have found that a small running belt (like a fanny pack but thinner) has been the best for my 9 yo. We ordered from Amazon, and then his endos office gave us one that Dexcom has out. That’s been the best so far.
