I have had my CGM with minimed for about a month now and *I love it*!!!! My blood sugar control has gotten better and better each day that I monitor my graphs and I have learned which foods do what to my blood sugar and have since eliminated certain things that end up spiking me up and keeping my bg high for longer than I'd like it to be. I also have the new Revel pump and use the CareLink software to see my CGM data online.
I just thought I'd make a post because I saw a lot of things that were mainly for Dexcom, so I thought I'd open up the forum to anyone else with the same CGM that I have!
I also have a CGM for my Minimed pump. I can upgrade my pump next month to the Revel. Is there a big difference between the Paradigm and the Revel? I'm not currently using the CGM 24/7, only for a week on and a week off. I had to fight with my insurance company for coverage and now it takes 3-4 weeks for approval when I need new sensors. Frustrating!
Oh wow that's terrible about your insurance!!! I'm getting married in May and I think my husband-to-be has better insurance, but I need to call to make sure they'll cover my sensors etc. - I'll be VERY sad if they don't :( Anyway, I had the paradigm522 and I just got the Revel like 2 weeks ago and there's hardly any differences. Mainly some terminology changes like there's no "rewind" when you go to refill your reservoir - instead it says "reservoir + set" and instead of "fixed prime" it says "fill cannula". Also the beeps for alerting you to a high or low blood sugar are a little more high pitched. It also combines some of the home screens you can see when you hit ESC - there's only 3 now instead of 4, but it's because they merged some of the information onto one of the screens, and if you want to see your 12+ hour CGM graph instead of your 3 hour, you have to hit the up arrow (instead of hitting ESC again like I used to with the paradigm). Other than that, I haven't noticed any huge differences! Oh, unless you use the OneTouch UltraLink blood sugar meter - with the paradigm you couldn't link a CGM *and* a meter, but with the Revel, you can link both to have blood sugars transmitted directly to the pump.
My sensors are on the way! Minimed couldn't find any reason for their shipment delay, since my insurance does cover sensors. Hopefully my insurer (one of the country's major ones) will cover my Revel upgrade!
I just started using the CGM with my Paradigm 722 about 3wks ago. So far I love it! It's amazing what certain foods do to your BG that you would never know if you only test a 4-6 times a day. I was wondering how long do you guys wear your sensor for? I know the recommended is 3days but I have read online and heard of some people wearing them for a week or longer. Have any of you tried this?
I too use the MM CGMS, about 15 months now...I usually get about 10 days from each sensor. Some a little more, some a little less! All depends on my luck in untaping, removing transmitter, recharging, reattaching transmitter and retaping after 6-7 days. I love it. It h as saved me from MANY late night, bedtime lows. I am most problematic during night time hours. Even though the alarms are weak under the covers, I do eventually head or feel them and can wake up to treat. I have to say...I LOVE MINE!
I use a sensor for 6 days, which was recommended by my doctor and diabetes educator. By that time the site is getting uncomfortable and I can't wait to remove it. I take a break in between uses, but I do find myself reaching for my pump to see how my blood sugars are running. I think the alarms get louder during the night if you don't respond to them. At least it seems that way to me.
I have to agree JoannK, it can become 'itchy' at times, but I have found that it usually passes for me to be able to keep it in.
I just untaped my transmitter today after almost a full 7 days (2 restarts after day 3 and day 6) and waited the 2 hour startup, and just entered a new BG into the now re-taped sensor/transmitter. Hopefully, I will get another 2 days or more out of it!
In the past, I used to insert it at night and wear it all night and turn it on in the morning. After the last time I did that and had a TERRIBLE low (couldn't move, live along, got one glucose tab in mouth but couldn't chew....finally managed to roll out of bed and turn alarm off that had been blaring for 90 minutes...managed to find more glucose tabs below bed and FINALLY got some in my mouth...a BAD way to start the morning!)...I no longer go to bed with it off! If it is supposed to run out of 'juice' and turn off any time after 6pm...I turn it off beforehand and either restart it, or do the untape/recharge and restart it before going to bed!
The alarms go seem to get a bit louder at night...but they really don't. It's just the longer you don't respond to them, the more different things the alarm tries to do.........it will alarm a few times,. then it does thru a bunch of other tones, sirens, vibrations, etc. It is usually the vibrations that I feel and wake up enough to hear the alarms.
As I've said before, it has saved me from many a BAD bedtime low!
Well, it's now time to do that 2nd BG in the 1st 6 hours...and shortly I can eat dinner!
One other thing...ask your MD for prescription lotions to help with the itching....I don't have to use them very often, but my Rx for Desonide lotion has helped tremendously when I do have major itching issues from the tape and sensors!
My diabetes educator taught me to wear mine for up to 6 days, so that's what I do - no untaping, no recharging. All I do is when the sensor ends after 3 days, I do "link to sensor --> start new sensor" even though it's still my old sensor. I do that again after 3 more days (6 days total) and then on the 7th day, I untape, recharge, and insert a new sensor in a new location.
When I first for my sensor, I was using my sticky IV prep wipes to soak the adhesive once I had inserted my sensor so that it would stick extra extra good, but this gave me TERRIBLE rashes, so Is topped doing that and the rashes I get from my sensor now are minimal if any. The tape keeps it on for the most part anyway, so I found there is really no need to reinforce the adhesive on the sensor. Personally, I'm a little scared to wear mine any longer than 6 days because my skin seems to be scarring a little bit everywhere I've had my sensor in, so I think my tissues would get even more irritated if I left the same sensor in for longer than 6 days.. I've had the sensor system for about 2 months now.
I too love my sensor and just last night it saved me again from having a seizure - my blood sugar was 42 and I also thought the alert noise got louder the longer you "ignored" (didn't hear) it, but the tone I do hear when it finally wakes me up is indeed different then the one I hear when I'm conscious and it alerts me to lows, so it must indeed switch up the tones, and the vibrations on mine also wake me up eventually. I never want to be without it!!! I love my CGMS!!!!
I also love to see what certain foods do to my blood sugar. I have since stopped eating certain cereals and foods that just totally wreck my blood sugar and keep me SUPER high for hours on end. It's also helped me learn which foods to definitely use my dual wave bolus with!
For many years I had to stop eating cereal due to very high blood sugar levels for long periods of time. But when I went on the pump 3 years ago, I tried cereal again and haven't had issues. That seems to happen occasionally with other carbs that I've eaten for years without impacting my blood sugar. I think there's more at play in our bodies over time. I don't use the dual wave too often, but it makes a big difference when I eat pasta or pizza. Finding the right timing for the dual wave bolus also makes a big difference. We learn by trial and error!
Medtronic called me this morning about starting the process to switch to the Revel pump. The rep asked some questions about my current pump, including whether there were any fractures in the case. Until he asked and I closely checked the case, I hadn't noticed that there is indeed a crack on the case and the plastic housing for the reservoir. Just goes to show how we start taking even our devices for granted.
Thanks for the advice everyone! I think I will start trying to wear one for a week or so and see how it goes :) I know I too have gotten the "itchy" feeling after just 3days so hopefully I will be able to tolerate it! I was also worried about the scarring, if I wore a sensor for too long. A few times after I have taken the sensor out I have gotten pretty big bruises but luckily no scarring yet.
Hope everyone has a good week!
PS. for those of you that facebook, I saw this quote I that was cute and thought I'd share :)
It's Diabetes Awareness Month. It isn't pink or sexy, it doesn't involve boobs, football players or cute t-shirts. It's about being grateful when you/your loved one wakes up in the morning. It's 3am bloodsugar checks, needles, etc. That's a diabetics LIFE. Repost this if you have...or love someone with Diabetes :)
aww I like that!! I made it my status :) and I don't think the scarring is permanent.... I think they're just slow healing, but I think they're worth it because I used to have very frequent night time hypoglycemic seizures and it has saved me so much so far from them!!!
I just found out that my insurance will cover the sensors! Called my CDE to get started, and I can't wait!!! I have a 522, so hopefully the current sensors still work with that. I have another year left on my warantee, so I son't think I'm eligible for an upgrade yet.
Great news! My CGM works with my 522. I'm about to get the Revel (the warantee on my 522 just ended) and Medtronic Minimed says it works with that as well. Just learned today that with my insurance coverage, if I trade in the 522 the new pump will only cost me about $10! Yay!
Got trained on the CGM this morning and it's up and running! I'm so excited! I've been going low about 3 times a day the past few weeks, so I'm really hoping the data will help my endo, and myself, figure out what's going on.
I had the CGM for the minimed for only 6 days on my body, and I took it off to change it and I am actually allergic to the tape that holds the sensor on my body. I loved seeing all my data on the graphs, but I am allergic to the tape, and it sucks that I can't see which way that my blood sugar is going. I hope they come out with a sensitive skin type of tape so that I am able to use it again. I miss using it.