I just got back from my appointment, and this is my first A1C representing the use of my CGM.
HOLY COW! 7.1!!! That's down from 8.2, last time, sans CGM. YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My doctor even high-fived me, and told me that I rock. It was pretty much the best doctor visit, ever. I love her. And I love my CGM!
that's AWESOME :) very happy for you Kim :) Great work!
I've been thinking about an CGM but after the pump I'm not sure I could handle being hooked up to something again. How do you find it??
:D :D :D :D :D :D :D Congrats! I'm happy for you - that's awesome!
I'm also thinking about getting a CGM. My friend just started on it and the only reason I haven't is because it looks much more painful than pump sites (to insert at least), and I'd have to find somewhere to use it so I don't get more scar tissue. It's obviously worked well for you with the rockin' A1C but has there been anything you don't like about it?
Congrats again! :)
Congrats!!! Thats great!! Keep up the good work!!
Thanks Batts and Katie! :) Today is a great day in the Land of Kim.
The insertion part of wearing the sensor does hurt a bit. But, once you've worn the sensor for a few hours, it sort of just becomes a part of you. Most of the time, I don't feel it, unless I bump against something, etc.
My favorite spot to use is my lower back. It's less "in the way" there, and doesn't seem to get unstuck as quickly. I can usually go 4-5 days before I have to call upon my IV tape for reinforcements. I also wear most sensors for 2 weeks, instead of the FDA-approved 1 week.
There really aren't any *major* bad parts about it, for me. I'm already used to wearing the pump, so the CGM is just one more robot part to add to the list. The Dexcom lays pretty flat to the skin, compared to the MM one I tried out - so it's less noticeable under clothing. Sometimes, depending on where I place the sensor, you don't ever see it at all. There are times that it won't take readings (like when I'm leaning against it), which is annoying, but it bounces right back after a few minutes. The only main issue I've had was the receiver dying on me a couple of weeks ago. But, as a testament to their great customer service, Dexcom overnighted me a new one, no charge, and I was back up and running.
I was looking at the MM one(tho I'm sure I can't get it in Canada anyways haha) and it looked like it stuck out a lot(sadly, they had no photos of people actually WEARING it on the site..only drawings..didn't help lol). But I'll have to look into Dexcom, it's wireless?
Yes, it is wireless. You wear a sensor (that the reusable transmitter snaps into), and then you have a remote (they call it a receiver) for it, which shows you all of your data. This one also boasts real-time results, which was another big sell for me. You get a reading every 5 minutes, a graph of where your BG has been, and a directional arrow to let you know if you're rising or dropping, and how quickly. My favorite arrow is the horizontal one. :)
That's a bummer that MM doesn't show you the actual sensors. I'm not sure if the Dexcom website has pictures of people wearing the sensors, but if you Google "dexcom", you'll see pictures of people wearing them.
Congrats on the A1C. I am almost ready to pull the trigger on the CGMS for myself. I need to get my numbers under better control. I am back to the lower 8.0 after a brief stay at 7.3 mostly due to a lot of lows.
Keep up the good work.
Congratulations Kim, that's a great a1c!! Glad the dexcom is helping you so much.
P.S. To the people thinking about the dexcom, I was on it in 07-08 and have been back on it for 3 weeks now. The difference for me from a pump is that you can just ditch the receiver if it's getting annoying as long as you test. I really don't notice the actual sensor on my side. It's hard to just leave a pump at home if you feel like it, but it's easier to go on and off a cgm. My endo told me that some people use it one week a month to get more data and others, like me, use it about all the time.
P.P.S. Kim, do you notice any change in accuracy if you leave the sensor in beyond a week?
Sarah - Not a consistent difference, no. Sometimes it embellishes by a pretty sizable margin (if I'm in the 200's, especially... luckily I haven't seen much higher than that on the CGM), but I wouldn't say that it only happens when the sensor is old. I've been really pleased with how long the sensors last, and for the most part they are close to what my finger sticks say.
I think the MM ones can only be left in 3-5 days too, which I'm not very happy about. The Dexcom seems better to me, but unfortunately I'd have to go on the MM one because I have a MM pump. Also, the receiver for the MM version is the pump, so I couldn't exactly leave it at home. Oh well. I definitely want to try it sometime.
Hello, I am new to this juvenation area and thought my voice should be heard in regard to CGM. I have one and do not wear it. I have found that for when it says my blood sugar is 104 my fingerstick says 50 and vice versa. It is scary and I am not sure I really trust this device. I also am allergic to the tape that holds it in place.
As for where to find one I got mine through Minimed where I purchased my pump. They are $1000 plus the cost of the insertion supplies. It is a fight for insurance companies to pay and if you have a doctor who is strong they will get if for you. Hope this helps answer your question.
Hi Lady,
Unfortunately, what you're describing seems to be pretty common with the Minimed CGM. The lagtime of results, and size of the device were big points that deterred me from getting the MM one, and going with Dexcom instead. I'm sorry to hear you've had a bad experience.
Way to go Kim !!!!! :)
Awesome job Kim!
Lady Di -- I tried a cgm in 07-08 and it tended not to be accurate either. But, they're getting better. The new dexcom 7 plus system isn't as good as my meter but getting better.
Kim -- if the stupid tape would stay adhered longer, I think I'll try my dexcom sensor for longer than 7 days. The skin tac doesn't seem to be helping its stickiness and I'm allergic to medical tape. My pharmacist has me sticking it down w/ fake eyelash glue, lol.
Hey, whatever works! The stuff I use is IV3000 by smith&nephew. Funny thing is, it expired in 2008, but it seems to work fine. I got it when I first went on the pump in 2005 and never needed it, but kept it around just in case.
[quote user="Kim"]
I just got back from my appointment, and this is my first A1C representing the use of my CGM.
HOLY COW! 7.1!!! That's down from 8.2, last time, sans CGM. YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My doctor even high-fived me, and told me that I rock. It was pretty much the best doctor visit, ever. I love her. And I love my CGM!
[/quote]Congratulations, Kim! That is fantastic! My A1C went down almost a whole point since I started the pump last year! It is such a great feeling!