call Dexcom and explain a hardship case. I got a transmitter for something like $90 cash payment.
You can use the Dexcom sensor transmitting to an I-phone or an Android phone, instead of the receiver that comes with it. It is well worth the little extra hassle to have it, compared to the lifetime benefits as a result.
It means he cares. Also, and I think many of us are guilty of this, the basal level may have to be reduced during sleep time. Maybe 20% reduction would do the trick.
the Dexcom 5g is amazingly accurate. I finally got sick of hearing Medtronic lies about their sensor accuracy and decided to give the Dexcom a try. Iāll never go back. Cannot trust Medtronic. Same thing with bubbles building up inside their reservoirs; they wonāt admit it is a problem.
when I became diabetic 61 years ago, there were no throwaway needles or syringes; we boiled the syringe at least once a week, kept it in some chemical solution the rest of the week. Needles only went as thin as 26 gauge. Glucose meters didnāt appear for my first 25 years of being diabetic. Just the almost useless urine sugar strips.
I was diagnosed in 1972 when I was 5 years old. I had disposable syringes and urine testing availableā¦no meters or pumps!!! I have been on a MiniMed pump since being pregnant with my 2nd child almost 22 years ago. I too have hypo unawareness and was told it was normal since I have been T1D for so long. My husband is a pilot and I call him each morning and at night before bed to check in. My children also check on me. I have used a CGM in the past but it beeped non stop at me. Getting ready to go to the new closed loop CGM pump. My dogs also are aware when I go low and either bark or lick me in the face to wake me up.
I set my CGM to vibrate and that wakes me up - the chattering sound it makes on the bedside table works to wake me up better than the chirps. Of course, I might get used to that, then I can switch it back.
Definitely worth a try. Thanks.
Donāt pay $900 to middlemen when you can buy direct from Dexcom at around half that price. Call Dexcom and talk with sales. If you also pay Full Price for sensors, ask them about their AutoShip program which will earn you Transmitters at 50% price or even Free. After 9 months of AutoShip I get a free transmitter, after 6 months I can get TX for 50%.
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Thanks @jjmnav for posting this; it will help many Dexcom users.
Iāve worked directly with Medtronic for all my supplies and I found by going direct to be most cost efficient and the best price - and never any delay in filling my orders.
Thank you. I will Call them directly. My insurance only pays for one provider and only small part after my deductible is met.
If you are a detail oriented DIYer you can change batteries yourself. Dexcom Transmitter Battery Change G4 Slim Transmitter - YouTube also see: Dexcom G4 Batteries Replacement - iFixit Repair Guide Be sure to review many tips in the COMMENTS.
Double check, but I think the G5 transmitter change is the same method EXCEPT you would need to use the XDRIP smartphone app to get around Dexcom Receiver software which times how long the transmitter has been activated.
This is for the newer SLIM transmitters. The older, thicker transmitter has the batteries sandwiched between circuits making them very easy to totally destroy.
I am not that much of a do it yourself er. I read about changing those batteries last year and decided I would stick to rewiring old lamps. LOL
Hi, Synthia. Like two of the other posters, I have had Type 1 for over 60 years now. I, too, have wrestled with hypoglycemia unawareness. I recently visited with an endocrinologist who did his residency at Washington University in St. Louis (where some of the HU studies have been done). He asked me to let my blood glucose measures run a little higher for up to three months to see if that would āresetā my awareness - it did to some extent. But, boy, I did not care for letting my average daily blood glucose level run higher. Perhaps your endocrinologist is aware of this āreset strategyā and can give you some guidance.
Regarding nocturnal (nighttime) hypoglycemia, I have long used a strategy that I call my ānighttime glide path.ā I try to ensure that I eat supper at least by 6:00 pm. I check my blood glucose before I eat, carefully assess the carb and protein load of my supper, check my blood glucose thirty minutes before I go to bed and, if it is less than 130mg/dl, I eat an appropriate snack that includes both carbs and protein. A snack might be as small as a spoonful of peanut butter to as much as a fold-over peanut butter sandwich.
As I plan any snack I might eat I consider the amount of strenuous activity I have done during the day; the more I have been pushing/pulling/lifting/shoving, the bigger the snack. I work hard to avoid situations where my blood glucose might be >200mg/dl as I am trying to go to bed; taking even a small bolus of insulin before going to bed can lead to trouble.
Most of the time my ānighttime glide pathā routine gets me through the night without difficulty. My morning blood glucose readings tend to range from 60 to 120mg/dl. But nothing is guaranteed. If my system fails to work well for as many as three days in a row I tend to end up changing my nighttime basal on my insulin pump.
For me itās all about āthe approachā (the āglide pathā) of my blood glucose as I end the day and prepare āto come in for a landing.ā Some days thereās a lot of āturbulenceā and landing is pretty tough. On other days landing is pretty easy.
My one attempt at CGM did not work well. I tried Medtronicās sensors about 11 years ago and ended up giving my remaining sensors and the sending unit to the local charity clinic. I havenāt wanted to try CGM since then.
Hope these thoughts help a bit. And good luck to you!
Bill
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Thank you Bill. Your strategy sounds very useful. I went to see my endo today and we made changes to overnight basal settings to try and restart my hypo sensitivity. I tend to eat early before 5:00 pm so I should definitely try the snack prior to bedtime. After so long with T1D I get tired of all the work involved and would rather not even eat many times. Congratulations on 60+ years. That is amazing and inspiring.
Synthia
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Hello Synthia. Sorry to hear about your low bs overnight situations. I have had D1 for 40 years and have had hypo unawareness for quite some times. I actually view it as kindof a good thing. No more sitting there knowing I need to do something but for some reason doing nothing.
I just test more often. I recently got a FreeStyle Libre. It has definitely helped me to always know where Iām at all ow me to head of lows at the pass. Doesnāt have an alarm but I really donāt care. When I get low at night, I either donāt wake up, or wake up with my hands asleep and then check my Libre and do somehing about it if I have to.
If I could get a dog instead Iād do that. But I already have a dog and you canāt have another dog and get an assistance dog I donāt think.
I know this is probably not all that helpful. But best of luck.
Ahh yes the not so good old days of litmus paper checks to see how much keatones were in the urine was the only home health care we had.
Iāve had T1D for 32 years. I just got my Diabetic Alert Dog, Ransom, last September. He has been amazing, although itās a big adjustment taking a service dog with you wherever you go. I went through Diabetic Alert Dogs of America and had a great experience with them. The cost is high (I believe itās $17,500 now, though it was a little less when I started the process with Ransom), but I found a lot of support through friends I had on social media, and almost 100% of the funds were raised that way. He is great at alerting though, and has caught me a number of times as I was about to start driving and didnāt realize I was low.
Hi Ron @Treadplate, I would hope that you would never EVER begin driving before checking your BG Level and making any necessary adjustments. Try not to give responsible PWD a ābadā name.
Does Ransom check his own BGL and give himself insulin???
Hey Dennis! What is a āPWDā?