I'm so excited! I just got my DexCom G4 Platinum today. It's the first CGM I have ever owned. My insurance doesn't cover it, so it was out-of-pocket. Hm, looks like my glucose is on an upward trend. Lets hope that insulin kicks in soon.
Ebgineer,
That is awesome! I heard really good things about the dex g4. Which insurance company doesn't cover it for you? I hope that maybe they will in the future...
My insurance is Kaiser Permanente of Northern California. They have a review process for CGMs but my endocrinologist said I didn't qualify because only people who can't manage their blood sugar at all are approved by the committee. The good news was that DexCom offered me Kaiser's discount price, so at least some money was saved.
My heart was really thumping before I inserted the sensor because I have a mild needle phobia. It felt about like an insulin syringe going in. After that it feels like a band-aid is stuck to you, which is pretty much right because the adhesive is about the same size and shape.
The G4 transmitter is smaller than I thought it was from the pictures, at least in area. It is thicker than I expected though, so I'm still feeling cautious about catching it on stuff. I think I'll put the next sensor a little higher on my stomach since this site barely clears the waistline.
The CGM alerted me twice to impending low blood sugars last night. Surprisingly the treatment I gave myself the first time wasn't as effective as I had thought it would be. So it woke me up again an hour later for more. Staying between the rails is tricky. This afternoon it buzzed with a high warning while I was giving a massage. Fortunately it didn't particularly bother my client, but I had to wait until after the session to take insulin.
Most of the time the MD can wirte a letter of medical necessity and insurance ought to cover. I have BCBS and they covered most of the expense. I place the sensor on my hip below my beltline. It keeps it out of the way, is more accurate and less painful than my stomach.