Tomorrow we are putting a medtronic gaurdian cgm on my 3yr old for a 5 day run to help us identify trends. She was dx this past November. I am nervously excited for it. I understand the needle is bigger and it isn't going to be pretty for us, but I am wondering if there are parents out there that can give me a heads up about what to expect. Are there people that use this CGM on a regular daily basis? Our diabetes clinic is against that, saying it should be used primarily for diagnostic reasons. If it goes well, and she tolerates it well, I would be interested in knowing if this was something we can include in our everyday management. It goes on tomorrow afternoon, so any prompt responses would be greatly appreciated! Thanks all!
I know of a couple of D-families who use CGM's on their kids full-time. Meri from Our Diabetic Life has used the Sentry. You can reach her through her blog: www.ourdiabeticlife.com/.../mysentry-and-mydisclosure.html Also, Laura at Huston We Have A Problem uses Dex FT for her little guy www.houstonwehaveaproblemblog.com Many of the adult diabetes bloggers I follow use a CGM FT. More and more insurance companies are recognizing that a CGM can be as important to managing BG as a pump, and are covering them for FT use.
Blessings,
Mo
My 10 yr old starting wearing one about 5 weeks ago. We have the medtronic and the my sentry. He is honeymooning and has a lot of lows. In the first week it caught maybe 7 lows before they were too low, we were able to redirect before dropping under 70. We always checked him twice a night, at 12 and 3 and the other night, afer coasting at a nice 140 for hours, after his midnight check I fell asleep and at 1:30 the alarm buzzed, he was crashing fast. Its very eye opening to see his trends.. I will say proper calibration is key, but even with that there are times when it is off. Focus more on the trends than the numbers. Good luck.
rhooker,
Does your son tolerate the CGM? I watched a few videoes and the needle is so much longer, it turned me off for my daughter. She started on a medtronic minimed paradigm one month ago. She is also 10. Generally, her bg's are pretty steady unless she is ill. Is this something your endo recommended because of your son's "rollercoaster" right now?
Hi Shandra, actually, our endo didnt suggest it, we insisted. Our son is only 5 mos in and honeymooning , he is low or low, there is no rollercoaster, just low. It amazes me that they were not pushing it to get it, but they have a very one size fits all policy, which is another story. We started CGM first, pump starts next week, so he knew no other insertion. He doesnt even use numbing cream, we ice it a bit and he is fine. I think the pump will be a piece of cake now. We heard about the big needle but knew the integrated system would be better for our son who would rather one pump/cgm. I know its not something everyone uses, but we are so thankful and pleased to have it.
rooker,
I know all about the "one size fits all policy" It seems our D clinic follows this as well :( I am sure they have my daughter's chart labelled with "difficult parent" or something. But needless to say, I will continue to advocate. We are doing this trial with the CGM without the support of our clinic. I have a friend who works for a drug company as their pump representative/trainer and she is hooking us up. Our story seems similar to yours in the way we are 5 months in and honeymooning too. But unlike your low, low, low trends, we are definately a roller coster. Sometimes she is high and the next low with all else being the same. Its frustrating to figure out, so I am looking forward to the info this will provide. I just worry about the insertion on my 3 yr old?? Once its in, does your son complain about feeling it still or is it all over with the poke?
I'm not a huge fan of the CGMs for everyday use, but know some people are. As the parent of a young child, it makes sense why you'd be interested.
My concerns about the CGM is that the technology isn't that great (you still have to test blood sugars to verify results) and they use up valuable skin space. Personally, I don't mind the pump at all but felt like a cyborg being connect to pump and CGM. They can also alarm through the night when they are layed on or lose signal. It's a pain to hear "beep beep" all night.
Anybody correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding is that an "integrated" CGM and pump just means that CGM results are transmitted to the pump. They require 2 separte infusion sites. I'm a 5'2" adult and it can be a struggle after 10 years of pumping to find enough viable skin to do an infusion site for my pump. Think it would be a bigger problem for a child (though maybe a child's skin heals more quickly and it's not as big of an issue).
If someone has scary overnight lows, is trying to set pump basal rates, or has any other special circumstance that needs monitoring, then a CGM makes sense to me. But they aren't quite the miracle product that they should be, or hopefully will be at some point in the future.
Jennagrant, I completely get where you are comng from. The technology isnt great, and I imagine in training everyone is cautioned, like we were, that, by its very natuee, interstitial blood measurements will be different than blood glucose measurements. That being said, for every low prediction alarm we have gotten we have had over 90% accuracy and caught lows before they were too low. (in a few instances he wasnt near low at all and once he was already 63 and asleep so he didn't know it). When my son gets a low prediction he can test and curtail the drop with a small amt of carbs before he feels symptomatic. For us, this has been priceless.
I will also say I totally agree about the lack of body area being an issue. Yes, integration simply means his pump displays his BG so he doesn't need two peices of equipment, but will need two insertion sites. We start the pump next week so although it hasnt been an issue yet, alternating cheeks, so to speak, is our only real option in a very slim 10 yr old. His arms and belly are simply not options for infusion sets.
There are definitely pros and cons, and like all aspects of diabetes care, its a very personal decision based on individual needs and desires.
Thank you everyone! The CGM is on and up and running. (only a few scared tears from my VERY brave toddler!) I know all parents are proud of their kids, but watching her endure what she has with courage and grace beyond her 3 years makes me swell with pride. Hoping the next few days will give me valuable info to help us acheive better management. Thanks again for all your responses and the endless support this site provides.
rhooker - That's great that the CGM is helping your son so much.
You will love the pump. After many years of shots I'd developed hypoglycemia unawareness and would be unconscious with early morning lows, but after a few months on the pump my blood sugars were so much better and I rarely have lows now.
There are different types of infusion sets for slim people. Ask you pump sales person or diabetes educator for advice and sample infusion sets. Try to be adventurous and try as many site areas as possible so skin doesn't get overused. Despite this drawback of the pump, it's so much better than shots.
Take care. -Jenna