New to CGM/Dexcom G4 - HELP please!
My son is getting his first CGM & it's on the way. First, I read on a thread (that I can't seem to find) that we need special tape to help hold/keep the sensor down. And I also read that a numbing cream is also a good idea before inserting the sensor. What brand(s) do you think work the best? Thanks! Any other advice or tips are much appreciated. :)
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mom 2 Kyle on -
Thanks, I was JUST comparing sites to find the cheapest. :)
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Permalink Reply by Mom 2 Kyle on
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Everything - G4 - arrived! YAY! We also ordered the Opsite Flexifix just in case, but we are going to try it without the first time. We are meeting with a Dexcom rep./trainer on
Wednesday, November 21 (first day she had available as she is off Sat-Mon.). Now we have to wait for that. But, since this is for my son I don't want to just do it myself ... think we would both feel better if someone is showing us exactly what to do. Can't wait!
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Permalink Reply by Clare on -
Glad it arrived for you. Mine arrived on Monday this week. I just read the directions and followed them, and now it is giving me amazing results. It is the first time I have slept for more than a few hours in a very long time and the other night I slept for 7 1/2 hours. To be honest I met with the trainer on Wednesday and as I already had inserted the sensor and applied the Opsite tape for the most part she showed me the software, and we downloaded my readings to her laptop. This was really fun to see. Don't get worried if you get some really funky readings in the beginning. The first reading I got was 248 ! I checked my glucometer and it read 143 so I calibrated. The first couple days I calibrated on average 8-10 times, but the last 2 days the receiver had to remind me to calibrate so it had been 12 hours since I had last entered a blood sugar reading. I put the receiver under my pillow at night because the first night was horrendous, it was buzzing I was high or buzzing I was low. Husband didn't like the noise and neither did I. But even stashed under the pillow if you put it on vibrate it will definitely wake you up. Set the high alert really high initially because otherwise you will not get a lot of sleep. Originally I had it set at 200 and my CDE and trainer both said to up it to 280. You can keep the low alert wherever you want to, I have mine at 60. But there are also alerts if you are either dropping really fast, or going up really fast so you can cut it off at the pass or you can give Kyle some O.J. I put the first sensor in my stomach and to be honest, I don't really love it there. I wish I had put it on my arm instead, but as in everything else D, YDMV. I got the trainer to admit that the sensors last a lot longer than 7 days, but Dexcom only used them for 7 days, so that's what the party line says. She says people routinely get 10-14 days out of a sensor, and some even more. My insurance company covered 12 sensors for the next 3 months, so it is no big deal to me, but for people who are actually paying out of pocket it is nice to know the sensor can be used much longer than 7 days. I am going on vacation tomorrow with my family. We are taking the Carnival Liberty cruise to Cozumel and other places. I plan on being in the water or ocean a large amount of time next week and asked Patty (the trainer)what I need to do to ensure I keep the sensor attached to me. She said while snorkeling, cover the transmitter with tega derm to keep it dry. The transmitter and receiver don't work very well in water so I'll probably just leave the receiver in my cabin if I am going swimming. She said remove the tega derm after swimming. There is also something she showed me called an "aqua pack". Which is a totally waterproof container for the transmitter that floats. It might be worth investing in before going to the beach ?
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Permalink Reply by Mom 2 Kyle on
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Will you have to set the receiver extra high/low every time you insert a new sensor or is this a "one time thing" because the receiver is new?? OK, and is Tega Derm different from the Opsite Flexifix? Good to know that you CAN swim with it - we live in South Florida and that is something we do quite a bit. Have fun on your trip and I hope the CGM helps you relax and enjoy your vacation a bit more.
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Permalink Reply by Don on -
The alert settings carry over from sensor to sensor. I prefer to turn them off during first 12-18 hrs of a new sensor especially during sleeping hours because false alerts drive me crazy.
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Permalink Reply by Mom 2 Kyle on
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So, basically, for a child that goes to school you should always try to insert a new sensor on a day when they won't have school the next day - so they won't be bothered while at school with false alerts. ?? So, do you calibrate EVERY time there is a false high/low during the first 12-18 hours?
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Permalink Reply by Don on
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oh, don't mind me, you will quickly get your own way of handling things. I didn't mean to overstate the false alert issue. I wouldn't worry about daytime at school. I don't mind false alerts during the day but at night the combination of a new sensor and the usual problem of accuracy going wonky due to stale interstitial fluid means that I can be woken up multiple times for no good reason. My habit of turning off alerts only applies to the nighttime of the first day of a new sensor.
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Permalink Reply by Mom 2 Kyle on
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OK. Sounds good. I'm sure the Dexcom rep. will give us advice on this issue also. Thanks!
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Permalink Reply by Don on
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No worries, you can always add tape later. Congrats, you will not believe how helpful the G4 will be. For me the Dex adhesive only starts peeling because I extend/restart the sensor after 7 days. I have never found a need to cover the transmitter for showers. I just lay a strip of Flexifix along the top edge of the Dex tape because that is the edge most exposed to shower water. (Sometimes I also lay a strip along the edge closest to where the sensor inserts just to minimize wiggling in case I give the transmitter a hard bump.) If your son takes baths, then maybe tape all four edges. I bought the tape at American Diabetes Warehouse along with Skin-tac which I have never needed :)
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Permalink Reply by Mom 2 Kyle on
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HELP! Our new G4 doesn't appear to be charging. We've been charging it since 8 a.m. (now 11 a.m.) and the lightning bolt isn't filling with green to indicate that it's charging. Shouldn't there be some charge after 3 hours??
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Permalink Reply by Mom 2 Kyle on
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OK, so I read that it should be grey when it's charged (why do they show that fully charged "green" battery when you start charging then?? Goodness ... I think I need to stop playing with it & wait until we meet with the Dexcom rep./trainer on Wednesday.
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Permalink Reply by Bob on
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Were you charging directly from an outlet or through a computer? I found that my computer seems to be slower, or perhaps not charging at all. The wall outlet seems to work quickly, though. The 7+ usually charged in a few hours, but not sure yet how long G4 will take.
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