Newbie but liking it, so far
I just got " hooked Up" with the MM"Real-time"Minlink system at 4:30 p,m,, October 2 , after the training at my doctor's office. The Trainer, mom of a 10 year old type 1 who uses a Minlink as well , was very kind and competent, and gave me a lot of "tricks" to use that are not in the users manual..Like how to get the sensor to last longer, insertion angles, and calibration standards. It is a Lot to learn, but I think I can manage it. I feel like I have a new, very important toy.. that I can't stop looking at and keep checking to see how in line it is with the blood glucose values. I have been pleased: When I am in relatively close range to my targets of 90 to 140, the most that the sensor reading has been out of line has been 14 points...., usually it is within 7 to 8, often closer..
So far , these have been my experiences since I have been "attached"
1; Confirmation that I spike quickly after most simple carbs, but slide into lows quite slowly, takes about 1 to 1 hour and a half. to get clinically low( under 70).
2. You MUST calibrate at the right time, to get accurate readings.
3. Surprise!! My daytime basals are pretty good, and I am stable for hours at a time. It is the evening basal and maybe carb;insulin ratio that need work, but I am not changing any thing until I download the data into "Carelink", after several days wear of this CGMS.
4. I have not had an alarm for a low yet, nor a down trend arrow ( probably due to number 1 and 2 above) I learned, from two calls to the MM 24-hour # and to the trainer, that I had calibrated during fluctuating BS, and that was why the sensors were off; I had tested at 68 on the meter ( blood glucose) and was at 117 from the sensor, but that was" my bad".....inaccurate calibration.
5. The learning curve WILL be long, a couple of months I guess, but I will hopefully and prayerfully meet my goal of and A1c at 6.5 or under by the end of the year ( currently at 7.1). And I would like to get lower without the frequent blood glucose excursions...
6. Insertion did not hurt at all!!!
I will keep you posted as to my progress.
PS. Now, why does the sensor package have a photo of an attractive young woman eating a 6- inch high,slice of a fully frosted carrot cake( Paula Deen recipe yummy)? Does that infer that the CGMS assures that you can do so on a whim if you use it accurately?..Looked like spike city to me, around 200 grams of carb!!
(LOL)
God Bless
So far , these have been my experiences since I have been "attached"
1; Confirmation that I spike quickly after most simple carbs, but slide into lows quite slowly, takes about 1 to 1 hour and a half. to get clinically low( under 70).
2. You MUST calibrate at the right time, to get accurate readings.
3. Surprise!! My daytime basals are pretty good, and I am stable for hours at a time. It is the evening basal and maybe carb;insulin ratio that need work, but I am not changing any thing until I download the data into "Carelink", after several days wear of this CGMS.
4. I have not had an alarm for a low yet, nor a down trend arrow ( probably due to number 1 and 2 above) I learned, from two calls to the MM 24-hour # and to the trainer, that I had calibrated during fluctuating BS, and that was why the sensors were off; I had tested at 68 on the meter ( blood glucose) and was at 117 from the sensor, but that was" my bad".....inaccurate calibration.
5. The learning curve WILL be long, a couple of months I guess, but I will hopefully and prayerfully meet my goal of and A1c at 6.5 or under by the end of the year ( currently at 7.1). And I would like to get lower without the frequent blood glucose excursions...
6. Insertion did not hurt at all!!!
I will keep you posted as to my progress.
PS. Now, why does the sensor package have a photo of an attractive young woman eating a 6- inch high,slice of a fully frosted carrot cake( Paula Deen recipe yummy)? Does that infer that the CGMS assures that you can do so on a whim if you use it accurately?..Looked like spike city to me, around 200 grams of carb!!
(LOL)
God Bless
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jan on -
Hey Brunetta: Sounds like you are off to a great start. I am cheering for you. Maybe I failed because I didn't calibrate at the right time. Also, wouldn't be able to say it didn't hurt or that the tape wasn't itchy (small matters). Anyway, keep us posted. I am very interested in how you do on the CGMS. Jan
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Permalink Reply by Brunetta on -
Jan, thanks so much for your encouragement... I will have to say that mos tof my readings have been accurate... It even caught a low that I knew was coming anyway, I wanted to see just when ithe CGM would alarm, so I carefully watched the lowering sensor values, glucose tabs in a cup nearby. I have the Low alarm set at 80, to account for the delay in interstitial fluid and blood glucose values: The alarm did go off , as :the low was caught at a displayed sensor r value of 75 and a meter value of 63, so not so bad...We will see how reliable it proves to be as the week goes on..
God Bless,
Brunetta
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Permalink Reply by Ron on -
Way to go Brunetta! Your sounding very much like me. I have the MM722 +CGMS. Been on a pump since 2005 and on CGMS for 1 month now. Thus far, things have been fantastic. Like you, in spite of that ominous looking needle, I haven't felt much of anything. Whew... So far, the best I've gotten out of a single sensor is 8 days. It just seemd to quite working properly towards the end of day 8. I can have several times when my bg finger stick test = my cgms numbers. Can't improve on that. I have hypo unawareness and this has been a real life saver for me. The "trend" feature is what I really wanted. My low is set at 80 and my high is set at 175. That way, if I'm getting high, I can verify with a finger stick test and correct right away. Prior to CGMS, I could hit the 300,400+ numbers without even knowing it. I've had several times when I was getting real low and not knowing it. My wife is an RN and had she not been there, who knows. It was getting to the place where my wife did not want to leave me alone at home for fear of what could happen. Now, she has seen how great my MM CGMS is functioning. I just LOVE IT!!!! You are so correct about calibrating. That is the KEY to having good results.
I wish you well..
Ron
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Permalink Reply by Katie Zeller on -
WOW, that is so encouraging. I'm hoping we can talk to V's doc in January about a monitor - of any sort!
Good luck.
Maybe a slice of the slice of carrot cake?
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Permalink Reply by Tiera Wynn The Diabetic Diva on -
Hey Brunetta, Im glad you finally got the cgms, it sounds like a good product, makes me want to get one, keep us posted on how its working out for you.
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Permalink Reply by Barbara Schmitt on -
After a few weeks how is it going? I have just started and didn't like my first experience----widely varied numbers between the sensor and my BG meter, resulting in low alarms when I wasn't low. And a sensor reading of 96 when my BG was 54--didn't like that one at all. So I then set my low alarm for 110 just so I would have a chance to catch it earlier.
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Permalink Reply by etta v on -
It is frustrating at the beginning. You learn how important it is to feed it good, stable numbers across the spectrum of your usual range. Easier said than done, most of the time. The first day with a new sensor is usually a nightmare for me, with crazy low alarms when I'm not really that low that wake me up all night long. Probably because I didn't do a good enough job feeding it good numbers at the lower end of my range.
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Permalink Reply by Brunetta on
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I agree with etta v, above. the first day of a new sensor is not grand... I have found out that adequate calibration when the isig ratio is close to 8 helps. I will tag a link, that explains the calculations to get that ratio, more simply than I can, as sooon as I find it. If you calibrate in times when the blood sugar is moving, the numberts will be off!!!
I find that the CGMS can best be used to see the TRENDS, not the actual numbers. It has helped me to head off highs., and stay more in range... I can feel the lows coming, and the downward trend of the graph, even before I hear an alarm, spurs me on to test to confirm... My advice is not to wait for the alarm, but to look at it at least every half-hour or so to see what is going on.. and check and see.
I have found that I cannot stand the alarm sounding off ( way too loud)when it is time to enter a blood glucose number, so I almost always do it ahead of time, to avoid it.
God Bless,
Brunetta
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Permalink Reply by Michelle Hughes on -
I have been using CGM's for the last two years. I love it because it monitors my sugar 24 hours. I have been lucky because it has even saved my life. My sugars go range from 45 to as high as 445 when I am sick. So I need to know where I am at all times. The CGM was easy to get use to. The taoe itches when in is covering the the sensor, but I rather have it then not having anyting telling me I am about to crash and pass out.
I get all my diabetes supplies from the veterans medical hospital. If you are a veteran and have it as one of your disabilities you can have them purchase the supplies for you. Before this happened I had my insurance pay for the supplies and I had a co-pay.
Like others have said listen to your alarms and to the calibration when told to do so. Check your sugars regularily too, just in case the numbers are off.
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