Dexcom

Please Click Here for official information about the Dexcom G4. The thoughts below are just my opinions, not facts.

Review 

Transmitter & Receiver,
Sensor is not pictured 

I received my Dexcom CGM in October of 2013. His name is Dexter, and he has been by my side ever since. It has opened an entirely new world to me and gives me an inside look at what my body is ding moment to moment, which as proven to be both a blessing and a curse. This device alerts you when your BG is getting out of range. I have my low alert set at 75 and my high alert at 250, but this can be adjusted to suit the needs of each individual.  I feel like I have more control of my body when wearing it.  I love being able to identify trends and would never give up the peace of mind it gives me during the night, as it has caught many lows that I did not feel.

Down we go 

One word, CRAP

One down side of Dexter is that I am always looking at him. I watch him like a hawk, and sometimes become a bit paranoid. On occasion, this has led to rage bolusing in order to chase a high, which just leads to another low. Overtime, I have gotten better with this, and would never consider taking a break from Dexter.

An upgrade I would love to see in the future is a feature that over rides a vibrate alert if a BG gets too high or low and the person never acknowledges this by pressing a button. This would be a great benefit to me, as often have it on vibrate and forget to switch to loud alerts at night. On one particular night, I had a site go bad and Dexter began alerting for the high, but i did not hear it the entire night. It really tired its best to alert me and vibrated so much it fell out of my bed, but I still did not wake up. I know this feature would be very difficult to include, but a girl can dream :)

Insertion Process 

While waiting for my Dexcom to arrive, I did a lot of research on the insertion process and the different methods people use to get the sensor to stick to the skin. I really enjoyed watching this video tutorial to familiarize myself with process When the package finally arrived, I was prepared and what I thought would be a very painful, stressful process turned out to be not such a big deal. 

I have found that inserting the sensor on the stomach works best for me, but I also use the arm on occasion. I begin by cleaning my skin with an alcohol wipe. I then take of the sticker tape and flatten the sticker onto my skin. Next, removing the plastic safety lock and push down on the plunger until you hear a click and then pull up until you hear another click, as seen in the video below (make sure the volume is turned up). 

This thing is not going anywhere

Then you squeeze the sides of the sensor to remove the plunger. Next you take the transmitter and insert it into the sensor using the small plastic tool that is till attached. After securing the transmitter into it's place twist of the remaining plastic tool. To help ensure the sensor will stay on for a significant amount of time I use OpSite Flexifix tape that can be purchased on Amazon. I cut a piece that is about 2 inches long and then cut a hole in it so no tape is on the actual sensor. This allows my sensor to last a minimum of 10 days.

Many people ask me why I would ever want to have 2 different devices (sensor and infuse set) in my body at all times and I have one simple answer. It gives me so much peace of mine and allows me to take deep breath and know that I have something watching out for me. Diabetes takes a lot of work and it is impossible to be on top of it at all times, so it is nice to have a CGM to help out along the way. 

This is why I work so hard, SWEET SUCCESS