Monday, June 14, 2010

Nate's DexCom Trial

I may or may not be in love with the DexCom Seven Plus CGM.   It is too soon to tell!

Quick Definition for my non-T1 peeps -

A continuous blood glucose monitor (CGM) determines blood glucose levels on a continuous basis (every few minutes). A typical system consists of:

• a disposable glucose sensor placed just under the skin, which is worn for a few days until replacement
• a transmitter which communicates to a radio receiver
• an electronic receiver that displays blood glucose levels with nearly continuous updates, as well as monitors rising and falling trends.

Continuous blood glucose monitors measure the glucose level of interstitial fluid.
 It does NOT replace the finger pricks that Nate receives but it does help reduce them.  You cannot dose insulin from the CGM reading but you can get an idea of what his bg looks like at any given moment.  I believe the DexCom checks every 2 minutes (don't quote me on that).

On with the show . . .



Nate's endo provided us with the DexCom Seven CGM to try out for a week.  We started our trial last Thursday and by Friday morning at 5:00 AM we had a sensor failure.  Boo!!  I had just started falling in love and was excited to show off our new toy when it went kaput!  Friday was Sophie's procedure so I had to try and block the big sensor failure out of my brain while I focused on getting Sophie Doodle to the hospital.

Luckily, my good friend, Kimberly a T1 and DexCom user came to our rescue Friday afternoon.  She brought over one of her sensors and did a site change on Nate for me.  Why did she do it?  Well, have you seen the needle on that thing?  Ummm - I nearly passed out just looking at it.

So, by Friday evening we were rolling again with the CGM and I am seriously thinking about running away to Mexico with the thing.  It's THAT AWESOME!

What I love about the DexCom:

* We discovered that Nate was actually going LOW (and I mean really LOW) before breakfast.  We have started bolusing Nate about 15-30 minutes before he eats to try and avoid the post-breakfast spike but what we didn't know was that Nate's insulin starts working fast!  Two mornings in a row he actually dropped down into the 50's with double arrows pointing down WHILE he was EATING!  He didn't show any signs so I NEVER would have known.  We now wait no longer than 15 minutes which gives the insulin a little time to kick in  without plummeting his bg.

* Sleep - oh beautiful sleep! I've been able to sleep more in the last 4 nights than I have in the last 4 months. I set the receiver just outside of his bed and beside his baby monitor and an alarm will go off if he drops below 100. We set it for 100 at night and 80 during the day.  It also has an alarm that goes off if he goes too high but (knock on wood) we have not heard that one yet.

* I cannot tell you how many times I have looked at his glucometer and wondered which direction his bg was going?!?!  You know that perfect number you get at bedtime but that little nagging voice in the back of your head that is wondering if it is going to stay steady, drop lower or go higher . . . well, hello little arrows on DexCom receiver - - - this little feature STOPS the NAGGING!


Why I am not sure if it is meant to be:


* Do I really need to say anything more?  I just don't know if he has enough real estate to carry this off for a long period of time.

Even when we move things around:


there just isn't that much space available!  His arm could work but I was WAY to chicken to do a site on his arm.  His pod is almost always oh his bum, back or leg so his arm could work --- I will have to think this all through.

* The other concern that I have is that I am just not sure I can do the site insertion.  OmniPod has really spoiled me with its auto-insertion.  I've gone back to my old needle phobia ways (and yes, there is a name for that - - - Trypanophobia).  I have not done one single injection since Nate started podding on 3.1.10. Not one single injection!

* Nate is a podder which means he doesn't have a pump to carry around.  He wears the pod and currently I carry the PDM.  We have struggled a little with him wanting to carry around the DexCom receiver.  I tried clipping it to his pants but he kept taking it off and throwing it at me.  I tried it in his back pocket and that was a no go.  I finally remembered  a tank top (Kangaroo Pouch) that another D mom had sent me before we had decided on a pump. I dug that out of his drawer and it has worked like a charm - - - the receiver fits in a little pocket on the back of the tank so he can't reach it.  The same momma also suggested putting it in the pocket of cargo shorts and that has worked well too.  The trouble is that the receiver is NOT waterproof and he has almost walked into the pool with it twice!!  That would have been a disaster since it's not even ours!!  YIKES!



 Thankfully, I have 3 more days and 3 more nights to ponder the DexCom situation.  In the meantime I am going to get some good sleep, enjoy no nagging bg questions and keep watching those bg trends.


PS - I already know that my son is going to want to kill me one day for constantly posting pics of his bum on my blog!!  It's ok - I'll cross that bridge when I get to it!  :)

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

DexCom - decisions decisions!

I know everyone is tired of me posting pictures of my son's bum on my blog - - - - ok, maybe only my son is tired of me posting pictures of his bum on my blog!  I have these pictures that I took of his little bitty bum after the DexCom sensor was removed - - -it doesn't look good.  :(




The good news is -- he really doesn't seem to mind and after wearing it for a few days when the alarm would go off in his pocket he would come find me, point to his pocket and say 'beep-beep-beep!".  It was his way of telling me he was low.  AWESOME!  He cannot yet verbalize his lows so this is an awesome tool to help us prevent severe hypoglycemia.  

I really miss Dexie!!  I miss the arrows, I miss the beep, beep, beeping to alarm of an upcoming high or low, I miss the knowing!!  I feel so selfish. Am I really going to subject my son to another site insertion because DexCom makes me feel better?  He's too young to have an opinion so I am making yet another huge life altering decision for him but I have to continue to tell myself that is what I am here for - - - this is why God gave me this special little boy.  I'm just not sure if I am doing it for him or if I am doing it for me?
If I do it now it will just be another piece of hardware that he will become accustomed to wearing. Just like his diabetes - he will never know any different. 

I emailed the paperwork late last night. Waiting to see what insurance says?!?!?!

That little sample of DexCom was just enough to get me hooked.

If Cigna says YES -- it is a go.

Wish us luck!

Friday, July 16, 2010

Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep

I seriously feel like that is all Nate's DexCom does.  BEEP!  I changed some settings and things have gotten better. But I had this idea while driving down the road with Nate and his DexCom was beep beep beeping!!

Since he is only 2 and still in a car seat he could not get to the receiver and even if he could I really would not want him chunking it at my head while driving!  So, I would like to develop a CGM specifically designed for children (the concept would work for adults too) and make the receiver a wristwatch. With a range more like the Navigator or even further!! I (mom or T1 Peep) could be wearing the watch and when an alarm goes off I could take a quick looksie (while driving, cooking, sleeping, in a meeting,  . . . whatever) and figure out a plan of action! It's quick, it's easy and it's a watch!!  I mean I like a nice watch just like the next person so if you want bling on your new CGM watch - - - I think bling should be an option!  Design your own CGM watch!!.  Wouldn't you rather wear a blingy (or design of your choice) watch CGM rather than a spibelt?

Because here is what happened when momma did not know which alarm was going off while driving (I haven't learned the different alarm sounds just yet).