In the past we have been put off trying the Dexcom CGMs for two reasons, cost and the insertion device. At over £100 more expensive than the Freestyle Libre (a flash glucose monitor) a month when buying for two of you it soon adds up and bleeds you dry. Also the insertion device was scary looking for Thing 3, and myself if I'm honest, using a syringe style device with self administration. With both our cannulas and the Libre using a quick fire insertion I wasn't sure if either of us could go 'backwards' and have to push the plunger ourselves.
The new G6 solved both these issues and more. The new applicator allows even Thing 3 to insert the sensor herself, using a quick fire system much like her inset cannulas for her pump. It is a very simple system with clear instructions in both picture and text formats. The number of steps to the process are minimal at 4, making for a quick set up.
If you, like us, have been wanting to try the Dexcom out then now is the best time. They have a starter set available containing 3 sensors, that work for 10 days each, and a transmitter, which lasts for 3months. All this is available for just £159! The idea of this is if you love the Dexcom you can the sign up to their year long subscription plan. You pay £159 a month and they will then send you your sensors and a new transmitter every three months, so there is no having to remember to order your supplies. Amazing right!
It really is like Christmas when that first box arrives. We immediately downloaded the Dexcom app on both of our phones, as well as the Follow app on my phone. We set up our alarms, which are amazing by the way, and followed the instructions in the app to apply those first sensors and start the 2 hour warm ups. At no point did we get confused or flustered and we love how easy it all was.
We are nearly at the end of this first sensor and have loved the freedom it has given us both. It has prevented several lows and highs, reducing the ups and downs we were both experiencing. We have allowed Thing 3 out to play for the first time since diagnosis without either Thing 1 or 2. I am also finding I'm up and down the stairs less of an evening hoping to catch spikes or falls before they get out of hand. The guilt of having stabbing my daughter in the finger whilst she sleeps has reduced, alongside the need to disturb them. Yes our future looks poorer in the sense of funds but it is totally worth it for the piece of mind that this wonderful device has given us so far.
The extra tool this wonderful piece of technology gives is the Clarity website, Dexcom's own website for looking at your results and information in greater detail. You can share this with your primary carer, and your diabetes team as well as see any patterns that there may be. If for instance thing 3 has a low blood sugar around the same time of day the website will flag this up easily for you, suggesting what adjustments may need to be done. It's like having a DSN in your pocket 24/7!!
Between the alarms, the follow app, which allows me to see what is going on no matter where she or I are, and the Clarity website we have seen big improvements in just 7 days and now look forward to those 3 monthly blood tests.
So far the only downside we can see to the system is the inserter post use. They are single use devices and appear to mostly plastic. There is no real advice on disposal of the inserter and it feels wrong in a way to be throwing them away in the household waste. So Dexcom if by some chance you are reading this some advice would be nice or better still a recycling possibility for those of us who are conscious of our plastic out put.
Who else has a Dexcom? What are your thoughts and do you agree that the inside knowledge is worth more than the financial outlay?
Until next time
M
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