Becoming Bionic

If you read regularly, you probably know that I did a seven an eight day trial of a Dexcom CGM. If you don’t read regularly, I did a trial of a Dexcom CGM.

I got very comfortable with the system during my trial, it actually alerted me to a bad infusion site hours before a blood sugar check would have. When I gave the system back after my trial, I thought that I’d wait to see how after just one week I reacted to being without it. For the next few days, I found myself reaching for a receiver that no longer existed and checking my blood sugar more often to actually know what was happening. So I ordered one.

My new robot parts were waiting at the leasing office when I arrived home from work but because of crazy busy weekend plans, I didn’t have the proper amount of time to review the tutorial disc and insert a sensor for the first time until Sunday afternoon.

All in all, the insertion seemed scarier to me than it really was. For my trial, the rep/nurse inserted the sensor for me and it just felt like a poke. For my first self insertion, it more definitely felt like I was plunging a long needle into my stomach and leaving a wire behind.

It was kind of like my first self-injection. They at least warn you that it’ll be an awkward process for awhile.

I already like the system. Last night, it alerted me to a low prior to the start of symptoms.

It does feel really strange to have another device on my body. I also don’t have many “fatty areas” to place the sensors (an issue that I also encounter with pod placements). I feel like there is the possibility that I’ll be placing it in muscle at some point, which may not be a good thing.

Seriously though, all of my “issues” with the Dexcom are personal, like I’m freaked out I’ll drop the receiver in the toilet since it spends so much time in my pocket (I am proud to say that I’m not in the 20% or so of smartphone users who have dropped their device in a toilet).

Note: I started using a Dexcom system for my own health management not at the request of anyone. Dexcom did not request nor compensate me for this post (or any others I’ve written about them).