My delay in this post? I haven’t been in a blog writing or social media mood (more on that to come!)

Well. I did it- I did in fact switch to the Dexcom G6!

I can just hear the gasps and see the shocked faces. Again- not completely willingly but at the same time- I would have tried to stick with G4 if my only option was the G5- the G6 however has some things that entice me and make me slightly more amenable to the idea.

I wasn’t excited. I really wasn’t excited to deal with Dexcom or Edgepark so close to a new product release… I basically had to hold Edgepark’s hand through the whole adventure (which took over a month of constant phone calls because nothing was happening) and each time I reorder now involves so much hand holding.

Anyways- let’s back away from the background, shall we?

I’ve been on it for about three months with my new transmitter on the way.

Check out more detailed posts from Kerri at Six Until Me, here and here. 

What I don’t like:

• The fact that I can only get sensors one month at a time from Edgepark.
• The initial shock to my anxiety with the numbers going to my phone since I don’t want to carry the receiver…
• The receiver is MASSIVE. OMG. and the battery life- no thanks.
• The feelings and social anxiety of people seeing me on my phone if I’m looking at my BG.
• The fact that I need to make sure to have my phone on me.
• The transmitter battery life- why I held out for so so long with the G4- that sucker would last me about a year…
• The idea of taking CGM breaks does slightly bother me now because of the transmitter battery life.

What I like:

• I’m obsessed with the new insertion. No. I’m really serious. I’m obsessed. I was close to tears when I first put it in. No more medieval torture device for this girl! It was glorious. Easy. One button. No pain (yet).
• Now that it’s on my phone, it’s one less thing to make sure my ADHD brain doesn’t forget. One less thing to bring with me on a run or for a night out- lemme tell you- small cross-body bags… every inch is valuable with limited space. 
• The size of the transmitter. Another moment that really hit me. I could barely tell that it was there on my leg- it’s only a little bit smaller but it feels so much smaller. It doesn’t make such a huge bump on my leg under my clothes which I didn’t realize would be such a big deal to me. But it was. 
• Not having to check or calibrate (on the first go around!)
• I’m not getting those awful little marks or sore spots from the corners. Also seems like my skin heals faster once it’s out.  
• The tape seems to be better for me- it stays on better and doesn’t get itchy. (The true test will be summer though!)

Using my phone:

At first… it was rough with my anxiety. Really rough. The data was right there- and just putting it away if I was using my phone for anything wasn’t exactly an option or as easy to do.

It helped me to be strategic of my alarm and notification settings on my phone. 

But- adding it to my widget was a game changer. I just scan over quickly even when my phone is locked. 

I’ve gotten more used to but at first… it was just like when I started my CGM, my anxiety went through the roof. 

Restarting a Sensor:

A big part for me was waiting until I saw people figure out how to restart the G6 before I was ready to get it. Once I saw that coming through, I felt more comfortable.

Yes. I know. The insertion is easier and lasts 10 days.

However

I do not want to insert something into my body more than I absolutely have to (basically still waiting for longer lasting pumpsites…. AHEM). Plus- I never know what might happen with supplies and such- something could happen with my insurance… or Edgepark is all over the place with who they use for shipping (no thank you to Lasership…. or I need to hold their hand to get the process going for the next round). 

So. How was I going to do it?

I went to Google over course. I tried this out from Diabetes Daily- it felt like the easiest step by step option I could find. So far- it’s working. I don’t get 20 days out of it usually. But about 14-16, which is what I was at before. The issue becomes when my BG’s are moving quickly or go high- it doesn’t read it. Which- are the moments I really want it.

First Try

Day 10 hit. When I woke up that morning- after my coffee of course. I decided to restart it and hope for the best.

I followed the steps. I did however reconnect my Bluetooth to the transmitter before the two hours because seeing no signal was worrying me. I know my ADHD self. I’d forget I was trying it if it didn’t work out well. It went okay- it worked out. 

Second Try

BUT. After the next sensor was about to expire, I thought I knew the directions well enough.

It did not. Use directions.. They can be helpful and when they say to not reconnect the transmitter with Bluetooth until after the two hours and five minutes are up… DO NOT RECONNECT THE TRANSMITTER. No matter how much the notifications get at you.

Some extra things:

I still….

• take a quick CGM break between new sensors.
• put in the new sensor at night so I can ignore the inaccuracy of the first few hours even after warm-up. 
• believe that if I have an important meeting or something like that- it isn’t appropriate to be on my phone- even if it is for my BG’s so I either shut it off or use the receiver. 
• don’t want a smart watch- that would be way too much data access for me.
• do not want to use share- no thanks. My mom and I agree it would be bad for our relationship- she stopped knowing what my numbers were when I was 12- because of to the toll it took.
• would rather have data on my receiver than my phone… if it was the older receiver. 

So now… I’m (FINALLY) embarking on the 21st century with diabetes tech… The warranty for my Tandem insulin pump is about up. So basal-IQ, here I come… I guess? I’ve started the process- and am of course nervous about letting go of any control, but here goes nothing! 

Dexcom G6: Giving it a Whirl

Hey you! Yes, you!

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We’ll both be glad you did! -Mindy