Comments on: Think Outside the (Test Strip) Box: DexCom and Me http://www.diabetesmine.com/2006/06/think_outside_t.html A gold mine of straight talk and encouragement for people living with diabetes Tue, 16 Mar 2010 11:45:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: lenlutz http://www.diabetesmine.com/2006/06/think_outside_t.html/comment-page-1#comment-35694 lenlutz Wed, 31 Jan 2007 18:16:57 +0000 http://diabetesmine.dreamhosters.com/2006/06/26/think-outside-the-test-strip-box-dexcom-and-me/#comment-35694 Though excited beyound belief (at the idea), my experience (the reality) was anything but exciting .... read about it at www.lenlutz.com/mydiabetes.html Though excited beyound belief (at the idea), my experience (the reality) was anything but exciting ….
read about it at
http://www.lenlutz.com/mydiabetes.html

]]> By: Dennis http://www.diabetesmine.com/2006/06/think_outside_t.html/comment-page-1#comment-35693 Dennis Thu, 21 Sep 2006 04:53:30 +0000 http://diabetesmine.dreamhosters.com/2006/06/26/think-outside-the-test-strip-box-dexcom-and-me/#comment-35693 9/20/06 I'm glad to report; my daughter's DexCom is being paid for by her insurance. Pacificare of California first rejected it, then also rejected my appeal. It was then looked at by a pediatic endocrinologist of the California Independant Review Committee, and the rejection was overturned, citing improved glycemic control with no increase in hypoglycemia. We have been using DexCom for over three months, and I can't imagine going back to only finger-stick tests. While I look forward to improvements in the device, such as waterproof and not needing a cable to hook it up to calibrate it, we have found what I think is the best location for her body to wear the device, and it works very nicely. I was very relieved - her DexCom has been approved, thank you Pacificare! 9/20/06 I’m glad to report; my daughter’s DexCom is being paid for by her insurance. Pacificare of California first rejected it, then also rejected my appeal. It was then looked at by a pediatic endocrinologist of the California Independant Review Committee, and the rejection was overturned, citing improved glycemic control with no increase in hypoglycemia.
We have been using DexCom for over three months, and I can’t imagine going back to only finger-stick tests. While I look forward to improvements in the device, such as waterproof and not needing a cable to hook it up to calibrate it, we have found what I think is the best location for her body to wear the device, and it works very nicely.

I was very relieved – her DexCom has been approved, thank you Pacificare!

]]> By: Jeff http://www.diabetesmine.com/2006/06/think_outside_t.html/comment-page-1#comment-35692 Jeff Thu, 31 Aug 2006 15:54:58 +0000 http://diabetesmine.dreamhosters.com/2006/06/26/think-outside-the-test-strip-box-dexcom-and-me/#comment-35692 Newly diagnosed and still confused. Learning as much as I can. Amy's blog is very helpful as it is written with style and humor. Even her Pupik (Belly button in Jewish) looks good, LOL. Newly diagnosed and still confused. Learning as much as I can. Amy’s blog is very helpful as it is written with style and humor. Even her Pupik (Belly button in Jewish) looks good, LOL.

]]> By: shawn rowley http://www.diabetesmine.com/2006/06/think_outside_t.html/comment-page-1#comment-35691 shawn rowley Tue, 22 Aug 2006 02:24:54 +0000 http://diabetesmine.dreamhosters.com/2006/06/26/think-outside-the-test-strip-box-dexcom-and-me/#comment-35691 dexcom is't working for me! wow after reading some of the responces given by some of you i would think dexcom was the answer to my prayers. let me tell you a story.... about two months ago, i was working alone on a jobsite about sixty miles from my home. my blood sugar began to drop fast,but unfortunatly my body has lost sensitvity to hypoglysemia i have had diabeties for twelve years and it seems every year it gets worst. i test alot (between five and eight times a day) but some times it hapens so fast i just barely catch it. at night i don't feel it comming on i can't tell how often my wife has saved my life. she can tell by my responce or if i happen to be convulsing in a sezsure with my blood sugar in the teens. she deels with it but i feel ashamed that she has to she plays it of as part of her life. i can't even express how badly it makes me feel. but thats not the worst of it. she is most afraid when i am alone. which brings me to two months ago.... i was alone and i remember feeling tired i sat down on the starway i was working on and that is all i remember. three hours later there is some one standing over me trying to talk to me i feel angry and agressive he is scared.(i am 6'3" and weigh 300 lbs about 20% body fat) i am warning him to stay away i am very scared and don't know what has happened i am 200 yards from the hous i was working in the back of my head has a hole in it blood and dirt are matted in my hair , my legs and body are covered in gashes and contusions and this sixty five year old man is trying to calm me and get me to drink the soda that was in my hand but unopened after drinking that soda (it was the second one he had given me) he helped me find my cell phone which was quite sone distance from me. we called my wife she was very upset as you can Imagine while low i had done a conciderable amount of damage to myself and my tools which were set up in the home but no damage to anything else thank heaven. i visited my doctor a few days later and told hom about the experience..he told me about dexcom it sounded great. but i trusted to much the machine was always a little of during calabration my trainer told me that the machine was "15 min behind and that it was ok" two weeks ago it wasen't "a little off" it was 120 units off while i struglled in a hypoglycemic fog to understand what was happening i had nearly exactly the same experience i was closer to home and was helped by someone who knew me but i kept showing him the errant machine insisting that i needed insuline because my reading was high....dexcom has been in the lawer mode my doctor gave me the same treatment. they haven't even offered to replace the unit i hope this technology works better for you... dexcom is’t working for me!

wow after reading some of the responces given by some of you i would think dexcom was the answer to my prayers. let me tell you a story…. about two months ago, i was working alone on a jobsite about sixty miles from my home. my blood sugar began to drop fast,but unfortunatly my body has lost sensitvity to hypoglysemia i have had diabeties for twelve years and it seems every year it gets worst. i test alot (between five and eight times a day) but some times it hapens so fast i just barely catch it. at night i don’t feel it comming on i can’t tell how often my wife has saved my life. she can tell by my responce or if i happen to be convulsing in a sezsure with my blood sugar in the teens. she deels with it but i feel ashamed that she has to she plays it of as part of her life. i can’t even express how badly it makes me feel. but thats not the worst of it. she is most afraid when i am alone. which brings me to two months ago…. i was alone and i remember feeling tired i sat down on the starway i was working on and that is all i remember. three hours later there is some one standing over me trying to talk to me i feel angry and agressive he is scared.(i am 6′3″ and weigh 300 lbs about 20% body fat) i am warning him to stay away i am very scared and don’t know what has happened i am 200 yards from the hous i was working in the back of my head has a hole in it blood and dirt are matted in my hair , my legs and body are covered in gashes and contusions and this sixty five year old man is trying to calm me and get me to drink the soda that was in my hand but unopened after drinking that soda (it was the second one he had given me) he helped me find my cell phone which was quite sone distance from me. we called my wife she was very upset as you can Imagine while low i had done a conciderable amount of damage to myself and my tools which were set up in the home but no damage to anything else thank heaven.

i visited my doctor a few days later and told hom about the experience..he told me about dexcom it sounded great.

but i trusted to much the machine was always a little of during calabration my trainer told me that the machine was “15 min behind and that it was ok” two weeks ago it wasen’t “a little off” it was 120 units off while i struglled in a hypoglycemic fog to understand what was happening i had nearly exactly the same experience i was closer to home and was helped by someone who knew me but i kept showing him the errant machine insisting that i needed insuline because my reading was high….dexcom has been in the lawer mode my doctor gave me the same treatment. they haven’t even offered to replace the unit i hope this technology works better for you…

]]> By: Sam http://www.diabetesmine.com/2006/06/think_outside_t.html/comment-page-1#comment-35690 Sam Thu, 20 Jul 2006 18:44:18 +0000 http://diabetesmine.dreamhosters.com/2006/06/26/think-outside-the-test-strip-box-dexcom-and-me/#comment-35690 That's great that you're on the STS and loving it. I have been on it for about 7 weeks and a) can't go without it anymore and b) have had my share of frustrations. You wont go many nights without hearing an alarm! You'll be cruising along at 130 and suddenly it tells you you're at 50 and alarms like your house is burning down! (test and see you're at 130). So strange. I have been putting the sensor on my hip which is actually a) entirely painless to put on and b) completely out of site... though I guess it's different as a guy. Any CGM users out there - please feel free to email me... I love to talk about it and I don't know many people who are on it! One last piece of advice... if you're "HIGH" according to the STS - be cautious - it tells me I'm high when the tests say I'm at 270 sometimes. I once gave myself a huge bolus because I was up in the HIGH range, then checked a half hour later and was at 120 (Dex still told me HIGH). Man was I sick after downing all that orange juice to offset it. Complaining aside, I still can't go back to normal testing. The trends are too important to know to make an accurate decision. And have gotten 10 days out of my sensors at times. That’s great that you’re on the STS and loving it. I have been on it for about 7 weeks and a) can’t go without it anymore and b) have had my share of frustrations. You wont go many nights without hearing an alarm! You’ll be cruising along at 130 and suddenly it tells you you’re at 50 and alarms like your house is burning down! (test and see you’re at 130). So strange. I have been putting the sensor on my hip which is actually a) entirely painless to put on and b) completely out of site… though I guess it’s different as a guy. Any CGM users out there – please feel free to email me… I love to talk about it and I don’t know many people who are on it! One last piece of advice… if you’re “HIGH” according to the STS – be cautious – it tells me I’m high when the tests say I’m at 270 sometimes. I once gave myself a huge bolus because I was up in the HIGH range, then checked a half hour later and was at 120 (Dex still told me HIGH). Man was I sick after downing all that orange juice to offset it. Complaining aside, I still can’t go back to normal testing. The trends are too important to know to make an accurate decision. And have gotten 10 days out of my sensors at times.

]]> By: MikeG http://www.diabetesmine.com/2006/06/think_outside_t.html/comment-page-1#comment-35689 MikeG Tue, 11 Jul 2006 17:09:12 +0000 http://diabetesmine.dreamhosters.com/2006/06/26/think-outside-the-test-strip-box-dexcom-and-me/#comment-35689 Welcome to the club! I've had my Dex for a little over a month. For me, it's been a life-changing device. My average BS have gone from about 180 to 130. I can run for hours in the Alabama heat, and see what my BS is doing. I've learned more about what really affects my control in a month than I've learned in years of testing 10 times a day and reading everything I can get my hands on. This is clearly a first gen product, with a lot of room for improvement, but, even with the warts, this is the best thing to come along since home BS testing. BTW, are you hearing anything from your folks on when the software will be approved for users to download their readings to a PC? That is the biggest weakness of this thing, as far as I'm concerned. Welcome to the club! I’ve had my Dex for a little over a month. For me, it’s been a life-changing device. My average BS have gone from about 180 to 130. I can run for hours in the Alabama heat, and see what my BS is doing. I’ve learned more about what really affects my control in a month than I’ve learned in years of testing 10 times a day and reading everything I can get my hands on.

This is clearly a first gen product, with a lot of room for improvement, but, even with the warts, this is the best thing to come along since home BS testing.

BTW, are you hearing anything from your folks on when the software will be approved for users to download their readings to a PC? That is the biggest weakness of this thing, as far as I’m concerned.

]]> By: Greg Appleton http://www.diabetesmine.com/2006/06/think_outside_t.html/comment-page-1#comment-35688 Greg Appleton Tue, 04 Jul 2006 03:14:49 +0000 http://diabetesmine.dreamhosters.com/2006/06/26/think-outside-the-test-strip-box-dexcom-and-me/#comment-35688 Is that similar to the medtronic pump monitor: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.diabetescaregroup.info/minimed-paradigm-introduce-continuous-monitoring-technology/" rel="nofollow">http://www.diabetescaregroup.info/minimed-paradigm-introduce-continuous-monitoring-technology/</a> I just love new stuff like that for diabetes. I hope insurance covers it. Is that similar to the medtronic pump monitor:

http://www.diabetescaregroup.info/minimed-paradigm-introduce-continuous-monitoring-technology/

I just love new stuff like that for diabetes. I hope insurance covers it.

]]> By: PrintCrafter http://www.diabetesmine.com/2006/06/think_outside_t.html/comment-page-1#comment-35687 PrintCrafter Sun, 02 Jul 2006 01:25:01 +0000 http://diabetesmine.dreamhosters.com/2006/06/26/think-outside-the-test-strip-box-dexcom-and-me/#comment-35687 Well, I wear my Guardian, my Cozmo, and a little case for lancet & test strips all on my waist and no one has ever accused me of looking like a geek. Of course there is no room for a cell phone, which pisses my wife off 'cause she can never reach me.... Welcome to the CGMS community! Ok, Ok, so it is more of a village at the moment...but it will be a community soon! Well, I wear my Guardian, my Cozmo, and a little case for lancet & test strips all on my waist and no one has ever accused me of looking like a geek. Of course there is no room for a cell phone, which pisses my wife off ’cause she can never reach me….

Welcome to the CGMS community! Ok, Ok, so it is more of a village at the moment…but it will be a community soon!

]]> By: Monika http://www.diabetesmine.com/2006/06/think_outside_t.html/comment-page-1#comment-35686 Monika Thu, 29 Jun 2006 17:33:23 +0000 http://diabetesmine.dreamhosters.com/2006/06/26/think-outside-the-test-strip-box-dexcom-and-me/#comment-35686 How cool it that! I want one! Ahh…yes….I am a geek. How cool it that! I want one! Ahh…yes….I am a geek.

]]> By: wil http://www.diabetesmine.com/2006/06/think_outside_t.html/comment-page-1#comment-35685 wil Thu, 29 Jun 2006 08:52:25 +0000 http://diabetesmine.dreamhosters.com/2006/06/26/think-outside-the-test-strip-box-dexcom-and-me/#comment-35685 Consider a passport case hung from your shoulder that fits against you ribcage under an arm. That is worn under clothes and works very well under most all exercise clothes and street clothes when you haven't got a clutch purse handy. By the way, nice navel. Sorry, couldn't resist. Bad dog... Consider a passport case hung from your shoulder that fits against you ribcage under an arm. That is worn under clothes and works very well under most all exercise clothes and street clothes when you haven’t got a clutch purse handy.

By the way, nice navel. Sorry, couldn’t resist. Bad dog…

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