Category Archives: Dexcom

Relax. Don’t Do It.

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I consider myself a cyclical sleeper.  That is I go through phases of sleeping like a normal person and hopefully getting balanced sleep and then phases of extremely interrupted sleep or just a pretty acute lack ‘o sleep.

2 weeks ago I was visiting my parents.  I have a truly beautiful and happy-go-lucky little nephew.  I am pretty sure my nephew would love to get to know my dog better.  My dog seems quite determined to bark like crazy every time my nephew makes a peep.  My otherwise awesome dog woke my nephew up once within hours of his being there.  My awesome dog is a jerk at my parent’s house.

pop tongue

My happy-go-lucky nephew’s crib is in the room next to where I sleep.  If you are not used to the Dexcom high or low beeps, they are fairly loud in a not so densely walled house.  I decided to switch from my overnight Dexcom audio to vibrate.  I even slept in PJ’s with a pocket so I would feel the alarm.  The Dexcom ended-up out of my pocket and under my ribs while I slept.  I had run earlier that day and the weather had been quite hot (anyone else see the low bg coming in this story?).  My vibrating ribs woke me up (If I’m ever in a band I will call it Vibrating Ribs).  Glucosticks to the rescue, back to sleep.  More vibrating, more Glucosticks, back to sleep.

This formula worked pretty well (not counting going low in my sleep twice… ahhhh running).  The vibration woke me up both times.  Great.  Dex rocks and no one else woke up.

So I got lackadaisical.  Who me?  Lazy?  No, say it isn’t so.  Careless?  Say What?

Yes, me.  I have probably put my Dex on audio overnight 2 times since visiting my parents.  Both times it was on days I did killer workouts.  Otherwise, it was a nice break to not hear the beeping at 171 when my HIGH beep starts at 170.  I have been sleeping with Dex on my pillow.  Sometimes Dex slides off and is under my arm, but I haven’t been running too low so yes, I thought all was well.

I spend a lot of time worrying that I will be another statistic of Dead In Bed Syndrome.  I worry that I will miss vital medical treatment because no one will know I’m unconscious in my bed.  I worry that if these scenarios happen on a weekend, my office won’t know to look for me until Monday and by then my body will stink and my dog will have possibly eaten my fingers (if you are squeamish, I absolutely should have warned you that I love shows like Criminal Minds and Dexter.  Oops.  Sorry.  Walk away from the blog now).  I got a Dexcom 7+ a year and half ago for EXACTLY these scenarios.  Every time I read of a case of Dead In Bed, I thank my lucky stars I have my Dex G4 and that on quite a few occasions Dex wakes me up, NOT my own body.  So why, WHY, would I relax about the audio on the Dexcom?  Why would I trust vibrate?  Because it worked before and therefore would absolutely do the trick again?

Diabetes dummy.  There is no relaxing.  I’m not a rookie.  I am however someone who’s been waking up with perfect bgs at 3am and finding myself unable to fall back asleep for hours.  Oh sleep, I need a good night’s sleep.  I didn’t turn off Dex, I just switched to vibrate.  That’s OK, right?

LOW bg

This morning I woke up and immediately felt the fuzz of being low.  I laid there feeling low.  My phone alarm would be going off in 5 minutes.  Oh I should hit snooze.  The alarm hadn’t gone off yet though.  There was no snooze to press.  Then what’s that noise?  Wait, I feel low, not like emergency low, but I-am-not-quite-right low.  Oh Dexcom.  Under my arm.  Dexcom.  Maybe I went low overnight.  No, I’m low right now.  65.  On the other side of me, in my bed, glucose tablets.  Grabbed them.  Ate 2.  Phone alarm went off.  Hit snooze.  Dexcom kept beeping.  66.

66 bg

Ate another glucose tablet.  Sat up in bed.  Fuzzy headache.  Looked at Dex.  Still too low.  Been low for awhile.  Scrolled back.  Horror.  I’d been low since shortly after 2am.  Took pics of Dexcom screen.  I should blog about this.  THIS is MY fault.  Sit up.  Dog is awake and burying head in pillow.  I am exhausted.  Head still hurts.  I am not shaky.  I don’t feel great.  Ask dog to make me coffee.  Nope.  He still won’t learn to do it.  He flat out ignores me.  Turn on TV.  Dexcom is buzzing.  It’s now under pillow.  Pillow keeps buzzing.  Still in 70s.  Check meter.  Yep, 70s.  Dog is back to sleep.  He’s not making me coffee.  Go make myself coffee.  Sit on bed.  Dex keeps beeping.  Under 90 pic (my low setting).  This is my fault.  Tweet pic of Dexcom.  Think back on my evening.  Didn’t each much.  Didn’t bolus much either.  Strolled 30 blocks after while I chatted with my Mom on the phone.  Was in 180s pre-bed.  Took conservative correction.  Hours later I dropped.  I never turned on the audio.  I know better.  No one would know I was dead or unconscious.  Drink coffee in shower.  Listen to Beyonce.  “I’m a Survivor”.  Rub-A-dub-dub.  No crying.  Things happen.  I am fine.  Get dressed.  I love this dress.  No one would have known I was dead.  Double arrow up on Dexcom.  Bg is too high now.  Take correction.  Walk out front door.  Eyes get misty in hallway.  Fight back tears in elevator.  I am tired.  I finally slept through the night.

THIS was my fault.

Turn Dexcom audio on.

 

Wordy Wednesday – Strength

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I had something else planned for Wordless Wednesday but the quote below crossed my path and stopped me in my tracks this morning.

This applies to things far, far beyond diabetes, huh?

And to the person I was thinking about at the exact moment I saw this quote, this is for you.  You are a star in my world.  xo

“When something bad happens you have three choices. You can let it define you,

let it destroy you,

or you can let it strengthen you.”
Ricochet. Grrrrrrr.

Ricochet. Grrrrrrr.

And in other news, this morning’s awesome Viper workout (oh boy am I going to be sore) resulted in a bg of 82 and a straight down Dexcom arrow in the last 5 minutes.  Grrrrr *shaking fist at sky*.  Quick Sticks to the rescue but I was running so late, and didn’t have time to wait it out before I hopped in the shower.  I am almost positive I washed my hair with body gel and washed my body with conditioner.  My skin feels very slippery (but soft and detangled).  I’m not-so-patiently chasing down the ricochet bg high that is occurring.  Ah diabetes… why so sassy today?

 

 

 

Follow Directions?

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I know I still need to post what happened with the eye doctor especially after #DBlogCheck day led to such an incredible outpouring of “good luck” messages (thanks Chris, I had no idea I needed it, but I definitely felt encouraged).  I am still collecting my eyeball thoughts so for now, I have a little ditty about directions (I would not suggest singing this, more like hey-read-this, know-you-are-smarter-than-me, enjoy-your-far-superior-mind).

Bzzzzzzzzzz

Bzzzzzzzzzz

This morning I put my broken slidy door Dexcom receiver in it’s return-to-Dexcom packaging.  It’s been fun, Dexy.  You’re a good egg (well you’re not a 7+ so you’re less eggy and more old school original iPod-esque).  I took off the rubber band that helps me keep the receiver in my pocket (friction, yo!) and placed the rubber band on my *NEW* receiver.  Sad, but I need non busted gear.  Dexcom provided everything I needed to ship Ye Ole Busted Dex back.  Packaging, paperwork, FedEx envelop, shipping labels.  I got to my office, sealed up the envelop, put on the shipping label and placed everything on an office mate’s desk where our daily FedEx shipments are picked up.  Bye-bye Dex.

My office mate came to my office to drop off a shipment.  Nope, that’s going out, not FOR me, FROM me.  She’s super busy.  No problem.  FedEx package back to her desk.  I walked up front a bit later.  She was holding up my FedEx package.  Was she going to try to deliver it to me again?  Nope. “It’s buzzing”.  Yep, buzzing.  The FedEx envelop was indeed telling me my bg was above 160.  I checked the new Dex.  Yes, 171.  Hmmmm.

I took the package back to my desk.  According to NEW Dex, I was around 155 for awhile.  According to Leaving-Via-FedEx-Dexcom, I must have hovered in the 160s ALL. DAMN. AFTERNOON.  I realized I can’t (probably shouldn’t) send a buzzing box via FedEx.  I think I charged-up Broken Slidy yesterday.  That box will be buzzing for a bit.

I called Dexcom.  Explained I didn’t think I should send a buzzing box in an envelop.  The Dexcom dude agreed.  I kept talking because I thought they’d be upset.  I explained how I’ve been busy, I knew I’d had 2 receivers since Friday, I was sorry, I drank 2 cups of coffee instead of 1 today.  Blah, blah, blah.  On the other end of the phone, crickets.  I told the Dexcom dude the instructions did NOT say to turn the receiver off.  I talked about how I’ve been distracted but that the instructions should be spelled out.  Still crickets.  I finally said how the instructions said I would be charged ($) for the Dexcom if I didn’t get the receiver back in a timely manner.  I explained how I guess I could cut off the shipping info and tape it to a new FedEx envelop but I didn’t think they’d accept it.  Still no response beyond a “Um-hmm”.  I finally asked, “How long is a timely manner really?”.

“30 Days”.

So folks, if your Dexcom breaks, and they replace it, use common sense and turn OFF the receiver BEFORE you seal it on the return packaging.  If you do not follow these steps, please note you may drive your office mate insane as the box buzzes and she keeps checking her phone, convinced she’s getting messages from her daughter that aren’t showing up.

Also “timely” means “30 days”.

 

 

Don’t Bite Me (Keeping it PG)

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Got to the gym early this morning.  Not nearly as early as I had hoped, but I made it.  My overnight Dexcom graph was awesome.  The basal rate changes I made a few weeks are working (well the overnight part at least), amazingly! My Dexcom numbers turned to “???” during my workout.  No biggie, short workout and the sensor (disappointingly) was ready to be changed.

Made it home to shower and a wee bit tight on time (Late for work?  Who me???).  I kept my Dexcom sensor on, hoping it would spring back to life while I scrub-a-dub-dubbed. Scrub-a-dub-Nope.

I inserted a new Dexcom site on my lower abdomen. OUCH-to-the-MOTHER-CHUCKING-OUCH!  I took the brain (ok transmitter) out of my former site/sensor but for some reason I just couldn’t get that damn brain to click into the new, why-are-you-biting-me sensor.  Was I LOW?  I’d been in range at the gym before the “???” started.  Hmmmm.  The sensor site still hurt, the brain just wouldn’t snap in.  I COULD get the brain (ok transmitter) to click back into the sensor that was now dangling from the edge of my bathroom sink (so everything seemed to still be working, right?).  The site still hurt, less like a “mother-chucker” and more like a “what-the-H-E-double-hockey-sticks”.  As I kept trying to line-up the brain, I noticed something.  RED.  I took a photo to get a better view (ahhh technology).  Yep, blood coming through the sensor.  The theme song of The Beverly Hill Billies started playing in my mind.  You know the scene in the intro when Jed shoots the ground and oil starts slowly bubbling to the surface?  Yep, that was happening with my Dexcom site.  Damn I was really going to be late for work.

Ouch!

Ouch!

I replaced the Dexcom site, cleaned myself up, decided on a hair style I refer to as No-hair-style, and rushed to work.

If you know me, you know how very much I love my Dexcom.  One might even say I am IN-LOVE with my Dex.  So here’s the silver lining part of this story.  I called Dexcom.  I finally got a human.  I actually have no proof she was human but my gut instinct says, yes, human.  I told her the story.  I didn’t have any of the packaging information.  I have to send Dexcom the information when I get home.  They are replacing the sensor.  Yippie Skippy.

While I waited on the phone for the human, I remembered something.  That slidy door on my G4 receiver doesn’t close.  It hasn’t lost it’s sliding ability, but it gets caught on the plastic body that seems a wee bit cracked (What the heck am I talking about?  Check the photo below).  So after I went over the whole sensor-bit-into-me story, and agreed with the human lady that yes, I agree and believe I’ll have a nice bruise too, I told her about the chipped plastic no-slidy door issue.  It took maybe a minute.  My replacement sensor and my replacement receiver will arrive next week.

Dexcom chip

Dexcom chip

So maybe the pain, wasted sensor, late for work, bruise, waiting for a human was sorta worth it.  I should have called weeks ago about the receiver but kept forgetting (read: procrastinating).  Silverish lining?  Yes please, I’ll take it.

 

 

******** UPDATE********: That human lady from Dexcom was right…I’ve got a bit of a bruise.  Also I received an email confirmation that my replacement sensor and new, non-chipped receiver have been shipped as well.  All good.  Tough as nails.

New Dex sensor and my previous bleeder bruise.

New Dex sensor and my previous bleeder bruise.

 

 

 

*******2nd UPDATE********  I guess that chip broke off at some point.  The slidy door made a run for it.  Amazing timing by me!

Dex door

 

Feeling Blue?

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I really love a rainy Friday.  No joke.  When I first learned of the Blue Fridays Initiative through Cherise Shockley’s tweets, I believe my first thoughts were along the lines of, “That’s cool.  Oh wait, I don’t own blue clothing.”  Blue jeans?  Yep, but that’s about it.  When I decided this winter, after years of soaking we feet, that I should indeed buy myself a pair of boots, the blue ones happened to be on sale and hey, they’re perfect for #bluefridays (follow it on Twitter).  Now, less than a year later, I carry a ridiculously bright blue purse and my Dexcom G4 is blue too.  Sometimes feeling blue is actually a good thing.  I will admit, there was a Blue Friday a few weeks ago that turned out to be a Blue Thursday.  I swear it felt like a Friday!

blu

Blue Fridays can also be found on Facebook.

Happy Friday!

Dexcom in the Elevator

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What a morning.

Early Gym intensive? Check.

Dog leaving me 3 “traps” and my stepping in 1 as i stepped out of the shower?  Check.

A LOT of cursing at said dog? Check.

By the time I got into the elevator to go to work, I was saying, “Good Morning” through gritted teeth.  A full elevator.  I was frantically trying to pull down my dress which was caught on my overflowing laundry bag while still telling my dog he was in BIG trouble.  I was completely unaware that the older gentleman to my side was addressing me. I was more concerned with getting Bad Dog on his leash and my dirty laundry not falling around my feet.

The gentleman asked again, “Does that work with your cellphone?”.

Hmmmm?

My Dexcom sensor was right in his line of vision.  It’s at the beginning of week 2 and kind of a bedazzled mess (hey I take pride in my bedazzled Dexcom designs and this sensor has lost a few rhinestones along the way.  I know this because 2 came off in my second shower this morning… you know, the one AFTER I stepped in the dog trap).

dEXCOM ELEVATOR

I now had the attention of the other 2 people in the elevator as well.  I explained to the man that it’s a Continuous Glucose Monitor. Seeing the blank look on his face, I quickly added, it tells me my “blood sugar”.  Still blank.

“I’m diabetic”.

He quickly said he was sorry.  And that he didn’t mean to offend me.

We were out the door by this point and I was attempting to explain to him not to be sorry, but I was already losing the laundry bag, Bad Dog was attempting to pee on the front step (!!) and I was fairly certain my favorite, cozy summer dress was pulled-up and flashing my knickers to most of my street.

I kept thinking about it.  Was he sorry that I’m diabetic?  Dude, me too!  Well most of the time, me too.  No, he was sorry he asked about my cellphone that is inserted into my arm. Like he displayed bad manners or something.  I’m in a sleeveless dress.  I’ve got a weird looking sensor in my arm.  It’s decorated with multi-colored, multi-sized rhinestones.  I’m fairly certain this screams, “Ask me what’s on my arm”.  Or it screams, “I’m a girl who likes pink and bling and making stuff”.

I look forward to seeing my neighbor again.  I look forward to explaining to him a wee bit more about my Dexcom and how it’s a great way for me to talk about diabetes technology and why that’s important.  I then plan to speak into my arm and pretend I’m taking a call to my Mom.

Snorkeling Pump – Where The Pump Are You?

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Pump snorkelA few items about this photo:

  1. I actually remembered not to smile (breaks the seal on the face mask and it fills with water otherwise.  My eyes and nose were drowning in a few of the pics).
  2. My pump and I did well snorkeling although I was quite cold (wetsuit shirt was nice, wetsuit pants would have been nice as well).
  3. I travel with a back-up pump (which was back at the hotel).
  4. I had 2 syringes and a vial of insulin with me on the boat.
  5. I had lots of reasons for choosing my pump.  One of the main ones is so I can do stuff like this.  I don’t like leaving my pump behind, in this case, with strangers on a boat.  My pump is a thrill seeker.  He insisted on snorkeling.  Who was I to say no?
  6. Snorkeling (well swimming) drops my bg like nobody’s business (OK it’s none of your business but I stayed in the 130-80 range the whole time).  Temporary basal rates are effing awesome.
  7. Under bolusing (majorly) for lunch was unnecessary.  Lesson learned when I returned from second round of snorkeling.
  8. Having snorkeling dreams for days (well nights) after snorkeling is most excellent.
  9. My Dexcom did well in the Pacific ocean as well and picked up my bg as I approached the boat.  Not bad G4, not bad at all.
  10. I believe in tons of Ziplock baggies.
  11. Diabetes may slow me down a bit every once in a while.  It does NOT stop me.
  12. I may not be Aquaman but I may respond to Aqua-Robot-Lady.

Photo Week in Review 2/11/13

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review

From top left: There was a day this week that the Dexcom graph looked THAT nice.  100 seems like a pretty special number, worthy of Photo of the Week.

This is a pic of what a diabetes headache looks like.  At one point towards the end of that graph I was on a very crowded subway at rush hour.  I could feel something vibrating in my front pocket and something also vibrating on the back of my waistband.  My winter coat is long, zipped up,  and there was no room to move (plus I’m paranoid of losing my Dex on the subway).  When I got to my stop and had a chance to look, the Dexcom was alarming with a Double Arrow down at 137.  My pump on my back waistband was alarming because the low battery had turned to “your battery is DEAD”.  Yikes!  I drank an entire bottle of cranberry juice in line at the bodega and luckily had an extra lithium battery in my purse.  A very wicked headache indeed. A few hours later I was crashing again.  Ugh.

That baby carrot came out of the bag that way, last night (doggie snack time).  It seemed appropriate as it was Valentine’s Day.

When my Valentine’s Day plans got canceled, I decided it was time to be brave.  I did my first site insertion in my (sort of) back area.  It’s only taken me almost 13 years of pumping and a few months of considering this spot to finally just do it.  Truth be told, I don’t like it.  I’m wearing ridiculously low jeans today because the site placement is just in-the-way.  It annoyed me multiple times in the gym this morning. The site itself isn’t absorbing any better and in my opinion, the absorption seems better on my upper tummy.  Also, I highly dislike this photo.  I am as pale as Casper and definitely need to spend more time in the gym before my vacation!  Next back site, I think I’ll try lower, more at the top of my butt.

Happy Friday! xo

 

Photo Week in Review

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D 12813

From Top Left: Another pump site, another bruise.  This was earlier in the week but I had a site change this morning and once again… another site, another bruise.  This is starting to become my norm.  Site worked great though.  At least the bruises are small and this isn’t bikini weather!

Blood glucose check where an old pricked spot bleeds along with the new one.  there’s a cartoonish like quality to that, as if I will drink a glass of water and my (bruised) pump sites will look like a sprinkler.

New diabetes themed-used-Verio IQ-test strip jewelry.  The reaction this from the non-D crowd has been kind of awesome.  love hearing what people “think” the material is.  My account (T2) took a minute and guessed it correctly.

I woke-up on Thursday to this view.  Remote control, Glucolift (Wildberry is my fave) container (empty), Dexcom G4 reciever, Froggie, and my pooch (with creeptastic looking eyes in this pic).  A strange Wednesday night snuggle-fest indeed.

 

I’m a Loser Baby

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I have been known to lose things.  In Junior High it was my jean jacket (ok there may have been more than 1, or 2 or even 3 jackets that got left on a sports field).  In college my school ID (which enabled me to get in and out of my dorm) occasionally disappeared.  It was a cold environment, maybe my ID went on vacation someplace warm?

If you happen to follow me on Twitter, you may have witnessed my upsetting day in December (read: freaking the eff out) when I lost my Dexcom 7+ receiver on the subway.  It was 12 (my favorite number) days before I was due to upgrade to the Dexcom G4.  It also happened to be 12/12/12 which possibly made me cry harder (brutal end to the day).

I’d never lost my 7+ before (misplaced in my bed or in the pocket of a coat doesn’t count), so when my G4 arrived, I immediately labeled it.  I wish I could remember where I’d seen it, but when I got my 7+, I read that you should write “MEDICAL DEVICE” on it (robbers would rather take an Ipod right?).  This is what my G4 has looked like since the day it arrived (and no I haven’t lost it):

Dex label

Yes, it is legible on my Dex but putting my address and phone number on a blog seems like a rather bad idea.

Also, my business card is tucked into the awkward Dexcom G4 case too.

Not a Wordless Wednesday post but how about a Wonderful Wednesday Tip?