Don’t Bite Me (Keeping it PG)

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

 

5 thoughts on “Don’t Bite Me (Keeping it PG)

  1. Since I can’t get sensors for my 7+ and I have 5 left…(Come ON already Health Aanada get the party started shall you!?)

    I once had a sensor hurt SO MUCH (I wear it on my legs only) that instead of pulling the obviously bloody and painful sensor I strapped an ice pack around the site to numb it. Then once it was numb I took the ice off an carried on. The site was ghastly when I took it off to change it, but it did last a nice 20 odd days.

  2. The ??? would always show up when I ran with my Dexcom, but ONLY when I wore a running top with Lycra. A tip from Blair at Insulindependence was to not wear the Lycra. Problem solved. Somehow the friction of the running top and my Dexcom is not a good combination.

    A fellow Dexcom Fan!

    Erin
    p.s. we started a monthly Dexcom CGM Fans group where we get together in person and by Skype or phone and work together to understand the data in our reports. You can find us on FB @Dexcom CGM Fans

  3. I just started the G4. I noticed in the pic on your post here that your battery was very close to being dead. I know a lot about electronics in general, and I would say that you should never ever run the battery that low. The distance of reception that you get with the receiver will go way down if you let it get that close to being dead. I would suggest keeping the battery as full as possible as often as you can. I know they sell USB charging battery packs on Amazon.It has a standard usb plug, with a rechargeable battery pack built in that can be used to char ge USB compatible devices. Just search Amazon Anker Astro 3E 10000mAh Dual USB Backup External Battery Pack Portable Power Pack Charger for most Smartphones, Tablets. You might consider something like that, because portable power is great in power outages and other emergencies.

What do you think?