[Diabetes-talk] DexCom G5 Mobile CGM system

[d m gina]

Yes I understood that,
my question is this,
With the machine, do you still need extra insulin.
I am told yes here in town from the one lady I saw.
I am saying no.
Because you folks have never shared that before on the pump.

Original message:
> Dar, the CGM has no connection with taking insulin at all. It's simply a way
> to look at your blood sugar readings and see the patterns. What you do with
> the information is still the same. But if you have hypoglycemia unawareness,
> an alarm with go off when your number is too low and get your attention for
> sure, or will get the attention of someone else if you can't respond. You
> can also set an alarm to notify you if you are too high. But the device does
> not administer insulin in any way.
> Glad you are doing the walking you are. Keep it up!
> Veronica

> "Guide Dogs, First Hand", Veronica Elsea's classic album is now available on
> iTunes, along with other music from her and from the Guide Dog Glee Club.
> To learn more, visit:
> http://www.laurelcreekmusic.com
>                 Veronica Elsea, Owner
> Laurel Creek Music Designs
> Santa Cruz, California
> Phone: 831-429-6407


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Diabetes-talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of d
> m gina via Diabetes-talk
> Sent: Sunday, February 14, 2016 1:01 PM
> To: diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org
> Cc: d m gina
> Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] DexCom G5 Mobile CGM system

> With wearing this device, do you still have to take extra insulin?
> I ask because my diabetic coordinator says I still would have to do two
> different insulin shots.
> Being confused I don't want to keep adding more insulin at the cost of
> $400 for five pins.
> That seems quite out of reach for anyone.
> I am told the price was because my insurance needed to have me pay what
> they want for the start of the year, even though I pay a co payment on
> a monthly bases.
> I am walking a treadmill for an hour for five or six days.
> When the summer gets here, and there is no snow then I can go back to
> my mile and a half walk that I do with my dog.
> Glad this is working for you.

> Original message:
>> Hello Ed and all interested in CGM, pumps and accessibility,

>> Fair warning, this is a lengthy post...

>> Ed - I am also using the DexCom G5 Mobile system(G5 stands for fifth
>> generation), and have been since it first became available as an upgrade
> to
>> the prior system late last year. I am late in providing an update to this
>> list, and for that I apologize. The DexCom G5 Mobile is quite a
> breakthrough
>> in terms of accessibility over their previous DexCom G4 Share system.

>> As you describe, nearly all aspects of the day-to-day use of the system,
>> including setup and calibration can be managed by someone who is blind.
> I'm
>> glad to hear that your A1C has fallen into a healthier range since you
> began
>> to use the CGM. Mine did also, and in general, the statistic I've heard
>> reported is that on average, a person's A1C will lower one full point when
>> using a CGM consistently.

>> Hang in there with pulling the plastic covers off the adhesive. In the
>> beginning I had some issues as well, but now very confidently handle
>> applying the sensors to my skin. I've included at the end of this email a
>> lengthy description of how I go about putting on my sensors.

>> Not being able to detect a low blood sugar before it is dangerously low is
>> known as hypoglycemia unawareness, and if your insurance covers CGM use,
>> having hypoglycemia unawareness gets you automatic approval for use of the
>> CGM. CGM can truly be a life saver, and I know both my wife and I sleep
> much
>> easier now.

>> Now, in terms of the Medtronic system, they are marketing the Minimed 530G
>> (I think the G stands for Guardian). This is a combination insulin pump
> and
>> CGM system. It still requires you to have two items inserted under your
>> skin, the canula for the pump and the sensor for the CGM, but the pump
> unit
>> handles both the display and input for both the pump and the CGM. The
>> feature that sets this pump and CGM system apart is that the pump pays
>> attention to the CGM readings, and when the CGM indicates you are going
> low,
>> if you do not respond, it automatically turns off the pumps basil insulin
>> delivery for up to two hours. This is the first time ever in the US a pump
>> has been approved that takes data from a CGM and makes a decision for the
>> human wearing the pump. That in and of itself is a landmark
> accomplishment.

>> In terms of accessibility, They offer a system named Minimed Connect,
> which
>> can be used in conjunction with an iPhone or iPad app to display
> information
>> about the Minimed 530G pump and CGM on your phone. By the way, I believe
> one
>> must purchase the Medtronic Connect system to have the iPhone app display
>> the CGM and pump information; for DexCom the system connects to the iPhone
>> at no additional charge. I spoke with another blind person who uses it. It
>> does have a few advantages over the DexCom G5 Mobile system if you use a
>> pump, because the Connect app lets you get information from your pump as
>> well in an accessible form. I use a pump, and I always have to ask others
> to
>> tell me how much insulin is left in my cartridge, how much insulin is
> still
>> active in my body since my last bolus, and what my pump battery level is.
>> With the Minimed Connect system, the blind person can now access that
> data,
>> along with the CGM current reading, right from the iPhone app. The
>> availability of the pump information on the app is a first, as far as I
>> know, for any pump.

>> That being said, just from the CGM pperspective, the Minimed Connect falls
>> way behind the functionality available via the app for the DexCom g5
> Mobile
>> system. As I said earlier, the Minimed Connect app only lets one view the
>> data from the app; you cannot interact with the pump or the CGM via the
> app.
>> So, with the DexCom G5 Mobile, you can use the app to start and stop your
>> sensors, enter your twice-daily calibration values, set all your
> individual
>> alert levels and sounds for your high and low thresholds, and you can even
>> enter your diabetes-related activity into the app, such as how much
> insulin
>> you just took, how much carb you just ate, how much exercise you just did,
>> and other items such recording that you are ill.

>> All that data, in conjunction with the blood glucose readings from the
> CGM,
>> can help you and your diabetes health team determine how to best adjust
> your
>> particular carb to insulin ratios, basil levels on your pump, etc.

>> On the Minimed system, all the functionality I just described for the
> DexCom
>> has to be entered on the Minimed pump system, which is absolutely not
>> accessible.

>> Another advantage of the DexCom system is that all you need to carry with
>> you is your iPhone. The DexCom sensor you wear on your body transmits the
>> information directly to your phone. On the Minimed system, you have to
> carry
>> another small device with you, named the uploader, which is about the size
>> of an automobile key fob. The Minimed transmitter on your body first sends
>> the information to the uploader, and it in turn sends it to the phone. So,
>> it is small, but the uploader requires charging, and it is one more item
> to
>> remember, and potentially to forget.

>> Finally, a wonderful advantage of these new CGM systems is that they also
>> automatically send the blood glucose data to the CGM company (either
> DexCom
>> or Medtronic) where it can be viewed by you or your doctor. The web-based
>> DexCom product for viewing your data, identifying blood glucose trends,
> and
>> tracking how you re doing is called Clarity. As I said earlier, the
>> Medtronic name is Minimed Connect. DexCom offers Clarity for free.

>> So, when I see my endocrinologist, she can call up my data from the DexCom
>> site. I do not need to have my CGM uploaded to her PC in her office, nor
> do
>> I need to give her my blood sugar logs. For better, or worse, my life as a
>> diabetic is available to her, in living color.

>> Of course, there are many privacy safeguards in place. Your physician can
>> never see your data unless you provide them access, and you can limit how
>> long they have access. If you provide your doctor ongoing access, for
> three
>> months or six months, for example, they can log in and see your data even
>> whenyou are not at the office. And, the clarity system also let's you
> simply
>> email a report to your doctor.

>> I hope that soon, everyone on this list that can take advantage of a CGM
> can
>> start using one. . I'm encouraged that at some point Medicare may start
>> covering them.

>> All the best,
>> Tom Ley
>> What follows next is a description of how I put on a sensor.


>> How I put on a new DexCom G5 Mobile sensor without sight
>> First, I find that often, the sensors come out of the large sealed plastic
>> coverings such that the adhesive oval area is curled downward, so the
>> adhesive is not flat. I make sure I bend up the oval shaped adhesive area
>> all the way around until it is flat again.

>> The covering over the adhesive is made of two pieces, each piece covering
>> half of the adhesive. The two tabs you pull on are right next to each
> other,
>> in the middle of one of the long sides of the oval.

>> I usually start off by holding the sensor by the adhesive area with the
>> fingers on my right hand, holding on the right side of the adhesive area.
>> When I hold it like this, the bottom of the adhesive area is facing me,
> with
>> the long body of the sensor that contains the inserter kind of falling
> back
>> and down away from me to the right.

>> Then I find the tab for the left half of the adhesive with my left hand,
> and
>> making sure my right hand is only grasping the right side, I pull the tab
> on
>> the left side toward  me and down to remove it. Lacking another hand, I
>> usually put the piece I just removed between my lips to hold it until I'm
>> done.

>> Then, I very lightly grasp the now exposed sticky adhesive part with the
>> tips of my left fingers. I grasp the smallest part I can, about in the
> same
>> place the tab was that I just removed. And, I can now let go of the sensor
>> with my right hand.

>> It is important not to get the adhesive stuck to your clothes or anything
>> else. I hold it away from my body. I might say also that I always stand
> when
>> I put on a new sensor.

>> Now, I use my right hand to find the tab for the other half and pull it
>> toward me and down until it separates. I then hold this one between my
> lips
>> as well. I'm sure it would make for some humorous watching if anyone
> videoed
>> me while I was doing this!

>> Now, the entire adhesive is exposed, and I'm holding on to the adhesive
> with
>> my left fingers, but just the smallest part is sticking to my fingers.
> Now,
>> I grasp the body of the sensor inserter with my right hand, and very
>> carefully unstick mhy fingers from the adhesive. If done carfully, none of
>> the adhesive will be sticking to itself, or anything else.

>> Next, I carefully use my right hand to maneuver the sensor to the place on
>> my abdomen I plan to insert and touch the adhesive to my skin. Then I
>> qquickly run my finger over the adhesive to make sure it is well attached
>> all around.

>> Hope this helps!

>> Tom




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> --
> --Dar
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-- 
--Dar
skype: dmgina23
  FB: dmgina
www.twitter.com/dmgina
every saint has a past
every sinner has a future