Friday, June 22, 2007

Tet-a-tet with CGM

Had 3 lows over the past 10 hours, THREE. over the past TEN hours. Needless to say I'm falling from exhaustion. Oh, and did I mention I'm using an CGM sensor for the last two days that suppose to alarm me if I go high or low? Well, it did, yah, when I was already 2.5 (45) and treating the low.

- "Beeep" reads: "I'm terribly sorry to interrupt but your blood glucose is low", just kidding, "LOW 4.9 (88)"
- "You don't say. Thank you very much, but I'm 2.5 (45) actualy and I've already taken my juice like 10 minutes ago. Where have YOU been?".

In 15 minutes:
- "Beeep" "LOW 4.6 (82)".
- "Well, you know I am indeed 4.6 (82), but that's actually good, that means my sugars are climbing up, the juice is working."

In 10 minutes:
- "Beeep" "LOW 4.8 (86)"
- "Well, just @#$%, will you!"
- "I'll try my best" - just kidding again.

3 comments:

Caro said...

Hi Sasha,

This can definitely be one of the most frustrating things about CGM! It's a nuisance that interstitial fluid glucose levels can lag so much, but that is why "treating the trend" is so important. If I had a system with trend alarms, I'd probably turn the absolute value alarms off!

Btw, I set the low alarm interval to 30 minutes. I'm very alert to my blood sugars for that period after a low anyway, so I don't want to be alerted again!

Scott S said...

Thanks for posting this. You are the second person who has mentioned how annoying the alarms can be, especially once you've already taken steps to treat a low (or high). I'm considering a CGM, but am seeking feedback from people who have already tried it for good, and bad feedback on the device. I hope to make an informed decision that way!

Jen said...

I love your blog.
Yes, it is true that the interstitial fluid can be tested in liu of actual blood. and that can be a problem.
I think the CBGM is useful to figure out trends. I have also heard from people who have used it and do not wish to wear it all the time. I would, as a non-diabetic, like to wear one to see what it indicates for me.
I am still fighting the insurance companies for one for my son.
I want it to be an option for him, I want everything to be available to him, isn't that what we all deserve?
Kudos to your blog!
Jen