One of the things I didn't think, of course

When I got my phone in July, I didn't even consider that it would mess up my blood glucose monitoring. I have a Dexcom G7 continuous glucose monitor and wear a sensor with a built-in transmitter on my arm, which then pairs with a device such as a smartphone.  I can then, through a lovely free app that some kind soul provided, run that from my smartphone through my watch face through what's known as a complication on my Samsung watch. This was all working splendidly on my 3-year-old Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 phone and Galaxy 5 Watch.

Then I came across a deal on T-Mobile for the upgraded version of my phone, the Flip 7, that essentially gave me credits that made the phone, which is usually $1100, free except for taxes and activation, plus a preorder incentive of 512 GB storage rather than the standard 128 GB. Since I'd almost capped my storage on my device and had kept it a long time, through three iterations of the Flip, I thought that was a pretty good deal, plus I didn't mind getting locked into the credits because I've been a T-Mobile customer for 25 years (okay, I'm not happy about the Starlink partnership, I will admit).

The problem is, Dexcom has to test new phones to check the compatibility with their applications, the Dexcom app and their Clarity app, and neither of those are yet because they haven't been tested with my new phone. You can check it on their compatibility page. This is for the G7, but you can hit a tab for the G6 system as well. The Stelo has a different page altogether, so you'll have to search that.

Today, while doing my periodic checking (they update regularly, and it populates with each day as the most recent list), the companion phone, in fact, the bigger phone that was released at the same time, the other foldable, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, is now listed on the page. That might mean mine will be soon, so I'm excited.

By the way, if you can't use your smartphone, all is not lost. There is a receiver you can pair the sensors to, and that will provide readings. I've always had a receiver and have paired it to both phone and receiver, to have a backup, as it can be paired to two devices at once (remember, the watch just piggybacks off the phone, sharing data from it).

For more information on that watch app, look for the Gwatch app in the Google store if you're using a watch that uses the Wear app for its settings, etc. and has complications. There is another for older watches in the Samsung Galaxy store.  There is a Facebook group that is helpful for questions. It's a private group, so if you can't join, let me know and I can send an invitation, or you can ask me for technical help and I might be able to help you with the basics.

Here's a picture of what it looked like when the complication was working on the watch. I could just look down and see if I were getting low or not. Since I'm not supposed to drive if I'm under 100, that's useful info. In the example, my blood sugar was very, very low on waking up (my phone and receiver had probably woken me up to an alarm), as it was only 39. It's there on the top. Not only was I not going to drive, I was dangerously low. I'd have had some orange juice or glucose tabs to get it up to at least 80 before I did much of anything else, and definitely not gotten behind the wheel until it was higher. Fortunately, it was Sunday, so I wasn't going anywhere, but that was probably why I took a picture, because it was an outlier. I don't normally go so low, thankfully. This was sometime last year, I think. Oh, and the arrow means it was falling.

Here's the difference in the phones (stock photos):

Flip 4:

Flip 7:

Ah

Woke up to the dulcet tones of my glucose monitor announcing I was having an urgent low (the monitor itself said that; my phone and watch read 39, which is, indeed, pretty freaking low. [Normal's about 80-120 for a diabetic.) Then the sensor went offline, which sometimes happens during the first 24 hours within placement (I am, at least finally doing well with putting it on my arm, and I found an overpatch that actually holds the thing on that I can easily put on myself. Anyway, I ate some Meijer version of Honey Nut Cheerios with banana and rice milk, because that usually makes my blood sugar rise quickly. The sensor came back up and it was 94 within a few minutes. Yay! So glad this woke me up. That's its job, and I'm glad I stuck with it through the learning process (Dexcom sent me no less than nine replacement sensors in the first six months (each lasting 10 days). There were seven that fell off as I couldn't get them on where they stayed. One malfunctioned, probably because I hit a capillary and blood fountained through it (gross), and one I managed to bump into something and tore it right off (ouch). Each time I contacted Dexcom directly, filled out what had happened and they sent another one for free. I'm very grateful for that. There was a learning curve when I started the G6. This was harder. The G7 goes on the arm, not on the abdomen, and I'm fleshier than most of the pictures and diagrams I've seen. But once you get it on, it has more accurate readings, warms up in about 30 minutes rather than 2 hours, and has a 12-hour grace period of readings after the sensor expires before it stops giving readings. I have also learned that if you use both the Dexcom and a smartphone (and by extension a watch, which is connected to the phone), pair the phone first, not the receiver, as it takes almost the entire warmup time to pair to the phone if you don't. Anyway, I would really recommend this, just know it's going to take a while to get the hang of it.

I am a bit frustrated

I sent the following e-mail to Dexcom regarding my latest problem with their G7 continuous glucose monitor system that I have been trying to use for three months now. I'd already put a service ticket in; this was supplemental.  Let me preface that each time they have sent me a replacement sensor at no cost, and their customer service has been excellent over the years.  Maybe it's my skin. I don't know.  But I hope they can solve my problem.

I just wanted to let you know this seems to have been an actual sensor failure. It was inserted, paired, warmed up, and was stuck well on my skin, but it failed after two readings, about 15 minutes after the warmup was complete.  However, I did notice when I took it off that I'd apparently hit a capillary or something, as there was quite a bit of blood under the sensor.  This has happened one other time (it actually fountained through the little hole, but that one remained working). This is, I believe, the fifth sensor I have had to contact you about.  I'm having difficulty keeping them on even with the over-patches (and larger third-party bandage over-patches on top of that, even).  I use a skin-tac pad prior to inserting and keep the liquid form with me in case the over-patch begins to peel. I am showering less so I don't have issues. I have just joined the YMCA because of the warm water/therapy pool but have been afraid to get in it because these things refuse to stay on my skin. This has all been within my first three-month supply. I have tried four different types of over-patches in addition to just your own.  I initially had trouble with the G6 but nothing like this.  Is there anything else I can do? I have read all the FAQs and watched numerous Dexcom and YouTube videos. I'm really frustrated. I have had exactly one do what it is supposed to do as far as sticking/working.  I like the G7. I like the arm (although I did better on insertion by looking online for pictures of people my size wearing it; the diagrams are a little misleading if you have any flabby skin).  I like the shorter warmup and the grace period, and I believe the readings are more accurate.  But every time I change my sensor it's very frustrating. Most of the ones which have fallen off have done so within a couple of hours.  One made it to the next day and had to have the skin-tac liquid applied.  As I said, only one did well, and that was with a third-party over-patch. I am using my left arm, which is not dominant. The one time I tried the other it fell off immediately. I cannot begin to tell you how much frustration and anxiety this is producing.  I just want it to work. This one really looked like it was going to stay on well and then within a few minutes gave up the ghost. Any help you can give would be appreciated.

Elisabeth Eilir Rowan

 

Good news

I got an e-mail from Byram and my continuous blood glucose (CGM) supplies are on their way. It took two phone calls and two attempts to give them the correct fax # for my endocrinologist so that they could get the prescription, but there you have it. I might even get it right around the time I have my MRI, so I could put the sensor back on.

I've pricked my fingers several times today, with the highest reading being 135 and the lowest at 79.  Normally I could just look at my watch, as some lovely person created a watch face that interfaces with my Dexcom G6 and put it on the Galaxy Store for free (thank you!) If you're interested, it's called the G-Watch app.  Anyway, as I got a little low, I had to pay a lot of attention to how I was feeling, whether it was like a low. Normally I rely on having the reading at any given moment, and alarms for if I go low.

Well, I guess I need to go back to pricking my fingers for awhile

I have a Dexcom G6 continuous glucose monitor, which is an absolute godsend, as I can check my receiver, phone, or watch at any given time to see what my blood sugar is, and make good decisions in terms of my insulin and carbs based on that, as well as receiving alerts when my glucose goes down or is very high. An alarm will wake me up if my blood sugar tanks in the night. I love this.

Sensors last for 10 days; transmitters last for 90. My last sensor expired today, and I don't have replacements because my durable medical equipment provider (Byram Healthcare) [which usually does well, but I've had a couple of times now that it's gotten hung up, probably during authorisation] didn't communicate properly with my endocrinologist's office, apparently sending their request for clinical notes to the wrong fax number, and per my doctor's nurse, they never received the request or the form that is required. The fax number has made it's way to Byram thanks to another phone call from me, so the ball is in their court. But it's frustrating. I get that they need the prescription, but I got a notice back in the middle of December that it was time to order, and did, and they didn't act on it in a timely manner as far as I can see, and they cancelled the order when they did not hear from my doctor, so I had to reorder to get the ball rolling again.

As it turns out, even if this hadn't happened, I couldn't put my sensor on at the moment, because I have an abdominal MRI elastography in six days, and the sensor can't be on my body, as it would be fried by the magnets. That's all fine, but I hoped to have more sensors for immediately after the MRI. Once they are finally shipped, it will take 5-7 business days to get to me. The last time this happened it took a month to sort out and I didn't have my monitoring sensors for two weeks.

It's frustrating. Now I'm going to have to go back to pricking my fingers a few times a day or if I feel funny, and there's always that chance my blood sugar will dip at night, so I'm going to check before bed. I'm also not supposed to drive if it's under 100 per my doctor, so I may check then, too. The other day I went to leave work and my glucose was 71, and my supervisor had to give me chocolate because I only had two glucose tablets with me. I've fixed that, but still. It's a lot more work to manage things.