This is my 6 month Dexcom review of the G4 continuous glucose monitor (CGM). To get straight to the point, I think every diabetic should have a Dexcom G4 CGM. One thing that we’re told when we get any CGM device, is that we still need to check our blood sugars normally by blood draw to calibrate, and I understand that, but when I had my Medtronic Guardian, I couldn’t trust that thing at all. It made me check my blood sugar more often because I never trusted it. With my Dexcom, I trust it, even when I haven’t calibrated it for 24 hours! (Don’t do that BTW!) Most importantly, is that with my Guardian CGM, it was the worst when my blood sugar was rising or crashing, but I trust my Dexcom to be accurate even when I’m rising or falling, which is when a diabetic needs their CGM to be accurate.
A couple days ago was the first nice, sunny, warm day we’ve had here in Iowa this spring. Actually, it was earth day too I think? Anyway, I decided to go throw some disc golf. (If you haven’t noticed yet, I love to play disc golf.) Normally I wear a fanny pack on the course with me, that has all my supplies in it. Actually I go everywhere with it. It’s been referred to by my friends as my diabetic man purse. So I’m prepping my disc golf bag, and I realize this is the first time I will have gone disc golfing with my Dexcom because I got it in November. So I decide to leave the fanny pack in the car, and just throw some glucose tabs in my bag, and my Dex in my pocket. I played a round with no problems, secure in that my Dex was accurate, and I didn’t need to check my blood sugar while playing. What freedom!
Today I did a foolish thing. I left for work without my diabetic man purse. When I realized I forgot it, I was to far from home to go get it and get to work on time. I have a job where if you’re late for work, you can get fired, so I didn’t go home because I knew my Dex was in my front pocket. However, I hadn’t calibrated it since I went to bed the night before. I ate and bolused for breakfast and lunch, using my Dex as my guide for my blood sugar. I checked it throughout the day, and was floating around 150, which I was happy with. I got home and checked my blood sugar at about 8PM. My Dex said it was 156, and my One Touch said it was 184. I’ll take it!!! Remember, this is nearly 24 hours since it’s last calibration! (#winning) Now of course I don’t recommend leaving your diabetic supplies at home, but when you happen to forget them like I did, you can trust your Dex to keep giving you accurate results for hours and hours. If you tried that with the Medtronic, it would turn off the sensor when you didn’t calibrate it at the first warning alarm. (#diafail)
To conclude, if you’re currently evaluating the Dexcom G4, I recommend you just call up Dexcom, tell them you want it, let them deal with your insurance, and wait to hear from them. I don’t think you can lose. Ever diabetic should have one of these. Sound off if you agree!!! (That means please leave a comment!)
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********** Now ya know, and knowing is half the battle. Go Joe!!! **********
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This CGM review will cover continuous glucose monitors from Dexcom and Medtronic. The Dexcom G4, and Medtronic Guardian. I’ve had the Medtronic Guardian since March of 2012. I got the Dexcom G4 at the end of December and started using it last week. First, let me just say that both have benefits and drawbacks compared to the other, however, I only trust 1 of them. If you’ve done any reading online about CGM’s you probably already know which one I trust.
Then I started to become involved in the diabetes online community, or DOC. Everyone in the DOC raved about the Dexcom 7, with it’s comfort, accuracy, and that you can wear it for 7 days. In the fall, I suddenly remembered that someone at Medtronic told me I have to re-order transmitters every 6 months. Instead, I called Dexcom. The G4 had just been released to rave reviews. My insurance allowed it, and I got it ordered before end of year so there would be no out of pocket cost. (Deductible was complete early in the year.) So far, I’ve been absolutely thrilled with the Dexcom G4. It’s accuracy is especially surprising compared to the Medtronic, especially when I’m spiking or crashing quickly, or running high. My educator mentioned to me that it’s more accurate the more you calibrate it, so I’ve been doing that. In just 3 days I’ve already noticed trends that I could never notice on the Medtronic because it was so horribly inaccurate. I also like that it’s not integrated. It allows me to set it on my desk at work, and monitor my blood sugar easily, without having to stand up and dig my pump out of my pocket. I like that it’s brightly lit and in color so it’s easy to see in the dark, without my glasses on, when I feel low.
There are a lot of us in the diabetic online community (#doc) that refer to ourselves as “cyborg pumpers”, or “diabetic cyborgs”. We all know what we’re referring to, but for those who don’t, I’ll try to explain. You see, I have a Medtronic 523 insulin pump. I also have a Medtronic Guardian continuous glucose monitor (#cgm) that communicates wirelessly to my pump. These are attached to me 24/7. Plus, my One Touch blood glucose meter communicates wirelessly to my pump as well. Then finally, my pump communicates wirelessly to my computer, which sends my pump data digitally over the internet, to the servers at Medtronic for analysis. Kinda like we’re connected to the diabetic collective. Pretty cool eh? Yeah, so we’re the online cyborg diabetic tribe. We are immortal, and we are not alone.
