I Have Confidence
Thursday, October 17, 2013 at 8:50AM I love my Dexcom. Love Love Love it. The window into my blood glucose trend is something I never knew was so important.
But there is a problem.
With all the love I am showing the Dex I am forgetting about my other friend, my Glucometer. My meter is not getting the love it used to. I was up to 10 bg strips a day for a while there. But lately I wait until my Dexcom wants blood before I check, if even then!
That is not cool. I know I am not supposed to bolus off of the CGM and should calibrate it at least twice a day. Honestly, I don't always do that.
This is not some rebellion or a conscience decision to not do it. I really am FINALLY in a place in my life where checking my bg is not the dreaded chore it used to be. I guess it is my confidence in the number on the cgm.
Most times it matches up with my machine. And when it is off it is barely off so I don't find it an issue.
I should say that I wear my sensors for maybe 10 days at most. Usually it is only the 7 days so that may make a difference but I am not sure.
Have any of you been really relying on your CGM and bolusing from it? I know we are not supposed to but you all know I am not the pillar of diabetes management and I can't help but come clean about this.
My goal is to start checking my bg more often. Just so I don't get out of the habit and recreate that awful dread I used to wade through each time I pulled my machine out. And to make sure my CGM is in sync but I have to tell you, it usually is!
Reader Comments (8)
Guilty as charged of the lazy Dexcom bolus. I am way more confident with the G4's readings than the Seven's readings, so I oftentimes feel like it's better than nothing. :)
I rarely do this, but if I do, I take off a bit of insulin from the suggested dose...just in case.
I'm a "color inside the lines" kinda guy. I can see how an accurate CGM can make us lazy about BG checks. I'm just too afraid to bolus off of what I see on my display. Great post.
Great summary post on something that trips me up whenever I read differing opinions about maintaining the number of bg checks while being on a CGM. I almost always bolus or treat off my CGM (I'm not a doctor, follow FDA rules, etc). Two big exceptions are if the CGM has not been near my meter results, or if I just don't feel right. In those cases I'll double check with my meter and bolus/treat from that. It's only backfired twice in the last several years...but those backfires were a bit rough :/
Before breakfast and before bed are the non-negotiables for me. The others I've skipped if my graph looks especially steady and checking would be "inconvenient."
I don't have a CGM but I'm fighting to get one. I'll let you know how I deal with it when I do, but for now it's really interesting to read others' accounts on using it. It's reassuring to hear that it's usually a close match with the glucometer. Thanks for writing about it!
I was guilty, but not anymore. My Dexcom doesn't always play nicely with my body - or perhaps it's the other way around... and when I'm dropping quickly or rising quickly, it doesn't always reflect my latest numbers. Glad to see that I'm not alone!
I need to get a Dexcom. I have the Medtronic CGM and I would never bolus based on what it says because it's not always accurate, although I wish I could!