Monday, July 24, 2006

No CGMS training until August!

I love the summer, and summer vacations, I just wish sometimes that the stars would align and I could get my DEXCOM STS training sooner. I just found out that the DEXCOM rep is on vacation, my CDE is going on vacation, and I am too.

Unfortunately, that means no training until Mid-August at the earliest! I guess I can wait a few more weeks since I've waited this long for the CGMS.

Lately I've been trying to minimize my HYPO episodes at my endo's prompting. Many times I can recognize the lows coming on, but there are times when my BGs drop so rapidly and I am otherwise distracted, that I don't even notice them until I'm already way too low. I'm looking to the CGMS to help me prevent those unexpected HYPO episodes. I've started to make more basal adjustments so that my BGs are higher than they were before. My endo has suggested that Symiln is something that we could add to my regimen to help reduce the elevated BGs, as long as I can reduce the frequency of lows. I'm considering it, although it means shots again- shots are no big deal for me, and the side effect of weight loss induced by Similin isn't such a bad thing. We'll see ...

Thursday, July 13, 2006

Wild exercise BGs and New Infusion Sets

I emailed my endo yesterday asking if she could get the CDE to get with the Dexcom Rep to schedule the training. My guess is that the reps calls went unreturned, perhaps because the CDE thought it was a sales call. My endo says she'll forward the email on to the CDE, so hopefully I'll get trained soon.

I exercise 5 times a week at a gym before work, and my BGs can be really erratic. At 5 am today I was 91, then 56 an hour later (took 12 g CHO), then 66 after my 1 hour treadmill/elliptical workout. I can't wait to see what the Dexcom STS will tell me about my workouts. I graph my BGs 10 times a day, and they can be wildly different from one day to the next, with dramatic highs and lows, with lows induced several hours from sometimes intense workouts. Temp basal rates help, but it is often a SWAG (Super Wild A-- Guess).

I've put in a request for a new sample infusion set, the Orbit 90 from ICU medical. http://www.orbit90.com/ is the web site. I now use the inset infusion set from Unomedical (http://www.infusion-set.com)- nice applicator but I did have a kinking problem with it last week (BGs went to 265, then 290, then 400). I have previously used the silouette when I was on the Paradigm 511; never a kinking problem with the angled infusion set, but I had more scarring and it was a tad bit more painful at thimes than the inset. I do like the Orbit's concept, we'll see how that goes when I get a free sample.

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

The Dexcom STS has arrived!

The Dexcom STS has finally arrived! After a long shipping delay, Dexcom overnighted the Dexcom STS to me on Saturday. The Dexcom rep is trying to get a hold of my diabetes educator to arrange training for us (me, diabetes educator, Dexcom Rep).

I hope to go on CGMS soon; even though I've been an insulin pumper since 2000, I still have too many ups and downs despite 'average' BGs below 135. I'd like to level off these bumps. I am under no illusions that the Dex will be as accurate as my One Touch Ultra Smart, but I'm just looking to analyze trends and level off the peaks and valleys. I've read much about the accuracy issues with Dexcom STS, but I'm still willing to jump in and give it a try.

I'm optimistic!