Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Willkommen, Wilma ~ our Dexcom seven+

As you know from this Good Friday post, our Dexcom seven+  Continuous Glucose Monitoring System (CGM)  arrived in the mail while Bean was at camp.

That was a good thing because it gave Ubergeek and me a chance to 'check it out' before we went and stuck it on Bean!

We headed straight for our multifamily camp out as soon as we picked up Bean from D-Camp, so we waited until the next morning to hook her up.  She said it hurt way less than a pod change, so I felt good about that since I was the one inserting the sensor and I was a bit concerned with the manual insertion!

Wilma, (pronounced Vilmah) as we are calling her because it means 'protector' in German, was spot on all weekend.  There was only one time I remember that she wasn't within 10 points or less of the BG reading on the PDM (Personal Diabetes Manager ~ omnipod controller).  That was amazing!  It was really nice to have a window into Bean's BG while she was riding her bike non stop and running around with friends and partaking in traditional camp activities:

you absolutely have to roast a marshmallow
if there is a campfire!!

Now that we are home and back into a somewhat normal routine (as normal as it gets during the summer!!) I am noticing Wilma helping a lot with some needed adjustments and the way Bean's BG reacts to certain foods.  (Darn you French toast that had Bean holding steady in the high 200s and low 300s all day yesterday!)  I will be doing some basal changes and possibly some ratio adjustments soon based on the data Wilma is collecting.  Knowing that I can 'see' how those changes are doing will be fabulous!!
It's nice to have that graph and the arrows, oh the lovely, lovely arrows that show where that BG is headed is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!!

Today has been a bit frustrating with the accuracy of BG readings...not just Wilma, but the PDM is feeling 'off', too.  I've pulled out our 'gold standard' OneTouch that we used when Bean was first dx'ed to do a double check a few times.

Wilma is splitting the difference, so at least that's good, right?

I know that it's unrealistic to expect exact matches and I'm dealing with that...plus the fact that when Wilma hasn't been spot on, she's at least been closer than the 'margin of error' you get between meters!
          This morning Wilma 78, PDM 167?!?!. that's when I pulled out Gold Standard and got 93.  Thus, the other comparisons though out the day just to be one the safe side!
          We did another comparison a bit later and it was Wilma 319, PDM 339, and Gold Standard 325.

Bean is loving being able to test less!  Of course we do a 'real' BG test with the whole finger prick, blood on a strip thing when she's eating or when a correction needs to be done..like in the above picture!  Man, I wish those numbers weren't that high, but that's reality!!
It's also nice for her to 'confirm' what she's feeling with a quick look at Wilma.  She's getting better at detecting her swings, but to have the additional assistance is such a valuable tool for her! 

We know that having Wilma, our wonderful Dexcom seven+, will help us help Bean stay more in range and as we all know, that is a very good thing!  Not only does it cut down on the potential for complications, it helps her to feel better, act better, and just be more like herself. (No, I haven't been asked to say nice things about this product, this is my own opinion...though I wouldn't mind a little love from Dexcom!  Just sayin')

sporting an awesome Tallygear tummietote
(notice pod-bulge on her leg...might be part of her high issue 
as she tends to run higher when the pod is on her leg)
sensor peeking out of her sleeve...arm was her choice

So, overall, being about 5 days into our life with Wilma, we are L.O.V.I.N.G  I.T!!  

Sure, I know this euphoric state might not last forever, but we are sure enjoying it while it's here!!

Promises of a better D-life for Bean...I'll take it!

rainbow at our camp out...at 11:30PM

13 comments:

  1. I am so happy you guys are so happy with the CGM!!!! I think part of the success is having parents who are really as fabulous as you and Ubergeek . . . so involved and all for LOVE!!!

    The rainbow photo? That is pretty cool. Will you share your editing secrets???

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  2. Editing secret...I put together a print layout in Paint Shop Pro with the pictures I want to use then hit the print screen button on the keyboard, highlight the part I want then save it...voila! :)

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  3. Yay for CGMs! So glad you're loving it...yes it can be a love-hate relationship at times, but overall, it's mostly love--for me, anyway. :)

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  4. Glad you loving it :) Justin wears his on his arm too :)

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  5. Congratulations! I'd still love one, I can see how it'd help with correcting basals and bolus ratios! And? She is SO cute!! : )

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  6. So happy that you are loving Dex. We love it too -- most of the time. :)

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  7. The Dexcom sounds wonderful! Glad she doesn't mind it and that it is giving (mostly) accurate readings. These things fascinate me! Hope you get that "love" from the Dexcom peeps, would be seriously awesome!!! :)

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  8. Woohoo for Wilma! So happy that things seem to be going well with the new addition! I wanted to thank you for posting that pic of the not so pretty high BG #'s too...I think it's great to see the reality of it. Plus you made me feel not so alone this week as I have been seeing some of those ugly numbers too! yuck!

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  9. I am so glad that you guys are liking Dex. We have had a wonderful experience over the past year. The trend arrows are what I love the most.

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  10. It's no secret that we love, love, LOVE our Dexcom! I'm so glad that you are liking it and it's working for you!

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  11. YAY!!!! Man, bugger about the "offness" of the different readings -- EGADS! What if you corrected a PDM high, but it wasn't accurate...nice to have Dex to play shortstop and help you decide when to double check!!!!!

    ANYHOO...we love our Dex most of the time too.

    Sadly, I think the Dex peeps will have to love us from afar. Not because they don't ADORE our cutie kiddos...but because their device isn't FDA approved for children. Politics always gets in the way of a good romance, ya know.

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  12. I'm a little envious...I want a CGM! I'm so glad Bean said it hurt less than a pod change. I'm going to tell Matthew that....

    He's really resisting a CGM right now. Doesn't want to wear 2 things on his body. I'm not pushing it at this point, but just praying that God will change his heart one day. Ummm....soon.

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  13. Yay for Dex! We love ours too! Love the tummietote ;)

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Hey, Thanks for sharing!! Your comments make me :)!!
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