Finally got to order my Guardian CGM, Tips please

[Ellie Jones]

Hopefully today my Starter Kit should be delivered...

I've read as much as I can from the 640g manual concerning setting it up and getting to communicate with the pump, also watched a you tube vid on inserting the sensor itself.

But some questions....

I know it needs calibrating twice a day, they say 12 hours, so trying to decide when is the best time to calibrate within my normal daily routines (not easy) Is there much leeway on this?

Any tips concerning, insertion of sensor and keeping it in place for at least it's 7 days, going to change first several sensors as should, and perhaps when confident might try resetting them

Any other tips most welcome

 

[Flower]

Hope your starter kit has arrived. 🙂

I calibrate when requested about 2 hours after starting the warm up for a new sensor and I follow the 2nd calibration request usually abut 5/6 hours later. After that I calibrate with my wake up bg and then sometimes but not always if I eat in the middle of the day, I always calibrate with my evening meal and often at bed time so I don't get a calibration request alert at about 5.30/6am . I often calibrate 4 times per day and as long as my levels are stable the readings are accepted and I've not had any problems.

I put one of the oblong with the square cut out adhesive clear patches that come with the sensors to hold the sensor tight then once the warm up period has started I cut a large enough piece of Opsite Flexifix -which is a clear adhesive film- to cover the whole lot and keep it in place and dry. I buy 10cm x 1m rolls of Opsite Flexifix from Amazon, there are other adhesive films available but I like this one. That keeps the sensor in place for the 6 days until it ends and then I carefully peel back the area over the transmitter so that I can remove it and recharge to hopefully get another 6 days use out of the sensor.

I hope all goes well for you.

 

[Ellie Jones]

thank you @Flower

Starter Kit arrived today, so now charged the transmitter, but not going to start until the morning,

I did try the Libra when it first came out, but it failed dismally never had any issues with the adhesive failing or causing an reaction, but the sensor spent most of their time way out to the bg, even allowing for a 15 minute lag time. not a lot of information can be gained from a trend line, that is constant a red straight line

I shall check out the Flexfix, the sensors came with 10 patches, so assume 2 for each sensor, have seen on you tube, somebody using one to hold sensor in position, then putting the transmitter on and using the other one to hold the transmitter. but I suspect it's a case of trial and error.

At the moment, I intend to keep to the 7 days for the first lot of sensors, until I get my balas and bolus revamped (long over due) then will look to see if I can extend their usage then.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Your trainer should have shown you how to overtape - or YouTube might help?

I reacted to the Medtronic tapes so have used 2x strips one horizontally across, under the little lugs but over the fabric backing; the second vertically over the top of the transmitter/sensor combo.

I tend to calibrate at least 3-4 times a day as I find this helps maintain tracking accuracy. But I am careful to try to choose moments when my BG is relatively stable and I have no arrows.

 

[Ellie Jones]

Trainer, I'm on my own on this one

I've now got my first sensor on, and it's warming up so just waiting to do the first calibration side of it...

After the investment made, I so hoping it will work,

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Sorry to hear you've not been offered any training

If you are using the Medtronic tapes I'll try to describe how I was told to do it...

The tapes are slightly wider in one direction and have an oval hole in the middle.

1. First apply the sensor with the inserter. There is a small section of sticky to just tack the sensor to you before you properly fix it.
2. Under the fabric-tape part of the sensor there is a little double-folded piece of greaseproof paper. Find the tabbed lower part of that and, with a finger on the sensor itself pull the paper cover away so that you can stick down the full area of the fabric tape.
3. Then, before applying the transmitter apply the first overtape. This should sit so that the plastic part of the sensor (with the filament) is secured to you, with the hole allowing the front part of the sensor to poke through (so that you can still attach the transmitter)
4. Attach the transmitter, ensure the green light is blinking and set the pump to look for a new sensor. Gently fold up the little tape tab around, but be careful not to apply this too 'tightly'.
5. Apply the second tape sideways over the sensor/transmitter combination.

No idea if that makes any sense... you can get an idea of the process on a video I made here:

 

[Ellie Jones]

Thanks for that Mike

Better video than Medtronics,

Up and running, graph started, I've actually have fasted this morning so my levels in theory remain reasonably stable while I'm setting up, and the graph so far is interesting indeed, and appears that reason steady for the first hour, now seem to be dropping quite quickly!

when I researched the guardian and dexcom, I did consider the stand a lone, do have a compatible iphone, but I would have need to seek permission from management to keep my phone in my pocket at work. But having it all connected to the pump, much easier. Just need to mention that there will be times, when I have to change sensors in work! That's gonna be fun, but I work a floating rota over 7 ays, it's either a case allowing time which would come under Reasonable adjustments, or allowing every Friday off 🙂 . I shall speak with my department head on sunday as she's in.

Just deciding do I need extra dressing to hold in place, and skin tac, which I've just priced up, later isn't cheap at all. but we're see, working in a Nursing/Residential home we have many different dressing, that in an emergency I could swipe.

 

[Flower]

Good to hear you have got things up and running. 🙂

My Enlite sensors last for 6 days so changeover is one day earlier each week. Are the sensors with the Guardian 3 transmitter running for 7 days? - just interested. Thanks 🙂

 

[Ellie Jones]

Well they say they should run for 7 days...

First one has lasted hours, wouldn't except calibration

So not seeing if I can reset it, before actually changing to a new sensor.. Feeling rather disappointed at the moment.

 

[Ellie Jones]

Tried to restart the sensor, without removing the transmitter, but not go and well getting fresh sticky tape off the transmitter isn't easy and ended up pulling the sensor out, so no choice but to put new sensor in that's warming up as I type.

So hope this one will be ok..

Not sure if this makes a difference, but blood on my first sensor, and second sensor I bleed a little bit, but according to the medtronic video, you're just apply light pressure for a couple of minutes to stop the bleed, so I assume this should make much difference.

But will be phoning Medtronic On Tuesday when I'm not in work.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I found the Medtronic tapes very difficult to remove after a couple of days. I had to carefully snip around with scissors to be able to detach the transmitter for restarting. But I’ve not used them for ages as they began to give me an itch too.

Sometimes ‘calibration not accepted’ can be a temporary error where BG and sensor signal are just a bit too far apart (eg if BGs are moving quickly or if the sensor glucose has drifted).

Sometimes you can retry calibration later and it will take just fine.

 

[Ellie Jones]

I hoping you'r right Mike

As sensor no 2 appears to be going the same way, excepted the calibration fine the first time, did the same as the then a draft down, even though my BG's meter says not...

And I've just had the second, sensor to the exact same thing, won't except the calibration, insert a new sensor.. I can't believe it, 12 hours and it's expects me to put another sensor in... Surely this can't be right

 

[Flower]

In that situation if it rejects 1 calibration I dont enter a second calibration as if that's rejected it will say insert new sensor. I usually turn Sensor off and leave for a few hours to settle in then switch sensor back on and often the next calibration is accepted.

 

[Ellie Jones]

I gave Medtronic a ring, spoke to their Amecian lot, it appears that too much difference within what my meter said and what the sensor said, hence the fail!

He gave me some tips, such as if there's 20% or more difference in your finger prick and sensor don't try to calibrate, it will fail. If it fails once, then leave at least an hour before trying again, even though the pumps says 15 minutes. Just monitor and calibrate when readings are better.

He also suggested a mim of 3 times a day, or 4 anymore than that is just wasted.

So one should remember how long the sensor takes to warm up, and how long before it's asks for a second calibration hrmm, me thinks I might be tired tomorrow in work.

 

[m1dnc]

Hi Ellie. Sorry to hear of your woes getting up and running with the Enlite. I've been using mine now for two years or so and generally have few problems. I read recently of a user that had been told by his trainer to do the first two calibrations (i.e. the first after the warm-up and the second that's supposed to be within the next five hours) back-to-back to enable better accuracy. That is: do the first and wait for that to be accepted, and then do the second straightaway. I've tried it a couple of times and can't say I've noticed much difference, but it might work for you.

BTW I use a slightly different technique for applying the supplied adhesive tapes than that described by Mike. I apply the first one as described by Mike, but for the second I apply it before attaching the transmitter. I put it on parallel to the first, but covering the oval-ish fabric sticky and with the tape that holds down the transmitter poking through the hole. I usually re-use the sensor for a second time, and with the tapes applied this way it's easy to tease off the transmitter tape and re-charge it at the end of the 6-day cycle, re-attach the transmitter and re-start the sensor. I usually don't need to use any additional tape and everything seems to stay in place for 12 days. We're all different, and I expect you'll find a routine that works for you.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Sensor insertion time is important too. I try to make it so that it is in the middle part of the day. Sensors inserted later and nearer the evening seem to struggle more for me. Plus the early flurry of calibrations happens at night.

A late morning/lunchtime insertion works well for me.

 

[Ellie Jones]

Well tis a case so far 3rd time lucky 🙂

Woken at 3am, pumping telling me it fallen out with the transmitter, and want to find it to make friends again hrrmm, Then pump woke me up, to ask to he calibrated ermm. and boy no chance in hell am I'm going to work out whether a bg is 20% different to the sensor reading, so it was a case hope for the best, it calibrated, then my alarm went at 5.30 for work.. Readings a bit a drift to start with, but this about 8am this morning, is been within 0.5mmol/ml of my finger stick test.

Managed to pick up an on coming hypo, so avoided that one, and just warned me again, that level were getting low. Yes it beeps here, and there. But me and my colleagues had a rather interesting morning tracking my levels lol...

So I'm hoping that it keeps this up, as well if it continues to work this way, then what a cool gadget to have.

Feeling a lot more positive today than yesterday.