• Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.

Dexcom G6 - Do I wait for the setup call or setup on my own?

PhoebeC

PhoebeC

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Hi Folks,

So with the ongoing issues I have been having with the libre 2 plus (I don't think it's the libres) and the Omnipod 5 / PDM connecting I have been moved onto the G6. The G6's arrived today, and the set up call is Friday 5pm.

I have watched the videos, read the manual, installed the app and it all makes sense to me. Would you wait or set up today?

I am really in two minds. I am so fed up with it not working as a HCL, because it's not even good as a CGM, was better on my phone app, and it is more manual at the moment.

My current pod and libre (due top change pod today) haven't connected well at all, I keep having to turn on manual mode as it keeps disconnecting for over an hour. I would say it has connected less than half of the time, and it is making me peak low and high as I don't know unless I sit watching it.

I am on a fit note for reduced hours with work (rugby injury, I am fine just tired) so now would be a good use of having more time.

Thanks,

Phoebe
 
I set up my g6 without help. Dunno if connecting to a pump will pose an issue or not, but g6 alone is fairly easy.
 
Tdm said:
I set up my g6 without help. Dunno if connecting to a pump will pose an issue or not, but g6 alone is fairly easy.
Click to expand...
Like you, I had no trouble setting up a Dexcom G6 when I trialed it.
But connecting it to a pump for HCL, making sure you have the correct relatively placement of pump and CGM plus the configuration and connectivity between the two will be a bit more involved.
By the sound of things,Phoebe knows what is involved
 
Hi should all be fine- note you will likely need the code on the back of the transmitter part of the g6 to enter into the app. If you’ve already inserted it, it’s also on the little box it comes in. Good luck
 
IMG_1673.png
Nearly there. We will see. Can’t be as bad as having to have it set up in annual mode as I have pretty much the last 3 days. I can manage pump and CGM so let’s see how I get on
 
Well the g6 is working on my phone but not as HCL on the PDM device. I couldn’t work that bit out and must have set up the new pod wrong. I will wait until the next odd change and try again, I was basically in manual mode with the last pod so no harm in being manual for a few days anyway.
 
Hope the call on Friday made everything clear @PhoebeC

G6 worked really well for me as a sensor.
 
Yes, I am an over a week in now and it connects much better. Which allows me more sites, missed using my belly for the pod.
It connects all of the time, which the libre didnt, I had so many manual days since moving over so that’s been good.

However I am still not finding the HCL any better than I was doing on the dash, it’s bad days are worst than my bad days, most about the same and some only slightly better.
Will give it time and see if over a longer period it’s better than the Omnipod dash.
 
PhoebeC said:
However I am still not finding the HCL any better than I was doing on the dash, it’s bad days are worst than my bad days, most about the same and some only slightly better.
Will give it time and see if over a longer period it’s better than the Omnipod dash.
Click to expand...
Same here, more or less. I'm 5 weeks in - I was expecting the system to have sorted itself out by now.

This week's TIR is 63%, woop-di-do. That's only slightly better than my TIR on the Dash!

Activity mode is very disappointing. I take the dogs out at 3pm every day. I reduce my lunch bolus by 20% (as advised by DSN) but I need at least 20g carb to get myself thru the 40-minute walk. Next week, I'm going to try switching to Manual mode and setting a TBR, see if that works better. I HATE when diabetes stops me from exercising! And so do the dogs LOL.

At least the Dexcom G6 is better than the Libre 2+. I hope things improve for you asap.
 
Bloden said:
Activity mode is very disappointing. I take the dogs out at 3pm every day. I reduce my lunch bolus by 20% (as advised by DSN) but I need at least 20g carb to get myself thru the 40-minute walk. Next week, I'm going to try switching to Manual mode and setting a TBR, see if that works better. I HATE when diabetes stops me from exercising! And so do the dogs LOL.
Click to expand...

Another dog walker here @Bloden

With activity mode it's best to activate it well in advance of planned exercise if bg has potential to drop you, put mine on 60mins before going out for a hours walk morning & afternoon. Can't remember exact figure but think pump adjusts insulin to keep bg around 8 during activity mode & find it mostly works fine although occasionally eat a snack if out longer than planned.

Think switching to manual mode is good idea if it works out better for you, be interesting to see how you get on with it.
 
Hi @nonethewiser - thanks for replying.

It's a weird one - everything works fine for my morning walk, but the 3pm walk's always disrupted by lows, however long I'm in Activity mode for. I've tried setting Activity mode 3 hours / 2 hours / 1h 30 / 1 hour before my walk, but the system just can't hold me above 8.3. It's only a 40-minute walk in the afternoon.

I'm so glad the system works for you. When it works, it's brilliant.
 
@Bloden I wonder if it works fine for your morning walks because it is working with morning FoTF/insulin resistance.
I can’t think of how you can use this theory - I don’t know how to add insulin resistance for 40 minutes.
 
I find some precautionary carbs to help my HCL’s equivalent of exercise mode are essential for afternoon walkies.

Glad to hear your connection issues are much improved @PhoebeC. Hope you can find a few tweaks / workarounds to improve your HCL experience, while it still takes some of the effort out of the daily grind for you.
 
Most of the weekend I have battled hypos, Saturday was a complete rite off in terms of exercise or anything productive. I think I had 5 or 6 hypos on Saturday. Yesterday again I was snacking and reducing my mealtime insulin right done. I had a very stubborn hypo trying to go to bed. I have increased by target glucose level up twice, and the correction amount too. Whatever is going on the HCL can't handle it, and I had my insulin paused for over 8 hours on Saturday. Another hypo this morning which just wouldn't go and now I'm at 5ish again and it's paused my insulin for most the day so far.

Exercise mode I do find naff, because it's only cardio exercise, and I'm back at rugby.
 
PhoebeC said:
Exercise mode I do find naff, because it's only cardio exercise, and I'm back at rugby.
Click to expand...
Sorry to read you are having issues with your HCL.
Please keep sharing because I am finding it very useful.
I have been pumping for about 8 years but not HCL. Unfortunately, I have been told I do too well without HCL so unlikely to get it for some time but still keeping an eye on it as a consideration to self fund with my next pump.
Like you I exercise frequently and managing my BG during exercise was the main reason I got my first pump.
So, learning how HCL copes with exercise is key to my future decision.
"Exercise mode" has always intrigued me because what I do with my basal depends upon the type of exercise I do. For Spin class, my basal is suspended; for hiking my basal is halved; for climbing my basal is increased.
It seems counterintuitive that the reason I have a pump is the thing that HCL seems to struggle with.

The other thing that I have been thinking about with HCL is how similar do my days need to be.
I am not sure how anything that learns my daily patterns would cope with climbing on Monday (and reduced basal overnight), weekly shop on foot on Tuesday, Spin on Wednesday, recovery Thursday, preparing for the weekend on Friday, gym and chill on Saturday and Sunday. Unless I am away for work or pleasure (about once a month) when that is all thrown into the air.

As much as I want some of the thinking taken away from me, your experience and others I have read about suggest it just adds different thinking unless (much like migrating from MDI to pump) you have a more regular week and low level exercise.
 
Bloden said:
Hi @nonethewiser - thanks for replying.

It's a weird one - everything works fine for my morning walk, but the 3pm walk's always disrupted by lows, however long I'm in Activity mode for. I've tried setting Activity mode 3 hours / 2 hours / 1h 30 / 1 hour before my walk, but the system just can't hold me above 8.3. It's only a 40-minute walk in the afternoon.

I'm so glad the system works for you. When it works, it's brilliant.
Click to expand...

Strange one that @Bloden

Maybe have a small snack also before setting off on afternoon walk.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top