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I really thought this sensor was a complete right off

Sara Grice

Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1.5 LADA
Pronouns
She/Her
Basically, when I put it on it started bleeding, not enough to run down my arm but enough so that I had to wipe it off, I was worried cos 2 out of the 3 times I've had a "bleeder" they have read criticly low and not recovered. I was a bit nervous when i ate breakfast and didn't see any movement from it upwards..then it just kept drifting lower and lower. And even abbott told me it's a removal case nade it sound like the blood had probably coagulated around the filament and it wouldn't get a good reading from it, I only didn't do it because it hadn't started alarming me yet (it got very close to the line, but then it was lunchtime and this time I did notice it move up a bit) and had planned to remove it before bed either way.
But it started getting back on track throughout the rest of the day. At frist I thought the stress might be brining me sky high hense why my sensor which was previously off my a large margin was seaming more normal but I checked and it was indeed close than it had been.

And this morning it's pretty much In ideal accuracy range. I can't help but wonder why this happend, maybe it wasn't the blood at all and just was that off my chance and corrected itself I I dunno..is there a way for a sensor filament covered in coagulated blood to start working again? If so why does abbott not know about it

Either way I'm very glad I didn't remove it
 
Some people say, 'A bleeder is a reader' because they find one that’s bled then goes on to be very accurate. I once had one that, although it didn’t bleed, it read really low for 24 hours, til I gave it a talking to, and suggested if it didn’t buck its ideas up I’d take it off. Whereupon it suddenly started working properly. I’m sure my pep talk had nothing to do with it, but it’s just to illustrate that sometimes, they do take a while to get going. Some people put them on 24 hours early, before starting them up, for this very reason.
 
Yeah I know soaking is a thing, but the one time I tried it it didn't work, and I'm am moment of stupid honesty I told Abbott what I did (thinking it may have been part of the issue) and got told off for it...kinda put me off trying again tbh. Also I want to start trying switching arks bit how dose that work if you soak the sensor and you are a side sleeper? You would lay on a sensor either way
 
Over time, we tend to find the best sensor spot for us based on how we sleep, where we have the "best padding", where the area is flat (sensors do not bend so need to avoid an area that flexes as it will start to peel off) and where we can reach.
I am a side sleeper and I toss and turn and night so no arm is better for me than the other.
However, I have found that I do not experience compression lows if I place my sensor quite high and far back on either arm. Although it is not on my shoulder (I don't have enough fat there if I tried), I think I would have to do a shoulder stand in my sleep to lie on it.
And the added advantage of placing it high on my arm is it is not visible when I wear short sleeves - yes, I know I should not be so vain.
 
I've found the same as @helli - sensors high and that far round my arm they're almost on the verge of being 'in my arm pit' work the best and seem to stay 'stuck' better than when they're somewhere visible in short sleeves. And I've gone beyond being vain when it's something I need - though I wouldn't welcome whatever as a lump on my nose, I don't suppose! 🙂
 
I've found the same as @helli - sensors high and that far round my arm they're almost on the verge of being 'in my arm pit' work the best and seem to stay 'stuck' better than when they're somewhere visible in short sleeves. And I've gone beyond being vain when it's something I need - though I wouldn't welcome whatever as a lump on my nose, I don't suppose! 🙂
Thanks for the reply, it's nice to know that people are still getting good results with alot of variation in position (even among the recommended one) cos with me being a stress head and due to my bad habit of picking scabs I have some scar tissue on the back of arm which I often feel limited in where i can put it on my left arm..I do want to try my right again but I dunno if it's just bad luck ot the fact I'm right handed so putting the sensor in my right arm with my left arm is much more difficult I always have had bad sensors on the right arm...I hate to lose more sensors but I do feel like I gotta keep trying though..one arm with limited space just isn't working out for me
 
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