#dexcom

[governorofclowntown]

step 1: develop hyperfixation on coding with R

step 2: ??!!??!? (for three weeks straight)

step 3: fully interactive LCARS inspired website that does CGM analysis for the minuscule audience of diabetic star trek nerds

[simswithdisability]

OMG! Look at these! Dexcom and Omnipod accessories for TS2 by cfranck8 on MTS.

As a diabetic who is currently wearing a Dexcom G6 (the one in the last two pics) this makes me so happy!

Get them here!

[needlepokes]

how to write a diabetic character: CGM edition

is your diabetic character wearing a CGM? do they have to? CGMs these are Continous Glucose Monitors that can detect how much sugar is in your bloodstream.

How are they different than tradtional fingerprick (blood) tests? they take blood sugar readings 24/7, and provide you with how your sugars are doing at all times, rather than just at that moment. This leads to tremendously better control over blood sugar.

The way they work is that they can "sample" your blood sugar by testing your subcutaneous tissue for sugar levels then adjusting that value.

However, they're less accurate than a fingerprick (blood) reading and will often "lag" behind by about 15 minutes.

SO if you have a character who is expereincing low or high blood sugar - they'd get an alarm on their CGM, and then they might take a fingerprick reading to make sure. CGM false alarms DO exist and it can cause some very annoying situations.

A less careful/depressed/struggling/burnt out character might A. not care or "sleep through" alarms B. not double check with a finger prick C. not care that they're wearing a CGM - pump into stuff or just rip it off (although they are very expensive!).

can you mute them? yes, and a character might choose to do this while they're sleeping, having an exam, or if they know they're about to fuck up their blood sugar.

how long do they last? the libre ones last 14 days. the dexcom ones last up to 10 days.

can you shower with them? yes

can you swim with them? yes

can you have sex with them on? yes, and i've read very funny anecdotes from diabetics having to pause during sex because their cgm was beeping

are they expensive? yes! sometimes, they're covered by insurance, but not completely. If a character is in poverty, or do not have insurance, they likely would have to rely solely on fingerpricks.

Who usually uses CGMs? they are very widespread between T1Ds and are increasingly being used by T2Ds as well.

can you share the readings on multiple devices? yes! your character might share their info with their SO, parents, roommates, close friends...etc. It is genuienly one of the most telling signs of a close relationship between people - because those people will see your "mistakes" and decisions.

where do you stick them? the libre ones (circular ones) officially just go on the back of your arm. The dexcom ones can go on just about anywhere that's "soft" - stomach, thighs, back of arm, chest...etc.

does putting them on hurt? sometimes! the way they are installed involves a needle going into the skin then sitting in the subcutaneous tissue. This can sometimes cause some bleeding, and soreness for a few hours.

Often times the process is completely painless, but this is not the case for everyone. A thinner character might struggle to find a place "cushy" enough for a cgm.

can you put them on your own? yes the process is made for one person to stick it on, but i've seen some couples on instagram act all romantic and sappy about applying it together, so that should give you some ideas for your diabetic characters' budding romances ;)

Some CGMs are just naturally faulty, i'd say about 4 sensors is a busted one, and in that case you'll have to replace them - which most companies just do without any hassle.

do they work with insulin pumps? some insulin pumps can work in tangent with CGMs and provide feedback for the user to automatically generate the correct doses of insulin, depending on their current blood sugar.

do they come off easily? depends on who you're asking. some people swear up and down that they never last and have to put on patches, which are admittedly very cute. Weather, clothing, and how clumsy a character is all factor in this. For me personally i just put them on raw and keep them together by sheer willpower.

CGMs can cause anxiety in diabetics. The constant flow of information can easily burnout people, and this can possibly be the case for any diabetic character you might write. Seeing arrows going down or up can be very distressing, especially knowing how painful some of the consequences are. I personally take breaks for both myself and my wallet from using CGMs to avoid burn out.

nonetheless, CGMs are WONDERFUL pieces of technology that have personally made me much happier as a diabetic, freer and a lot more independent.

does your character want their CGM to show? lots of people, including myself don't like revealing their CGMs - but your character might like showing them off!

and lastly - my favorite thing about CGMs - taking them off and having a "naked" shower once a month where i dont have to worry about it coming off. - They look like this:

[thatbitchwhohyperfixates]

Hello all diabetics out there I wanted to bring to attention these beautiful websites curated for people with diabetes who are struggling to afford their supplies and or lost insurance recently

This first one is a program dexcom offers to t1d's who need help or can't afford their cgms

https://assistance.dexcom.com/pap_selfservice/

This second one is a $35/m for insulin coupon for people who have no insurance or their insurance is shit

For Lily⏬

Www.insulinaffordability.com

For sanofi⏬

https://www.admelog.com/savings

Please spread this so all diabetics are aware it exists and is available

[zurko48]

[sagescented]

Getting stabbed is not pleasant. Getting continuously stabbed by a Glucose Monitor is even worse. I'm finding the entire experience of applying and wearing this thing both unpleasant and discomforting.

For bonus points, my first reading came in at a whopping 40 mg/dl. And absolutely nothing is quicker to remind you that you used to be Hypoglycemic in High School and that your body's apparently somehow developed superhuman coping mechanisms as an adult, than your initial reading being a 40. Lemme tell ya.

For those concerned: I do not actually have most of the symptoms of Diabetes other than the lethargy / fatigue (started after Covid R2), blurry vision (recent development), neuropathy (got better after we took me off Lyrica last year and doesn't occur much anymore), dry / itchy skin (lifelong chronic issue for me which's made worse by multiple medications I'm on), and craving for sweets (recently increased after I started drinking Soda again). I'm missing the vast majority of other symptoms. My GP's just being thorough because I'm so tired all the time, and it's not improving- and we're coming up on 3 months shy of the year mark now. Diabetes is an easy one for us to test for out the gate. If my blood sugar levels are too high more often than not, then it's a yes. If they're not, then the answer's no.

[walterfartzroy]

beautiful women named "dexcom g6 app" keep texting me on my phone

[thewolfwaitsbelow]

Hey peeps with a dexcom cgm

I look at this graph, especially the choppy area between the lines, and go ‘wow my new sensor is having some issues and probably isn’t super accurate’ (confirmed 5 minutes later when it said I was 44 and I tested at 72)

If you saw this graph would you have similar thoughts?

[imaginingmoonlight]

Sooo for those of you that don't know I have type 1 diabetes and I wear a dexcom (a lil thing with a filament that sits under my skin to measure my blood sugars). I just ran up the stairs and whacked it on a picture frame and it really hurt so I checked it and like- I ripped the whole thing out my arm?!?! Just had to put a new one on but I'm dreading tonight cos dex change nights always go really badly and I get no sleep AND I HAVE A GCSE PAPER TOMORROW. So that's super fun 😻

[the-vegan-muser]

Just found out that the CEO of Dexcom (the company that makes my constant glucose monitor) made $15 million last year. I’m glad my incurable disease is funding his yacht.

[penelopepitstopp]

Ed's little post he's done for Dexcom for this year's World Diabetes Day

[randomthoughtsnoorder]

Happy diabetes awareness month . Some of you may know I'm a type 1 diabetic and this month i plan on making several posts about living with diabetes. If you wish to show your support for diabetics this month wear blue and grey. And if you yourself is a diabetics reblog this post with your diagnoses story.

[agambleaday]

[mzhydes-funtimes]

Very frustrated because my stupid dexcom wont connect after i tried it TWICE the first time was using the box at cosco and it failed to connect the second time was here at home so now the transmitter has basically not worked, period. So ive ALSO wasted 2 of the sensors so i have 1 to last me 20 days (they only last 10) and no working transmitter so i HAVE to use a stupid fucking needle even tho it has never failed to connect before.

Unless they just... discontinued g6 without telling anyone

Im just pissed because i onely get 1 transmitter every 3 months and 3 sensors every month (and i had an extra which i had to use) so i dont get any new stuff til like december/january

And i hate needles, period.

[sagescented]

This Glucose monitor is the bane of my entire existence. I have never been so completely and thoroughly annoyed by a piece of technology before in my life. This app is so incredibly obnoxious. I will be singing and jumping for joy when this is finally over.

The Fibro experience of having one of these in, too, has also not been particularly great. I'm in constant burning pain in that arm, and hyperaware of its continued existence there. It is, frankly, very unpleasant to wear.

Just glad the only thing it's shown in the last 3 days is that I basically have chronically low blood sugar while being asymptomatic of it. Which, like, isn't the best thing. It's equally bad, actually (and probably yet another disastrous holdover effect from my early days with Eating Disorders). But it does significantly reduce the possibility that I have Diabetes. So yay? I guess? I have no idea.

[blindgamermisadventures]

I am wearing a glucose monitor to test for hypoglycaemia. It’s been a few hours and I’ve already had 2 critical lows with one being 40. Currently my glucose is a bit high, but I’m also on my period and running feeds. It’s when I’m off my feeds that my glucose plummets. This is very interesting data.