Got a lady in my group who uses the G6. I posted something to them last night about extending my sensor (day 17, by the way, and spot-frickin-on), and she came back with a question that belongs here. I mentioned having used my thigh, and she said she’d like to do the same but has scar tissue… She wanted to know what she could expect if she tried placing it there and whether or not it was even worth a shot. I would think scar tissue would have a negative effect, but that might be based on that, with absorption, it’s no good for injections or infusion set placement. Is it as bad for sensors?
Hope this finds you all in the middle of a beautiful Sunday.
The sensor needs nice happy interstitial fluid which has access to a blood source to equilibrate with. I would say that the likelihood of this working well in a heavily scarred area is probably not great, but is worth a try.
Worth a try. That’s usually my take on everything, but I was afraid to suggest it. Thanks, @Chris.
I asked her a similar question— yet not so clearly put, @T1Allison. I’ll have to ask her that.
@Chris, she wants to avoid the muscular part right?? It seems like the thigh’s got a lot of area and, and the likelihood of it all being covered in scar tissue is not high, but maybe 2/3 of it is not really available?
Here I am going to differ from @Chris. We have very few scars, because we have not be around that long (4 years soon). But we have found out that, for us, where we are scarred, both sensor and pump do terribly.
Some if it you can see as a slightly darker area of skin, although not always. For me, the best way is to"roll" your skin in a 1/2" roll btw thumb and index: the scarring feels thicker, more irregular, and bumpier.
And this is exactly why I’ll provide her this link and let her see the variety of answers.
That does not sound like it would be a “feel good about yourself” kind of activity, but I feel like I should try that out on some of my own suspicious areas. Afraid of what I might find…
Also, Dexcom has been really great at sending out new sensors that fail for whatever reason. Remind her of that. If she puts sensor on and it doesn’t work, she can reach out to them and see what they can do to help her.
Eric is good. I am again good! My foot is better, my guts are better. I am thankful. Although I just bragged I was finally healthy on Friday and I’ve come down with a nasty cold.
And from dexcom’s website (without any additional info regarding it that I could find):
Sensor placement is important. Choose a site:
• At least 3 inches from insulin pump infusion set or injection site
• Away from waistband, scarring, tattoos, irritation, and bones
• Unlikely to be bumped, pushed, or laid on while sleeping
I’m not much of a runner so I can’t really answer that question specifically. In my general, like, day-to-day life and walking around and stuff it basically never gets bumped or bothers me.
Though I will note that when I first tried this spot with the G5 I did definitely notice it rub against my chest at first (& I’m fairly well-endowed up top) but after the first 30 minutes of my first sensor there it didn’t bother me, and I think it’s much less noticeable with the flatter G6
I’ve been using a Dexcom every day for 14 years (since before the sts3 was released). I basically have 2 sites. My right and my left abdomen, relatively the same location each time. Sensors last for about 10 days, but I don’t know about the G6 yet, only have been using it for 7 days so far.
Our Endo makes a pretty big deal about moving the infusion set around.
However she does not seem concerned with the cgm site.
I would feel more comfortable with it moving around more.
On the other hand, the report from @docslotnick helps me to feel better about it. We don’t have as long in it as we started with the Dexcom Seven Plus but similar in that we also are only on the right/left torso.
I did mention the inside of the arm as @glitzabetes said she has, but I got a look of horror back at me.
