OK - So I use a Dexcom G5 with xdrip+ and a Sony Smartwatch 3 as a collector. I even have a Nightscout site set-up for me. I love it and it works great for me.
I am looking to get a CGM for my 23 month old son, but I am at a bit of a loss of what to chose. He is usually with a caregiver that can do the diabetes thing (no daycare) so I don’t really need something with cell service but I would like to be able to get alarms from around the house/yard and especially when he is sleeping and I am somewhere else in the house. Here is what I am hung up on…
What receiver to use? Do I just stick with the G5 receiver ? Do I buy him a cell phone?
How do you attach the receiver to the toddler? How do you prevent signal loss?
How do you do the night time alarm thing - what tech do you use?
We use the Dexcom G5 Platinum receiver and we also have share/follow via iPhone. At night, we have both handy so that we’re sure we hear the alarms. I tried the xDrip+ but had connection issues so abandoned it, but I really need to get it started back up. If you have any helpful info, it would be great! We are thinking of getting him his own phone because he uses ours as it is and he’s curious about his sugars. When they beep, he’s the first now to run, get the phone and tell me what the arrow is doing and what the number is.
We use his right and left biceps solely for the the CGM sensors. We also use Omnipod and the locations for these are hit upper/side thighs and his upper buttocks. The best way to prevent the signal losses are honestly to just move him when he’s laying on the side where the sensor is attached. We lose connectivity when he’s laying on it, but fortunately he doesn’t wake up when we just shuffle his body to the other side. We use Skin-Tac, then the sensor, then a layer of Tegaderm over it. We can get 2 weeks out of each sensor without issues, but not much more.
Just two phones and sensor. We’ve recently found that setting the nighttime alarms to 100 allow us to catch potential lows before they’re already low. (Previously we had the low set at 70, but by the time we hear it it’s either below 70, or already too late to stop it from hitting low. With 100 as the low, we can give a light snack (in his sleep) or a tablet and prevent him from ever going low at all.
If you have any xDrip documents, etc., I’d be interested. What website did you use with Nightscout? I used Heroku, but I understand Azure may be better.
We use and iPhone 5s (small profile)–although now that android is supported, you may get an even smaller device compatible with dexcom. I have a widget on my phone homescreen (nightwatch) as well as an android watch to monitor. I vaguely remember a pebble watch having an app that allowed 2 separate dexcom numbers on one watchface…Not too sure about android. When he is mobile (such as a party) we use a belt similar to this one. At night we plug in the laptop to mirror to a tv in the bedroom for extra loud alarms and extra large numbers via nightscout.
I guess what I am looking for is something that is simple (fewest devices), costs the least, and allows for remote alarms. I hope to use the “official app” to make it compatible with the the health care profession but the clinic he goes to does not get too excited if you use xdrip/nightscout so not really a major driver.
I think I learned from you folks is that that using the G5 receiver only is not useful and I definitely need to have a device (cell phone/ipod) to be able to share/follow. I kind of expected this but was hoping (ok dreaming) that someone had a great way of using the G5 receiver only.
This was a good suggestion - it is probably my best bet if I want to go Apple and use the G5 Mobile App.
I have found that my set-up (xdrip+, Sony watch, Samsung Galaxy S5) works great, but it is one too many devices (I need to keep this simple for my wife). I tried using the Dexcom G5 with the Samsung phone only but the bluetooth caused me no end of grief. That is why I use the Sony watch to capture the readings. It works really well.
I called Dexcom yesterday to put in my order. Unfortunately because he is under 2, Dexcom needs a Dr. note. (If he was over two they would just ship it without a doctor’s note.) He will visit his endo next week and get that signed. Endo is very supportive of using the tech and has indicated previously that he will sign away for a CGM (he actually recommended it).
While I am waiting to sort this out with the Endo/etc., my wife is taking a few days off (going on a trip), so I will be primary diabetes support person and I need a CGM. I think I may try out my spare G5 transmitter/sensor with an iPad for now and then sort something out long term.
I started out the same, but with a Samsung Note 4. That also drive me to the SW3. In getting a capture rate of about 97% with the watch. But you are right, too many devices.
Dexcom has indicated they may add the “follow/share” feature back into the Dexcom receiver at a future point. This is in regards to the Medicare saga. Different topic. But point being, they had this in the G4 and specifically removed it for the G5 (receiver). Potentially to be added back in for a future version (as of yet undeveloped but they have the technology).
One benefit of using the Dexcom officially sanctioned apps and equipment is you can run one Smart device AND at the same time the Dexcom receiver both connected via Blue Tooth to the G5 transmitter. I do like the redundancy this provides. Obviously xdrip has all its advantages of which I can not speak to as we do not use it.
Another benefit of the official sanctioned Dexcom stuff is - it is easy. Really easy.
@Aaron Just curious, how did the Pebble 2 work with xDrip? Did you use it as the collector? If results comparable to the SW3 are achievable then I would get a few Pebble 2’s as backups as the SW3 is getting pretty pricey.
I used to use a G4 transmitter with a wixel wireless bridge. So I was just using the Pebble 2 as a display. I loved the Pebble watch - mine had a heart rate monitor and you could set multiple timers at the same time very quickly using buttons (I have not found an equivalent app for the SW3). I tend to lose track of time, so timers are important for me.
I just checked SW3 prices on Amazon - Wow! - I paid $100 (or something like that) for mine and now the cheapest new one is $234.
