I’m all hooked up, being followed by all the family I need to be followed by (mom’s on it), and am already up and running on my phone AND Apple Watch. I have no idea how but suspect Dexcom fairies… Either way, what a nice, smooth, gentle, and organized start it’s been. I’ve only just begun comparing numbers, which I look forward to doing more of over the next couple of days, but what I’m really taken by at this point is the ease of use. Like a fun and loving child… who also is considerate and tidy. This is in stark contrast to what life has been like with my Guardian lately which is more like… has anyone ever seen The Good Son? Like that kind of child. I’m joking, kind of, but over the last few months, Medtronic’s sensors seem to have tanked in performance, and to be welcoming in Dexcom at this time, well, it just makes it even more apparent.
This is a long post about nothing. Sorry. I do anticipate having questions about the G6, and I even have one to pose now… It’s about calibrations. I’m on day 5, and I have only calibrated once, which was probably on day 3. What I have noticed so far is that my Dexcom is pretty strong and can cut my lag on a rapidly changing blood sugar faster than my Guardian can… most of the time. I have noticed, however, that from time to time it seems to get caught up on an old value, allowing the Guardian to close the gap faster, only to really jump and catch up in a single bound. It’s just a different behavior than I’m used to, and I’m busy learning how it handles different situations. It made me think about calibrating and whether or not there is a use for it. Does anyone calibrate theirs in order to improve anything? For instance, if you see it struggling a little more, would a calibration make any difference?? Does anyone calibrate on a schedule? My guess is no, but it’s all new territory so I’m taking it to the experts.
Oh, other questions:
Locations?
Interference? I have mine on my left abdomen, my Guardian on my right, and my Libre on my left arm. Any chance that’s a bad idea?
There are more, but it’s time to stand up and move around.
I don’t typically calibrate the G6 unless I’m seeing a discrepancy when its flat, and I usually try to follow the calibration rules I learned while using Spike (in range, not changing by more than 3 mg/dL for the last 15 minutes). For example, yesterday my sensor was on like day 14 and it was reading at 96, fingerstick said 125. I calibrated! But this morning I checked and sensor was reading 95 and fingerstick said 89, so I left it alone. As the sensor gets older I keep a closer eye on it via fingersticks but other than that I don’t worry about it a ton, it usually catches up one way or another.
I almost always put it on my arms, back or interior, interior is my favorite but I can only do that on one side because my Nexplanon implant is in the other side.
No idea! My phone is sometimes connected to a ton of bluetooth devices at once and that doesn’t seem to be a problem but I can’t say for sure if 3 different sensors does. Haven’t experimented to that degree!
I have to say, welcome to the team. The Apple Watch with the ability to see your blood sugar with a flick of the wrist is one of the most awesome things about CGM’s that can connect to it. Did your medtronic guardian connect to your apple watch?
Which is not to mean that we do not periodically check it with a meter. But if it is off (accounting for cgm lag time) then we still leave the G6 alone (ie - still no calibrate) and check again later with a meter.
Exactly. Usually around day #8, 9, 10 - if it does not look as good then we do more meter checks but still leave it alone and no calibrate.
When reading any posts on communication (Bluetooth Low Energy or BLE) interference, be sure to draw a significant distinction between people speaking of the G5 and people speaking of the G6.
Specifically for people that have used the G5 integrated with the Tandem t:slim X2 as well as ALSO having used the G6 integrated with the X2, there is a clear and significant difference in terms of the interference
of communications. The G6/X2 combo is SIGNIFICANTLY improved upon over the G5/X2 combo. Point being when reading older posts on Dexcom, be sure to take into account if the post is about the G5 or the G6.
We also use the Apple Watch for this. It is great for a school setting (or similar) so the BG can be quickly and easily observed without having to pull out a phone or receiver.
In it’s defense, the Medtronic fairies are completely overwhelmed right now with spreading calibration fairy dust ANd trying to deliver replacement sensors to doorsteps all around the world, so how could we possibly mmow whether or not they would appear to put my number up on my Apple Watch without my asking?
But, no, it doesn’t.
And as @Eric pointed out, it doesn’t even connect to my interstitial fluid!!
I think Medtronic makes a special version of the Guardian that connects to phones, called the Guardian Connect. But it requires a special transmitter that (I believe) does not work with the pumps. And as far as I can tell, has no Apple Watch app.
Yes, they do. And they give you the option to wear both at once… so you can have one connecting to your pump AND a separate one connecting to your phone.
This seems so selfless of them. Wait, do you think they charge double when you have to wear two sensors? Would that be a way to increase business instead of fixing the software…
Thank you, @glitzabetes, for assuming I had a good reason. I don’t really… have a good reason other than I only have one Libre left—- and why not just take down some numbers. I did have to remove the MiaoMiao last night. It was all too much, all of the alarms. It was like a clock shop if they all had their alarms set.
@Chris, I’m sure it doesn’t hurt business to have customers doubling up, sure. If I remember correctly, you -could use the same sensors for them both, but you had to wear both transmitters. And carry a pony so that you could send information express-like.
So I have another question—- someone in my group just posted, and a few people were making guesses, but maybe someone in here has an idea… The poster said his educator told him “Tandem will charge a couple hundred for the auto update.” I have absolutely no idea what to say, but I promised to go fetch whatever info I could. Do you know anything about it??
Does anyone here… oh, wait. That’s Tandem. I’ll just leave the question in here to see if anyone knows and then will find a better thread to drag it into if I don’t get anything.
Every time I get one thing done, I add three new things to my To Do list.
@Nickyghaleb
Depends on exactly what the poster/educator was thinking.
There is no additional charge for any Tandem update which was/is approved in 2018 which obviously includes the Basal-IQ update.
Nor was there an additional charge for the G5 update which was approved in 2017.
Tandem has specifically NOT stated whether there will or will not be an additional charge for any updates approved in 2019 which clearly is intended to be the Control-IQ update.
Until Tandem both decides on their course of action and publicizes it then there certainly will be rumors floating around however that is what they are. Rumors and guesses. I would say that $200 for the Control-IQ update is a reasonable guess. Or it could be at no additional charge. In any event, this would be about the Control-IQ update intended to be launched in Summer of 2019.
The “Educator” should NOT be stating their opinion as a definitive.
I’ll just leave the question in here to see if anyone knows and then will find a better thread to drag it into if I don’t get anything.
