Now in the ultimate of irony someone from solara just called and apologized for the delay and said they’re sending me overnight 2 g5 transmitters and 3 boxes of sensors and the cost will be zero out of pocket. Meanwhile I’ve got the g6 system pending with edgepark… so Looks like I’ll be well equipped with the cgm supplies for the Armageddon
Last time they insisted I could only get one transmitter at a time… and of course 3 boxes of sensors is a 3 month supply but the 2 transmitters are a 6 month supply. Whatever.
Right on Sam! I’m now into week three since newest order placed. Order is tagged with “in document review”. Assumed that was to get updated insurance auth. Contacted insurance but they’ve rec no auth request… go Solara.
Just today got a hilarious push-msg via Solara app (Trace) telling us that in these troubled times they are in full operations mode. No change in getting orders out…so not to worry…
Great I’ve now been without any transmitter or sensors for, according to Xdrip, 80037 minutes, basically about 57-days.
I think it’s good to go without it for a while sometimes
The main reason I was so hesitant to use a cgm was because as soon as you have one you fee completely dependent on it… like you couldn’t live without it, it’s almost like a terrible addiction… but of course it’s just psychological we can do just fine without
Of course it’s really nice to be able to choose when those times are instead of have your dysfunctional supplier choose them for you
Interesting take in CGM use. It is really useful to read how other people manage the tools we have.
For me i am just awful with finger stick control. Using them I’m lucky to stay in the mid-7s. Using the CGM i stay easily in the 5.1-6.0 range.
It’s the continuous data stream vs the discrete data points from finger sticks.
I have other health issues which can affect my BG number so that constant monitoring is pretty crucial.
I honestly see no benefit from taking breaks from it? It’s a diagnostic tool not a medication. It’s not like you forget how to finger stick but that’s the least access way to know how you are doing. Again due to those discrete data point which give no real sense of what’s really going on. That’s how i see it.
Sam, have u tried CCS Medical for distribution? they’ve been handling ALL of my D needs for years now and they’ve proven to b excellent. I have recommended them to others, and they have likewise enjoyed a similar experience. They care of my needs through Medicare. they’ve done my pump, my pump supplies,my Dexcom (and switching from G4 to G5, etc) as well as when i switched to my FS Libre. Each moth they send me a “fill-it-out-yourself” reminders of what to order, but you can call them directly at any time. their reps are lovely, patient and empathetic.
hope this helps.
ive never dealt with edgepark, so i cant speak for them. I just know that all companies seem to b having similar wait-time issues due (im certain) to the CoVi-19.
i gave up on using a dexcom after two years of trials and many errors. it just did NOT work for me. i totally understand how helpful it can b for those of us who it actually works for. ( and i also have other health issues that require dilligence in BG control). but i decided if i wanted tight control of my BGs, i would fingerstick myself to death and get the same info as the dexcom gives to those of you for whom it works. i will (yes, i know this is going to sound absolutely crazy) do 25 fingersticks a day. (sometimes every half hour; particularly while i am swimming every day). i have had my A1c go from over 7% to years of 5.1 - 5.3%. its worth the expense and agrevation to me. (of course, Medicare doesnt care that i am using fingerstick test strips as my own personal CGM. they will only cover 10?day.)
I’m considering trying the libre… I think it might be a better fit for me
Although to Dexcom’s credit—- their g5 is vastly more accurate for me than it used to be… how much of this is due to me finding my special spot vs their design refinements, we will never know
I have found that with the FSLibre, i do not get the accuracy that most others (but never myself) get from the dexcom. however, that being said, i find that i can get a “ball-park” reference as to where i stand and i find the direction arrows extremely helpful. i also LOVE that it doesnt have alarms. those damn dex alarms were waking me up all night long and i couldnt shut them off. (i would get A LOT of false lows with the dexcom).
also, the FRL stays put; it is even difficult to take it off, even after days of swimming.It requires no Tegaderm, etc. i dont have to lather myself with Skin Tac, etc. and it is completely unobtrusive, wearing it on the back of my upper arm. i dont have to rotate it, either. i can reuse the similar spot again and again. I can sleep on it without disrupting readings. i can take Tylenol if/when i feel like it…on and on and on.
I totally used to too… so many that I’d just turn it off at night because it just wasn’t worth it… it seems to be working somewhat better for me now but nighttime false lows are still a problem… but not the insurmountable one they used to be
It used to happen all night long regardless of my body position, now it’s much more often just when I roll over on sensor and cause pressure lows
If this is the case that u r dealing with, i would definately recommend trying a test run of the Libre. (and its certainly, 200%, easier to insert, and only a 60 min warm-up period without any callibrations.)
Does anyone receive their libre through a supplier? Or is it all through pharmacy? I looked into it before and what turned me off is that it appeared I’d be paying the full price OOP to get it from a local pharmacy… and at the moment there didn’t appear to be any other options
Sam, i get mine through CCS Medical without any interruption or customer service problems. I know you might not have experienced a good repore with them, but perhaps you might give them a second chance???
well i can speak for one thing, though, the FSL lasts for 14 days consistantly and no one yet, as far as i know, has figured away around that (i.e stretching one sensor out longer than its epected to). but now that the G6 came out, only lasting 10 days (and no one yet finding a way around that), you get those 4 extra days from the Libre. Kind of a plus, no?
absolutely understand. I was the first patient at my health clinic to try a CGM. So my doc uses me as an info source about the whole process.
My very first observation for someone using Xdrip, as i do, vs Dex software was it is a bit fiddly. And that the whole process of understanding how the sensors & transmitters behave if something isn’t working right might be very daunting for less motivated or techy patients. I suggested waiting for the G6 or even looking at other brands that might be more turnkey.
There is a fair amount of overhead to using a CGM. I take that for granted due to my background.
It’s seems so important that each of us uses the tools which works for us. I’m constantly amazed how adaptable and knowledgeable diabetics & caregivers become to manage.
Sigh…I’m now halfway into my 2nd G6 sensor. Since I’m forced to use Solara and it took almost 9 months to actually switch to the G6 because of Solara not giving two-shits about us as patients, that i have so much anxiety over going months w/o sensors again. And NOBODY is willing help… not my insurance provider’s patient help people or Dexcom. Basically we are left to sit 'n spin until Solara feels we have jumped through enough hoops.
With the G5 I could weather any delays because i had been able to get up to 30-days with a sensor if needed (moved them to back of my upper arms). But I get at most 10 days with G6 sensors and the effort to extend them seems like way too much overhead. So not sure when i need to reorder. I’m thinking now is time. I’m 4.5 days into this 2nd sensor…oh, my insurance allows only 30-days supplies of DME…that’s a whole other can of worms.
Just got my first g6 order from edge park. First order was fairly painless… there’s some uncertainty on my part about the primary / secondary insurance payments but I’ll just have to wait until they process It all to see how the dust settles. This will be my first go round with the g6
