I have to get an Xray of my spine. Curious–can I be wearing my Dexcom on my lower back at the time? If not, I’ll wait until I have to change it to get the Xray done. Also, I plan to detach my Tandem pump and put it in my purse, but my purse will still be inside the Xray room, just not on me. Is that okay?
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Your purse in the x-ray room is fine.
But you will probably need to remove your sensor. It won’t hurt or anything if you have it on, but it will bother the radiologist because it interferes with the image.
Ideally you can have the sensor expiration day match-up up close to your x-ray day, so you don’t lose a lot of days.
Or Dexcom may be willing to replace it for you. Sometimes they do stuff like that.
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What I did was extend the sensor I was wearing before my MRI appointment. I could then remove it before the MRI and put a new one on when I got home after the appointment.
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I’ve never heard of extending the sensor. I’ll look up how to do that. Thanks for sharing:)
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Yes, I’m going Friday morning (the day my sensor expires). I’ll leave my pump on until they are ready for me, then detach and put in my purse (end in an empty floss container with a hole punched through so the exposed needle stays sanitary and safe—I wish they made an actual contraption for this).
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@jo_jo I’ve been thru several x-rays and CT scans over the last 9 months at different locations. The answer is “it depends” on the location. At one location for a CT, it was no problem to leave on the G6 and Dash pump. At an another for an x-ray, they wanted to cover them with a lead apron. At another, they preferred removing the pump for a CT due to “where” it was (would have interfered with the image). At all locations the concern wasn’t for the pump or G6 and effects from the CT or x-ray, it was location and image impacts. My pump and G6 suffered no ill effects from the exposures (i.e. around the equipment or being in the room), no “blips” on the data generated from either one.
Hope your events have good results as well!
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of the three common imaging procedures (x-ray, MRI and CT) the only one you must remove Dexcom for is MRI. Apparently it messes up the transmitter.
@Aronld I didn’t list it, but I even went in for two MRI with pump and G6. Both time the tech just draped them with shielding (they were on my left arm, MRI was of the mid to lower abdomen. Neither had any impacts and didn’t go wonky. I’ll admit surprise, I was a little concerned and made sure the tech knew about batteries and how they worked; she said it wouldn’t be a problem, I trusted her judgement, and didn’t suffer any consequences. I wouldn’t have trusted the decision of the MRI had been closer…better safe than sorry. Perhaps the movies play up the possibility of things being ripped out of your body?
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Wow @TomH – I have never been given the option to keep CGM on for an MRI! That would make life so much easier!
I wanted to note for people doing a search at some point down the road that I recently had a DEXAscan (bone density scan) and although the pre-visit paperwork had bolded, capitalized, large-font, and yellow highlighted MUST REMOVE INSULIN PUMP AND CGM, once I arrived and was with the technician she said it was fine to keep my CGM in place (upper arm).
Also, I have never had to remove anything for an x-ray (but also don’t wear anything on my lower back). Good luck Jo Jo!
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I ended up having my Dad come with me and removed both just before the X-ray, which I put in a Tupperware and he looked after them outside the room. Then drove home and put on a new pump and Dexcom.
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