Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Continuously monitoring my continuous monitor

I'm sitting in my recliner, taking my pump out of my pocket every few minutes, and pressing a few buttons to view my EXCITING new continuous glucose monitor (CGM) in action. The insertion site is separate from (in addition to) the site for the pump, but the CGM sensor sends its wireless signal to the pump, so it acts as the central database for both the CGM readings and the pumping. Neat!

It took a while for the CGM to start taking readings. I have this strange problem wherein one side of my abdomen looks perfectly normal, but all the injections over the years, plus the pregnancy, must've done something to the tissue underneath (why only that side and not the other, I have no idea), because the insulin pump constantly has trouble with delivery on that side. Likewise, the CGM's sensor (the tinny metal filament that sticks into the skin) seems to be having trouble getting initial readings on that side. But I'm using that site because the pump is on the other side (of course!). Later on, I might try my thigh or another site, but the abdomen is the officially-approved site, so I'm starting there.

Still, the insertion of the CGM sensor went vastly better than I remember it working (with a different device, but similar enough), when I was pregnant. All the extra blood vessels in my abdomen during pregnancy caused real trouble, with both the insulin delivery and the CGM. Plus, the CGM insertion was painful at that time; whereas this time, it was almost painless, far better than even the insulin pump infusion sets.

I've got lots to say about Thanksgiving - like the fact that I had a hard time getting enough to eat, oddly enough, because I don't eat wheat. But now, I'm going to take care of my blood sugar, which seems to be running a little high, and regrouping after a flury of attempts at buying Christmas gifts online. (If it weren't for all the online retailers, everyone on my list would be getting gently used items from my own attic!)

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