My Utility Belt

I got a new device yesterday that is called a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM). Basically I have a sensor in my that checks my blood sugar every 5 minutes and then sends this information to a receiver (picture above). It is designed to help to prevent lows and highs in blood sugar (which would be great for me and Baby). Since I've had it for less than 24 hours, I'm still working out some kinks.

Now, I still check my blood sugars the normal way with finger pricks, the CGM just helps me to see 'trends', like if my blood sugar has been progressively going up/down or staying steady. Knowing the trends helps me to know how best to react to what my finger pricks tell me. Brad loves the CGM cause it has alarms that go off if my blood sugar is decreasing too fast or my blood sugar has gotten low. This helps him sleep at night. It also has alarms for if I'm getting too high. Basically I get graphs of blood sugars that look like a roller coaster ride.

I just got it yesterday and the nurse who trained me is also diabetic. He told me that it took him 3 months to fully get adjusted to the CGM and be able to effectively use it to help keep his blood sugars great (I like perfect but my diabetic nurse practioner tells me not to use perfect because that is impossible). So, my trainer told me to be patient.

Needless to say, patience went out the window fast last night when the CGM said my blood sugar was in the 300s (its supposed to ideally stay between 80-120). My finger pricks said I was about 240 (still very high). But it was frustrating me. So, I have to work on my patience. What else is new.

Brad calls it my utility belt because I have to keep the monitor within 5 feet of the sensor (which is in my hip right now). Ben, who trained me, wears the monitor on his belt with a clip device. I already have my insulin pump in a pocket, and this CGM is a little bigger. So I would look like Batman if I had my pump clipped on one side and the CGM on the other. Sweet! Good thing I have pockets to try and hide all these devices cause I don't really want to be Batman right now.

So I'm working on patience and hoping that I can get my blood sugars at good levels so I'm healthy and Baby grows/develops good and healthy.

Please note: this picture is not of me, it's a model. But that's the size of this stuff. Sensor/transmittor in her stomach, and the black thing on the pants is the receiver/monitor.