Tuesday, June 22, 2010

DexCom - decisions decisions!

I know everyone is tired of me posting pictures of my son's bum on my blog - - - - ok, maybe only my son is tired of me posting pictures of his bum on my blog!  I have these pictures that I took of his little bitty bum after the DexCom sensor was removed - - -it doesn't look good.  :(




The good news is -- he really doesn't seem to mind and after wearing it for a few days when the alarm would go off in his pocket he would come find me, point to his pocket and say 'beep-beep-beep!".  It was his way of telling me he was low.  AWESOME!  He cannot yet verbalize his lows so this is an awesome tool to help us prevent severe hypoglycemia.  

I really miss Dexie!!  I miss the arrows, I miss the beep, beep, beeping to alarm of an upcoming high or low, I miss the knowing!!  I feel so selfish. Am I really going to subject my son to another site insertion because DexCom makes me feel better?  He's too young to have an opinion so I am making yet another huge life altering decision for him but I have to continue to tell myself that is what I am here for - - - this is why God gave me this special little boy.  I'm just not sure if I am doing it for him or if I am doing it for me?
If I do it now it will just be another piece of hardware that he will become accustomed to wearing. Just like his diabetes - he will never know any different. 

I emailed the paperwork late last night. Waiting to see what insurance says?!?!?!

That little sample of DexCom was just enough to get me hooked.

If Cigna says YES -- it is a go.

Wish us luck!

15 comments:

phonelady said...

I do wish you luck . I hope cigna says yes . I dislike cigna though , had nothing but problems with them when I had it through my work . my boss got tired of them and they did away with them . But I wish you luck with them .

AjsMommy82 said...

Good Luck!!!
Hope his little bum gets better! :)

Joanne said...

We talked to Dr. T about a CGM at our appointment. I totally want to do it (and she's all for it too), but after hearing about how big the needle is and seeing Nate's bum... I don't know. We need to contact Dexcom and see about a trial. I can't wait to talk to you some more about it and hear more of your thoughts. See you Thursday!

Meri said...

A relaxed mom is a gift to Nate. You are for sure not being selfish...his saftly is #1. If this was around when I had babies...I would have gone through all your emotions too, and then probably have done what you did...bite the bullet and see if it works out!

Good luck! I wish I was seeing you Thursday too.
:(

connie said...

Good luck with this Laura! His safety will always be your #1 concern...I understand your hesitation about hooking him up to another device but I am sure that whatever you do decide it will be the best decision for your family and especially for Nate!

From the sounds of it, depending on insurance and what they say...you will be embarking on a new and exciting chapter in your life with D.

(((hugs)))

Keep us posted!!!

Great news! I knew you would end up loving it. Dex could go on his arm too, might not get an indent like that one in the pic.

I hope you get approved!

Heather said...

I was also hesitant at first, to have another site on my little girl. While she is not as young as your little guy, it took me six months just to get the courage to do the trial. Once we did the trial I was also hooked. I am a little selfish and doing it for me,it's give me SUCH a peace of mind. Especially at night. But it is also easier for the few people that babysit her and in the long run, if it is going to help control her BG better then it is better for her too. Good luck!

Oh Laura! You're not being selfish! It's a great tool to use. And a rested Mom who can see arrows makes better decisions. It's better for him! Truly!

We have done a few bum sites with Dexie now and I have never seen a mark like that on Avery. Her Dexie sites are less noticeable than her pump sites. Maybe just like the pump, a Dex site can be good and bad too.

For the record, I was hesitant to do another site and have Avery wear another device. I felt selfish, too. But she LOVES Dexie. She feels so much more comfortable wih Dex around. I can really explain it- i didn't think she really understood the implications of Dex. But, whatever the reason - he's a keeper for sure!

Penny said...

Oh Laura I feel like you are living my life right now. You expressed what I am feeling about the CGM. Maybe I am being selfish too, or not forceful enough, but I just gotta go with my gut. We had the chance to try a Dexcom on a trial basis and G said no to it. I have always told her I respect her decisions and it's her body, so I said no for right now. It would be lovely to see the numbers and all, but it's HER body and she has to have some control. I know she is only 7, but still, trying to give her some respect. I just cannot see her having another device on her little body. I am trying to understand how she feels. I feel what you are saying. I like your plan for Nate, you sound like you have thought and thought about it. Whatever works for each of us is what we need to do. You are a great mom Laura!

Tracy1918 said...

God did give you that special boy for a reason and you're doing an awesome job!

Heidi =) said...

We are not there yet so I don't have any wisdom to offer. I have only see a CGM through my computer screen. I just wanted to say though that you are doing an awesome job! Ever since I found your blog I look at my little guy and wonder how we would do it with him. D is hard enough with a six year old who can talk about what is going on and, who for the most part recognizes her lows. I don't think much could keep me from using a CGM with my little guy if it was him who had D. Try a little coconut oil on that site rash. Good luck with your decision making process.

Jennifer said...

Is your son's pump tubeless??? I am just now starting to research the different pumps available and I am just curious about them!!

Carrie said...

Hope you don't mind a complete stranger posting a comment. Meri sent me a link to your blog several weeks ago when my son was first diagnosed...your post on the OmniPod helped us a lot in our initial research on pumps. It's so good hearing from other moms who have actually lived this. Thanks for posting about it all!
Anyway, I too was torn apart in my decision about the dexcom. I hate hooking him up to more stuff and leaving more pock marks on his beautiful little body, but after our week long trial, I requested that dexcom overnight our own device. I was that certain that it would help us help our son have a more normal childhood. I have LOVED that thing ever since. I could go on and on, but in general...I'm less anxious and more willing to get out and do normal kid things. Without it I fear I would not have the peace of mind and would probably let diabetes hold me (and him) back from living our lives like we normally would. I love that I can leave him with a babysitter with a few simple instructions and have her call if he EVER beeps for any reason. I love that I can dial in his ratios and basal better, and I love that I can catch a high or low before it ever even happens. Heaven. I'm still trying to decide how long term I want to use this it, but for now, it's a must for us. I'll be so curious to hear more about your thoughts and feelings about the topic in the future. Anyway, good luck with everything. I hope your insurance clears it!
Oh, two things...the rash where the site was on his bum...we have to use unisolve to get both our pod and dexcom adhesive off otherwise it strips the skin and leaves an itchy, bumpy rash (almost blister-like).
Also, I found this fabulous little pack that holds the dexcom monitor wonderfully
www.spibelt.com
They make children's belts and will even custom make a smaller waistband for the same price.
-just thought I'd throw that out there.
Thanks again for posting about all of your experiences. It helps me see that I'm not alone in this journey.

Right when we take a pod off (if I remember) I slather some Aquaphor on where the adhesive was. If I forget, I try to do it after bath or at bedtime. Seems to really help with irritation.

We also soak the adhesive with baby oil using a Q-tip. Let it sit for 10 minutes and it slides right off. You might try that on the sensor (we don't have a CGM, so I am not familiar with the adhesive).

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Just a Mom

I am NOT a doctor, nor do I play one on this blog.

I AM a wife.
I AM the mom of 3 wonderful children.
I AM my son's pancreas.

The information provided on this blog is from our personal experiences with Type 1 diabetes. Because something works for us does not mean it will work for you.

Please consult your doctor if you have any questions or concerns about your health care options.

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