[jenet]

I am having fun this week trying out new toys.

I tried out the DexCom CGMS for a few days this week, and today is my first day wearing a Guardian RT (GRT) CGMS. I can see how a CGMS gets addictive real fast, being able to check your BG trends and see where it's headed: up, down or level. I left an 86 untreated this morning because I could see I was level - I was fine for the next two hours until lunch.

The DexCom is a nice looking unit, but it is still a first-gen model. I might like their next version, but there were some things about this one that I just don't like (of course, YMMV):
- calibration requires a One Touch Ultra with a looooong cable, and my insurance won't cover the One Touch strips
- no scrolling back to see previous numbers on the transmitter - just the line graphs, so I couldn't really tell what time I went low at night
- graphs only go back 9 hours, so if I didn't check before 9:00 AM I wouldn't see a low just after midnight
- the vibrate scares me to death when it goes off, and I couldn't find a way to turn it off
- very LOUD alarm, I thought it was a fire drill alarm the first time I heard it in my office

I did have a bad start yesterday afternoon with the MM GRT, with one "lost sensor" error after another in the first two hour calibration period. After talking with the MM rep about CGMS tips I had read onine, I thought it might be worth a try to just end the sensor tracking and let the sensor "soak" overnight (or "get wet" as they call it). The rep said she had only heard of that problem/solution working for lean people (which I'm not), but guess what... it worked! (Not sure if the problem also may have been caused in part by using a sensor straight out of the Dr's refrigerator, instead of one that was room temperature.)

I did a fresh new start for that same sensor this morning when I got up, and it wanted it's first calibration BG before my shower was done. Soon thereafter, it started showing BGs. It's worked great the rest of the day. So I'm hoping it will continue the rest of the weekend just fine.

cheers,
j