My Life As a T1D

Chapter 6: "I'm a Robot"

Getting the Dexcom G5 made me feel like a "robotic machine." This device is a Continuous Glucose Monitor or CGM which reads your glucose (sugar levels) in your blood every five minutes. With it, a T1 doesn't have to pinch or prick a finger everytime to read their sugar levels. This probably sounds confusing, but let me explain and give you some examples.

There are many types of continuous glucose monitors: Dexcom, T-slims, Medtronic, and Libre, just to name a few brands. All these machines have the same purpose to monitor your glucose level every 5 minutes 24/7. You can see what your blood sugars are with a receiver; the data is transmitted from a sensor which is inserted right beneath your skin which is attached to a transmitter that sends the data to the receiver. This sensor needs to be changed every 7 days. The data can be also uploaded and shared with your physician.

However, many diabetics with CGMs have discovered that you can actually make the machine last longer. I make it last 2 weeks. This means that at any given time during the day or night, you can look at your device and see how your blood glucose level is trending. You can also see how quickly your blood sugar level is changing; if it is dropping very fast, you would see 2 arrows pointing down. If it is rising very fast, you would see 2 arrows going up. Every company also has alerts you will set up in your device as to when you want to be notified of a high blood sugar and a low blood sugar. This, among others, is one the reasons why I love the CGM so much. Some of the information I gave you comes from the following website: If you want to know more than you can search more on the internet, be my guest.

So, those are all the facts but let's get back to what I experienced and what happened to me. As you might have suspected I got my dexcom CGM when I was at the conference in Orlando. As I said earlier, at the conference, we learned about a lot of new devices and machines that help make a diabetic's life easier. My parents were really eager to buy either an insulin pump or a CGM. They also spoke to parents of a diabetics who had experience with these devices. Their overall opinion, was the the CGM was a life saver! Of course, both the insulin pump and CGM help a lot, but I agree with those parents, the CGM is a lot better.

I met with my dad later that day and he said, "I've been researching about a Dexcom CGM. It looks really interesting." I looked at his computer and he had a lot of windows open.

"Cool!" I said. I had also heard of the CGM but I didn't think I would be able to get. I didn't think we could afford it.

"I was thinking that...we might be able to get it for you," he said. My face lit up with excitement! The other device my parents had given me was an iPad, which was for my 10th birthday. I was also supposed to have a computer because I was starting middle school in fall and I needed one, my school has the BYOD policy (Bring Your Own Device), so I knew I needed to have it.

"Don't get your hopes," he replied seeing my reaction. "It costs a lot of money. I need to research more and I also need to talk to you mom about it". I was thrilled with this possibility!

Later, I saw my best friend Elise and I told her about the news about me maybe getting a Dexcom CGM.

"OMG, your getting a dexcom!" Elise nearly shouted when I told her. I think she was more excited than I was but that's natural when it comes to Elise, so I was not surprised.

"Chill! My dad said not to get my hopes up, it's just a maybe."

"True," she agreed "but a maybe is big when it comes to something like that." She had a very good point.

"Well...you're right about that." We started walking to our next workshop. I really hoped that maybe I would have a Dexcom CGM.

* * *

Being busy with all the workshops and activities we were doing, I kind of forgot about my dad's proposal about getting a CGM. Then, I received some very exciting news!

During one of the breaks, my parents introduced me to a Dr. Penelope Pauley, who is now one of my endocrinologists in the U.S. My dad met her at the conference. My parents told me that she was going to help me get the Dexcom CGM! I couldn't believe it! After doing some research from the vendors at the conference and talking to different families, my parents concluded that the Dexcom CGM would be the best thing for our family.

The York family and Dr. Pauley taught my parents and I everything we needed to know about this device. It was so exciting! We went to one of the large conference rooms and sat at a table. It seemed that the giant room was its own country with everyone going in their own direction, in their own world. But my world was at that table with all those people who cared about me. They were ready to help me change my life forever. I'm not very sure how to explain this and it might not make sense, but it felt very surreal like my mind had left my body. Somehow, I knew that everything from that moment would change.

My parents bought the G5 Dexcom and it connects to an iPhone or iPod send information about your blood sugars to your parent's phones. This function, helps monitor your blood sugars, especially at night. I didn't have an iPod, so my dad gave me his! I couldn't believe it, I was not only getting the G5 but also an iPod! I was so happy! I couldn't believe that all this was happening!

The doctor was asked to help another family so Ms. York was the first person to put the Dexcom on me. She showed my mom all the steps. Mr. York helped my dad connect the receiver to my transmitter and they talked more about it. Everyone else just watched. Kieren, Grady and Elise obviously used the procedure. We waited 2 hours for the sensor to start. Next, we calibrated, which is a quick finger prick to get my blood glucose and then put that data into the Dexcom. This wonderful machine works like magic! It gives you readings, by simply pressing a button, every 5 minutes, 24 hours, 7 weeks, 12 months. I've had it for 2 years now and it works like a clock.

(Later that day)

The first time I calibrated was with Elise's family and mine. I took my glucose meter and pinched myself to see my glucose number. My number was 120 (surprisingly I still remember that!). Elise begged to test her blood sugar too. (She is one of my weird friends who likes needles, but what can I do). Her number was 108 which is obviously a good number since she isn't diabetic. I was so excited to see that one dot in my Dexcom graph was holding my first number.

From that day on, my Dexcom beeps as it should be. I change the sensor every 2 weeks and life continues. Having this device has helped me so much. I am able to monitor myself and it also gives me some freedom. Although, it may often beep at school and my classmates stare and wonder, they are also now used to it. The support from my closest friends is amazing!

Although I use a patch to secure my Dexcom, it has come off three times. My first time, was at school during our spring fair. I was rolling in an enormous ball and it accidentally came off. The second time, I was at my friend's house and we were playing on her bed and it came off too! The third time, was at a basketball game. I was playing and I hit the floor to bounce the ball and somebody pushed me. The referee called a foul. When I stood up, I saw my dad yelling frantically from the stands and pointing to something on the ground. When I looked at where he was pointing, I saw my Dexcom...it had popped off!

Dexcom has been on of the greatest invention for people of all ages who have T1D. I will be forever thankful to the Yorks for encouraging my parents to go the conference and advising them on the Dexcom. When some of my family members learned about it, they were in awe! One of my uncles says that now I run by a machine making me a T1D robot!

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Thank you so much for continuing reading! Hope you like this chapter.