We’ve been using a Continuous Glucose Monitoring System (CGMS) since August. It has been an absolute diabetes life changer. The definition of a CGMS is:<\/p>\n
\nA continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS) is an FDA-approved device that records blood sugar\u00a0levels throughout the day and night. There are several approved devices — Medtronic’s MiniMed device, DexCom, and the Navigator, for example — that can provide up to 288 blood sugar measurements every 24 hours. The system is used to measure an average\u00a0blood<\/a>\u00a0sugar for three to seven days (depending on the model you have), while the person with\u00a0diabetes<\/a>\u00a0continues daily activities at home.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
It has changed our diabetes life because it gives us a heads up of highs, lows and trends. We still test 10 times a day but when we see a 94 and an —-> I know we are even steven. If I see a 94 with a diagonal arrow down I know that my son’s sugar is trending down and we need to watch it. Before the CGMS I would have to retest in a few minutes to see which direction the number was heading. But, believe it or not, this post is not about the CGMS and how much I absolutely love it. It is about NOT having a CGMS and how much I hate it.<\/p>\n
The other night my son did not have a CGMS sensor on. He went to bed without it on, which in turn means he woke up without a sensor on. And without that sensor on THAT OLD FEELING CAME RIGHT BACK.<\/p>\n
I thought it was gone.<\/p>\n
I thought I wasn’t going to feel that way again.<\/p>\n
I hadn’t thought about those feelings since August.<\/p>\n
But like a bad penny, it was right there when I woke up this morning.<\/p>\n
Would my son be alive when I go to wake him up this morning? WOULD MY SON, MY HEART AND SOUL, BE ALIVE…ALIVE…ALIVE…<\/p>\n
I know that dead in the bed is rare. Rare is good enough for me. It exists. I believe it in. I don’t live my life in fear of it, but I sure as hell know it’s exists.<\/p>\n
I don’t, however, breathe a solid breath until I know that my son is safe from the night.<\/p>\n
Looking at that CGMS has put that feeling to the wayside for me. I know that I have that little light-of-life next to my bedside, that at the quickest glance I can see about where my son’s blood sugar is. Without it, all I have is a feeling.<\/p>\n
I hate that feeling. Not knowing whether my son is alive or not.<\/p>\n
I know what I’d hate more, but I still hate that feeling.<\/p>\n
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We’ve been using a Continuous Glucose Monitoring System (CGMS) since August. It has been an absolute diabetes life changer. The definition of a CGMS is: A continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS) is an FDA-approved device that records blood sugar\u00a0levels throughout the day and night. There are several approved devices — Medtronic’s MiniMed device, DexCom, and … <\/p>\n