Re: What are the pros and cons of having a CGM?

The only thing that is going on is that I forget to bolus after lunch. I talked to him about that and he sent me to a refresher on carb counting, since it had been about 5 years since the last one. He said that we needed to work out the kinks of my BG's and that he didn't see where the CGM would benefit me that way. This is only my second time seeing this endo. He seems to be good, I really don't know what his deal is with the CGM's.

Do you have to be on a pump to have a CGM? My daughter just turned 2 and I would LOVE to have one, but she currently isn't on the pump yet. Her sugars are SO CRAZY! She'll go from 350 to 40 and we are doing everything correctly! She is using lantus and humalog pens. (1/2 unit increments)

You definitely don't need to have a pump to have a CGM. Some of the CGM's work with the pump, but not all. My daughter does have a pump (Animas Ping), and also wears a Dexcom Seven CGM. It's an incredibly valuable tool. That said, having a pump and CGM is even better, in my opinion, because I can give very small corrections using the pump to keep her more in range. Also, the pumps track "insulin on board" which prevents you from stacking insulin. Maybe consider looking into a pump and CGM for your daughter? I friend of mine has a daughter the same age as yours and she wears both.

Hi there. Can I ask how old your daughter is? My son is 7 and was diagnosed at 5. We have been on the pump about  18 months. Besides one good month of an A1c of 6.8 we are kind of still all over the place even with the pump. He had a seizure about 6 months ago due to a low during the night. During the days most recently we are kind of all over the place. I know my carb counting is probably not perfect, but I also know it can't be off this much to make him bounce up and down all day. We are currently making some adjustments with his basal and sensitivity, but I was wondering if a CGM would also be of use? It just breaks my heart when he gets a terrible low and he is crying and feeling awful. I would love to avoid those if at all possible! I just don't know if he would go for the extra insertion site. Lots of people are commenting on how painful it is. How does your daughter react?

norwaymama,  it's really common to be all over the place.  I've had a1c's down to 6%, and every day is a challenge and there are always outliers and highs and lows.  I've had it over 30 years, and it's epic if I have a single day without a high or a low, and a certifiable miracle if I could go 3 days in a row and be in target.  pumping helps, but corrections and my favorite juice are part of my life.

I think at age 7, with growth and high levels of physical activity comes high levels of monitoring and doing the best you can.  an a1c under 7 in a 7 year old is excellent work.  in my opinion - don't strive for perfection, shoot for manageable.  Still, a low causing a seizure is terrifying.  I hope you and his CDE have a good plan for a higher overnight blood sugar target and some long acting carbs so it doens't happen anymore.

I think a cgm is a good tool, but I stopped using mine a while back.  it was great for tweaking basal rates, but for me, not so good for tracking bs during exercise.  with time they will get smaller, faster and more accurate.

cheers