Conquering life living with Type 1 Diabetes

Friday, September 20, 2013

How I tape down my Dexcom G4 to get more than 14 days of use!

So I finally took pictures of how I tape down my Dexcom to get two or three weeks of wear each time.


I use Smith and Nephew Opsite Flexifix 2 inch wide roll and have a pattern cut out that I use each time. Is the white C shaped paper looking thing, its cardboard actually.









I cut the rectangle out, then cut the inside of the C shape out from the side with the smaller tape backing pieces. 






Then I cut the edges down to a rounded shape because it stays on me better that way. 








I do a test fit with the sensor I just took off to be sure I cut it out just right.  This is my old sensor, I just took off.








Test fit over old sensor.





Then my husband puts the sensor and tape on me.
I have a picture of it on me standing straight up, it looks wrinkly and leaning over. I find that leaning over and having it put on keeps it on longer because its down when my skin is stretched out. It looks funny when I stand up but it works the best for me and no one is going to see it anyway. I wear my dexcom sensors on my sides/lovehandle area.
 

So I hope this may help one of you Dexcom wearers. If its helped you, please leave me a comment. Its the only way I know that Im actually helping someone out there.

I dont really put my sensors on upside down, my goofy camera on my phone cant make up its mind which way they are suppose to be.




December 2013 will be my second year on the Dexcom CGM and I cannot live without it.  I wear one every single day and now with the G4 I am getting 14 days or more out of every single sensor with none of very few ??? readings.  So far my G4 from December is going strong but I didnt start it up until about February because I had to use up my Seven Plus sensors first.

I get it here: https://www.edgepark.com/shopcatalog/item/5466000040  The image they have posted is wrong, but my insurance covers it from Edgepark.  You can also buy it on Amazon.

8 comments:

  1. This looks pretty easy enough. I have the 4" wide one and I use an old dexcom base to draw a hole to cut it out. I wanted to get the 2" roll, but didn't know how to work around it. Thanks for posting this.

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  2. I also have 4" wide roll but found it more difficult to work with and my husband finds this method easier, since he is the one who puts it on for me. I also found the 4" wide roll doesn't extend far enough past the built in white tape adhesive when I cut a hole out of the center. Bending over when applying the tape is key for me, otherwise it tends to peel off faster and feels funny when its tight.

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  3. When you mention that you are bending over while applying the tape, I'm trying to picture this... Are you bending forward or sideways? If you are bending your skin while applying, doesn't the tape pull too tight when you stand up straight? We will be applying our first dexcom sensor to our son as soon as the tape arrives.

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    Replies
    1. Laurie thanks for asking. Im excited for you to use this on your son. You guys will love it! I sort of bend forward and sideways, but remember its on my lovehandle area not my stomach as a lot of people wear it there. When I stand up it looks a bit wrinkly but it actually gets a bit smoother the next day. I dont bend too much, just a little. Its amazing tape. You should experiment a bit before you put it around the sensor. Just an idea. To me having it pit on standing straight up makes it feel like its pulling too much, its annoying. If you have any other questions feel free to ask!

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  4. I find it hard to peel the piece off the flexifix. Do you have any tricks to make this easier?

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    Replies
    1. Gary, sorry for the delay approving your comment. I just had my husband put a new sensor on me last night and I took more pics. I will be making a new post shortly with more pics.

      Delete
  5. A Silly Patch, LLC makes custom designed patches for dexcom and omnipod devices
    http://asillypatch.com/t/dexcom-sensor-patches

    ReplyDelete
  6. http://asillypatch.com/t/dexcom-sensor-patches

    ReplyDelete

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