The idea of switching diabetes devices can feel intimidating, let alone actually wearing one. This is a common concern for many people living with diabetes before trying a continuous glucose monitor (CGM). Many people also fear the pain and discomfort of wearing one, which is an entirely normal concern. If a blood glucose meter (BGM) is all you've ever known, and you're worried about making the switch, you're not alone.
Beyond Type 1 spoke with Veronica M., who lives with type 2 diabetes (T2D), to discuss the emotions involved in switching devices and how she learned to love her CGM quickly.
"Will It Hurt?": Moving Through Skepticism
Before Veronica started using a CGM, she was skeptical about it. Would it actually improve her diabetes management enough? Would the process to learn a new diabetes device be worth it? Would the CGM insertion be painful? These are concerns many people in the diabetes community share when they're new to a CGM.
For people like Veronica, switching to a CGM isn't just a device change; it's a lifestyle change. "I thought the insertion would be painful," she shared. "After I had a trial run with my Dexcom CGM, I realized it was not as painful as I thought."
People with diabetes who use CGMs can take proactive steps to reduce CGM site insertion pain and skin irritation, including:
- Rotating insertion sites to decrease the buildup of scar tissue.
- Using barrier wipes. CGMs are only approved to be worn directly on the skin without any products, as even a little bit of lotion can get stuck on the sensor probe and interfere with accuracy. However, many people who use CGMs experience skin irritation from the adhesives and use skin prep products to help. Skin barrier wipes like Skin-Tac, Skin Glu, Skin Prep, or Brava Skin Barrier Wipes can protect your skin from adhesive irritation.
- Using adhesive removers, such as Uni-Solve, TacAway, or Detachol, can provide a softer removal on site-change days. (Pro Tip: Even baby oil can help make removal days easier and more gentle on your skin!)
- Regularly moisturizing your body between site changes with medical-grade lotions — but make sure new sites are free from lotions and oils so your CGM stays accurate.
Pleasant Surprises with Her CGM
The initial months of using a CGM brought many unexpected positives to Veronica's life, alleviating her fears regarding insertion site pain and necessary lifestyle changes.
"I learned how to be more alert and also change my insertion site when directed," she confessed. "I also had to adapt to not having to log my glucose levels down in my logbook. For the most part, the surprises I experienced in the first couple of months stemmed from alerts of my glucose levels either being high or low in real-time, something I had not experienced before."
After reviewing her CGM app data and learning from it, Veronica was able to treat her high and low glucose levels more accurately, supporting improved diabetes management.
More Aware of Her Body's Signs
By using her CGM app, Veronica was able to monitor her fluctuating glucose levels more proactively. Most CGM apps provide:
- Real-time glucose alerts: A new glucose reading at least every five minutes.
- Customizable alert settings: You can customize your settings to receive alerts for various glucose events like low or high glucose levels, selecting the sounds and the time you would like to be notified.
- App connections: CGM apps typically enable direct connections to health apps and allow you to share your data with your provider and loved ones.
"This is a huge change to my diabetes management," Veronica said. "I am also more aware of how my body starts to feel when I'm trending down."
The benefits of glucose level alerts have profoundly impacted Veronica's life, strengthening her family's support for her diabetes management. "My mom can see my glucose levels on the Follow app, even when we aren't together," Veronica said.
Veronica's Advice? Take the CGM Dive!
While she understands the hesitations other people with diabetes (PWD) may feel before starting a CGM, Veronica now urges others to "go for it!"
"Try it out!" she encouraged. "It makes a big difference and makes diabetes management a lot easier while empowering you to make healthier choices." Not only is Veronica happy with the results of her CGM, but she now wears it proudly. She encourages others to do the same.
"There are millions of people all over the world who also use a CGM device, and they love it too," she said. "After a conversation about how greatly it could improve my life and deciding to do a trial run — long story short, I loved it!"
If you want to be a part of the millions of people benefiting from CGMs, are new to Dexcom G7, and are curious about trying it, you may be eligible for a free trial. To determine if you qualify, visit dexcom.com/freetrial.
Beyond Type 1 believes CGMs must be available at an affordable price point for anyone on glucose lowering medications. For cost-saving programs from Dexcom, visit dexcom.com/savings-center. To find out if you qualify for Dexcom's Patient Assistance Program, visit assistance.dexcom.com.
