So I've taken the plunge and sent in the paperwork to Medtronic for my upgrade from a Paradigm 515 to the new 522 with the real time glucose sensor. The sensors are outrageously expensive, but I figure even just using it for a couple of 3 day sessions a month should give me a boost.

They seem to be really covering their you-know-whats because I have to take a special training session in order to get the glucose sensor.

I'll let you know how it goes when I get it.

Cora

Awesome, Coravh! Hope all goes smoothly. I'll be looking for your future posts.

Chers,
- Vikingirl

Hi Cora,
Do you know how much the cbg monitor costs? I'll probably be getting the 522 in October of this year, and wondering if I should bother with the monitor yet. Does is automatically come with the monitor, or just with the technology to add the monitor if you buy it? I know the sensors themselves are sold separately.

Ruth

Cora, over on "Insulin Pumpers" mailing list people say that you can run for Minimed Sensors for longer... one guy says he gets 7-11 days. You just re-run the "search for new Sensor /Transmitter signal" procedure, and you get a 2nd (or 3rd) 3 days.

The upgrade comes as a 2 in 1 upgrade. You can go up to the 522 or up to the 522 with the monitor. The sensors are about $47 each (that's in Canadian, so maybe a little cheaper in the US).

I read other posts about using the sensor longer, but I thought those were another make. I get 6 days out of my insert for the pump itself, so I figure I'll give it a whirl with the sensors too.

Cora

Hi Cora,

for me (and another Dexcom user I've been exchanging emails with) the Dexcom sensors last even longer... but according to posts on the Insulin Pumpers' mailing list, the Minimed Sensors will exceed 3 days, and will nearly always exceed even 6 days if your bG is well controlled.

Here's a short quote from Nikos Filippou, talking about an "experts workshop" (for MDs) which he was invited to attend as a relatively long-term and informed user (he is not an MD):

Here some points

-The duration of the sensor depends of the blood sugar. Hi blood
sugars consume oxidase (the reactor) faster and the sensor die soon.
My personal record was 14 days. One day more than the previous record
in Israel as Dr Cohen told me. When I told him that I had a sensor for
14 days he respond that I must had good blood sugar around 100 - 120
and he was right. The 14 days with the sensor I've had an average of
121 with deviation 27.

If you're a member (or choose to join) this post was timestamped Sun, 2 Jul 2006 10:55:40 +0300.

Nick is absolutely fixated (bravo!). Even with a more accurate CGMS sitting in my pocket, I don't have deviation anywhere near this good.

Saw it today at the DR office it looks awesome. I heard off the record if you add the sensors to your order insurance will cover them in most cases. May be worth trying. My educator is going to put me on the cgm realtime for a few days it uses the same sensor. She had the sensor on and it was pretty bulky but not unbearable.