The Dexcom sensor slimdown is definitely old news if you are a member of the Diabetes community, but after my old transmitter's battery died about 2 weeks ago I was pleasantly surprised to receive his skinnied-up brother in the mail yesterday.
Let's be honest, neither of these Dexcom sensors are truly "nano" technology, but at least they are making their way towards the "less-bulgy" end of the spectrum. And the truth is, I was genuinely excited to place the sensor this morning and test out the slimmer profile with a plethora of wardrobe options. I was also excited to be less worried about those unpleasant sensor-rip-out sequences, read: too close to door jams, maneuvering in tight pants, or occupied pockets. So far, so good.
It may sound stupid to get excited over small advances like a slimmer transmitter, but for a Type 1 Diabetic who lives with sensors and devices literally strapped to my body at all times, even small changes can make a big difference. From an engineering perspective, a slimmer profile may mean less stress on the sensor pod's adhesive, which may decrease the skin abrasions they leave, which may work to keep my skin healthier, which ultimately may make me happier [note: this is an untested theory as of now ;-].
I applaud the efforts Dexcom and similar companies are making to improve the lives of people (this one included) living with Type 1 Diabetes. Diabetes devices aren't as sexy as cell phones or tablets, a fact their rate of technological improvement proves, but I am more likely to set aside money for them. To me, the return on investment is much greater than a "bigger touchscreen" or "upgraded camera" - investing in a Diabetes device may significantly improve my health (it has dropped my A1c over 1.0 point), help me make more informed decisions, alert me of a looming low blood sugar, or, at the very least, reduce the Diabetes related stress and anxiety.
So Dexcom, if you're out there, please continue to do all the things. I can't wait for the watch!
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| The Continuous Glucose Monitoring technology I use has 3 parts: 1 sticky sensor pod with under-the-skin wire (package on the left), 1 CGM receiver which plots the blood sugar data points (blue ipod thing on the right), and 1 CGM transmitter which hooks into the sensor pod. New, slimmer transmitter on the left. Old, dead transmitter on the right. |
Let's be honest, neither of these Dexcom sensors are truly "nano" technology, but at least they are making their way towards the "less-bulgy" end of the spectrum. And the truth is, I was genuinely excited to place the sensor this morning and test out the slimmer profile with a plethora of wardrobe options. I was also excited to be less worried about those unpleasant sensor-rip-out sequences, read: too close to door jams, maneuvering in tight pants, or occupied pockets. So far, so good.
It may sound stupid to get excited over small advances like a slimmer transmitter, but for a Type 1 Diabetic who lives with sensors and devices literally strapped to my body at all times, even small changes can make a big difference. From an engineering perspective, a slimmer profile may mean less stress on the sensor pod's adhesive, which may decrease the skin abrasions they leave, which may work to keep my skin healthier, which ultimately may make me happier [note: this is an untested theory as of now ;-].
I applaud the efforts Dexcom and similar companies are making to improve the lives of people (this one included) living with Type 1 Diabetes. Diabetes devices aren't as sexy as cell phones or tablets, a fact their rate of technological improvement proves, but I am more likely to set aside money for them. To me, the return on investment is much greater than a "bigger touchscreen" or "upgraded camera" - investing in a Diabetes device may significantly improve my health (it has dropped my A1c over 1.0 point), help me make more informed decisions, alert me of a looming low blood sugar, or, at the very least, reduce the Diabetes related stress and anxiety.
So Dexcom, if you're out there, please continue to do all the things. I can't wait for the watch!