Bad Sensor, Bad! Sensor!

I woke up and checked my BG with a finger stick. The measure is 144, which is a little high, but within range.

I drink my coffee and get ready for to put in a new sensor.

With a click of the inserter the sensor goes in. I don’t see any bleeding and it looks like I have a good insertion. I wait 5 minutes and then start the sensor and wait for the first BG request to be issued. The sensor was inserted around 7:40AM so I am expecting my calibration BG around 9:40AM.

At 9:24AM I receive a Sensor Error alert. I clear then alert and wait.

At 10:33AM I have a “Meter BG Now” message. My BG is 188 and I enter this reading into the CGM.

At 10:59AM I get a Calibration Error alert immediately followed by a “Meter BG Now” message. It has not yet been a half hour since my last BG check, so I use the same reading of 188.

At 11:24AM I get another Calibration Error alert immediately followed by a “Change Sensor” message. I decide to remove the sensor and start with a new sensor in the morning.

I am batting 500 so far with the sensors. Three have worked and three have not. It is good that I am getting 6 days out of the ones working to make up for the non-working sensors.

The next morning, I repeat my ritual of drinking coffee and getting ready to insert a new sensor. My BG this morning is 96. Again the sensor goes in, no bleeding and no pain. At 5 minutes I start a New Sensor and wait for the BG request. The sensor was inserted at approximately 8:30AM.

At 9:33, 9:43, 10:02 and 10:07 I receive “Sensor Error” alerts.

I have had enough and I call the 800 number of Medtronics to see if they can help.

Did you know that if you have a “C” at the end of you sensor part number, that you don’t need to refrigerate them? I didn’t know that.

Did you know that you should wait 1 minute from the time that you disconnect the transmitter from the sensor before reconnecting the transmitter to the sensor? I didn’t know that either.

It is now suggested that you change the insertion angle from 45 degrees to 55 or 60 degrees. It seems the insertion needle bends a little bit when it is inserted. Due to the shape of the needle and the angle on the end of the needle, it curves upward as it is being inserted. So, you should raise the end of the inserter 5 to 15 degrees to get a better angle on the sensor during insertion.

Medtronics would like to examine my sensor, so I was asked to remove it. I will receive a container and an envelope in the mail. The container is to return the sensor and an unopened sensor to Medtronics for their examination. Medtronics will also ship me 3 new sensors to replace my non-working and unopened sensors. I though this was very nice of them.

I removed my sensor and inserted another sensor around 12:00PM today.

I received a lost sensor message at 12:19PM followed by a Sensor error message at 12:46PM and another sensor error massage at 12:47PM and 1:07PM.

An hour and a half later I received the BG Now message. I entered my BG of 143.

I may have a good sensor on this try.