Recently, we took a 9-day vacation to Florida. We spent some time in Tampa and at Disney World and we had a great time! Three days before we were supposed to leave, I went to get another set for my Dexcom CGM. That was when I realized that I didn't have any left, and I was wearing my last one. Yes, I know, not very smart. I guess the week before when I had grabbed a set, I didn't realize it was the last, and didn't pay attention. So...there was no way I was going to be able to place an order for more in time to get them before we left on vacation. Now what?
I got a little freaked out. The CGM sets are "good" for a week. Meaning that my Dexcom will tell me when it is time to change the set, and you have to stop the sensor, put a new set in, and start the sensor again. If you don't do that process, the CGM will shut itself down and it won't register your blood sugar. (Since I have gotten back from vacation, I have started to "trick" my Dexcom, meaning that you stop the sensor, keep the old set in and start the sensor again. The machine really doesn't know that you didn't put a new set in, since it was stopped and started again. I am sure the manufacturer doesn't recommend this, but it is a way to save some money on sets, and I have found than many Dexcom users do it! BUT, before we left on vacation, I hadn't begun doing this trick thing yet.) I figured that I wanted to be wearing my Dexcom for sure on the days we were at Disney because I knew I would be doing more physical activity and probably not eating at normal times. So I took off my sensor the day I was supposed to change it, and was going to wait to put it back on the day before we went to Disney. In my head I had it all figured out!!! I was being responsible!!! It would be fine!!! I packed my precious last set and my Dexcom in my suitcase and we were off on our first days of vacation.
Fast forward a couple of days, and I am getting things in order to leave from Tampa to go to Orlando. I am packing up and organizing mine and all of the boys stuff that we would need for our four days at Disney. I am making sure I have all of my diabetic stuff in a backpack that we will be carrying in the parks. I get my last set and Dexcom out and I am ready to put the set in when it dawns on me that I LEFT MY SENSOR AT HOME IN MICHIGAN! Yes, the sensor, the part that feeds all of the information from the wire that goes into my skin to the Dexcom machine, where I can then see the information on the screen. The part that makes the whole system work. The part that, without it, I can't use my Dexcom!!! UGH! I was so upset with myself. A rookie error!
Needless to say, I survived the trip without my Dexcom. I just had to check my blood sugar more often and pay attention to how my body was feeling. For a person with some hypoglycemic unawareness, it was kind of hard. I got done riding Space Mountain two times in a row and felt light-headed. I thought it was just because of the ride, and the lights flashing. We got in line to get pictures with Phinneas and Ferb and after about 5 minutes of just not feeling "right" I told Matt I need to check my blood sugar. It was like 54. He got me a juice bag and some peanut butter crackers out of the well-stocked backpack and I was fine a few minutes later. It was strange to have the safety net of my Dexcom gone. When I have it with me, I don't have to think so much about my diabetes.
We weren't back in Michigan for more than an hour before I put in my last set and started up the sensor. It was good to have it back! As annoying as it can be with all of the beeps, and as much as it makes me crabby when it wakes me up in the middle of the night (and I have to leave my warm bed to get a glass of OJ) I am very thankful I have it.
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