Sensor-Phobia

by Renee Choksey

I was always so terrified of adding a sensor to my everyday diabetes life. I didn’t realize what I didn’t know. It seemed scary to me.

The thought of a sensor put the worst thoughts in my head. I worried every time I thought about it. I would have to learn how to use it. I knew already that putting in sets for the pump hurt. I didn’t look forward to that process. Then, add a sensor to that, and I was afraid that it would be more painful than the pain I had experienced with the pump. If I dreaded the pain of the set, what would it feel like to have to put in a sensor? What if it hurt worse than putting in a set?

I also worried about how I would find room to put it since it was so large. I’d look up pictures online of people with sensors and be scared because I saw that the sensor virtually took up their whole arm! I am just a tiny person. Where am I going to fit a sensor on top of finding room for my pump set? What if I have to put it in my stomach? That sounds like the worst thing ever! I was afraid that it would be easy to knock it loose as I am an athletic person. What if I was playing basketball and someone swatted it off my arm? Would that hurt? Would that be embarrassing? Would that hinder my ability to play? All of these thoughts would run wild in my head, and I would ultimately decide that trying a sensor was way too much of a burden to my life.

Then, I was forced with a decision. I had a Medtronic Paradigm Revel 723 pump for 6 years. That pump just required that I check my blood sugar, input the number, and enter my carb amount. That was it. Well, I went on vacation one year, and that pump took its last breath. Medtronic was great about sending me a loaner pump, but that was only good for 90 days before I would have to buy a new one. My parents and I decided that since I was getting ready to go to college, it would be best to just get the newest pump. Sticking with Medtronic, I chose the 670G insulin pump –with the required Guardian CGM (continuous glucose monitoring) system. A sensor. I would have no other option but to use this sensor now. Again, the worst-case-scenario thoughts ran through my head and I was terrified. Absolutely terrified. But, as I had done with learning that I had type 1 diabetes, I began to accept that I would have to live with this sensor. What I discovered was it opened up a new way for me to further my diabetes management.

I wish I would have gotten the sensor much earlier. As my life with diabetes progressed, so did my control over my numbers. The first year I was diagnosed, I had to have shots. Then a year later, I decided to try the insulin pump, and everything changed. I had better control over my numbers and I felt better. I lived on a pump for the next six years and then the sensor-pump combo was introduced into my life. I have now been on this system for two years and the control I have over my numbers is incredible. I am able to see exactly what is happening with my numbers with a push of a button. It gives me peace at night so that I don’t worry that I will have a low blood sugar in the middle of the night and have to wake up. It tells me when I forget to bolus for the food I eat, saving me from the sick feeling of a high number. It isn’t as painful as my mind had made it up to be. I remember a nurse telling me that sets hurt worse, and she was right!

As for the size of the device, I have found that it really doesn’t take up as much space as I thought. I rotate it between my arms and my stomach and that seems to work really well for me. Having something in my stomach isn’t a bother to me at all. In fact, now I don’t even feel it after about five minutes of insertion. I remember being scared that it would fall off or get knocked off, and I laugh about that now. The tape is plenty secure enough to hold it in place. Being the clumsy person that I am, I often run into doors, lamps, chairs, etc. and it stays with me loyally. It takes quite a bit of effort to take it off.

My encouragement to you as a person considering trying a sensor is to go for it! Don’t listen to all of those worries in your head. Fear is a liar. You have been brave enough to battle this disease, this is simply an extra step that does nothing but better your life. I hate not having a sensor on now. I worry about what my number is when it is gone. The sensor just brings such a peace of mind to you, that the worries have no place in your mind. You will not regret trying the sensor. I haven’t met a single person who thought their life was better without the sensor. Take that leap and try it. You can do this, and I promise that it will change your life for the better.