Do you store your opened insulin in the fridge? What type of CGM are you currently using? Do you tell the staff at non-diabetes-related appointments that you have T1D? These are this month’s top Questions of the Day! Your answers inspire research, so please keep on answering them.  

Here’s a breakdown of the most popular Questions of the Day in September.  

(*Comments have been edited slightly for clarity as needed.) 

If you use a CGM, do you wear an adhesive “overpatch” to help it stick? 

For people living with T1D using technology, sometimes we need extra help getting the full session out of our CGM because it falls off prematurely. We try to get the most out of our devices (especially since insurance only covers so many devices a month). Our online community was split on whether they use an adhesive overlay patch.  

Here are a few insightful comments from community members: 

  • “Definitely. I get patches on Amazon that have a non-sticky center. This makes it really easy to switch the patch after the first week when it starts peeling or looking gross. Then I pop another patch on for the next seven days! Easy and prevents it from ripping off while getting dressed, showering, or walking through doorways!” 
  • “My libre stopped falling off once I stopped running into door frames.” 
  • “I used to wear the overpatch all the time. Recently l have been going without. I accidentally tore off one sensor about three days early. The overpatches aren’t great. They come loose around the edges and look good when new but as the week wears on, are very messy…and expensive.” 
  • “I use the free Dexcom patch that you have to order. I don’t know why they don’t just send it with the sensors. Occasionally, I use Simpatch when I either knock the sensor off or I get sweaty.” 
  • “I’ve rarely needed to use an adhesive patch for my Dexcom G6 but have done so occasionally when the original adhesive begins to peel…usually on day eight, nine or 10. It’s nice to have that option with patches supplied for free by Dexcom.”

On average, how many correction boluses do you dose in a day?

 We are always making T1D-related decisions! This includes when to bolus, how much to bolus, when we need to make a correction, and more. Your decisions change based on your routine and the devices you use. Since no two days living with diabetes are the same, we’re always trying to adapt and improvise to the many factors that affect blood sugar levels and insulin needs!  

Here are a few insightful comments from community members: 

  • “MDI with current rapid-acting insulin(s) means I’m essentially dosing every four hours. Meals. Corrections, etc.” 
  • “I chose ‘other’ because this varies day to day. Some days I don’t need any adjustments, but others I need eight or more and everything in between!” 
  • “On the Tandem X2 running in Sleep Mode 24/7. A1c runs 5.4 to 6.1 percent. I have zero extreme lows, and I go low maybe four times a week. I do give correction boluses when changing a site, otherwise, it auto-corrects.” 
  • “Hard to determine since my days are rarely the same. Some days the answer would be zero, some days the answer would be three. So, I guess anywhere between zero and three?” 
  • “I’m on Control IQ with a tSlim, I but often have days where I’m more insulin resistant or possibly my site isn’t absorbing quite as well. In those cases, I’ll do a manual correction bolus three to four times per day. Sometimes more, sometimes less.”

Has a stranger ever asked you about your visible diabetes device(s)?

What is better than seeing a fellow T1D in the wild? Some might say, “nothing!” At T1D Exchange, we love connecting with our online community and sharing valuable insights to the day-to-day life of living with T1D. Some people see questions from strangers as an opportunity to educate the public about T1D or connect with other T1Ds. Others, on the other hand, would prefer to have zero T1D conversations with strangers. 

Here are a few insightful comments from community members: 

  • “I said yes, but never to have a conversation. It’s always more like a ‘Cool, I have one, too’ kind of moment. It’s a club!” 
  • “Yes! I love meeting fellow T1Ds in the wild! Most recently in the seat next to me on a flight. The gal next to me noticed my pump in my pocket and showed me her Omnipod. What odd luck that two T1D strangers are assigned seats next to each other. I should have bought a lottery ticket that day.” 
  • “Yes, while waiting in line at the grocery checkout, I was asked about the sensor on my upper arm. The person asking recognized it from the almost constant Dexcom commercials on TV. They asked if it was worth the cost. I explained that it had made a tremendous difference over testing ten times a day, especially since it paired with my pump.” 
  • “All the time. I look at it as an opportunity to educate people about type 1 diabetes and difference from type 2.” 
  • “I answered no; however, I have approached other T1Ds in the wild! One is my neighbor and now friend with LADA like me!” 

Thank you to every member of the T1D Exchange Online Community for sharing your experiences. Your words inspire others who come to this community looking for advice and the reminder that they’re not alone. 

If you are not already a member of the T1D Exchange Online Community, join today!