“Dexcom Down!” gives rise to Super Dexcom

2010 July 23
by christopher

So I mentioned on my Twitter feed, but didn’t have a chance to write about here, that a few days before I headed off on my somewhat extended travel, my Dexcom receiver met an untimely demise.

I had long been searching for a way to waterproof my receiver so that I could take it with me in the ocean when I went surfing.  Surfing remains the Achilles heel of my blood sugar management, because of my fear of going hypo far from shore/in heavy waves, and not being able to do anything about it.  That causes me to elevate my blood sugar higher than I ever would normally before I go in the water.  On top of that, sometimes surfing is more of an aerobic activity (lots of paddling, longer distances/stronger currents to face to get out beyond the break) whereas sometimes it is more anaerobic (not too many waves, so long periods of lull, followed by shorts bursts of exertion), the first lowers blood sugar, while the second can often raise it.  Also, there is usually adrenaline involved, in unknown quantities depending on what happens in the water (good ride, bad wipe out, dolphin that looks like a shark).  So it’s essentially an impossible activity to plan for, diabetically speaking, because almost none of the elements are under my control.

I finally had a system that I thought had potential.  I will refrain from saying what it is, because I think its failure may be user error, and I’d rather not place any blame until I do some more tests.  I used it one day without incident, but the second, when I got out of the water, I felt my Dexcom buzzing, and noticed it had gotten damp.  Not soaked, but damp.  As soon as I could, I put it in a bag of rice, as recommended (and used successfully) by Lorraine at …This is Caleb.  Unfortunately, salt water affects electronics differently than pool water. Even after a day, it was unwakeable. When I opened it up, this is what I saw:

a dexcom receiver meets salt water

The only thing I understand in this picture is the battery, but I knew it wasn't pretty

a close up of a fried Dexcom receiver

I don't think that's how that's supposed to look

corrosion near a dexcom battery

Never a good color around a battery

I’d love to know if anyone else has had to replace a Dexcom receiver due to damage/negligence, because it was not an inexpensive proposition.  I was given the option to try to go through my insurance, but they said that would take weeks, and I was leaving in 3 days.  I did not want to be traveling without my CGM, especially as I was planning on allowing myself a little bit of leeway on my carb intake while in Europe (I’m not a machine!).

Anyway, all expense aside, I was able to get a new receiver.  At least by living in San Diego, I could save on the Fedex charges by picking it up myself.  Feeling extra paranoid, I decided to beef up security on the new model.  First, I wrapped electrical tape around the seam between the top and bottom halves of the receiver case, using an Exacto knife to cut just enough off to access the power/data jack.

Yes, I know you still need to be able to plug it in

Then I covered the screen with mailing tape (thicker/easier to see through than packing tape), to protect it from the thousands of scratches which my last receiver suffered.

close up of tape screen protector

Then, I  immediately put it inside of its silicone skin, from which I never plan to remove it again.

fully jacked Dexcom

Behold! (sort of) Super Dexcom!

My final goal is to use the old receiver as a model to make some kind of plug out of rubber/silicone that will fit into the data/charging port.  I will still need a more robust waterproof solution for surfing, but I’m reasonably confident that this will extend the life of my receiver, and make it more accident tolerant.  Or at least keep my hair out.

I hope I didn’t just jinx myself…..

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from → Dexcom Tips, General

  • http://topsy.com/dontfeardiabetes.com/2010/07/dexcom-down-gives-rise-to-super-dexcom/?utm_source=pingback&utm_campaign=L2 Tweets that mention “Dexcom Down!” gives rise to Super Dexcom » Don’t Fear Diabetes — Topsy.com

    [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Bernard Farrell, Stacey D.. Stacey D. said: RT @BernardF: Nice d-blog post about waterproofing a Dexcom. http://bit.ly/9tJi3q #diabetes [...]

  • Bernard Farrell

    Nice job. I used an Aquapac to hold mine when swimming in a triathlon and it worked well, though it's fairly bulky.

  • http://twitter.com/BernardF Bernard Farrell

    Forgot to ask, how did you open it up? It's hard to tell, but the screws don't look like hex ones.

  • sisiay

    no, they're called torx. it's like a 6-pointed (as opposed to sided) opening. they're not terribly common, but i see them in use here and there. i bought a small handle with changeable driver bits at Home Depot for around $6. i don't know if opening it up affects warranty etc, but by this time, it was a moot point for me.

  • http://twitter.com/Colcalli Lorraine

    This is the second time you have reminded me of my grandfather. You don't seem at all grandfatherly, just as resourceful and creative as he was.

    I need to get one of those skins. And the tape – brilliant idea! Someone else tweeted about salt water and how it wasn't friendly to pumps and rice would not be the fix.

    Thanks for the shout out. I hope this or the Aquapak help. Looking forward to finding out what your ultimate solution is, because I know you will find it!

  • http://www.diabetesdaily.com/johnson/ Scott K. Johnson

    Dude, this is some AWESOME stuff! It's like watching a product evolve by necessity. :-)

  • sisiay

    I've got some new experiments underway ;) Hopefully more to share soon.

  • sisiay

    HA, you mean your grandfather didn't surf? :) Yes, I have resourceful men in my family, and I always try to fix/make/improve things myself. It's always empowering to know there's one less thing you have to rely on someone else for.

  • Scott

    If any of you are not so technaically/mechanically inclined, I use a dry bag for electronic gear. They are about $15 and if you wrap the receiver in a zip lock bag, you are double protected. The sensor and receiver has worked fine while swimming. I do double check the h20 proofness of the setup by submerging the case with out the receiver every time prior to using just to be safe. The drybag is clear and maliable, so buttons can be pressed and the screen can be seen. Hope this helps.

  • http://www.dontfeardiabetes.com/2011/01/another-failed-dexperiment/ Another Failed Dexperiment » Don't Fear Diabetes

    [...] of you may remember my attempt at creating Super Dexcom.  The main problem with Super Dexcom was that it wasn’t super in any way.  It was just [...]

  • Chris Kennedy

    I’m not sure if your blog is still active, so I might try to email you this as well…

    Anyway, I’m kind of excited to see someone else out there who is diabetic, surfs, and has a CGM. Even better, a blog.

    So, I just started on the Minimed and have been having some trouble mixing it with surfing. The sensor/transmitter can’t seem to stay in while getting tossed around in a wave. Curious to hear what you do. First time I took it out, I put a few layers of tape over it and hoped for the best. It didn’t last long and I fortunately didn’t lose the thing. That was when I first discovered your blog.

    It being summer on the east coast, I don’t need a wetsuit yet, but it sounded like you have no problems with anything falling out while wearing yours. So, I went out and bought a short john to wear during the summer until wetsuit season begins. Lack of style aside, it held it in a little longer, but still fell out eventually. At least I didn’t really have to worry about it drifting away in the ocean with the suit on. Now, this particular suit fits comfortably, but isn’t “snug” like some of my other wetsuits, so that could be the problem.

    Anyway, I’m wondering if that has ever been a problem for you. Do you use any particular adhesive/wipes/tape that keeps the transmitter stuck on, or does the wetsuit take care of that?

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