Hello everyone!
As the title says, I am new to the Dexcom and CGMs in general. I am a 22 year old male, and have had type 1 for 18 years. I have a lot of questions, but I'm hoping other newcomers will find this helpful as much as I do.
My first (and most important) question regards A1C visits. In the past, I have always given the nurses my meter and pump, but now I am not sure how I will give them access to this data. I have been transmitting the data to my phone (Google Pixel), and the official receiver has been mostly turned off since I got it. I currently only have the Dexcom G6 app installed. I tried to get Clarity setup, but was presented with the option to send/recieve a sharing code. Should I call the clinic and get this setup, or is there a preferred method of sharing data?
I've been seeing mentions of xDrip and Nightwatch on just about every forum. Would this also be acceptable, or do doctors typically prefer to use the official Dexcom apps?
Secondly, I have a few general questions about xDrip and Nightwatch:
- Does using these apps void Dexcom warranties?
- What are the advantages? If I own a phone that is compatible with official Dexcom apps, is it worth installing xDrip and/or Nightwatch?
- From what I understand, xDrip allows longer sensor and transmitter sessions. Will it still notify me when their batteries are running low? Does xDrip affect the lifespan of transmitter batteries?
- Is the data more or less reliable than Dexcom's, or is it the same? I've read that it is worse, but that may have been misinformation.
Lastly, I am looking to get a smart watch. There seem to be a lot of methods, and I am looking for some feedback. I'd ideally like something that has good battery life and that's not really ugly (although, I'm not very picky). From what I have read, these are my options:
- Wear OS watch + the Dexcom official app. Probably the simplest way, but Wear OS watches are pretty expensive, and there is not much customization. Fossil Gen 4 watches are on sale for $200 at my local Best Buy, so this is currently tempting. There's also TicWatch E's for $160.
- Wear OS watch + xDrip. Basically the same, except more customization. I still do not know much about xDrip though.
- Fitbit Ionic/Versa. I know Fitbit and Dexcom have been pretty quiet about their integration, but I was reading this discussion, and it seems to be possible through Dexcom Share. I've also read that xDrip is compatible with these watches. This also may be the most future-proof option as Dexcom and Fitbit may possibly add more functionality in the future. I even saw that they have the Versa listed as compatible with the Dexcom Glucose Program on this page, but that seems to be invitation-only at the time, and I am not even sure what that is capable of. There is someone on LetGo selling a brand new Versa for $100, so this is also tempting.
- iPhone + Apple Watch + Dexcom apps. Not the ideal method, as I would need to buy a whole new phone, and Apple products are expensive. I am interested in what the potential advantages are, and others may be as well.
- Sony Smart Watch 3 directly connected to xDrip. From what I have read, this is the only watch capable of working without a phone connected. That is pretty sweet, but it's an older watch, and I'm also worried if this would have a more significant affect on transmitter battery lifespan. I've also read that Pebble watches work, but I haven't seen much about G6 compatibility. Only G5.
- I would be happy to read any other methods you have come up with!
Thank you to anyone willing to answer some of these questions. Sorry it kind of turned into a novel. I hope others find the thread useful as well. I look forward to reading what you have to say.
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