Admittedly, I don’t particularly like having to wear any adhesive over my CGM sensor. I’ll usually hold off on applying an external adhesive for as long as I can, although I have been caught out once or twice in recent weeks. I only just managed to rescue last week’s sensor by the skin of its teeth (it was dangerously dislodged from my arm).
However, adhesives have become a necessity in order to get my sensors to the 14 day mark. Occasionally I’m able to get my sensors to 21 days, but I don’t find the readings too consistent or reliable.
I’ve been trying out the ‘Not Just a Patch’ adhesives in-between sensors over the past few months, which were gifted to me by the Not Just a Patch team.
Back in January, I had a brief Zoom chat with founder Pete, a fellow type 1 from Sydney. Pete went to uni in Perth and could instantly recognise the Fremantle doctor blowing away as I sat on the steps outside the loading dock during my lunch break.
I guess what makes Not Just a Patch a little bit different from its competitors is that the patch covers the entire sensor. Pete explained that the biggest point of difference with these patches, unknown to me at the time, is that they are designed to be easily removed and replaced. Check out how easily they pull off in my video below!
Pete did warn me that G5 was a little more challenging compared to slimmer sensors such as FreeStyle Libre or Dexcom G6, and I did find these a little bulky to wear. On the plus side, they were much easier to apply and I liked not having to stress about getting the perfect application around the edges of my sensor.
You can find Not Just a Patch here. Pete’s also got a podcast called ‘The Dialogues’ featuring some familiar diabetes advocates, which you can also find in your podcast app.
