Last night I installed my xM1+, and subjectively after several hours it’s been more painful than the previous ones. Maybe because of the larger needle? It went well overall, I guess experience of having done three others already.
My first one was the xNT in the left hand, in the usual spot between thumb and forefinger. I used an Emla patch which worked perfectly. That was my first experience with a ‘large bore’ needle (previously had been like 22g) and I was surprised at how much force was required to get it fully in through the skin.
The only hangup is the chip ended up kinda too deep, so it’s hard to read with some phones. Reads ok with an iPhone 8 or a larger antenna device, like the arduino shield etc.
Second was an xBT which I installed in my chest, sort of above the heart and below the shoulder area. That went super smoothly. I used an Emla patch again and it worked fine. The xBT in that position doesn’t give perfect temperature readings, it’s ‘low’ by about 4 degrees C but it’s consistant so I can compensate.
Third was an xEM in the left hand, on the back of the hand between the pinky and ring finger area. It went really well and was really easy, I guess by this one I knew what to expect. The only wierd thing was I had used an Emla patch again and it seemed like the Emla didn’t quite work. It slightly dulled the pain but I could still feel it.
And finally last night, I did the xM1+ in the right hand, between thumb and forefinger. As usual I used an Emla patch and this time it did not work at all. I figured it had failed when I could feel the antiseptic treatment, and then when I started with the injector I knew for sure. I continued with the install cos if I stopped, everything was contaminated and it’d be a waste. It was a bit tricky because I was doing this into the right hand, so using my off-hand to do all the work.
Too early to know if the chip is at the right depth etc but I did get a successful read last night with an android phone, so I figure it’s good.
I’m still hoping to get a sensing magnet put in at some point, probably the pad of the middle finger in the left hand. And I have ‘room’ for another chip in the right hand, between pinky and ring finger lol.
Anyways, so I just changed the bandaid this morning, about 10 hours after the install, and it ‘feels’ like its much more tender than I remember for any other install. Wondering if that’s due to the larger needle / larger chip size. Or maybe I’m just not remembering what it was like in the past. Or maybe it’s because I’m right-handed so tend to use this hand more so I’m noticing it more.
Also wondering if one can develop like a resistance to Emla lol, or if anyone else has had the patches ‘fail’ like that? It’s maybe not a big deal, but it’s a lot easier to focus on the mechanics of the installation when you aren’t distracted by pain (or just thoughts/fear of pain.)
Cheers!
