Type-1 Diabetes, CGMs, and Swimming

Hello!

I'm a type-1 diabetic (since 1990) and a longtime swimmer, I recently started on a Continuous Glucose Monitor {Medtronic}, and I'm still working on perfecting keeping my sensor/transmitter secure in my stomach while swimming. I swim daily in the pool, usually for 90-120 minutes with pretty high intensity/volume. I've been trying a patch designed by ocean swimmers and using Skin-Tac adhesive wipes, but they don't seem to stay stuck for a week (and the Skin-Tac may also be causing bad reactions). Does anyone have a good option--or know someone who might? I've yet to find anyone/anything helpful...most suggestions for swimmers are geared to less intense kinds of swimming, where there's less friction with the water (and less bending/force from flip turns every 25 yards...). Most medical professionals/suppliers just say "oh, this works fine for swimming" but they mean "you can play in the pool on vacation," not "you can be a master's swimmer." Thanks for any suggestions/leads!

-Jimmy

PS: my current lead is to try to find a suit that will cover my stomach, in hopes that a fabric covering will help reduce the friction on the patch over the sensor. So, in case this is an easier find: does anyone have suggestions for men's suits that **cover the stomach** (which are hard to find since they're no longer permitted for competition). Would love something that is not a full-on wetsuit...

Parents Reply Children
  • Would something like a tegaderm or a medical dressing designed for a port or PICC line work?  They are intended to be at least water resistant and pretty secure, moreso than just tape by itself.  Maybe a dressing intended to cover a stoma?  A friend of mine uses a heat-activated adhesive dressing for his ostomy and it holds well, although he hasn't taken it swimming.