I can't seem to take my eyes off the CGMS (I may use up most of my battery scrolling through the screens), yet the constant attention I've paid to this thing since last Thursday is definitely not doing me any favors.

After the two-hour wetting process, I entered a pretty decent blood sugar of 131 into my pump to calibrate my finger stick with the sensor. Minutes later when I was showing it off to The Mr., the sensor had me at 136. I was psyched about the near accuracy. It was his day off and snowing those big, fat snowflakes we love so much. We grabbed some fast-food lunch and headed to our favorite lunch spot to watch the snow fall on the lake. I knew it was morbid, but I really wanted to watch the line on the CGMS to see how this meal--any meal, really--affects my blood sugar.

I was equally pleased two hours later when the CGMS alerted me that my sugar was rising very fast. I confirmed with a finger stick, and while the results were off quite a bit, I was still high enough to warrant a correction bolus. It was neat to watch that line take a nose-dive. I felt like I at least knew the bolus was working.

Over the last few days, though, I've been rather dismayed with its lack of accuracy. I'll feel like I'm going low and a finger stick will have me at 83 and the sensor will say 130. That's not something I can really count on, frankly. On the other hand, I've found that I'm taking it's word for things more often than I should. Oh, I'm 80? Guess I better have a snack.

I have to remember, though, this is really about trend management, not diagnostics. This is supposed to be one of my management tools, not the end all, be all. Still, with a gap of 50 points, what kind of management tool will it wind up being?

This morning, for example, I calibrated with a finger stick at 5 a.m. My meter had me under 120 (I really don't remember because it was 5 a.m.!) and the sensor was alerting me that I had dropped below 80. I entered the right number into my pump, and several hours later--before having eaten breakfast--the sensor had me rising to 144 and a finger stick had me still in the 120s.

Some of this, yes, is user error. You're supposed to calibrate when you're in a fairly fasting state. In other words, I should be in a state of plateau. Since I'm such an eater, such a grazer, there are few times in the day when I'm in that state.

Some of this is new technology. And, perhaps, the fact that I'm on day four of the sensor that is recommended only for about three days.

Despite my frustrations, I'm unable to take the darn thing off. It's a nice tool to have because it does show trends. And I will say that it has been fairly close to the mark a number of times when it counted...alerted me to at least one near low and at least one high high.

At this point, I feel like I'm not going to push as hard to get this approved by my insurance. I'll be happy to wear it and will use it graciously should the insurance come through, and I'll definitely be disappointed if the insurance doesn't say yes. But I'm not sure how hard I'll fight if they say no.