By CityDME Caregiver Team · 7 min read · January 28, 2026
Your First Week with a CGM: A Caregiver-Friendly Onboarding
Your first week with a CGM
A continuous glucose monitor (CGM) is a small disc you wear on your upper arm. It reads sugar every minute and sends to your phone.
Equipment prescribed for a NY claim?
Send the referral and the Brooklyn desk reviews it the next business day during business hours. Prescription required.
Send a DME ReferralDay 1: apply it right
Clean dry skin. Upper arm, back side, away from the elbow. Press the applicator firmly. Hold the sensor still for 10 seconds.
The first 60 minutes are warm-up. Don't trust the readings yet.
Day 2-3: check against fingersticks
The CGM is a trend tool, not a perfect snapshot. Spot-check with a finger stick if you're treating a low or high.
Day 4-7: read the arrows, not the numbers
The arrows (up, flat, down) tell you what's about to happen. The number tells you what just happened. Trust the arrows for next-15-minute decisions.
When to call your endocrinologist
- Multiple readings under 70 mg/dL.
- Multiple readings over 250 mg/dL.
- Sensor errors more than once a day for two days in a row.
Signal loss
Most signal loss is the phone-to-sensor distance. Bluetooth needs the phone within 20 feet. Walk closer; the sensor catches up within a minute.
Want help picking the right product?
Call (973) 850-3121 Mon-Fri 9-5 ET. We'll send a free sample pack — three sizes, plain unmarked box, no autoship enrollment required.
You can also email info@citydme.com or walk into our showroom at 2416 65th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11204.
Injured on the job or in a crash?
If a doctor prescribed equipment for a New York workers’ comp or no-fault claim, send the referral — we verify the claim path, coordinate the paperwork, and handle delivery, fitting, and carrier billing. Prescription required.