I recently mentioned using toupee glue to keep my Navigator CGM sensors attached. With all of the packing and unpacking from our recent move, I found it! You’re looking at a genuine bottle of “Ultra Hold” toupee glue. This internet purchase landed my information on at least one hair replacement e-mail list. No irony there, right?
The Navigator CGM was a pretty sweet continuous monitor system. Unfortunately it’s not available in the U.S. anymore. I really liked that system, but the transmitter was really hard to keep on. It was much bigger than anything out today, but it made up for its size with an insane transmission range.
The system worked great for me, and I was officially addicted to the information it provided. Like everything, supplies were limited. If a sensor came off, I was out of luck.
So I tried a bunch of tricks to keep them attached. Everything from the common Skin-Prep, I.V. Prep, Mastisol, and Skin Tac (I spilled a bottle of that once. What a nightmare to clean up), to the less-common things like false-eyelash glue and Vet-Bond, a glue used in veterinary surgery.
I tried nearly every tape known to medical mankind but still needed something better. Though I do credit this part for helping me find my favorite tape so far; OpSite Flexifix.
Some time later a friend said something about trying toupee glue.
Why not, right?
It worked well, but was messy. There is a brush applicator, just like rubber cement. I applied it everywhere except around where the sensor actually penetrated the skin. I still needed extra tape around the edges, but otherwise it worked very well for me.
One night I was prepping my sensor site and applied the toupee glue to my arm. I walked by the refrigerator and bumped into the freezer door with my arm. I got stuck. I tried pulling away, but instead of my arm coming loose the freezer door pulled open! I eventually worked myself free from my kitchen appliance and had to laugh. There I was, shirtless, wrestling with my freezer door to release my arm.
What if I needed to call for help? Can you imagine that phone conversation?
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Scott K. Johnson
Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in April of 1980, I recognize the incredible mental struggle of living with diabetes.
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Oh, Scott, I love this! And I love how we all improvise to make our diabetes work. The Navigator never made it to Australia, but I did hear good things about it.
Oh no! Stuck to the freezer? And I thought gluing a Dexcom insertion device to my hand was bad. Ow!
You must think I’m a horrible person for laughing hysterically at your expense. I am, and I’m sorry. But I love the story and ingenuity!
I’m sorry, but HAHAHA.
wow, that’s some mighty adhesive! you’re so funny.
Thanks for the laugh … But hope it didn’t hurt
LOL!!! If that had been me, I would’ve been sure it was the ice cream in the freezer trying to grab me. Not that Ben and Jerry ever have a problem getting my attention.
Genuine innovation!
Yeah… sometimes we need the solution, then the cure for the solution to back it up. Very funny
How many years would it take the manufacturer to get FDA approval for the use to which you’ve put it? And how many billable hours for attorneys would it take to word the warning about avoiding major appliances before the glue was completely dry?
ROFL, that is awesome!
[...] The tape definitely needs reinforcing if you’re planning on getting more than 7 days out of each sensor. But, a quick Facebook post out to the DOC and I was using Opsite to secure the little thing to me. No problems, now. (Although, I was going to consider toupee glue as an option thanks to this blog from the clever and funny Scott Johnson.) [...]