I love the fact that the UltraLink, that Minimed just sent me a month or so ago, talks to my pump. I didn’t use the B-D that came with my Paradigm, since the strips are on precious few, if any, insurance formularies.
I had been using the One Touch UltraSmart, for the past year, and I loved it. Well, I still think even the best meters have the controls designed by the people who came up with those cheesy LCD games that McDonald’s used to give with Happy Meals. But, given that sort of landscape --one in which, compared to the iPhone, the best meters look so 1832- I liked the UltraSmart. Boy, I could go on and on. Time to blog, eh?
So, now I have the UltraLink, which was “free” with my purchase of a really expensive pump and CGM kit. I miss the on-device charts, and the better-than-most logging and memory display.
Okay, the best I had was the Freestyle Tracker that worked with the Handspring Visor PDA. Of course, they introduced the Tracker in the spring of 2002, about three months before the Handspring Visors were discontinued. Of course, within two years, insurance companies put certain glucose test strips on their formularies, ceasing payments for any other brands --often including the Freestyle strips.
Alas. Anyone else have an upgrade in one feature --notably pump communication- that meant yearning for every other feature that you loved about your old meter?
I think I can help you out with this. We use the same pump. If you look at your pump and scroll down to Utilities,then go to Meter Options, select On, then press add ID. You can enter in the SN ID # of any glucose monitor you own which will then talk to your pump. I have 3 monitors programmed to my pump. I hope this helps.
I just started using the UltraLink yesterday and I already miss my Freestyle Flash oh so much! The Flash not only has a back light, it has a little strip light too. So if you are in the dark you can see where you are aiming your stick, which I found extremely handy when I needed to test in the middle of Iron Man, I didn’t want to leave the theater just to do a quick test.
Freestyle uses 1/3 less blood. Since I like to test on my forearms it makes a big difference. I can’t add extra blood to the Link strips if I misjudge the amount, but I can to the Flash.
The Flash can fit in almost any purse, but I need a separate purse for the Link. (yea shopping!)
I can’t believe Freestyle is discontinuing this model!
But… it is slick how the Link beams the bg over so quickly to the pump… I am going to keep trying to love it, but it is going to be hard.
Diana, that only works for the UltraLink meters right? Just to clarify.
waaaiiii t that can’t be… as far as i know, the minimed pump will only talk to 3 types of meters. either the UltraLink, the ContourLink or the BDLink. only those ones right, is that what you meant?
yep i was HIGHLY disappointed to find out that the chosen avenue for the link meter was the Ultra2 based model and not the UltraSMART based model… what F’n Goof made that decision??! … pumps are for smart people… why can’t we have the smart meter too!!? it would have been way more marketable as far as having a more complete system that tracks you on levels beyond the capacities of anything else out there on the market. just think… combining the minimed paradigm pump, plus the CGMs plus the Ultra Smart as a Linked meter… would have been the ultimate marvel. but alas another blunder. man, for real, somebody please have that guy fix this or fire em! it sure would be nice if the the majority of the one touch line, such as the ultra, the ultrasmart, and the mini were annexed into the Link capability as well as the Ultra2. so you could have a CHOICE! but alas again, to them, we’re just burdens of proof for the insurance payoff. you know what, the first time i looked at a ultra2Link meter in person, the initial thought that came to my mind was…‘did they recycle the molds for the InDuo meters and just shrink it?’ i’m so very dissappointed. there’s no way i would switch from using a ultrasmart and downgrade to an Ultra2! bad move!
hmm…maybe I miss understood my pump guy. I’ll have to ask him about that, but it just so happens that those are three kind of meters I have. Damn, I thought I was being helpful
