I just started the Guardian, and I love what it does for me. My problem, is Medtronic’s 24/7/365 support. On the weekends or late at night, they are the only people available to answer questions and after 35 minutes on hold, I just gave up. Anyone else having problems?
The most I have held was ~20 min which I think is far to long. If you call off-peak hours (if possible) it is better.
The good news is that once you reach someone that seem to be very responsive when I have had a bad sensor. That is about the only time I call and it has been months since I have had a bad one.
Just out of interest, what have you had to call them about? Sensor failures? Other things?
Yes, when I had a pump die over the summer I was on hold for 30-40 min. This is a huge change from when I got my first pump 6 years ago. That first pump had to be replaced 3 times during the 4 year warranty – the combined hold time was probably 3-4 min for all 3 calls combined if that.
Like you, I’m happy with the product but there are other games in town. Other than integrated pump/cgm, my main reason for sticking with them was good customer service. Now that that is no longer true, I will think much more carefully about who I go with the next time around.
I had inserted a new sensor by myself for the first time. My monitor kept saying my sensor wasn’t ready. I did not know what to do. I was afraid I had a bad sensor & almost took it out. I finally found the right screen on the monitor to tell it that I had a new sensor and to get it set-up. I lost a good 6 hours of data. This was really a silly problem, but we were out of town and it was over a week-end. They were really the only people I knew to call. I have just inserted the second sensor, and went directly to the right place on my monitor. I guess it just takes time…Linda
Thanks for the input. I have not yet gone to the pump, so it took me two years to get my insurance company to O.K. the CGM by itself. I think it will be helpful, and these people had the best sales “pitch” at the TCOYD conference that we attended. I understand that there is a new CGM coming out after the first of the year that is supposed to be the “answer” to a lot of problems. Dream! Dream! Dream! The lesson I have learned, is just don’t call them. There is always the ‘emergency’ room if it is absolutely necessary. Or I can go without the data if I need to. I’m fortunate there, since I don’t have the pump…Linda
3 years ago the wait was not to bad with MM tech support, I just switched to the Dex (still pump w/the MM 722, can’t replace pump yet). I suggest you search through MM CGM forums/groups. It is what saved me then when I had a question tech support could not answer. As with the Dex questions I have already typed in! The people that use the devices are the real experts I think - they know what has worked for them and their solution may also work for your situation. That being said, don’t hesitate to complain if you think the sensor is faulty. I found it happened more over my last year of using MM than in the first two years, and I would not hesitate to call if the sensor went bad before the 3 days were up.
Cool.
I think once you get going on the MM CGMS you will find it amazing. I have cut 40% of my insulin use (and associated food) with the pump and CGMS.
If you ever do get a sensor that won’t calibrate right or won’t give you good readings do call them; they will fed-ex you a replacement at no cost the next day. I had one replaced at ~11pm CST over the phone and it came the next morning 
Good service.
I don’t know about you but if my choice is 45 min on hold /w MM or the ER I am going to be very happy to sit on the phone
For me the CGMS + pump is the key. I could never make the type of adjustments that the CGMS ‘demands’ without the pump. They really go well together and make each other even more valuable.
Also, if you are pumping /w the CGMS you don’t NEED to have the CGMS running for the pump to work correctly. Clearly, it makes you control much better but the pump continues to do its thing CGMS or not.