This was the question I got from a Medtronic person that called me a few minutes ago, supposedly because I had asked them about their CGM (actually, because my pump is already out of warranty).
I replied to him that I had done my research and found most comments from patients about the Dexcom Seven Plus to be positive and most comments about the Guardian RT to be negative.
He asked: "But don’t you mind having an additional device you have to carry around?"
I said I didn’t mind that as much as having inaccurate numbers displaying…
He then asked me if I took Tylenol. I sometimes do. He said: “Did you know that taking Tylenol sometimes affects the accuracy of the results on the Dexcom?”
I found it SO unprofessional that he would spend time to point out the flaws of their competitor’s product, specially considering that I have already spent money on the unit. Their time doing this would be better spent trying to make their product better.
This is the kind of thing why each day I am more and more convinced that I will not be upgrading to another Medtronic pump the day my pump dies on me.
When I was on the Minimed CGM - fingerstick value: 230 mg/dL and CGM value: 123 mg/dL. Such discrepancies were all too common…I started having worse control on the CGM than without it. I returned the transmitter and recently got a Dexcom 7+ CGM. The difference couldn’t have been greater - the Dex is freakishly accurate and most of the time within +/- 2 mg/dL and on some occasions off by about 15 mg/dL max.
Hmmn…biting my tongue. I think you know my thoughts about MM.
I am just so glad my daughter has a diabetes alert service dog. Yes, he sheds, but he never misses highs, gets about 90% of lows 10 minutes before they even happen and goes crazy when her sugars suddenly change more than 30 points up or down.
I got a similar call when my MM pump went out of warranty. I had switched to the Omnipod and they wondered why I had not upgraded to the new MM. I told them honestly I liked the automatic insertion. He pointed out some omnipod flaws and said that he could unoffically tell me that they would have a superior pod style pump soon. I just said thanks I’ll look out for it while I felt it was such an awkward phone call. I probably recieved the call a month after switching. My MM pump failed a week before my omnipod training. Around the sametime that it went out of warrenty.
It is an open secret that MM’s CGM is the least effective of the 3 available. For those whom MM sensors will work in the chemistry of their bodies, they can experience performance on par with Dex and Nav. For many, many others, MM sensors just flat out don’t and won’t work as well as Dex and Nav sensors.
I’m disappointed by MM’s overall philosophy. Compared to the now discontinued Cozmo, they seem deaf to user suggestions for improved features. They seem to be taking a safe, conservative approach to innovation because they enjoy the largest market share and an annoyingly high profile amongst doctors many of whom promote MM simply because that is what they know. The irony is they seem to have the biggest pocket available to spend on R&D. MM is capable of developing an outstanding product not just reliable and useful like it is now but also customizable to the nth degree. Their customer service seems on par with other companies and their pumps seem to work very well and are aesthetic but they just don’t innovate. I read their manuals and it is clear they think like doctors do about patients as if they can’t handle anything beyond simple setups. They assume we won’t want more sophisticated options. I’ve read many times about MM users wanting louder and better alarms. Have they ever listened? The auto stop feature when bg levels drop too low is not customizable. It’s just amazing how wooden they are.
Well after finally reaching someone playing phone tag through IVR I decided that MM was not going to be my first pump… I recieved a phone call (finally) from the district manager and talk about a hard sell, that changed into almost a condencending tone, in addition to her telling me my Endo could demonstrate it for me and that shed have to get back to me to find a rep to show it to me. I basically called back and said, Please I have no interest in your products, you lost the sale… then to have them call me back as SOON as my endo signed off on it… Never…
I only had another option for pumps unless i wanted to do more frequent set changes… It wasn’t as nicely integrated. but it was built like a tank, the local rep went over and beyond the call of duty to show it to me, push it through, and made sure I was ALL set including some help with adhesive issues and providing some samples in addition to a few callbacks/emails asking me how I was doing… Still wish Animas had a high capacity version of the Ping or that the Cozmo was still around… Keep getting told I would have “loved” the cozmo… And it was what i was looking for in a pump
Those of you with relatively small TDDs do have pump company options which is good for you, but those of us who require more insulin, speaking for myself, prefer the 300 u reservoir. If Animas is so great, I wonder why they ignore the population that needs the larger reservoir?! Their excuse used to be that they marketed mostly to kids. I don’t think that applies any more so am not sure of their current excuse.
I have my disappointments with MM, especially that the new Revel has advances that are predominantly of use to those on CGM. It seems not very different than the 715 I have for those not on cgm.
And contrary to some posters, I rarely need to interact with MM. In 10 years of pumping I have only had to have one replacement pump and that was in 2002. I get my supplies from Medco so I don’t even have that interaction with them.
Finally, I wonder if Animas gives new replacement pumps to Medicare patients. I find that is a difference from pre-retirement for me on a number of issues.