I was very excited about the 630g! I met with my new diabetologist, who is also living with type 1, and he had to run out to grab my pump download, but was energized and smiling and said, “oh I’ve got even better news for you in a minute!” When he came back, he told me that the 630g is more of a bandaid solution until early next year, when the FDA hopes the US will be the first place to have the closed loop system released for the rest of us (those not part of the trial – those folks petitioned the FDA to KEEP their closed loop devices because they did not want to give them up (and the FDA agreed they could keep them and continue to use them)… Medtronic apparently got everything to the FDA in June (this year) and the FDA is trying to push it through for early next year.
Now, I may still upgrade, through the Pathway that Medtronic offers, as my pump isn’t yet out of warranty – it’s presumed there will be a Pathway to the 630g. It’s hoped that there will also be a pathway to the closed loop system (aka: artificial pancreas), too. So I’m going to hedge my bet that Medtronic has it first, as they have everything in and the FDA wants it to come out in the USA first (wow, that would be quite a change for the FDA in the USA to get something approved before it comes out elsewhere in the world!), and possibly upgrade to the 630g in the meantime (if it can be delivered to me quickly enough – otherwise, I will stick with my paradigm and possibly activate the CGM feature for now to improve my control and safety).
I am so very excited about the closed loop system. I wouldn’t be as hopeful about this, I’d be much more skeptical (because, of course, we hear about awesome new things coming in just ten years all the time… it’s the big joke for those of us with type 1) if my also type 1 doc hadn’t appeared ready to do a dance when talking about it. He’s very my active in learning about these developments and meets with those working on them. I think we are on the edge of an entirely new way to dealing with diabetes (he does, too).
I’ll keep my fingers crossed and stick with Medtronic based on what my doctor had to say. I also like the appearance of the 630g, it’s more sleek, and it’s waterproof (the specs on that waterproof bit look awesome – it’s testing for 24 hours under a certain number of feet and a certain amount of pressure).
But I’m mostly thinking about that carrot of the closed loop system dangled in front of me. And a comment that was made that some are working to encourage Medtronic to get this thing into the hands of their current pump users first (and, hopefully, free of charge – that’s a thing being worked on, actively, by some).
I completely understand the desire to have a pump that is appealing and sleek. My Minimed Paradigm (not even Medtronic’s 530g, let alone the sleek new 630g that cleared FDA approval just last week) works well and it has a pretty skin on it. I’m so used to her that I have named her (Miss Jellyfish) and I feel naked without her on my hip. I do look at those other pumps, from time to time, but none truly meet with all of my personal requirements.
But we all need to do what we need to do to ensure our diabetes care is as close to all we desire and require. My choices to stick with Medtronic is based on the excited I saw in my fellow type 1 diabetic doctor and the information he presented to me. It does require a bit of faith (and crossed fingers) that there are no kinks in the FDA process. It requires some faith in the FDA, which is admittedly difficult to have given the history of how the process is so lengthy and how other parts of the world traditionally have new technology first and new meds first, but I am not unhappy with my Paradigm for another few months. And if the closed loop takes longer, I can always upgrade to the 630g if I truly feel a need for the sleek and shiny (and waterproof!) pump until closed loop is a reality.
I was walking on air out of that appointment on Friday, though. I’m still on a bit of a high from it. Just knowing all of this has me super energized and I’m back cruising around the diabetes online community. 
I hope that, whatever you end up choosing to do next, that it ends up being just right for you!
And I hope you have wonderful day.
