Medtronic comming out with Big Brother unit B4 you can drive now

Type 1 and LADA
1
Medtronic Launches First Free Safe-Driving Program for Teens with Diabetes in Los Angeles July 19 - Diabetes Health#comments#..

Medtronic Launches First Free Safe-Driving Program for Teens with Diabetes in Los Angeles July 19

I don't think they're kidding anyone about what is REALLY Going on here..

Jul 14, 2010

This press release is an announcement submitted by Medtronic, and was not written by Diabetes Health.

Medtronic, Inc. announced today that Test B4U Drive, the first-ever, free program for teens with diabetes combining advanced driver skills training with diabetes management education, will be held July 19-21 at The Forum in Los Angeles. In partnership with the Juvenile Diabetes No Limits Foundation, Medtronic will continue the program throughout the summer across the country to teach teens with diabetes that good diabetes management is a key to staying safe behind the wheel.

"Test B4U Drive was inspired by the most important part of a teen driver's diabetes management plan - checking his or her glucose level before getting behind the wheel," said Francine Kaufman, M.D., chief medical officer and vice president, global medical, clinical and health affairs for the Diabetes business at Medtronic. "If a teen's glucose level is low or high, it must be treated and reach a normal range before driving. An insulin pump and continuous glucose monitor together in an integrated system, like the Medtronic Minimed Paradigm® REAL-Time RevelTM System, can help keep glucose levels in check 24 hours a day, so that fewer fluctuations occur."

For all teens, driving is a privilege that comes with great risk - motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for 15- to 20-year-olds1. Teens with diabetes face an increased risk while driving because an abnormal glucose level can impair essential driving skills like reaction time and judgment.

To help decrease this risk, Test B4U Drive will offer teens with diabetes real-world, hands-on training led by professional instructors that helps them identify and react to critical situations behind the wheel. Interactive classroom sessions will teach defensive driving techniques and share useful tips like checking glucose levels before driving, pulling over to a safe place to check again when driving long distances, taking action when glucose is too low or high, and carrying the right supplies.

"We are proud to partner with Medtronic and bring Test B4U Drive to America's communities," said Tom Bregmann, co-founder, Juvenile Diabetes No Limits Foundation. "We're confident this program will help underscore that teens with diabetes can live life without limits and become safer drivers."

Test B4U Drive is being offered to teens with diabetes at these locations in 2010:

  • July 19-21, The Forum, Los Angeles
  • July 26-28, Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, Colo. (Denver area)
  • August 2-4, KCI Expo Center, Kansas City, Mo.
  • August 9-11, Standard Bank Stadium, Crestwood, Ill. (Chicago area)

For more information, visit www.medtronicdiabetes.com/testb4udrive.

Medtronic is committed to providing people with diabetes industry-leading therapy management support and education. A 24-hour helpline is accessible to patients seven days a week, 365 days a year. In addition, Medtronic in-field guidance and support as well as online interactive training provides patients with the information and tools they can use to help successfully manage their diabetes.

About the Diabetes Business at Medtronic
The Diabetes business at Medtronic (www.medtronicdiabetes.com) is the world leader in advanced diabetes management solutions, including integrated diabetes management systems, insulin pump therapy, continuous glucose monitoring systems and therapy management software, as well as world-class, 24/7 expert consumer and professional service and support.

About The Juvenile Diabetes No Limits Foundation
The mission of Juvenile Diabetes No Limits Foundation (www.jdnolimits.org) is to provide motivation and support for the pursuit of active and exceptional lifestyles by individuals with diabetes. The foundation is a new voice helping kids, teens and young adults with juvenile diabetes realize it is possible to achieve their dreams by breaking down self-imposed limitations.

About Medtronic
Medtronic, Inc. (www.medtronic.com), headquartered in Minneapolis, is the global leader in medical technology - alleviating pain, restoring health and extending life for millions of people around the world.

* * *

Source:

Medtronic press release

http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/biospace/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20100712005255&newsLang=en

Oh Great! here is Comes..
How about this Unit for ALL Diabetics is next, not just Teens?
And if your BG's are Low? What's Low? 80,75,70 or 65?
And since it takes at least 15 min to get them back up? Do you really think they are going to put up with waiting that Long?
And it's worse if they are High ( Above 140 I believe is high, right?) It can take Hours for it to get back down to In range or At or below 140's..
Why not the Same for A BreathaLyzer test as well..for drinkers
And then , next? A smokers test..
And then? a Math Test for Those Older than say 65?
Oh, I forgot, A valid Driver's License -that you have to scan, like you do a Credit Card, before the vehicle can be started..and another one? Insurance Card to prove the car is insured with at least Liability coverage..
I bet there will be a lot more "great ideas" of Big Brother and the Do Gooders Assoc.
2

How about a PMS Test Unit for Women?
Or If your more than 6 mos Pregant test unit or the car won;t start?

They ( Insurance Co.'s) are doing their Darndest to Get Diabetics Off the Road…

and Yes, Everyone ( all Diabetics) Should be testing B4 they go out and Drive, but they don’t…

No matter what age they are…

3

Yeah, they are trying to sell pumps and CGMs. I have no problem with anything that helps educate people though, especially teens. My old endo wouldn’t let me set foot out of his office if my BG was below 100. I hated it, could have walked out at anytime I damn well pleased, but I appreciated the training. I, personally, test each and every time before i sit behind the wheel. On a trip longer than an hour, I will stop every hour for a break and a fingerstick. I will not sit behind the wheel of a car if my BG is below 80. Despite that, I’ve been reviewed twice for a license renewal simply because I indntified myself as a type I diabetic. It’s a demeaning, insulting process but it’s their rules and they are the ones granting driving privilages. I’m just thankful that with each and every demeaning and insulting question, I come armed with information and the truth about my driving habits and can let my record speak for itself.

4

Wow, that’s nuts! I’ve never been asked and never volunteered the info (and now definitely won’t). Though they have started to tighten things up on elderly drivers around here, so I guess we could be next.

I agree 100% that this is a marketing effort masquerading as an educational program. Education is a good thing though, so I don’t have a problem with it. I find it unlikely that any pump maker would develop a device that would disable the car if you test too low. No T1D would buy from them. The $ they would lose in pumpers would far exceed they’d get from selling such a device.

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Yeah Tom, I doubt that Medtronic even has the authority to Lojack the car of a diabeti and report back to the authorities. The simple truth of the matter, in my case, is that my Dexcom CGM really does make my life easier when it comes to monitoring my BG while driving and I strongly believe that it is important to do so with the way things are going today.

I’m sure I can be held liable and lose my license if I am considered irresponsible with my diabetes and driving. I’ve had my share of tickets and accidents in my 25 years of driving in California as a type 1 diabetic, but thankfully (knock on wood) nothing that could be considered due to my diabetes management.

I cover my a@# though. That means full disclosure and a mangement routine that includes a plan for driving. So far, they haven’t shown any inclination to take away my license simply for being a type 1 diabetic, but I know that they can and will if they can find any driving issues even remotely connected to my type 1 diabetes. As far as I can tell, the reason why I was singled out for a license review was simply because the automoton down at the DMV sitting behind the bullet proof glass and looking at my paperwork for renewal deemed it necessary to do so. The vast majority of times, they’ve looked over my paperwork, noted that I checked a box and wrote down an explanation, asked me a couple of questions, seemed more intent on avoiding more paperwork, and simply OKed the paperwork and waved me through.

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I have no problem with " Education , Education , Education " and am NOT holding this as a " Big Brother " thing .
I was told a ( second hand ) story the other day of a person , who recently started wearing a pump ; person was in a car accident , no personal injuries but car was damaged .Person is telling the Insurance company , that BG was 11 ( x 18 ) and
" blames the diabetes " …does this mean , that I as responsible driver , who checks BG’s regularly , reported to my Provincial drivers insurance , that I am living with D , I will ultimately pay a higher insurance fee because of drivers , who do not look at driving as a privilege ???
I don’t think a reading of 200 is justified to try to get $$ from an insurance company …another story , I suppose .
I remember as a kid being brought up in the Netherlands , we took bicycle riding education at elementary school ( 60 plus years ago ) . I am grateful that I did ; it likely has made me a better driver.

7

I think your approach is a good one. It’s better to err on the side of too much information.

I had one bad experience about 15 years ago that I am thankful ended with me stopping at a 7-11 and not injuring anyone. I was new, young, dumb, and extremely careless with making sure that I always had glucose tablets. but that experience changed everything. The pump (and now CGM) have helped a lot in avoiding severe lows. But it hasn’t done a thing for the speeding tickets!

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LOL, yeah. I wish there was tablet we could take for those. Luckily for me, my last one was almost 5 years ago. Almost ready to drop off my record. =)

It’s scary how much we depend on cars here in Los Angeles.

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Think Bigger Tom and you others…
Think about all the 15+ Million T2’s out there…

and for you Lucky one’s being able to get those CGM’s? You’re the minority , just you are being lucky to have Insulin pumps…

Oh BTW? Those CGMS and Our Test meters can be used in Court…
against us…

just like our Past Blood Tests…

Most in these boards and others are Very concensous and in very good control compared ot the vast majority… It’s those Vast majority and all the T2’s that have to be both Informed and educated…

10

Yes, I was very lucky to have severe nocturnal hypoglycemic unawareness so I could get a CGM. Waking up several mornings a month around 40 must make me the luckiest person alive!!!

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I haven’t heard many stories about false arrests or prosecutions, at least not enough to make me consider not testing before I get in the car. I had a friend that was thrown in the drunk tank because they thought he was drunk (he was walking, not driving), but I don’t think that is the norm. If anything, having a meter showing you at 85 would prove that you’re acting responsibly and acting not guilty. If you’re knowingly driving around at 60, on the other hand, then that’s a different story…

12

Like Tom says, I test before driving, first, so that I know my BG is at a safe level and, second, so that my record shows everybody else that my BG is at a safe level. I’ve logged every single BG I’ve ever taken on my meter into my BG log app on my iPhone since I downloaded the app a year ago. I’ll gladly give anybody access to those numbers as well. If someone wants to take me to court or arrest me for driving with an unsafe BG, my numbers will show that they are full of s@$#.

I wear a CGM because it’s more information that I can use to manage my D. It’s one more tool I have in my toolkit that I have tpo fight back. In the short 3 weeks that I’ve had my CGM, it’s quickly become the single most useful tool in assessing my daily trends and anticipating highs and lows. I do consider myself lucky enough to have one. I won’t be giving it up soon.

13

The one thing I don’t like about this is, I live 15 minutes from Medtronic’s world headquaters, but the nearest one of these sessions is about 8 hours away.

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Sorry Alan, I wasn’t sure! I agree that one shouldn’t need evidence, at least not more than to convince yourself that you’re ok to get behind the wheel.

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I don’t know Alan, it does cross my mind when I’m testing before driving that I might actually need to provide that once piece of data to prove to someone I’m competent to drive. After my first driver’s license review, I was sure of it, but over the years since, I haven’t dwelled on it and it hasn’t happened, knock on wood.

It’s all information that we need to help control our D. Without it, we are shooting in the dark to some extent. I think, at some point, it’s time to start fashioning a tinfoil hat for yourself when you start thinking that it’s better NOT to have information handy to control your D because of the possibility that Big Brother is watching.

16

No, I got a chuckle, But it was one of those chuckles followed a moment later by a “hmmm”…

17

My Girlfriend is from Northeast Pennsylvania, I know that sense of humor well, or I should say, “I’m familar with it”.