If you use Carelink or any of the other softwares for other pumps and CGMs, there is a balance between meter blood sugar readings, CGM sensor readings, excercise entered, carb intake entered, etc … and hopefully if you plug it all in right, you get a nice report to look at! Well there is my problem.
The thing about a bad low is I’m not very smart and slick while trying to regain good glucose, so I rarely think about telling my pump I just got a meter reading of 40 mg/dl or something. I have had a lot this week. Looking at my 2-week data on Carelink, it said i was mostly high, but not according the yellow-highlighting for lows in my paper log book! Here lies the importance of letting both the meter and pump talk to the Carelink software.
So how do I do that? What does the little cord look like that I need to hook my Medtronic OneTouch UltraLink up to the PC? Is this how you all deal with incorporating all data? I appreciate the help.
Hi Emily,
Your pump should download all of the data from both the pump and meter when you connect to the carelink site. Do you have your ultralink synced up with your pump? If you do this correctly, all of your BG measurements will be automatically sent to your pump from your meter.
Assuming that you have the two devices talking to each other, just make sure that you select the options that allow for both data to be downloaded from your pump. This will be an option you select when you get ready to download on the carelink site.
Hope this helps! Feel free to PM me if you have other questions.
Brett
I do the same thing. If I do not need to correct for a high BG or I am not calibrating I almost NEVER remember to enter in my BG to the pump. I probably punch in about 50% of my BG readings. It is super frustrating looking at my carelink data and knowing that all of my BGs are not there. You can call OneTouch and ask for a cord to download your meter to Carelink. You can buy them, but they are super expensive, but it’s worth calling and seeing if they can send you just the cord. I have not done this, but I’m guessing Carelink puts both the meter data and sensor/pump data all together on the graphs. What I am doing now (mainly because I am very fortunate to be working at my endo’s office) is using Carelink Pro on my endo’s computer. I download my meter and sensor/pump and it prints off everything. And Carelink Pro is much easier to read and understand. If your endo has Carelink Pro, make sure to bring in your meter and pump to be downloaded when you go in for a visit. Speaking of Carelink Pro, the FDA is in the process of approving Carelink Pro software for patient use. So Carelink should be getting a lot easier soon.
I hope this helps. There isn’t a perfect answer to this problem (that I have found) other than remembering to punch in EVERY BG…which I think is humanly impossible…Good luck!!! 
(And Brett, you cannot use the linked meter with the pump and MM sensor. It counts them all automatically as a calibration. So you have to turn the linking option off… I have heard that it is a software glitch that MM did not notice till too late…Grrrr)
I unfortunately have windows vista or windows 7 on all of the machines in my houses, so I still have to write all of my stuff down for the endo. I have the usb sensor and carelink software sitting on my desk, however they’re just paperweights at the moment haha
Ryan, if your computer is 32 bit running on vista you should be able to use the Carelink software like I do. I have both a 32 bit and (2) 64 bit computers. The 32 bit works just fine.
Change your pump settings for your pump and meter to communicate. This will add your blood sugar in through the Bolus Wizard. Only do this if you are NOT using the sensor.
Under Utilities, go to Meter Options and enter the serial number of your meter. Do the same on your meter. It works great.
If you are using the Sensor, you will have to rely on the download of your meter to your PC. If you don’t have a cord to connect, ask your Sales rep for guidance.
Heidi
Hi Emily,
Yes if your meter isn’t communicating with your pump, try to see if it will. This saves so much time. If not, this is the cable you are looking for.
Not sure about last comment about sensor and meter communication, I will be starting mine soon. Just got call today that it is on its way.
Jim
Everyone, yes, thanks, I should have mentioned that I do not use the “auto METER” function because of the sensor, it can cause problems! I ended up calling Medtronic, who put me in touch with Lifescan, who actually just told me to get it off their website, when in fact it was actually a software package to buy from another distributor. PHEW! But $30 later, the cable is on the way! Woo-hoo!
Word of warning, enabling the meter link in the pump on a MM system really screws up the function of the CGM. It is really difficult to calibrate the CGM and keep it function w/o some RF interference when the meter link is enabled.