Well, got my Combo and thoroughly love it. My only real issue is there's no way to store favorite meals out for carb usage like with the Palm. Fortunately I wrote down all my favorites and I'll place a card in the meter case with that data. My only other complaint is the monstrous lancing device Accu-Chek provides. Being a guy I don't carry a purse to haul that behemoth around in. ;o) That and the fact there's no zipper pocket for extra lancet cartridges. I'm using the OneTouch Delica lancing device and lancets. It's small and practically pain free. I got the meter case from my original Spirit pump which does have a zipper pocket and holds the Delica device perfectly. Now if I could just find a little smaller case so I can get rid of the extra space and it will fit in my slacks pocket a little easier. The best thing about the Combo is that I can stick my pump in my sock and run the infusion set tubing up my leg to my abdomen. Practically disappears.
I received my Combo training book this week and I go to training on Friday 12/7.
Do any of you who have been using the Combo have any feedback on how you use the pump? Do you find you mostly use the meter and the Bolus Adviser? Does the Bluetooth really only work inside of 6.5 feet/ 2 meters?
I just got my training 2 days ago. I am finding the meter and the bolus adviser easy to use. the only thing I don't consider an improvement is the clip holder. it fell off my pj's last night and the pump hit the tile floor hard. at least it fits the old holder, I'm switching to that.
I am just trying to imagine doing things differently from the way I do it now, and I am having some difficulty imagining.
There are a lot of things (bolusing, TBR setting, extended and multiwave, etc) that I do very quickly and frequently without looking at the pump. The meter is used to get a number that feeds my Mike's Brain Bolus Calculator (MBBC), then the meter is set aside until I need to test again.
I was told the range was only 2m (me and my consultant couldn’t find it in the instruction books but that is what she thought it was), but me and my boyfriend have tried it, I set the bolus and press deliver then walked away slowly, got to 5m (which was the limit of the room) and the meter was still reading to say it was delivering. I know it can’t go through wall/door so we didn’t try that. Would be interested to know how far it actually is.
Hey all, just wanted to clarify: once the bolus is confirmed on the ACCU-CHEK Combo when the wearer is in range, the wearer can move as far as they want from the remote. They don’t have to stay in range. This is a clear difference between it and other pumps, because of the use of Bluetooth technology.
Also, I'm confirming with the product group, but I'm pretty sure the range is 2m (6.5 feet).
Hope that helps.
Have a great weekend!
Rob
Hi Mr. Ratrie - I rarely do anything with the pump itself other than shut it down when I shower. In fact, since I normally wear jeans or slacks I store the pump in one of my socks and run the infusion set tubing up to my abdomen. Kind of 'out of site out of mind'. It's nice only having to mess with one thing.
I am in the UK and am due to upgrade my pump. I went to talk to the Roche rep this morning and am going to get the Combo. What she did tell me though was that in about 12 months time, there is a new pump coming out, which will be CGM enabled and will also be able to take the prefilled cartridges. I will be eligible for an automatic upgrade when it comes out. I don't know if this is going to be available in the US though, I know things take different amounts of time in different countries.
Thanks everyone for the comments!
Craig, I gave up turning the pump off for the shower, I just unclip and let it run, so I wouldn't have to hear the little alarm beep every minute reminding me that the pump was off - Yes! I know - I am in the shower!!!
Dee, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) rules in the US, so I just learned to ignore the "about 12 months" words. Upgrades will only get into my hands when the FDA says so AND Accu-Chek gears up to make it happen - never before! :)
Hope you get the CGM upgrade sooner rather than later, though.
Finally looking to let go of my Deltec cozmo insulin pump. I was wondering about some current thoughts on the accu-chek combo. Have they teamed up with Dexcom yet? I will hopefully hear from a rep soon to figure out all the details.
Hi Shari, I'm in the UK and here they are not teaming up with Dexcom but are developing their very own CGM system to go with a new pump they are launching, hopefully available here in about 12 months time.
Thanks Dee for the information. I am just trying to minimize walking around with extra stuff. Right now I have a pump, CGM,2 test kits. Way too much stuff. Just got the new Dexcom. I hope to hear what everybody thinks of the pump. I am looking at several pump companies. But heard great things about the accu.
There is an agreement with Dexcom but it does not seem to be avalible in the current model of the Combo (at least in the US).. New bolus calculator is great though
Has anybody that purchased the accu chek looked at the tandem TSlim pump as well. Any feedback on either pump
Just completed the training session for the Combo. While I am pleased with the session and the trainer, I wonder at why it was necessary. It was pretty straightforward, especially for what is essentially an iteration of the Spirit.
Roche has made some progress on reducing the paper waste compared to the huge amount of packaging that came with the Spirit, but it could still be reduced by at least half.
The new meter-centered system will take some adjusting to, but I am looking forward to seeing if I can get in even better control with less variability with this system.
As always, thanks for the feedback, Mike. I will make sure that info gets back to the product manager.
Have a good weekend!
Rob
Thanks Rob!
I did fill out the survey and made these similar points.
I do want to reiterate that the training was quite excellent and I got a lot out of interacting with both the trainer, CDE and fellow PWDs. Face time with real people is always good, eh?
Have a great one!
No one happens to know where I can get another clip case from do they (clear case with blue clip on back)? I have broken mine today and I don’t like any of the new cases that have come with my combo as none have clips which make it difficult to wear with leggings etc 
I would be soooo grateful if anyone could help!
Abby - They can be ordered from Roche via the Accu-Chek site but I'll bet you could order one from the supply number the same as your normal supplies.
actually I just looked on their site and they don't seem to offer the old case with the clip that stays where you clip it, only the new one. I am hoping mine doesn't break! I've been using it daily for 5 years now.