At the time, I didn’t realize that it was doing that until it broke - about the same time, someone posted a complaint about that in the Animas group. I almost told him that he was wrong! Sounds like yours might have been giving a little too much also. Were you still running heavy when you had to change it back?
Wow, what a pain!! The DexCom 7 is the CGM that has caught my eye, not to mention that the rep from OmniPod said that is the one that will eventually integrate with the OmniPod… I am really leaning toward just going with the CGM for now. I guess my next step would be to get the doc. to beg my insurance to help with that, they have already said they don’t cover them except in “special cases”.
You can always just call your doc and speak to his nurse, they can usually get things started over the phone. The insurance companies often have a specific criteria – they may only cover it for hypoglycemic unawareness and/or multiple lows below 50 (this is a pretty standard requirement). Sometimes they will ask for your log books before approving. The process will vary depending on the insurance company. You might be able to find your ins co’s requirements online. Good luck to you - I think you will love using Dex.
Good luck in your decision! Here’s my opinion for what it’s worth.
I’ve been T1 for 30 years, starting at the age of 3! For most of that time I’ve been pretty lousy at control but in 2001 I was finally convinced to try the Pump. BEST DECISION EVER MADE! For me an my lifestyle. One of the biggest problems for me on MDI was that I almost never had one day like the next. For example, some days I would eat breakfast, other days not at all, somedays I would have lunch at 11, or at 12 or at 1. You get the idea. So, to have good control on MDI you HAVE to have a fairly consistant schedual. Otherwise your long acting insulin will cause those lows. Once it’s in there, it’s in there!
Having the pump allowed me to switch from 3 shots per day and hoping to having my pump and being to adjust “on the fly” I’ve never looked back. My personal opinion is that many diabetics allow their condition to dictate their life, schedual, and habits. Which is not really a bad thing I guess but for me it never really worked out. So having a pump allowed me to live life on MY terms and adjust my insulin intake to what I was doing rather than adjusting my life to my insulin intake.
The next best decision I ever made was just recently, I got the Dexcom CGMS. It’s changed how I manage my condition almost entirely because now I can treat trends that I could only guess at with many many fingersticks. And while I’m new at this I would consider (and I’m sure some would disagree) that an insulin pump and a CGMS is the nearest thing to a cure that we have available. Overall from a lifestyle point of view it allows me to deal with the inconvienence of being Diabetic, rather than allowing it to dictate my life.
In your case, if you have good control, and feel that you wouldn’t gain any more freedom, or better control with these two devices I would say stick with what works for you. That being said, I think that a CGMS would be great for you but I think that by itself, while valuable, would be limited in how effective it could be to helping you. In a sentance, “What good would real-time blood sugar data be if you couldn’t correct in real-time?” It would be useful, especiall for catching those pesky lows, but without a pump I think you would only be getting half the answer you’re looking for.
I hope and wish you the best, if I seem a bit “one-sided” in my viewpoint it’s because I can’t imagine a scenario where I would ever be better off going back to MDI and that the freedom I’ve found from having a pump has changed my life in more ways than I can possibly describe.
Decaff
Thanks for the heads up, I am going to document a few of my lows…
Thanks Decaff, this is really good info.
I do know, since I have no pancreas (MEN1) look it up, there is a Faux Pancreas in FDA testing right now that utilizes the CGM and Pump combination with it’s own internal algorithm to regulate insulin levels. I am hopeful this will go to market sooner than later. I would rather start on that than the Pump and then switch. Either way, I think it’s preference. I have considered the pump but some I know don’t do as well as shots and diet. Everyone is different but I do get disgusted with the Lows but my lowest so far has only been 42 so I feel fortunate.
I sort of think that a pump/ CGM plus training and experience, will always beat the artifical pancreas as I always find myself trying to hedge my bets and anticipate stuff that I can’t see an artificial pancreas catching. I sort of think that it’s like surfing 5 or more "waves’ at a time, since you see the scrolling “wave” of your BG level, which is the sum of food- insulin-exercise+ stress+ illness+ phases of the moon plus whatever else is out there? I don’t see them being able to catch all of that with anything less than R2D2. If any researcher will pay me some money so I can quit my job, I will be happy to joust with their artificial pancreas!!
I used R/ NPH 1984-2008, when I got my pump. I didn’t really start working out a lot until sometime mid-2007. At the time, I would try to run it up to maybe 160 ideally but 180 would be ok and then it would drop a lot. I was totally seat-of-the-pantsing it though as the last “education” I’d had were classes about exchanges in 1984! The hardest classes were the Friday night “mastery classes” at the dojang. I’d usually lose 4-5 lbs in sweat in an hour and a half (on top of drinking a Gatorade at the brief break, while we were putting our pads on…). The chart in “Think Like A Pancreas” is a good guide. I know it’s online but I haven’t been able to find it so I took a photo of it:
I’m all for the artificial pancreas, but it will likely be years before it is refined to be effective in the real world. Right now it works under very tightly controlled circumstances - every meal is scrutinized and activity is monitored. I’m picturing a challenging day for my teen: swimming, pizza, dancing and dessert all in 2 hours. Can the artificial pancreas really keep up with those swings? I hope so…time will tell.
I have a minimed paradigm pump with the CGM sensor. The sensor is as big around as a dollar coin and about as thick. I run two to three times a week and have no trouble with either the pump or sensor getting in my way. I adjust my insulin 30 min before I run and have minimal lows. Hope this is helpful to you! Best wishes.
I will still bet $5.00 that I can beat any artificial pancreas they can come up with. I am not a genius however I am faster than food. I don’t think a computer or sensor can keep up with it. If there’s a “manual override”, I think that the thing would just be a pump with some extra features linked to an alarm? The data like “you are running low at the same time every day, turn me down…” can be useful, but it’s already there in pump data reports I think?
That’s the way to go. My only problems seem to be occasional ripouts, where they bleed. I had sort of a doozy on my first long run in NYC, it was supposed to be 16 miles but I ran around Central Park b/c I didn’t want to get lost and it ripped out N/B along the west edge of the park, having already cruised through the park a couple of times. Our hotel was down on 4th Street just east of 6th Avenue and i ran up to 110th Street and then over to 5th avenue and down bleeding all over my snazzy day-glo running tank top. I still had a great run but I’m sure it was a complete spectacle.
Have you tried using IV 3000 or a similar dressing? It works wonders for me. I keep mine for 5 days max and run at least twice(2.5 mile run, if that makes any difference)
Ha ha - AcidRock you may very well be right!!! I read the FDA guidelines for the artificial pancreas and they’ve lowered the bar a bit for the first generation - they will allow a system where you supplement insulin for food, it doesn’t have to be entirely closed. I think this is what we will see initially. I agree that food is a huge challenge, I just don’t see how it can process that info quick enough or guess accurately enough.
If they get it perfected I will be the first in line though. I’ll give you guys cuts too
Thanks Megan!
Hi Lynne, looks like we are considering the same things!! My dummy pod showed up quickly…but it fell off after my first shower. Obviously I didn’t adhere it properly. I called them and they have another one on the way.
5 shots a day…that would really make me consider a pump I think. Since I am on 2, and really don’t mind them THAT much, I am thinking my focus for the time being will be on the CGM. I was not seeing an Endo, just a GP. He did a referral for an Endo, and of course I couldn’t get an appt. for a month. But now I know what to bring to her attention to help make a good case for the insurance co.
Good luck to you…I am interested to see what you think of the OmniPod.
Update…today I have an appt. with an Endo…going to go with the OmniPod and see if the doc will push thru a request for the Dex CGM, may as well ask for everything! I really doubt if my insurance will be willing to help with the CGM…but there is only one way to find out.
Hi Sandy. Like you I was diagnosed very young. A week before my 8th birthday I found out that I had diabetes. I treated my diabetes really well with shots for 27 years because I couldn’t wear a pump with tubing and just like you I didn’t have a problem taking shots. When I started using the pens it was even easier. When I found out about the tubeless OmniPod I ordered the demo and wore it for 3 days to see if it would bother me. I liked it but didn’t think that it would be that much of a change from my regular routine. 6 weeks ago I started the OmniPod and I LOVE it!!! I really does make things easier since I don’t have to worry about forgetting whether I’d taken my lantus which I had done many times. The PDM keeps track of everything. I’m not worried about the technology changing because I can always upgrade my PDM if a newer one comes out and when the pods finally do become 40% smaller like I’ve been hearing for many many months I was told that I will start receiving those instead of the bigger ones automatically. It does take a little while to get used to but that is the case with everything that is new. I think you’ll love it just as much as I do.
I’m also going to ask my endo about starting the dexcom when I see her. I can’t wait!
Thanks for the input Jared…I know it will be a big change to go on the pump, but your words are very encouraging. Change can be very positive!!