Minimed 530G Artificial Pancreas. It's All I'm Thinking About.

It really is all I can think about. I called my doctor yesterday afternoon to get the upgrade to the Medtronic Minimed 530G with Enlite Sensor started and they jumped right on it.

The other night I had an occlusion, so I changed my set and bloused for the high even though I had insulin on board. It was clearly not working. But, apparently some of it was. I was asleep and at 1:00 a.m. bolted upright disoriented.

My Dexcom G7 sensor had ended and I didn't want to start a new one while sky high and then falling with a new set. I took my blood glucose and I was 40. I drank a juice. I was still 40. I drank another juice. Still low, so I drank milk and got some toast with peanut butter. I hit 65. Ten minutes later I was 55. I drank more milk and ate cheese. Finally, I began climbing. About 5:00 a.m. I bolused for a 200, which considering how much I ate, was pretty reasonable.

If I had the Minimed 530G (and my sensor was active), none of this would have happened. I actually had any Glucagon laying next to me in bed, just in case all that food wasn't enough and my husband found me unconscious.

So, for those of you that follow me, you know I did the trial for the Enlite Sensor that comes with this shiny new pump. I have lots of posts about the Enlite Continuous Glucose Monitor sensors and the things I LOVE, including this post, so check them out. I was so disappointed not to get the Low Suspend pump, but one a couple people in Austin got it for trail.

One thing I think is weird, and I'd love to hear the engineers talk about their reasoning on this, but why did they change "Low Suspend" on the Veo in available in Europe to "Thresh Suspend?"

"Thresh," is more understandable? Thresh. Ugh. Maybe that was an FDA thing, because it is that stupid. One of my biggest issues with Minimed is their lack of concern regarding user interface. It is at the bottom of their priority list. However, they are kicking out technology that works well and is reliable and on the cutting edge, which means I buy it. I love shiny, but if it isn't the best medical technology my insurance company can buy, I don't want it.

So, I am working on ordering for both my daughter and I before our insurance changes from 90/10 to 80/20. Are you interested in buying this for you or your child?

Medtronic Minimed Trial Part two: Got Some Stuff

I had my second visit for the Medtronic Minimed Veo and Enlite Sensor trial on Monday. I was given a new Revel pump and a new meter from Bayer that links to the pump. It has a color screen. It is under investigation as well. I was also given a binder full of papers and log sheets, a blood ketone meter, ketone strips (I have to check every morning. Ugh.).

I will have to upload my readings to CareLink under a trial username each Friday and log my ketones and notes, like the fact that I have a cold right now. Also need to record exercise, lows, etc.

In two weeks I go back and get the Medtronic Minimed Enlite Sensor and can't wait to tell you about it. If you've read my blog long you know how much I hate the harpoon of a sensor they offer now. I like the results, but the UI is sucky.

One bit of info that isn't confirmed, but intriguing is that Minimed intends to continue to use the Revel model, not the Veo, but upgrade the technology in the Revel. Not sure why, but I guess the study is for the technology, not the device itself.

I just want all of this to come to market. I want the Medtronic Sentry for my kid and I want the hippest thing out there to help us manage this pain in the ass disease.

FYI - I am wearing the Dexcom 7 Plus CGM until I get the Enlite. Wearing it makes me remember why I really like the Minimed; it is all in one. I am constantly losing my Dexcom receiver in my bathrobe pocket, in my car, in my jeans that almost made it to the wash. Sigh. Hurry Minimed!

Another Dexcom Pro and Another Con

I forgot something in my last post about the Dexcom Seven Plus. PRO: I love that I can wear the sensor for two weeks. Shhh! It's kinda a secret, but some folks I know get three weeks out of it if the glue holds.

However, CON: the receiver needs to be charged, so if you can remember to plug it in at night next to your bed, you are safe. Forget and the battery can go caput and you are out of luck until you can charge it again. I was out of town this weekend and forget the power cord, so it ran out of juice into day two and I was left hanging.

Not a huge issue, but a different one from the Minimed which has you charge the transmitter.

FYI- My site is getting hammered with comment spam. Hundreds of posts a week, so forgive me if I can't get them all deleted in a timely fashion. Don't click on them, it only encourages them. Blogger/Google, get your S*** together and stop this crazy madness!

I like Dexcom better than Minimed! Yeah, I said it!

Jury is in! I have worn the Dexcom 7 Plus off and on for a few months and also switched out with the Minimed CGM. Frankly, the Dexcom is just more user friendly for several reasons. It has cons too, so let me lay them out Pro and Con style:

Pros

• Sensor is TINY and doesn't hurt (much) going in. Much like an infusion set.
• Lasts at least 7 days
• Very, very accurate. Only a couple times I've had it off the mark and it was after the seven days of wear. Often within one or two mg/dl.
• Alarms are quite and unassuming, but you know they are there. This is a big one for me. I hate the alarms on Minimed. They are obnoxious and difficult to program. Not impossible, but it requires a lot of effort to shut the thing up. I would need a whole other post to talk about the difference it makes to have the alarms more like Dexcom, so I'll leave it here.
• You still get readings after a calibration request. This is also huge. I press the button to check my numbers and a polite little message says "Check BG." I can't, so I don't, but the graph ticks along doing its best without my calibration. I get out of my meeting three hours later and it is still holding my numbers, but I know that I need to calibrate, so I check my blood sugar, see it is really close tot he Dexcom, but I forgot to enter it in the Dexcom before my next meeting. I check the unit half-way through my meeting and see my polite little reminder and think, Darn it! I forgot to plug in my reading. Oh! Well, I can do it when I'm through." AND get no annoying, blasting reminders every 30 minutes. Really, this is BIG for me.

Cons:

• Separate unit, which I have lost and then found. Bad for me!
  
• Doesn't talk to my pump.
• Can't merge the data

Running out of steam, but that is it in a nut shell. Minimed better get off ther asses. I have been waiting for a VERY long time and upgraded to get their technology coming out. But they have always failed on UI and don't seem to listen to their market.

I still love my pump, but I desperately wish Medtronic Minimed would step it up A LOT!

Not Accurate, So Far: Dexcom 7 Plus

Last night I was awakened by an alarm that said 47. Actual blood sugar was 90.

Today, alarm says 401, actual reading is 234. Calibrated and its back to 254, but still.

Like trending arrows: Dexcom 7 Plus

I like the constant trending arrows; pointing east for level sugars and northeast/southeast for going up or down steadily, but not fast and of course, north or south, which is pretty way to figure out.

I know folks have been blogging about this product for years, but I might as well document mine.

Also, to clarify, I have great insurance, so this experiment is largely affordable. I still like my minimed cgm, but my daughter tried it once and that was the end of that. Harpoons don't play well with kids, do we are giving this a try.

My girl had never really cared about taking her blood sugar in front of folks, but 6th grade its so different. Eyes are on every move she makes and we need diabetes to be as discreet and private as possible.