Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by breaddrink on August 14, 2012 at 11:40pm

Seems as though you may not miss it?

Do you feel it taught you anything about your control and management? It's one argument I've heard before; that once the information is learned and control adjusted with that knowledge, for a certain type of user, usage of the CGM isn't as needed after the first 'wave'.
Whadyathink?

I think I said it before somewhere, but for me, with my awful work hours and constantly changing schedule...I'm not going to be able to glean a whole lot of patterns in control that can help me. I simply need to use the hell out of my CGM and adjust on the fly, and as such it works very well.

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Permalink Reply by Sam Iam on August 14, 2012 at 1:20pm

Seems I'm in the minority here. I had a Minimed and Medtronic CGM. I still love the pump, but life is easier without the CGM. It got expensive, and took up too much real estate. I find it easier and better just to take more finger sticks. I keep hearing good things about the Dexcom, but have no desire.

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Permalink Reply by Brunetta on August 29, 2012 at 10:01am

Same here, Sam Iam. I rarely use My Medtronic CGMS, but I would NEVER give up my pump!!! Why: the CGMS was irregularly accurate,painful,and expensive, (since I retired, with somewhat more limited benefits); and I am not hypo-unaware.As a woman and occasional tight clothes wearing fashionista, I do not want two areas with devices stuck on.I cannot imagine putting that javelin-like sensor inserter in anywhere except"plush" areas where the sun doesn't shine:Some women and men use their upper arms: Ouch!! Not me.
However, I was, after 2 years of use of the CGM,able to determine how fast I fall, how longer I can linger at 65 without IOB,and can judge how much exercise it takes to run down a high blood sugar. That Is VERY helpful info to know. When the CGM is working right, I love it. When It is off, it is really off and extremely agitating.( Like the little girl with the curl in the middle of her forehead,: "When she was good, she was very very good. But when she was bad, she was horrid."
So now, since a lot of cost of the CGms is left to me, I will forego its use until amore consistent MM version comes out. I understand that Medtronic's said-to-be-more-reliable sensor, now available in Europe,will be in the U.S within 2 to 3 years. I will start using my cgm , then, if the transmittor still works. Not willing to wait for the intended Dexcom/Animas model just yet.
I will never give up the pump. I did not come up on MDI, being 57 years old, 43 years insulin -dependent, and 29 years on 1 shot a day. I hated MDI.. gave me lumps and bumps and I was running out of real-estate!!! but multiple testing on my finger tips without use of a cgms is alright with me.
olu,You made the right decision for you. Yes, you are so blessed to have all your equipment paid for at 100%.

God bless,
Brunetta

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Permalink Reply by Jim Devlin on August 24, 2012 at 12:59pm

I have been using the Dex CGM for 2.5 years. Not a severe low since I began.
Have never had a pump! I feel it would be cumbersome and still subject to human error. My pen needles are so tiny now, too. I can easily remember when they looked like mini-harpoons.
No offense intended, but to me a pump is little more than an easier way to give yourself insulin, but more hardware.
My last A1c was 6.3%. I'll be receiving my new lab result in a day or so.
I have always insisted my doctor's office send me a copy of lab results. After 60 years as a T1 these become most interesting.

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Permalink Reply by breaddrink on August 25, 2012 at 4:35am

"No offense intended, but to me a pump is little more than an easier way to give yourself insulin, but more hardware."

That is precisely what it is.
I think the way you think has been a blockade and justification by insurance companies and even Doctors to disallow countless people in the past from obtaining a pump as you can easily argue that what a pump does is identical to what a syringe does.

This is of course over-simplifying. An insulin pump is about as similar to a syringe as an IV is to a glass of water.
It's continuous. It's adjust-ability is vast and capable of sizes of doses unobtainable through injecting. It can both collect data and store it while at the same time take into consideration the amount of active insulin in your system.

'No offense intended' tends to preclude saying something over encapsulating and generalizing, which is what you did. It is why people have struggled to justify to insurance companies why they're medically needed for decades now, the same way we have likely all had to justify why a continuous glucose monitor is also a benefit and not just a luxury.
We will continue to leap over these hurdles until we all own artificial pancreas'

I can only imagine that your comments are because you have no experience or tried an insulin pump.
It is indeed wonderful that you are able to obtain such a good A1C through needles alone, but please don't belittle those who actually require this device. It is an enormous step forward that has unquestionably proven it's worth.

In fact, no offense intended, but imagine how much better your A1C could be if you had a pump ;)

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Permalink Reply by Jim Devlin on August 25, 2012 at 7:44am

No offense taken.
I could have chosen my words more carefully.
I have never had a pump but know two people who have one.
I just have never been overly impressed with their results for indeed my numbers are better with less hassle and hardware.
I very much respect your opinion.

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Permalink Reply by acidrock23 on August 25, 2012 at 8:22am

Beating two people is a pretty small sample size? I have had much better numbers with much less work with a pump, although I am a smaller sample size perhaps as I went from R/NPH to a pump in 2008.

My last A1C was 5.3 and I haven't been > 5.8 since 2008 when I started pumping! I know that it doesn't guarantee that sort of thing and I mostly blame the medical industry for that. I have some aggressive tendencies in my personality and am not shy about pushing myself.

I have also found that it makes diabetes less work. It's still a chore but the pump has really opened things up for me. 1x black belt, 7 half marathons, one full marathon (w/ the next in about 6 weeks...)running 1000-1500 miles/ year, I lift weights and jump rope on my "days off". I agree the pump doesn't guarantee those results either (ha ha!) but it made them much smoother for me. It's much easier to run with a pump than without it. Not everyone thinks so and that's ok but I am always skeptical of people who are not impressed but haven't tried one. Although I know there's also people who've tried them and don't like them, I have found mine nothing but awesome. I was the same way before I got it, "I don't want to lug around hardware..." "I don't want something plugged into me all the time...", etc. I don't even notice it most of the time, except I'm keeping an eye on the CGM while I'm running or whatever.

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Permalink Reply by breaddrink on August 26, 2012 at 12:06am

For me, once I'd gotten over the fact that I carry around this 'thing' with me, the rest was all gains. It was always better, and easier with faster use.
The way you can simply turn it OFF as well. I hated slow acting insulins for the way that they're with you no matter what. No matter if you're having a really nasty low day (something tha happened a lot when I worked out (the day after).

I was never one to be particularly ashamed of my diabetes. I'd shoot up at the table at a restaurant, etc.
But honestly people don't even know I'm diabetic, not because I hide it, but because it hides itself. It's so ridiculously fast to use, especially with my continuous glucose monitor as well as the pump.
I have a blasted knee injury stopped me from testing out the dual function with exercise (before this I had 4 years of physio and fun for a car accident back injury...
Literally one small surgery away from testing things out with weight training again. I'm very excited.

I would literally fight to keep my insulin pump. It's like night and day.

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Permalink Reply by olu Oog on August 29, 2012 at 9:01am

There is no doubt in my mind that if you try the pump, you will will depend less on the CGM.
As for me, since starting on the pump, i think less on the fact that i am T1 diabetic. When i wear the CGM, i am constantly reminded.

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Permalink Reply by Jim Devlin on August 29, 2012 at 10:35am

Having T1 reminds me of having a ferocious beast chasing me every day of my life.
I'm aggerating to make this point. Although it would be nice to think less about my diabetes, I'm not sure this wouldn't do more harm than good.
Then again, I don't have a pump but do extremely well with my CGM.

Sixty+ years w/T1 and still feeling great.

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Permalink Reply by MyBustedPancreas on August 26, 2012 at 6:17am

That's why I opted for the Minimed pump - the CGM and pump are all-in-one. That said, I stopped using the CGM on my pump. The accuracy wasn't terribly good and I felt like I was seriously running out of real estate to put sensors and infusion sets. Pumping gives me excellent control (compared to MDI) but I can live without a CGM.

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