Program A Minimed Paradigm 722
Hello everyone,
Some of you may know I lost my job back in July. We just got moved back to Texas a month ago. During that time I took my pump off and was just using shots, but lately my BG is too high. So here's the deal. The battery went dead in my pump, and I'm not sure if the settings are all the same. It says when the battery goes dead it returns the settings to default. The carb to insulin ratio is 1 to 5, which means one unit of insulin to 5 carbs. Is that a normal setting? I don't know if that was saved when my battery went dead or if that is the default setting. I feel like a dummy. I should have went through and wrote everything down. Oh yeah, and I can't seem to connect my pump to my Onetouch Ultralink Meter. I have the meter number entered in the pump, and its turned on, but when I check my BG it doesn't register on my pump. What a huge stinking mess. I think its safe to say I may have a little anger towards my previous employer. Oh well, nothing I can do about that now. I don't have a Dr. here yet. That may take a while. We have zero income, zero money, and no job yet. Medtronics is wearing me out about what I owe on my pump, but I can't make them understand what has happened in my life. They have stopped my pump supplies, and obviously I can't pay for them out of my pocket. I do have about three boxes of infusion sets left and one box of cartridges. I do have quite a few viles of insulin, but at some point all of it is going to be gone. How does someone who has lost nearly everything go about obtaining this stuff? This is just insane. I guess I'll just have to quit eating. :o)
Some of you may know I lost my job back in July. We just got moved back to Texas a month ago. During that time I took my pump off and was just using shots, but lately my BG is too high. So here's the deal. The battery went dead in my pump, and I'm not sure if the settings are all the same. It says when the battery goes dead it returns the settings to default. The carb to insulin ratio is 1 to 5, which means one unit of insulin to 5 carbs. Is that a normal setting? I don't know if that was saved when my battery went dead or if that is the default setting. I feel like a dummy. I should have went through and wrote everything down. Oh yeah, and I can't seem to connect my pump to my Onetouch Ultralink Meter. I have the meter number entered in the pump, and its turned on, but when I check my BG it doesn't register on my pump. What a huge stinking mess. I think its safe to say I may have a little anger towards my previous employer. Oh well, nothing I can do about that now. I don't have a Dr. here yet. That may take a while. We have zero income, zero money, and no job yet. Medtronics is wearing me out about what I owe on my pump, but I can't make them understand what has happened in my life. They have stopped my pump supplies, and obviously I can't pay for them out of my pocket. I do have about three boxes of infusion sets left and one box of cartridges. I do have quite a few viles of insulin, but at some point all of it is going to be gone. How does someone who has lost nearly everything go about obtaining this stuff? This is just insane. I guess I'll just have to quit eating. :o)
Tags: Insulin, Program Pump, Supplies
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Kristin on -
Hi Bobby,
Sorry to hear about these struggles
I'm afraid there are no "normal" pump settings. We are all different. So I would not use the pump until you can figure out your settings. Do you have the papers from when you started on the pump or any other papers from your endo or diabetes educator. You should see if they wrote down the settings for you at some point. I just found my pump papers and the settings were written down for me there.
The other option is to re-calculate your settings based on how much insulin you are taking on injections. Do you have the book "Pumping Insulin"? Or see if your library has it. Or write down how much insulin you are injecting (what type and when) and we can calculate similar settings. It might be like starting over on the pump though.
You should already start to sign up for patient assistance programs, like the ones that the insulin companies have and ipump.org. The paper work there can take a while. So don't wait until your supplies run out. There are many suggestions of places to get support or supplies in this discussion, click here.
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Permalink Reply by Terry on -
Bobby,
Could you call your old doctor's office to find out if they have the last record of your insulin:carb ratio? I don't know if that is a default value for the Minimed 722 or perhaps a value that you saved previously. I use insulin:carb ratios anywhere from 1:4 to 1:10 depending on the time of day.
I don't use a Minimed pump now but I'm sure there are many on this site that do, perhaps they could help with that part of your problem.
I know that Minimed (as well as all the pump companies) only says to use cartridges once and then toss. If I were in your situation I would use them at least twice. As for the infusion sets, you can only use them once. You could extend the life of the infusion sets by using a syringe for your boluses and push the infusion set to beyond three or four days.
Last year when I changed from a Minimed pump to an Animas pump, I was left with a large supply of Minimed infusion sets and cartridges. I ended up giving them all away to a diabetic that was mentioned in a USA Today story about the pressing national need for real health care reform. She was in much the same situation as you, an insulin dependent diabetic on a pump without insurance coverage. Her grateful email that she sent me when she received all my excess supplies was more than enough payment for me.
I'm hoping that someone on this site may be situated much as I was one year ago and can find it in their heart to pay it forward!
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Permalink Reply by Bobby on -
I am just almost in tears. Everything has just come tumbling down, with no end in sight. I broke the holster for my pump, and I've been using a cell phone holder someone gave me but it doesn't latch completely. I just now bent over to get my medicine out of my night stand and the pump fell off and ripped the infusion set out. I know it seems like I'm just complaining about everything, but I just can't help it. I am just so depressed. absolutely nothing is going my way. My health insurance runs out the end of this month, and we already have all the medications we will receive for me, my wife, and my daughter. That's all, guess I better install another infusion set, of which I was trying to conserve. I just put this one on last night. I'm sorry for my complaining. I reckon you can kick me off Tudiabetes.
Peace,
Bobby
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Permalink Reply by Terry on
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Bobby -- What rotten luck! Just take a deep breath and try to limit your focus to the things within your control. You will get through this. Please excuse the cliche; just try to take it one day at a time.
Your situation must seem so overwhelming at this time. Maybe you could look at one small piece of the problem a make some efforts to solve that small portion. A small success now could start to turn things around. It certainly could bolster your battered self-confidence. Don't give up!
Terry
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Permalink Reply by Hector Gonzalez on
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Hi Bobby
The most important thing is to keep your blood sugars on a good range 100, 120, and no more than 140, after eating.
You can do that with multiple shoots or with your pump, if you are in a rush or complicated situation just try to relax count carbs acurately and put your sugar readings in control.
I use multiple shoots when take a vacation from my MM 722 pump and now I have 5 months on multiple shots with a 6% A1C, so don worry if you can not set your pump, keep it for later when you can find some local help with Minimed local people
My advice to you if focus on keep a good control of yor diabetes with the resourses (couting carbs, excercise, no stress, multiple shots (basal with lantus or NPH and bolus with humalog or novorap) you can control and use better
Goog Look !!!
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Permalink Reply by Bobby on
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I did call Minimed this morning. They walked me through the process of trying to pair the Pump with the Meter, and it continued to come up with the error number A64. It turns out the pump is still under warranty so I should receive a new one by 10:30 in the morning. Then I will call either my Doctor or Diabetes Educator back in Georgia and see if they can help me program it with the right numbers. I also talked to another lady with Minimed who said she should be able to get me assistance with the pump supplies for the next 6 months, then depending on my circumstances they can get them approved for the next 3 years. So two phone calls this morning has already eased some of the tension somewhat. My Dr. also said he would write a letter of disability for me, so I think I'm going to go ahead and file for disability. I think maybe this will all work itself out. Thanks everyone, for your support. I appreciate everyone of you.
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Permalink Reply by Kristin on
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Glad to hear that there were a few steps in the right direction! Keep us posted on how you are doing!!
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Permalink Reply by nel on
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Oh my, a tough road.... I agree with what is said here , especially Hector's suggestion ...this may not be the time to think PUMP , but use MDI ( is cheaper than pumping ) instead, till you have a handle on things , where finances are concerned .
Is there a nearby Diabetes center at your disposal , till you get a Doctor lined up( the sooner, the better in my opinion ) , where a Diabetes Educator( s) can help you with getting your numbers , carb ratio's , correction bolusses , etc. etc. on target? Wish you and your family better days ahead .
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Permalink Reply by June English on -
Hi! You need to contact IP (Insulin Pumpers.) It is a Yahoo! Group. If I remember how I got on originally, I think it was like this:
(1) get a Yahoo! e-mail address
(2) go Yahoo Groups
(3) search for Insulin Pumpers
(4) register
Put a posting to the IP group (i.e., send the group an e-mail.) The guy who runs it (Michael) keeps extra pump supplies on hand and gives them to the needy. Good luck!
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Permalink Reply by June English on
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O.K. I just found a direct e-mail for Michael (who runs the Yahoo! Insulin Pumpers group.) Tell him you "met" an IP member on a TU DIABETES message, and tell him how desperate you are for supplies. Here's his e-mail:
michael@insulin-pumpers.org
Good luck!
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Permalink Reply by Christina Luis on -
Hi Bobby,
I am so sorry to hear that you are having rough times. I will pray for you and your family in hopes that you are able to find a job soon. I am glad to hear that minimed is going to help you. Thats awesome! If there is anything I can do, even if its just a shoulder, please let me know.
Thinking of you and your family
Christina
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