If you are like me, you get super excited when the latest and greatest diabetes management technology becomes available. You scour the internet for websites and articles about how the device works and what enhancements have been made with the newest versions of the tech. You go down the rabbit-hole in your social media feeds to get an idea of what people already using the tech like and dislike about the system. You talk with your doctor and perhaps a knowledgeable diabetes educator about the options, risks and benefits and your personal lifestyle. After all of that information gathering, the big question still lingers, “Will this system be the right one for me?”
Every body is different and as we have more options in tech, we have some work in narrowing down the options to what we think will be the best fit for us. We invest a lot of time, money and faith into getting new technology and the return policies are limited. We risk investing in a device that we may have to stick with for a 4-year warranty that does not allow us to get another until that time is up and there is some wear and tear on our device.
Will this system be the right one for me?
So when I was offered the opportunity to wear Medtronic’s latest technology for a month, I jumped at it! I’d been hearing that the sensor has improved and no longer required calibrations which sounded promising although I was still wary of it. I also learned that the newest algorithm is much more aggressive than other tech available with curbing high blood glucose (BG) with something called “bolus forgiveness” (more about this later). Furthermore, it works best with a target BG of 100 mg/dl which is lower than the other systems. I just had to try this pump!
My 30-day trial technology arrived in early December, and even though my trial would go through the holidays, I thought it would be interesting to test the pump during a month that I tend to eat more and have less idea about how much carb is involved when visiting relatives and celebrating. I received my training, got the pump and CGM placed and put aside my Omnipod 5 and Dexcom G6 for 30 days.
During that time, I collected data and have compared it to my experience with Omnipod. I noticed right away that my time-in-range (TIR) increased and my average sensor reading decreased. I will also include comparisons to the Tandem CIQ and the ILet pump so you can get an idea of how each system works. For the purposes of this blog, I will not be including information on Looping as it is not FDA approved and must be looked into by the individual.
I noticed right away that my time-in-range (TIR) increased and my average sensor reading decreased.
There’s a lot of information to share, so I’ve broken it up into 6 topics. I plan to post a new topic weekly. My hope is that in sharing my experience, people can feel confident in deciding on their next pump and CGM adventure. I want to be clear that this is not meant as medical advice and that you should talk with your doctor, and I would recommend a tech-saavy diabetes educator, about the different insulin pump options available. Diabetes technology is my favorite topic and I often help advise providers on how the technology works, so if you’d like to talk in more detail with me, just make an appointment and I’m happy to help you personally.
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