[Diabetes-talk] accessible Insulin pumps

Sun Jun 23 21:50:37 UTC 2013

My doctor proposed I use a pump ten years ago. I had never considered
it, even when sighted. No one worried I couldn't do it. I know this
isn't the case for all people, and I feel very lucky. I've experienced
the best control over my blood sugars than ever before, and it allows
for a lot more flexibility with meal times and what I eat. I'm not
implying other insulin methods aren't as equal to a pump, but for me
personally, I've done better with a pump, and it fits with my active,
spontaneous lifestyle better. I would dread going back to a pen or
syringe.

Bridgit

-----Original Message-----
From: Diabetes-talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Julie Graham
Sent: Sunday, June 23, 2013 1:35 PM
To: Diabetes Talk for the Blind
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] accessible Insulin pumps

Cheers Veronica.
All sounds scary! LOL.
I was told Roche has an older pump which beeps and it takes cartridges
of 
insulin, I've not met anyone who uses one but my Diabetes specialist
nurse 
told me to hang on for a bit as this new pump is suppose to have
prefilled 
cartridges too which is one good feature.  Good luck getting any news
from 
Roche as they seem to be keeping this one close to their chests. I have
a few blind diabetic friends telling me their doctors suggested a 
pump for them whereas I had to fight to be heard.  I had to convince the

nurses I was going to be able to do the DAFNE carb counting course.
They 
said I couldn't read the written material, I told them if they gave it
to me 
in a word doc I could get my computer to read it, they said they didn't
have 
it in any other format than print.  Turns out they were wrong, a friend 
emailed it to me.  they only let me do the course if my mum was there to

read things to me, turns out I didn't need her there as the nurses
talked us 
through it.  Their second reason I couldn't do it was there were 
calculations!  at this point I was ready to scream!  I'm blind, not
bloomin 
stupid!.
Finished the course in a few hours and was told i'd have to prove I
could 
follow it, few months later my HBA1C was down from 11 to 9.2, not sure
how 
your calculations work but i was doing well, they then let me down by 
cancelling my next appointment as there was a backlog of appointments,
they 
called me a few months later to ask why I had missed my appointment.
Grrr. Now the are saying I can have a pump if I can prove i can use one,
yet how 
can I prove it if they won't give me one.
Brick wall and head come into mind.
Roche rep says she will be in touch in 2014.  I won't hold my breath
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Veronica Elsea" <veronica at laurelcreekmusic.com>
To: "'Diabetes Talk for the Blind'" <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, June 23, 2013 6:54 PM
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] accessible Insulin pumps

Hi Julie!
First, welcome to the list. This group is great at batting things around
together and anything else we need here. I've heard that Prodigy has
given up on the talking insulin pump. I can't imagine what Roche is
coming out with. But what they have now is a kind of bare bones basic
pump with all of the advanced functionality put into a remote or a PDA.
Their current pump does beep with keypad presses, but using just the
stand-alone pump puts us a good 20 years behind everyone else. No
insulin on board feature, no pump figuring anything out for you. The
trouble with many of the newer pumps or remotes is that everyone is
moving to wizards. So in order to give a simple bolus, first you have to
answer questions about what your BG is, whether or not you plan to eat,
bla bla bla. And since these pumps don't talk, it's tougher to count our
way through things. I've been using the Cozmo by Smiths Medical, but
unfortunately it's no longer available. It's not completely accessible
but does have good keypad beeps, the ability to customize menus and get
stuff I don't want out of the way, and the ability to set things in
software on my computer and then fire everything to my pump via an
infrared connection. But my warranty is up so I'm now looking at what's
out there. I'm not thrilled, for sure. Depending on where you live, you
could take a look at a new one coming out called The Snap Pump, which
does have some audible feedback and uses pre-filled cartridges. It's out
in a few states at the moment. Mine isn't one of them though. Probably,
in a month or so I'll get back to serious snooping. I really have no
idea what I'm going to do though. But I'll definitely call Roche and see
what they say to me. But these days, the FDA is so backed up that I
don't see how any company can realistically promise anything close to a
release date. Although the Tandem T-slim did get it done this year.
That's the pump I'd get were I sighted. It has the features I want and
even has nice audible feedback. But it's a touch-screen pump. I still
checked it out and one big show-stopper is that even filling the
cartridge involves dialogs. If it thinks you've missed some basal
delivery during the process of filling and loading the cartridge, it
asks you what you want it to do. There would be no way for us to know if
that dialog appeared or not. And loading that cartridge along with a few
other basic tasks are on my list of things I must be able to do myself
if I ever want to do things like travel away from home. So as badly as I
want this pump, it can't be. But stick around. There are several people
using pumps here and we do share experiences, ask questions, grumble and
plan in this group. So thanks for joining the group. Veronica

Watch the video as The Guide Dog Glee Club sings "Rehab!" Yes! Yes! Yes!
http://youtu.be/JvakJ5lk6Us Then find more music from Veronica Elsea and
The Guide Dog Glee Club at: http://www.laurelcreekmusic.com Veronica
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Phone: 831-429-6407

-----Original Message-----
From: Diabetes-talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Julie Graham
Sent: Sunday, June 23, 2013 10:13 AM
To: Diabetes Talk for the Blind
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] accessible Insulin pumps

Vapor ware?  you don't believe these companies will release a talking or
accessible pump?  i'm not too sure about the prodigy one but i've been
told about the Roche INSIGHT pump by my DSN and by the Roche rep for
this area. Perhaps it won't talk but I was told they were working on
something to be released next year which was designed with blind people
in mind
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Freeman" <k7uij at panix.com>
To: "Diabetes Talk for the Blind" <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, June 23, 2013 6:06 PM
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] accessible Insulin pumps

>I consider all the examples you cite below complete vapor ware. More
>later.
>
> Mike Freeman
>
>
> On Jun 23, 2013, at 7:58, "Julie Graham" <orvil_7 at yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
>
>> I've only just joined this mailing list and was wondering if anyone
>> had any info on the IQ pump by prodigy?  when it's to be released or 
>> how it works?  Also Roche are to release a new pump in 2014 which has

>> been designed with the blind and partially sighted in mind or so i'm 
>> told.
>>
>> Driving me crazy when I get no answer from the companies.
>>
>> Any information would be greatly appreciated.
>>
>>
>>
>> Julie Graham
>> _______________________________________________
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