[Diabetes-talk] Have you gone thru this?

Thu Jul 21 17:10:44 UTC 2016

Thanks, Tom, for helping to clarify things. As we proceed in our quest to obtain and/or develop accessible diabetes equipment, we must be *very* careful to keep our facts straight.

You are to be commended.

Mike Freeman

-----Original Message-----
From: Diabetes-Talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tom Ley via Diabetes-Talk
Sent: Thursday, July 21, 2016 6:31 AM
To: diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org
Cc: TALey at ups.com
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] Have you gone thru this?

J, 

Thanks about the info on the Omnipod system, I would just check your facts on what you reported about the Omnipod auto checks your blood sugar > every 15 minutes and delivers as needed.

The Omnipod does not check your blood sugar at all by itself. You can use a separate CGM system, like the Dexcom, which gives you a blood sugar reading every five minutes, but there is no coordination between the CGM and the Omnipod doing anything automatically. 

What you may have heard reported is that like all insulin pumps, the Omnipod system allows you to preset your basal insulin doses and once they are set up by you and your doctor, the system automatically delivers the basal insulin all day and night. All pumps do this. And, as you  test your blood sugar throughout the day, and as you eat, you manually push buttons on the pump to tell it how much extra insulin to give you to cover your carbs or bring down your blood sugar. 

That is a lot different from the system autochecking your blood sugar every fifteen minutes and adjusting automatically in response. No one has a pump on the market yet that does this. It is what is referred to as the artificial pancreas, or a closed loop system. Artificial pancreas systems are in the near future, but not hear today. 

Hope this helps.

Tom

-----Original Message-----
From: Diabetes-Talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of J Steele-Louchart via Diabetes-Talk
Sent: Thursday, July 21, 2016 9:03 AM
To: Diabetes Talk for the Blind <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: J Steele-Louchart <jsteelelouchart at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] Have you gone thru this?

It's called the OmniPod. It's wireless. It has an adhesive strip so that you can put it, say, on the back of your arm, and it comes with a remote control that inserts the insulin via a button press on that remote. You set it once every 24 hours, and based upon the amount of carbs you take in with a meal, you set the remote to give you an extra dose of insulin as-needed. You can also go swimming, deep-sea diving, or lay out in the sun with no problems. the website is:
https://www.myomnipod.com/

J

On 7/21/16, Eileen Scrivani via Diabetes-Talk <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Hi Jay,
>
> I would be curious what exactly the Pod is, that is brand and exact name.
> I’m using a Medtronic’s pump, but think I have 1 or two more years 
> until I am able to upgrade if I want.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Eileen
>
>
> From: J Steele-Louchart via Diabetes-Talk
> Sent: Thursday, July 21, 2016 4:01 AM
> To: Diabetes Talk for the Blind
> Cc: J Steele-Louchart
> Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] Have you gone thru this?
>
> Hi, all,
>
> Some totally blind diabetics I've met through another forum  are using 
> "The Pod," a wireless insulin pump which auto checks your blood sugar 
> every 15 minutes and delivers as needed. The app is apparently 
> accessible, and the device itself has a simple pattern to be able to 
> control it through the inaccessible on-board settings.
>
> I could ask them for more information, if you're interested. Their 
> insurances are covering it with no problem.
>
> J
>
> On 7/21/16, Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter via Diabetes-Talk 
> <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> I now use the Animas Ping, but I worked with a Medtronic pump too. As 
>> a blind person, there's not a whole lot more you can do with a pump 
>> independently beyond changing batteries, cartridges and tubing, 
>> bolus, some bolus wizards can work without sight, setting temporary 
>> basal patterns and switching between basal patterns, but changing 
>> basal rates is usually a bit more complicated to do nonvisually.
>> Outside this, there's not much more blind users use on pumps. It also 
>> depends on how comfortable you become with the pump. The CGM part of 
>> the Medtronic is not accessible at all. I'm not sure about the app.
>> My understanding was that the Dexcum CGM app was the only accessible 
>> app, but I thought someone on the list said that with the Medtronic 
>> CGM app you can at least have it read out numbers, though you can't 
>> change or set anything.
>>
>> Do you have symptoms of being low? Dizziness, cold sweats, hunger, 
>> light-headed, etc.? Not all diabetics feel symptoms, I understand 
>> this. I feel symptoms well before I reach the point of passing out. I 
>> have frequent lows, but I rarely don't get to the point where I run 
>> out of time to treat.
>> But I can also be 40 or lower and completely lucid and capable of 
>> treating.
>> But when, if you do, feel symptoms, do you treat immediately? Do you 
>> keep juice and candy or food nearby at all times including at night?
>> When I leave the house, I always have juice and a snack of some kind 
>> with me. And I keep juice in my nightstand.
>>
>> Good luck.
>>
>> Bridgit
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Diabetes-Talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
>> Behalf Of
>> blindhands--- via Diabetes-Talk
>> Sent: Wednesday, July 20, 2016 10:33 PM
>> To: 'Diabetes Talk for the Blind' <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
>> Cc: blindhands at aol.com
>> Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] Have you gone thru this?
>>
>> It will shut off up to 2 hours or from what I have been told if your 
>> blood sugar reaches a certain level it will start delivering insulin once again.
>>
>> I have had this in my hands and the rep basically showed me how to 
>> put the insulin in and bleed the tubing to get the air out.  Showed 
>> me how to bolis a amount of insulin.  I will need to learn a lot 
>> more, but I don't know if I want the pump until I get the CGM  unit 
>> as I feel that they are giving me the car without the brakes and 
>> there is no brakes for it.
>>
>> Joyce
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Diabetes-Talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
>> Behalf Of Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter via Diabetes-Talk
>> Sent: Wednesday, July 20, 2016 11:27 PM
>> To: 'Diabetes Talk for the Blind' <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
>> Cc: Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter <bkpollpeter at gmail.com>
>> Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] Have you gone thru this?
>>
>> When the Medtronic turns off when low, is it somehow accessible to 
>> turn back on when you need?
>>
>> Bridgit
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Diabetes-Talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
>> Behalf Of
>> blindhands--- via Diabetes-Talk
>> Sent: Wednesday, July 20, 2016 10:06 PM
>> To: 'Diabetes Talk for the Blind' <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
>> Cc: blindhands at aol.com
>> Subject: [Diabetes-talk] Have you gone thru this?
>>
>> Well first the good news:
>>
>> My United Health Care has approved getting me the Medtronic 530 B 
>> insulin pump!  This is the new one that will turn off when your blood 
>> sugar goes to low.  I don't know what other bells and whistles it 
>> has.  Someone mentioned here that this is the only pump that can do 
>> this?
>>
>> This is what I really need as I have had a lot of low blood sugars 
>> and have been found on the floor by my son being unconscious for 3 to
>> 4 hours.
>>
>> Now the horrible and are they crazy?
>> They denied the CGM to this machine.  So much for it turning off when 
>> my blood sugar goes too low.  But, I was advised by the American 
>> Diabetes Association to contact my state advocacy  department which I 
>> had done and was assigned a person that will handle the denial.  I 
>> got the form in like Johnny on the Spot.  When she called me I told 
>> her I did not get a denial letter as MedTronics was dragging their 
>> feet on it.  They wanted me to put in for the older machine as the 
>> United Health Care would approve that machine.
>>
>> So I will be starting the battle to see if they change their minds 
>> and go for the thing that I really need and the endocrinologist is recommending.
>>
>> Has any one tried fighting a denial?
>>
>> If you call up Medtronics and get put on hold they have an 
>> advertisement going that states United Health Care supportsMedtronics
>> 530 G insulin pump.
>> When I asked the insurance person she did not even know that was on 
>> their phone line.
>>
>> I did ask her, if the apt works with voiceover and she told me she 
>> did not know and would ask around.  I did not get that answer from her either.
>>
>> Advise, Advise Advise, please let me know your experience with a denial.
>> Supposely United Health Care goes by Medicare rules.  So that is why 
>> the first denial.
>>
>> Joyce
>>
>>
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>
>
> --
> J Steele-Louchart
>
> I Will Find A Way or I Will Make One
>
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--
J Steele-Louchart

I Will Find A Way or I Will Make One

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