[Diabetes-Talk] The Stupidity of Medtronic.
d m gina
dmgina at mysero.net
Wed Jun 19 16:16:19 UTC 2019
So all diabetics have to change from apple products to androyd?
Or get a second phone?
Hmmm wonder what apple did they eat?
Original message:
> Okay, here's an example. Many medical device companies are turning to
> Android as a basis for their new products. This includes, pumps, CPap
> machines, and other devices. I have been trying to figure out how to
> get Google to start with their health division, Verily, to come up with
> funding, then somehow to make the TalkBack system a part of the
> operating system installed in all of these devices. Trouble is, I
> haven't landed the right contacts yet. I'm sending emails, trying to
> ask people who they know and so on, but I haven't hit the right person
> yet. This is the sort of thing a national organization could really do
> better than an individual. I have been saying this for a year and a
> half now. The NFB says, oh we know people at Google. But they're not in
> the right department and I haven't seen any action. If the NFB is so
> concerned about the Dexcom, why didn't they push harder to remove the
> question about whether or not we're going to use the receiver with the
> G6? Yes, they don't seem to be enforcing this, but the average person
> doesn't know this. There's a job half completed. My experience with the
> NFB over many years is that they start something and when they get some
> sense of maybe a little bit happened, they stop. One of these days I'm
> just going to stage a sit-in at the Google campus until I get directed
> somewhere. Time is not our friend here. So we have to get past
> complaining on a list, whether it's this one or the used to be task
> force one. If I knew where to plant my noise, I'd have done it long
> ago. I actually all but closed my business so that I could devote my
> efforts to the medical device task force, because I had so much hope. I
> care very much about other blind people and myself. That's why I've
> made such an effort to make the Omnipod work for now. I will happily
> spend any amount of time helping others as I did in the early Dexcom
> days because it matters to me. All of you matter to me. I matter to me.
> And I have said all of this on the task force list, many times. Sorry
> if I've flagged a bit. I'm broken-hearted and I've had other family
> emergencies that demanded my attention. And I could really use someone
> who has good connections somewhere. Till that time comes, I'll keep
> looking. I will also keep on with my daily struggle to keep using
> technology that really isn't designed with me in mind. Thanks for listening.
> Veronica
> "Guide Dogs, First Hand", Veronica Elsea's classic album is now
> available on iTunes, along with other music from her and from the Guide
> Dog Glee Club.
> To learn more, visit:
> http://www.laurelcreekmusic.com
> Veronica Elsea, Owner
> Laurel Creek Music Designs
> Santa Cruz, California
> Phone: 831-429-6407
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Diabetes-Talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of Walter Mitchell via Diabetes-Talk
> Sent: Tuesday, June 18, 2019 6:25 PM
> To: 'Diabetes Talk for the Blind'
> Cc: Walter Mitchell
> Subject: Re: [Diabetes-Talk] The Stupidity of Medtronic.
> Yes, I am on the National DAN Board and I was on the committee. There
> was others as well Bernadette was on the board. The DAN was the
> originator of the idea.
> Walter Mitchell
> V-President, Ohio Diabetes Action Network
> Board member, National Diabetes Action Network
> (513) 582-8606
> Walterl.mitch2 at gmail.com
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Diabetes-Talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter via Diabetes-Talk
> Sent: Tuesday, June 18, 2019 9:14 PM
> To: 'Diabetes Talk for the Blind'
> Cc: Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter
> Subject: Re: [Diabetes-Talk] The Stupidity of Medtronic.
> Is anyone from the DAN board on the committee? Is national working with
> DAN on this? If not, it should.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Diabetes-Talk <diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of
> Michael Barber via Diabetes-Talk
> Sent: Tuesday, June 18, 2019 6:06 PM
> To: Diabetes Talk for the Blind <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Michael Barber <m.barber817 at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [Diabetes-Talk] The Stupidity of Medtronic.
> Anil Lewis is the person heading up this committee at this time.
> Cordially,
> Michael D. Barber
>> On Jun 18, 2019, at 5:59 PM, Eileen Scrivani via Diabetes-Talk
>> <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> Walter,
>> Do you know who took the places of Eric & Dylan? My thinking is that a
>> diabetic with understanding of pump use & glucose monitors and who is
>> blind from this group should be on that committee. I’m disgusted with
>> the lack of motivation, interest, what ever the driving force is to try
>> and get something done for diabetics who are blind and need to use
>> these devices be they pumps, glucose monitors. I believe they should
>> not be thrown into a large group of generic appliances.
>> I have my pump that's working and under warrantee so I feel safe, for a
>> while, but I am very worried about the future and am frightened for
>> those blind diabetics whose pumps breakdown and won’t be able to get
>> replacement pumps. Luckily for the person I spoke with yesterday, after
>> speaking with me they called Medtronics who said they would work with
>> them to get a pump they could use. At some point the supply of
>> Medtronic pumps that a blind person can operate will dry up and go
>> away. When I’ve spoken with Medtronic reps & my pump trainer they swear
>> to me they are working on getting another pump that will be
>> operational, but when, when. It is frightening to think about it.
>> Eileen
>> From: Walter Mitchell via Diabetes-Talk
>> Sent: Tuesday, June 18, 2019 5:29 PM
>> To: 'Diabetes Talk for the Blind'
>> Cc: Walter Mitchell
>> Subject: Re: [Diabetes-Talk] The Stupidity of Medtronic.
>> I understand your comments, but my questions are based around, just how
>> we lost both our experts in close proximity. We made a considerable
>> amount of noise with them and without them, we haven't made a sound. In
>> my book, I don't think that was a coincidence. That is just my opinion.
>> Walter
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Diabetes-Talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>> Behalf Of Veronica Elsea via Diabetes-Talk
>> Sent: Tuesday, June 18, 2019 5:13 PM
>> To: 'Diabetes Talk for the Blind'
>> Cc: Veronica Elsea
>> Subject: Re: [Diabetes-Talk] The Stupidity of Medtronic.
>> Actually, this is slightly nicer than what used to be on their web site.
>> As for the NFB, in 2018, the accessible medical equipment task force
>> started off working very hard and really was setting up goals, plans
>> and assigning tasks to people. Unfortunately the NFB transferred
>> everything to the Jernigan Institute. They dropped all of the medical
>> equipment into one giant bill, which aims to address everything from
>> dish washers to DVD's. They want the Access board to set up rule making
>> and so on and so forth. If I follow this language, it will be at least
>> 10 years before anything happens. And nobody using current diabetes
>> management equipment is currently asked to help. So from where I sit,
>> looks like they dropped us. But while it lasted, it was a good task
>> force and I worked my butt off. Okay, it's still there. Darn! <grin>
>> But I do live in fear of what will happen when Insulet decides to
>> discontinue the model of PDM I'm using. And to think we could be a year
>> further along in our efforts if things had continued as they started
>> last year. Very disappointing.
>> Veronica
>> "Guide Dogs, First Hand", Veronica Elsea's classic album is now
>> available on iTunes, along with other music from her and from the Guide
>> Dog Glee Club.
>> To learn more, visit:
>> http://www.laurelcreekmusic.com
>> Veronica Elsea, Owner
>> Laurel Creek Music Designs
>> Santa Cruz, California
>> Phone: 831-429-6407
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Diabetes-Talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>> Behalf Of Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter via Diabetes-Talk
>> Sent: Tuesday, June 18, 2019 2:01 PM
>> To: 'Diabetes Talk for the Blind'
>> Cc: Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter
>> Subject: Re: [Diabetes-Talk] The Stupidity of Medtronic.
>> It's wrong but pretty standard pump language. Most companies have a
>> similar warning. I know pens used to have similar verbiage and there
>> was a legal action to remove this language from pen info and packaging.
>> Wondering if something similar needs to happen with pump companies.
>> Although, now that Medtronic is no longer making the 530G, there are
>> not currently any pumps with work-arounds on the market.
>> BTW, we tried to get a group together to work on this accessibility
>> issue, and the only thing to come out out of it was a bitchfest about
>> using Facebook in addition to the listserve. So...
>> Bridgit
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Diabetes-Talk <diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of
>> Eileen Scrivani via Diabetes-Talk
>> Sent: Tuesday, June 18, 2019 3:33 PM
>> To: NFB Diabetes Talk <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
>> Cc: Eileen Scrivani <etscrivani at verizon.net>
>> Subject: [Diabetes-Talk] The Stupidity of Medtronic.
>> Hi All,
>> I got an email from Medtronic today and its subject was “Pre-travel
>> Tips To Get You Ready For Summer.” It sounded interesting to me so I
>> decided to click on a link in the message that brought me to their web
>> site. I was reading along and then came their disclaimer which while I
>> know its how they think, I couldn’t believe they had the below written
>> out. The article was talking about the latest & greatest pumps they
>> make which as blind diabetics we can’t use. Maybe though they should
>> make a statement that their current pumps do not take into account
>> accessibility rather than saying someone without vision or impaired
>> vision should not be using insulin pump therapy. I find it especially
>> upsetting since I just was put in touch with a person yesterday who’s
>> current pump is going out of its warentee soon and this person is in
>> the rough position of finding a pump to use independantly.
>> By the way, folks, where is the DAN on working on this topic for
>> getting accessibility into pumps? Any plans for the up-coming convention?
>> At the end of what I was reading came the following which is very
>> annoying to me. Here’s what it states:
>> “Pump therapy is not recommended for people whose vision or hearing
>> does not allow recognition of pump signals and alarms. Pump therapy is
>> not recommended for people who are unwilling or unable to maintain
>> contact with their healthcare professional. The safety of the MiniMed™
>> 670G system has not been studied in pregnant women. For complete
>> details of the system, including product and important safety
>> information such as indications, contraindications, warnings and
>> precautions associated with system and its components, please consult
>> http://www.medtronicdiabetes.com/important-safety-information#minimed-
>> 670g
>> and the appropriate user guide at
>> http://www.medtronicdiabetes.com/download-library”
>> If you are interested in reading this for yourselves, , here is the
>> link to what I was reading:
>> https://www.medtronicdiabetes.com/loop-blog/taking-care-insulin-pump-t
>> akes-care/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=eloqua&utm_campaign=may_non-pro
>> mo&utm_content=pumpcaretips_first_loopblog2
>> Eileen
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--
--Dar
skype: dmgina23
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every saint has a past
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