[Diabetes-Talk] insulin pumps and CGM

Fri Mar 29 20:54:49 UTC 2019

Alyssa,

First, the only pump totally blind diabetics can now use work-arounds for is
the Medtronic 530G, which is no longer being offered unless you absolutely
need it, and even then, you might not be able to get one. Some of us were
able to switch to the 530 G back in October and be under a 4 year warranty,
but my understanding is that Medtronic will no longer supply that warranty
to people who request the 530G, because it doesn't plan to manufactor it in
the future. I used a Cosmo for years, then switched to Animas when Cosmo was
discontinued. I'm totally blind, and have a lot of success with Cosmo and
Animas. When Animas decided to stop all pumps, and there were none on the
market that can work for totally blind people, I wasn't sure what to do. I
think Medtronic allowed us to switch to the 530 G for this very reason, but,
as I said, it doesn't plan to use it anymore. But for at least 4 years, I
have the 530G, and it's working as well as the Cosmo and Animas, although,
Cosmo was my favorite and most accessible pump.

However, if you can use magnification with a pump, you might have more
selection. Your best bet is to get your hands on a T Slim or the Medtronic
630G or 730G and see how they work with magnification.

I use Dexcom and love it. I was also concerned with having a CGM sensor and
my pump, but it's not that big of a deal.

So, with Dexcom, what you wear on your body is a sensor, that is the
thickness of a sticker, like an infusion set. The transmitter snaps onto the
sensor, and it's about the width and thickness of a smallish flash drive.
There are no wires or tubes; it all connects with blue tooth. The system
comes with a receiver, which looks like a mobile phone, but it's totally
inaccessible, although, it might work with magnification. The iPhone app is
fully accessible however, and most of us exclusively use the app.

I love knowing what my sugars are at any given time of day, and I don't have
to poke my finger to do it. As a busy mom, it's super convenient. And I
frequently experience overnight lows, and Dexcom alarms at me when I drop
below 70, and if I go below 55, it alarms with an urgent low glucose alarm.
You can set a specific number for when you want to be alerted about highs
and lows. I have mine set for 70 for lows, which is the default, and 200 for
highs, the default is 250. It also lets me know if my sugars are constant or
rising or lowing, and at what rate they are rising/lowering. I really like
knowing if I'm rapidly dropping or raising, or conversely, slowly
dropping/raising, because it helps me better treat either scenario.

Dexcom has the G5 and G6. Depending on your insurance, it will depend on if
you qualify for the newer G6 version. Hope this all makes sense and is
helpful.

Bridgit

-----Original Message-----
From: Diabetes-Talk <diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Alyssa
Frierson via Diabetes-Talk
Sent: Friday, March 29, 2019 2:15 PM
To: diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org
Cc: Alyssa Frierson <alyssafrierson at gmail.com>
Subject: [Diabetes-Talk] insulin pumps and CGM

Hi all,
I was on the list a while ago, took a break, and now I'm back with a
question. For those of you on insulin pumps, what insulin pump do you use? I
have Type 1 and have used an Animas pump for the entire thirteen years I've
been on a pump. My warranty expires at the end of April, so I have to sadly
switch. I meet with my Diabetes educator on Tuesday to discuss options, but
thought I'd ask here as well. I have some residual vision and have been able
to use my Animas Ping independently with some magnification. I know there's
not a totally accessible pump, but was wondering if you've found some more
easy to use than others? My doctor suggested at one point the Tandem T-Slim
might work because of the contrast on the screen?

Also, for those of you who have a CGM, which do you have? I know Dexcom has
an iPhone app; is it accessible? I'm really on the fence about a CGM. I'm
not sure I like the idea of being attached to something else all the time
(having a pump and CGM stuck to my body all the time), and am not sure how I
feel about always being able to look at my blood sugars. My last A1C was
6.9, so I feel like my control is generally pretty good. But lately I'm
finding I have growing anxiety about my overnight blood sugars and have
trouble not over-correcting for lows, so I can see some advantage to trying
a CGM.
Both of these feel like big changes since I've only ever used my Animas pump
(or shots) and my glucose meter for so long, so I think I'm struggling a bit
with wrapping my head around it, if that makes sense or if anyone can
relate.

I'd appreciate any input anyone has to offer. Thank you!

Alyssa

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