[Diabetes-Talk] Medtronic 5G pump question

Wed Feb 17 20:52:11 UTC 2021

Joyce, you cannot do this on any of the Medtronic pumps without assistance,
from my experience trying the different pumps. This is how most newer pumps
work and it's what I have been doing for quite awhile. Of course, at best if
you could enter the carb info, you certainly couldn't read what the pump was
suggesting. I don't know your specific pump but on many over the years, you
might get a different number of screens, depending on whether or not the
pump thinks you need insulin or not. The other thing is that I don't think
the Medtronic takes meal boluses into account when calculating insulin on
board. So if you took 4 units for a meal, and your insulin action time was 4
hours, 2 hours later you'd still have insulin active in your system. If you
entered a blood sugar number that was normal, it wouldn't say, oh, 2 units
remaining so we won't slow things down. That is one potential way that you
could go low if your insulin to carb ratio has changed or your insulin
action time. Since you have an older pump, you might sit down with someone
to see if you can count menus to find things, but the input effort may not
help you immediately. The only gain would be that when your doctor downloads
your pump, the data would be there. 
This is what I've been yelling about for years. I have long thought the best
reason to wear a pump was to take advantage of things like the "insulin on
board" feature and that treating a pump like a glorified pen where we just
enter a bolus just wasn't gooe enough, and not the best standard of care. We
deserve better. And wow! You sure do right now. So a good chat is in order
to figure out whether you are actually stacking insulin or your body is
changing and responding differently, or your pump is delivering too much.
You have my sympathy and I wish I had more to offer. But I hope I've given
you some direction of questioning that might help.
Please keep us posted.
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
blindhands--- via Diabetes-Talk
Sent: Tuesday, February 16, 2021 4:00 PM
To: 'Diabetes Talk for the Blind'
Cc: blindhands at aol.com
Subject: [Diabetes-Talk] Medtronic 5G pump question

I went to mu endocrinologist today.  I have been having a lot of inulin
reactions and bad enough to pass out on the floor & waking up 2 hours later.

Now I have had my pump for 4 years.  I count carbs, check my Dexcom and
calculate what I need to bolis  for meals and count out how many units,
lesten and hit OKto take it.  When I went in today and we had a long chat
about what I need to do, she told me she wanted  me to enter my carb count
and BS level and it would calculate a dosage and ask me to confirm to OK
that is suggested.

Now I am a bit puzzled as I never did anything like this before.  

I looked on my IPhone and realized The Dexcom is on my IPhone, not my pump.

The more I thought about what she told me, I realized I don't have any
talking ability to do this.

So those who have the 5G pump can I do this without any sighted help?  What
would I be looking for on the pump?  Boliss?And my last question with the 5G
pump if your blood sugars going low is this pump one that will stop giving
insulin for a certain length of time??

I have no light perception and basically home alone most of the time.

I have had BS drop quickly enough that the Dexcom starts with the beeping
and by the time I walk15 feet into my kitchen and tried opening a can of
pineapple juice I have passed out and I find myself on the floor a couple
hours later.

Joyce Kane

Kane Kids Shop

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