[Diabetes-Talk] Please advise of an insulin pump

Fri Jan 22 00:04:45 UTC 2021

I met with the Medtronic rep About six weeks ago right after the brand new 770 pump was released and got to hold it and play around with it. It has

external buttons on the front for navigating the menus that are set in a circle around a button in the middle which is sort of the OK button. These are concave buttons rather than buttons that stand up but you can feel them. As has been mentioned before to unlock the screen you have to push one of four buttons which changes each time the screen has been locked and unlocked Four sided people on the digital screen it shows you which of these buttons you should push to unlock the device. It is very large and for someone with some vision they might be able to see it. We played around with it and discovered that you could actually try just pressing all four of the buttons and when you got to the right one it would unlock. But, now that you are into the menu the only way to use it would be to memorize the Sequence of buttons pushes for various procedures. There also is an external button on the top right that can be pushed to give an audio bolus. What you do is press it repeatedly to dial in the dose that you want and then it will vibrate/beep back at you so you can count those to double check the dose and then you can press again to give the bolus. I know this button can be set in 1/10 unit increments but she said that it could be set for other increments but not sure what the choices are. I personally would only be safe using the audio bolus feature of this pump and have sighted assistance to double check all of the other entries.

I also have in my possession a two-year-old
Tandem pump with basil I Q that is identical to the newer pump that has control IQ except it just doesn’t support that feature. As has been said it is entirely touchscreen and I’m able to see some of the larger buttons but not the smaller dialogue messages. I have found that the voice dream scanner reads the screen and the messages pretty well. This pump also has an audio bolus feature that is incorporated into the power button but it only measures insulin in 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, etc. increments.So to get for example 1.8 units of insulin you have to use the touch screen. I frequently use these kinds of uneven doses as I don’t take much insulin at all.As Melanie said she gets sighted assistance to fill the cartridge. The tandem cartridge is a bit tricky and even my sighted husband had difficulty with it.
Patricia

Sent from my iPhone

> On Jan 21, 2021, at 2:44 PM, Veronica Elsea via Diabetes-Talk <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi Hope and everyone.
> I am totally blind and have been using an insulin pump since 1991. In my
> opinion, I was most thrilled with my Cozmo, which I used for 11 years. I
> could access absolutely everything from that pump except the menu of foods
> from which one could choose. It had a computer program that came with it.
> One could go into that program, change basals, time or any other parameter
> and then just send the changes to the pump via the infrared connection. Oh I
> loved that pump! I was really burned by the Animas because I only had it for
> a year before it went off the market. For almost three years now I have been
> using the Omnipod. I confess I haven't gotten quite used to having no
> tubing. The insulin goes into pods, which can be placed on the back of your
> arm, belly, hips, back or thighs. I mostly use the back of my arms or my
> belly because I can reach them and another drug or something doesn't lay
> claim to those areas. <grin> 
> With the help from my hubby, I designed a little jig to help measure insulin
> into the syringe. I do rely heavily on the Seeing AI app as I use the pump.
> It's absolutely critical during the process of filling and changing the pod.
> So we also made a cute little stand that holds the phone steady and allows
> me to position the PDM, which is the remote that controls the pump, so it
> doesn't move either. There are some icons that the app can't read like how
> much battery is left. The app also cannot tell me what has been selected but
> if I check it on each screen, I know I'm in the right place. It's not
> perfect but boy, as the app is chatting at me when I'm changing that pod, it
> almost feels like a talking pump. The only time I need help now is if the
> remote dies and I have to start the setup on a new one. That's just a lot of
> messing around, trying to use the app. But that has only happened once.
> The new Omnipod controller is called the Dash and is completely inaccessible
> as it's a touch screen, based on an android phone. Eventually it will be
> paired with a Dexcom. I'm trying very hard to push this company to get this
> accessible to us. But for now, they still support and supply the classic PDM
> so I'm surviving. <grin> 
> I haven't heard about any new Medtronic pumps with the touch bolus button.
> The big problem with Medtronic is that all they think blind people do is
> give a meal bolus. Obviously our care givers set everything else up for us.
> <sarcastic growl.> 
> And sadly, with every advance in diabetes management gear, we get left
> further and further behind.
> But Hope, there's no harm in setting up appointments with pump trainers so
> you can get your hands on them and find out exactly what they're like. Even
> if you decide you can't use them, you'll learn a lot. And you never know,
> you might figure something out that has iluded the rest of us. <grin> 
> I actually was able to bring a Tandem and an Omnipod home for three days so
> I could play with them to see what I could make work. 
> So that's the view from my world right now.
> 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
> Jamie Gurganus via Diabetes-Talk
> Sent: Thursday, January 21, 2021 7:01 AM
> To: 'Diabetes Talk for the Blind'
> Cc: jamielgurganus at gmail.com; 'Hope Hein'
> Subject: Re: [Diabetes-Talk] Please advise of an insulin pump
> 
> Hi Hope!  Do you have any vision?  Unfortunately, there are no insulin pumps
> on the market that are accessible for the blind at this time.  I use the
> Medtronic 530G, which is the last of their pumps to have tangible buttons.
> They made it available for the blind, but I don't know if they are doing
> that now.  I use the Dexcom, but it is not connected to my pump.  Medtronic
> has its own CGM incorporated in to their pumps, but none of their pumps can
> be unlocked by those of us who are blind.  And, the Dexcom is a better CGM
> system in my opinion.  The Tandem uses the Dexcom, but it again is not
> accessible for the blind at all.  If you have some vision, then you might be
> able to use it.  There are many on this list who are working with pump
> companies to push for accessible pumps, but it is not going to happen any
> time soon.
> 
>             Jamie
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Diabetes-Talk <diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Hope
> Hein via Diabetes-Talk
> Sent: Thursday, January 21, 2021 6:45 AM
> To: diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org
> Cc: Hope Hein <hwmhein at gmail.com>
> Subject: [Diabetes-Talk] Please advise of an insulin pump
> 
> Please advise of insulin pump that works with Dexcom.
> 
> Hope Hein
> 
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