So Im suppose to be getting a pump like really really soon! And Im kinda sorta really freaking out!! Can you guys tell me anything and everything you know about the MedTronic??
Thanks,
Morgan :)
Morgan, that is a big request! Lol! It would take me more than an hour to tell you everything I know about the Minimed Medtronic pump. I suggest you use Goggle and you will find tons of information there. There is even a tutorial that you can go through to lear very much about it. If you have the manual, study it carefully. Know as much about it as possible before you start the training sessions. Have someone attend traing sessions with you. My wife attended mine and she picked up a few things that I did not remember.
If you have specific questions, be sure to ask here. I don't know what you are really looking for . The Minimed has been a great pump for me for more than 3 years.
Morgan, you sound more then a little excited! ;)
I don't have the most recent MM pump (I have a 522), but hoping to upgrade soon. I'll echo Richard in that there's too much to tell here. I've been pumping with Minimed for 14 1/2 years, and I love them!
I can tell you that their customer service is AMAZING, and I've had nothing but good experiences with them. MM doesn't have as many bells and whistles as some of the other pumps, but it works for me.
Please feel free to send me a message or comment if you have questions or need anything. Good luck!
Hey Morgan! That's great news! I bet you can't wait for the day to come that you'll be starting with a pump!
I remember a few of my questions from when I started pumping 2 1/2 years ago:
- Showering/bathing: I just disconnect for the ten minutes or so that it takes me to shower. There are other ways to do it, if you stay in longer than that (and they apply to swimming as well). You can do a small bolus before you get in, to cover what you'll be missing while you in there. The general rule is to not disconnect for more thn an hour at a time.
- Going to the bathroom (!): I didn't realize that the tubing is long enough so that I can keep my pump clipped to my waistband or in my pants pocket (some women also keep it in the bra), while still dropping my pants.
- Sleeping: When I started, I made sure to always wear two-piece pyjamas, so that I could keep the pump clipped to my waistband during the night. Now, I sometimes do that, and other times I just leave it on the bed beside me. I twist and turn a lot in my sleep, so sometimes the tubing gets tugged a bit, but in 2 1/2 years, it's only happened once that an infusion site came out.
- Infusion sets: your trainer will probably recommend a certain set for you, which is fine to start out with. However, feel free to try out samples from different companies! With the MM, you might have to get an accessory (sorry, I don't know the name of it) to allow you to use different Luerr-lock type sets, but it's probably worth it. I have tried out 6 different types or cannula lengths and am now happy with the ones I use, the Cleo 90, but it's all a matter of personal convenience, comfort and choise!
- Tubing snags: Lots of people wear their pumps with the tubing hanging out. I usually try to keep mine tucked into my pants, where it stays pretty snugly, doesn't really slip out easily. For me, it's partly a way of hiding my pump (I meet a lot of different people in my line of work and don't always feel like explaining to everyone I meet!), but also it's a way of avoiding having the tubing get stuck on doorknow - or my dog's snout, which has happened before! Again here, the infusion sites stick pretty well and can handle some tugging, but a little too hard and they come out, meaning you have to put in a new one.
- Trial and error: The first few days, and maybe even weeks, will be spent doing A LOT of BG testing, in order to set correct basal rates for you. That's the most important in the beginning. It's a good thing to keep in mind that your basals may change occasionally, depending on hormone levels in your body, on weather, on a change in lifestyle (i.e. increased or decreased activity levels)... Also, once you get used to the pump and have the basics down, you'll probably want to experiment with temporary basals for difference situations (i.e.: exercise, sickness, stress) as well as Square Wave or combo boluses. Don't let me scare you here... Your trainer will go through all of that with you!
These are the key points that come to my mind right now! Using an insuling pump is great, although some people prefer MDI, and that's okay too! Just remember that the pump only does its job if the human brain does its as well! The pump helps you, but there is still a human factor involved in all the decisions for dosing! I wish you all the best and as others have already said, there are enough pumpers on Juvenation to be able to help if you need it!
Hi Morgan!
Congrats on your future pump! You will love it!
There is a great website linked to Minimed, www.medtronicdiabetes.com, your doctor will probably have you go on there andf do some of the tutorials, some even require it before you get the pump, but you can go on there, believe it's under a tab called my learning, you will need to make an account, and thats good that your doctor can see too. There is great great info on there! It gives you info before you get the pump, and after, if you forget how to do some things you can go there and it will go through the steps like changing insertion sites and such. :) I have only been on my pump for about a month now and I am starting to really get the hang of it :) I always use the books they send with the pump still when I am changing insertion sites, I like to so I dont miss any steps!
Make sure to be patient with it too, my first couple days and the first week it was very frustrating and there were a few times I just wanted to give up and go back to shots but once you get your settings set right then it will be a wonderful tool for you! Just dont loose hope the first couple days, things will get better I promise! It's just a lot of trial and error to get your settings right.
I hope you like it as much as I do, I am finally in "good control" and never have been since being diagnosed with type 1 in 2008, my doctor said my A1C should drop about 1 percentage point too after a couple months on the pump :) You will see drastic changes and they will make you so very happy, and you will feel good! It really is a Godsend of a machine :)
If you have any questions I'm here for ya!
Hugs!
Mariah :)
Hi Morgan!
Congrats on your future pump! You will love it!
There is a great website linked to Minimed, www.medtronicdiabetes.com, your doctor will probably have you go on there andf do some of the tutorials, some even require it before you get the pump, but you can go on there, believe it's under a tab called my learning, you will need to make an account, and thats good that your doctor can see too. There is great great info on there! It gives you info before you get the pump, and after, if you forget how to do some things you can go there and it will go through the steps like changing insertion sites and such. :) I have only been on my pump for about a month now and I am starting to really get the hang of it :) I always use the books they send with the pump still when I am changing insertion sites, I like to so I dont miss any steps!
Make sure to be patient with it too, my first couple days and the first week it was very frustrating and there were a few times I just wanted to give up and go back to shots but once you get your settings set right then it will be a wonderful tool for you! Just dont loose hope the first couple days, things will get better I promise! It's just a lot of trial and error to get your settings right.
I hope you like it as much as I do, I am finally in "good control" and never have been since being diagnosed with type 1 in 2008, my doctor said my A1C should drop about 1 percentage point too after a couple months on the pump :) You will see drastic changes and they will make you so very happy, and you will feel good! It really is a Godsend of a machine :)
If you have any questions I'm here for ya!
Hugs!
Mariah :)
Thanks!
Im just nercous and dont really know anything about any knid of pump but my insurance only covers medtronic
Hey I noticed that today makes a year. The diagnosis date is one you won't forget. This year makes 10 yrs for me. I have a medtronic. I love it. I read her BIO and God is #1 with me too. I don't have any friends that are diabetics.