Getting My Pump!!!
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Ghomerzgirl
Posts: 67 Member
Found out yesterday that insurance has approved my T:Slim pump!!! So it should be at my door in the next couple of days. i have my appointment on the 27th with the pump specialist to get it started. I can not wait!!! I've wanted my pump back since 2004!!
Jenn
Jenn
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awwwww yes...I remember that feeling. I hope you love it! I can't wait to hear how much you like it. I was looking at the t:slim for awhile but apparently I forgot about it! It is pretty neat looking. Let me know how it goes!0
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Just went live on my t-slim on Tuesday afternoon. Take the time to play with all the features before you go to pump training. It makes it a lot easier.
Have you done your basal rate checks, I:C ratio and CorF testing on your current MDI? It helps to have current solid numbers going in - less chance for the panic that first morning when your numbers swing hard in the wrong direction. Be Sure you know how long your insulin remains on board.
I'm loving the pump and was very glad I have a dex G4 as well or that first day would have been a disaster. As it was I had to change on the fly. Be sure you have a lot of fast carbs on hand just in case.
My Basal rate checks were done 3 weeks before pump start but in the week before my job site changed and the amount of walking I do in a day increased by a third to a half more than what I had been doing. I also dropped 3 pounds in the same time frame.
The basal rate that should have worked was too high - I was fine overnight but boinked low hard starting at 6AM. Had to suspend pumping until all insulin had cleared and then restart at half the basal rate. And in the meantime keep throwing flash carbs at my numbers for 5 hours until the insulin wore off. So glad I had the CGM.
So now - I'm at a better rate and have even managed a pizza party with out over shooting too badly - am liking the split bolus feature!0 -
Yipee!!! I'm waiting for insurance approval for my new upgraded MiniMed Reval System. I'll be watching to hear how you like the T-slim. Keep us updated please. *happy dance, happy dance*-just for you!0
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Fabulous news! You're going to love pumping.0
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My Minimed Paradigm just went out of warranty so it's time for me to start thinking about which pump I want next. My doctor's office gave me a ton of booklets to read about the various pump options on the market right now. I have had Minimed since I finally agreed to go on a pump my freshman year of college in 1999. Just wondering if I should stick with what I already know or branch out and try something new.
Ghomerzgirl and 2hobbit1 - How do you guy's like the T-Slim?
TerrieJones - How do you like your Reval System?
Thanks!!!0 -
My Minimed Paradigm just went out of warranty so it's time for me to start thinking about which pump I want next. My doctor's office gave me a ton of booklets to read about the various pump options on the market right now. I have had Minimed since I finally agreed to go on a pump my freshman year of college in 1999. Just wondering if I should stick with what I already know or branch out and try something new.
Ghomerzgirl and 2hobbit1 - How do you guy's like the T-Slim?
TerrieJones - How do you like your Reval System?
Thanks!!!
Given the idiocy of my Dr.'s office, I've only now gotten the approval of the new pump. It should be in the mail sometime this week. I liked the new bolus reminder feature on the new Revel. There were a few other things about it but I can't remember them right now.
I was using the Paradigm 722 and am going to switch to the smaller pump this time. Since I've lost almost 50 lbs. and taken control of my eating habits, I am using so much less insulin, I'm able to use the smaller pump. The smaller number of units in the syringe will keep me motivated to watch how much I eat or I'll have to change infusion sets sooner. There are a lot of great pumps out there now, I had considered several but I'm too much of a creature of habit. I really liked the ones that offered a full function remote that was like the bolus wizard on the MiniMed. Maybe some day the MiniMed will offer the same thing. Good luck on your decision. 0 -
Definitely liking the t:slim. I don't have any other pump experience so nothing to compare to.
It's small, fits into a pocket or small waist belt bag. I have it and my dex g4 receiver in an amphipod and most people do not notice I'm wearing it.
Loading is easy, programming easy. The touch screen flow patterns are logical. The only complaint I have is that the bolus calculator does not subtract from your dose when you are below target until you BG is below 55, you can still do a manual over override to drop your dose a bit if you want. .
Also the smallest basal rate without using diluted insulin is 0.100U/hr. If your insulin requirements are low then you may need to predilute before loading.
I'm currently working on getting set up for that since my requirements have dropped a lot. Need to get setup that way so I can get temp rates that will deliver less than that on crazy work days or when I go hiking and backpacking.
If you have specific questions give me a shout.0 -
Thanks for the feedback!
I need to sit down and read through all the literature for the 8 different pumps my doctor told me about. I remember when I first started on a pump - there were only like 2 options. Technology has definitely changed over the years!0 -
So been busy busy busy but I wanted to let you all know how things are going!
I have been live now since Aug 27. My A1C at that time ws 14+. Got everything figured out but found out that with the quick set for the site I was going to have to have my boyfriend do it for me every time, which he has no problem doing. I asked them if I could start using the extended bolus right away at lunch since before I was waiting an hour after I ate to do my injections because of how severe my gastroperisis is. They said no and to take my bolus right after I ate. I argued with them that I would indeed to low if I did that and they said okay wait a half hour then so that the dr could see where I was after my bolus. So I waited a half hour and as I told them I went low and then took 2 hours to get back up. They said to wait with the extended but to do my bolus as I would my injections. So for the first few days I did. I was glad that Josh took a couple of days off work to be with me the whole time. We had to adjust my night time basal lower from .5 to .3. I started using the extended at 25% and 75% for an hour and a half and it's been working like a charm! Though i still do roller coaster but no where near what I was before going live. A week after i went live I got an ear infection that took nearly a month to get a handle on so we increased my basal to 120% while I had the infection. I had my follow up visit a couple of weeks ago and my Dr was absolutely impressed! My A1C just 3 weeks after goin live was down to 8.6!! I have not been able to get it below 11 for nearly 12 years!! I want to go to my insurance and say "Not Medically Necessary My Butt!" I have also started to put a little weight on now that I'm not high all the time! (though I still have a ways to go). But already I feel so much better!
tmlandgraf: Here are the things I love about the T:Slim (though I'm not sure of the features with other pumps that may be the same). I love the colors with the T:Slim. I have a lot of vision issues and the color differences really help. Anything in Blue is paired with delivery i.e. entering a BG, entering your carbs, and overrides etc.. Anything in Orange is for pump functioning i.e. loading, history, stopping delivery, and profiles. I love the touch screen and no worries about accidentally doing something because of the security feature when you take it out of sleep mode, just like a smart phone has. I love having my extended bolus feature, the reminders that you can set to your needs like 2 hours after bolus or 2 hours after a high BG was entered, and the ability to temporarily change your basal rate. Like when I'm going to be in the car all day I can increase my basal by a percentage, or if I'm going low I can lower it. The web based software is awesome! Just a few clicks and I can see patterns for certain days of the week or times of the day to see where my change needs to be if any. Like we added an increase in my night time basal to help lower my morning BG.
All in all I love this pump so much!! It is also very easy for my oldest son to use. I have showed him what to do if I'm low or if I'm really sick how to change things or give me a bolus. So I highly recommend it!!0 -
Ghomerzgirl - Thank you for the update on the T-Slim. After debating between another Mini-Med and the T-Slim, I decided to try the T-Slim since the technology I was waiting for with the Mini-Med wasn't FDA approved yet. The day my T-Slim arrived, the FDA approved the new Mini-Med. So I guess I will revisit that when the warranty on the T-Slim is up in 4 years.
I have yet to really look through the booklet to get my T-Slim set up and since I haven't heard from any Tandem people about training, I am guessing I am on my own to get it figured out and set-up.
I did get my Dexcom G4 and I am loving it. I am noticing trends I wasn't aware of and it has been VERY helpful with my workouts and when I am running - currently training for a half marathon in January. I am so happy I decided to get a continuous glucose monitor!0 -
Thanks for the feedback!
I need to sit down and read through all the literature for the 8 different pumps my doctor told me about. I remember when I first started on a pump - there were only like 2 options. Technology has definitely changed over the years!
I am the same, Minimed and Desatronic. I went on the pump in 2000, Minimed. I've been with them ever since. The new version is quite nice, really like the bolus reminder feature. My Doc likes the newer reports it gives too. I had not even heard of the T:slim until looking at this forum, I'm going to have do a little research on this one. Does it come with a CGM (continuous Glucose Monitor/sensor)? That's the other big thing I like with my Minimed is the sensor comes with and is made by the same company rather than having to have a pump by one and a sensor by another.0 -
The T-slim does not come with CGM but tandem does have an association with dexcom. You do get a One Touch Verio IQ meter as part of the package. The software dose .let you upload both the pump and meter to the same site so the BG readings integrate with the pump info.
The future plans are for the dex G4 to integrate with the t-slim. They are also working on a dual pump so you can pump both insulin and glucagon. There are clinical trials using two tandem pumps and a dex G4 to auto regulate BG. When they get stable liquid glucagon, a dual pump and the CGM integrated they will have a functional artificial pancreas all in one unit. The clinical trial had multiple dvices but has the programing features works out and controlled on an smart phone.
It is getting closer. Not just the auto off set up that was just announced by minimed that turns off your pump when the CGM says your low but a real functional control using both insulin to bring you down and micro dosing of glucagon to during you up if needed.
For.now I like having the CGM separate and will be waiting for what's in the pipeline.0 -
I am waiting on my first pump as well! I am getting a minimed Revel system. I am pretty excited, I have been type 1 for almost 23 years now, my last A1C was 11......... I am very excited to get started and get better control over this!0
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My training for the t-slim was through my dr. There is an 800 number that came with your tslim about setting up a training time. (if you still have yet to do so) I really think you will like your tslim and I absolutely love the software on the web for it. makes looking at patterns so much easier!0
