Accuchek combo pump and meter

[MaryPlain]

If you use one of these, please can you tell me whether my fears are unfounded. I have been given the expert meter, which I was told is the same as the one with the Accuchek combo, so that I can get used to using it so that when my pump is replaced with a combo I will already be familiar with it.

Given that I have two years before my current pump expires, and that I find my Aviva Nano much easier to fit into my handbag, once I'd fully explored all the features of the expert meter, it was consigned to my bedroom drawer for use for nighttime and morning testing. Another reason was because I had already become accustomed to working out my own doses, insulin on board etc so I found the time taken to input all the data into the meter was not worth the effort so I wasn't able to use it fully anyway.

The question I have is this: when using the meter as a remote control for the pump, is it possible to use it to bolus without testing? I ask because on my meter it doesn't appear that you can. This is a huge disadvantage as far as I'm concerned which will prevent me using the combo when I do change over to its full potential as I'll have to do manual doses anyway which defeats the object of having a remote.

Perhaps I've misunderstood, so I'd love to hear from anyone who's got one and whether my assumption is correct!

 

[Ellie Jones]

Yes..

You can either use the bolus wizard manually (without having to do a blood test) or go via the pump menu, but the latter won't log your carbs though.

But if you'll going to use the remote you'll just as well set up the full functions, wizards etc...

I don't keep my remote in it's case due to one of the dog's ate it🙄 So I just drop it all in my handbag, which actually works better not having a bulky case.

 

[MaryPlain]

Yes..

You can either use the bolus wizard manually (without having to do a blood test) or go via the pump menu, but the latter won't log your carbs though.

But if you'll going to use the remote you'll just as well set up the full functions, wizards etc...

I don't keep my remote in it's case due to one of the dog's ate it🙄 So I just drop it all in my handbag, which actually works better not having a bulky case.

hi Ellie, thanks so much for taking the time to reply. I don't think my meter allows the manual use of the bolus wizard - perhaps it does but I haven't worked out how!

This is reassuring. I can think of several reasons why I would want to bolus without testing first (eg I originally underestimated the carbs in a meal, I'm eating out and want to bolus for dessert, or I decide to go back for seconds!). I find it a real chore putting all this into my meter which is why I don't use it, but if I get a combo pump there might be more of a point to doing it as the meter is not just a meter, if you see what I mean.

Now here's hoping that by the time my current pump expires, they have managed to reduce the size of the expert meter as it won't fit in a lot of my handbags!

 

[Pumper_Sue]

Mary, what pump do you have now?
All except the spirit pump have wizards on them.
Have you not an instruction book with the meter? It should just set up like a pump when you first have it.

 

[MaryPlain]

Mary, what pump do you have now?
All except the spirit pump have wizards on them.
Have you not an instruction book with the meter? It should just set up like a pump when you first have it.

Hi Sue, the Spirit is the one I've got. I've had it four years, two more years before I get to upgrade! No wizards, and I really don't miss them as I worked out all my doses for some time when I was on MDI and have been doing so with the pump for another 4 years so I don't feel the need.

If I ever need to correct when going to bed I usually look at what my expert meter is telling me and it's generally what I would have done anyway. Since I programmed the meter it uses the same rules I would use in calculating it myself.

 

[Ellie Jones]

Mary

I started with the Spirit pump like you I can do all the workings out, but since up-grading to the Combo almost 2 years ago, I've used the remote and it's features..

And believe me, they aren't time consuming, you can actually achieve a bolus, quicker than you can with a spirit, you take your BG it automatically enters it into the bolus wizard, with a +/- already sorted, you enter you carbs, it tells you the dose, if you agree with what it says, you enter the what type of bolus you want, if it's extended/multi-wave, you hit another screen where you can adjust duration/spilt then hit yes.. that's it all done in a jiffy and a whizz if you'll eating out..

Apart from missing not having to retrieve my pump every time I do like the remote, and the only other feature I would miss, is the insulin on board, as it makes life a lot easier working out how much active insulin you've still got after a extended/multi-wave bolus ect..

And well you could always buy a slightly larger handbag, out of its case mine would fit in a clutch bag, with a small purse... But most of the time I do have a normal size bag, due to having to carry hubby's meter/kit (he's also a T1 diabetic)... Personally I hate handbags to the extent that I didn't have one until I was diagnosed!

 

[Phil65]

Mary

I started with the Spirit pump like you I can do all the workings out, but since up-grading to the Combo almost 2 years ago, I've used the remote and it's features..

And believe me, they aren't time consuming, you can actually achieve a bolus, quicker than you can with a spirit, you take your BG it automatically enters it into the bolus wizard, with a +/- already sorted, you enter you carbs, it tells you the dose, if you agree with what it says, you enter the what type of bolus you want, if it's extended/multi-wave, you hit another screen where you can adjust duration/spilt then hit yes.. that's it all done in a jiffy and a whizz if you'll eating out..

Apart from missing not having to retrieve my pump every time I do like the remote, and the only other feature I would miss, is the insulin on board, as it makes life a lot easier working out how much active insulin you've still got after a extended/multi-wave bolus ect..

And well you could always buy a slightly larger handbag, out of its case mine would fit in a clutch bag, with a small purse... But most of the time I do have a normal size bag, due to having to carry hubby's meter/kit (he's also a T1 diabetic)... Personally I hate handbags to the extent that I didn't have one until I was diagnosed!

Totally agree with what you have said (apart from the hand bag matter!), I found the transition from spirit to combo very easy.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I know from speaking to other users that the Expert and the Combo handset are not *exactly* the same (insulin on board for example is of little use on the Expert as it only tracks the 'correction' part of any dose).

But...

One I liked about the Expert (and even more with the pump) is that it automatically massages the dose based on your current BG and current insulin sensitivity (as well as allowing you to set different target ranges and/or insulin:carb ratios). So I can let the device make a small addition or subtraction to the dose with the intention of getting me to mid-range. I did this to some extent pre:Expert, but the precision of doses to 2 decimal places has had real advantages for me (even though my carb counting/estimation is just the same). It makes it possible for me to change doses on a 'fine tune' level rather than the 'round up' 'round down' approach I took pre-pump to make the maths a bit easier

 

[grandma]

I realy love my combo pump and meter find it a lot better for me than when on a pen only been on it since Jan. so dont have anyother to compaire it with but with having the Grandkids living with me now it dosent take long for it do do the calculations and the right dose is dilevered remot and I dont have to do anything else just forget about it go next month for another rev and so far things are good.

 

[MaryPlain]

Mary

I started with the Spirit pump like you I can do all the workings out, but since up-grading to the Combo almost 2 years ago, I've used the remote and it's features..

And believe me, they aren't time consuming, you can actually achieve a bolus, quicker than you can with a spirit, you take your BG it automatically enters it into the bolus wizard, with a +/- already sorted, you enter you carbs, it tells you the dose, if you agree with what it says, you enter the what type of bolus you want, if it's extended/multi-wave, you hit another screen where you can adjust duration/spilt then hit yes.. that's it all done in a jiffy and a whizz if you'll eating out..

And well you could always buy a slightly larger handbag, out of its case mine would fit in a clutch bag, with a small purse... But most of the time I do have a normal size bag, due to having to carry hubby's meter/kit (he's also a T1 diabetic)... Personally I hate handbags to the extent that I didn't have one until I was diagnosed!

I'm a bit confused as to why the process you've described for a bolus is described as quicker than on the Spirit. The process I use is to do a test, work out the dose (which doesn't take me long as I do it in my head), press one button, press the other button once for each half unit, and hey presto! I do all this without looking!

The handbag thing is a bit more complicated. At work, I leave most of my stuff in my locker, but I like to make sure I have a meter and glucose on my person all the time so I use a small purse on a strap, into which the expert meter just won't fit. I have tried taking it out of its case but this seems to make it much more difficult to use when standing up and means I have to fish around in the bag for the lancing device, test strips etc. Also in summer I use a bum-bag and by the time I have the expert meter, my purse, my phone, some glucose tablets and my keys it won't zip up! If you keep the meter out of its case, how do you manage with the lancing device etc?

Thanks to everybody else who replied, sorry I've not been back on, have been somewhat pre-occupied in my new job.