Rob Oldfield
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
I've had a 640G for a couple of years now (and another one for four years before that), but yesterday I had a really bad experience with it. Not to say that I'll be getting rid of the pump, but just to make others aware. I'd be interested to know if anyone else has had the same issue.
Standard day at work, standard lunch with no carb or bolus in the afternoon (lunch at about 12.30 so insulin clear from that). Before I left at 17.39, took a reading and that came out as 6.1. Lovely. For info, the set had been connected two days earlier and no problems over that period.
Got home and, at 18.24, feeling a bit hypo, so did another. 2.1. A bit odd but three jelly babies and back to normal.
18.51 and whacked by worst hypo I've had in about the last 10 years - I had maybe 10 seconds between feeling iffy and legs starting to wobble. Think if I'd been on my own I might have struggled to keep standing up and getting to sugar, but happily my wife was nearby so got me some. Think I had about five jelly babies. Level checked: 2.3.
19:02 and another test: 2.2. More sugar.
19:09 same again: 2.1 and more sugar.
At some point here I realised something was going seriously wrong, so disconnected.
19:19 2.1 and more sugar.
19.31 2.8 and more sugar.
19.46 2.9 and more sugar.
20.06 3.3 and more sugar.
20.55 - HOORAY! - 9.5. Left myself disconnected anyway.
At about 20.15 I'd tried calling Medtronic. Put on hold. No "You are third in the queue" type info and no option to request a call back. About 20 minutes later decided that I must have done something wrong as they're always been very good at answering when I've called before. Hung up and looked for different numbers but nothing out there so went back on hold again. About 90 minutes later finally got through.
Phone call took about 90 minutes with no real resolution. Quite a lot of nonsensical and repetitive questions, but I guess the lady was following procedure. Uploaded readings to Carelink (Medtronic's management/recording system) so they could have a look but that didn't help.
Eventually decided that she didn't know what the problem was and passed a replacement request to the UK team (out of hours so she was in the US). Also said that I'd need to put 'the emergency plan that I'd agree with my care team' into action. Does anyone have one of those? I don't.
Ended the call pointing out - hopefully in not too pointed terms - the delay getting through and lack of feedback systems.
End result is that I chased UK support just after 9 and new pump on the way (target is 6 hours). Been jabbing myself at various times over the day - how very old fashioned.
Request for feedback received from Medtronic. Strangely enough, it didn't get much in the way of positives.
Rant over. Overall Medtronic have been very good for the 6ish years I've been using a pump, but a bit worrying that this type of thing can happen.
Standard day at work, standard lunch with no carb or bolus in the afternoon (lunch at about 12.30 so insulin clear from that). Before I left at 17.39, took a reading and that came out as 6.1. Lovely. For info, the set had been connected two days earlier and no problems over that period.
Got home and, at 18.24, feeling a bit hypo, so did another. 2.1. A bit odd but three jelly babies and back to normal.
18.51 and whacked by worst hypo I've had in about the last 10 years - I had maybe 10 seconds between feeling iffy and legs starting to wobble. Think if I'd been on my own I might have struggled to keep standing up and getting to sugar, but happily my wife was nearby so got me some. Think I had about five jelly babies. Level checked: 2.3.
19:02 and another test: 2.2. More sugar.
19:09 same again: 2.1 and more sugar.
At some point here I realised something was going seriously wrong, so disconnected.
19:19 2.1 and more sugar.
19.31 2.8 and more sugar.
19.46 2.9 and more sugar.
20.06 3.3 and more sugar.
20.55 - HOORAY! - 9.5. Left myself disconnected anyway.
At about 20.15 I'd tried calling Medtronic. Put on hold. No "You are third in the queue" type info and no option to request a call back. About 20 minutes later decided that I must have done something wrong as they're always been very good at answering when I've called before. Hung up and looked for different numbers but nothing out there so went back on hold again. About 90 minutes later finally got through.
Phone call took about 90 minutes with no real resolution. Quite a lot of nonsensical and repetitive questions, but I guess the lady was following procedure. Uploaded readings to Carelink (Medtronic's management/recording system) so they could have a look but that didn't help.
Eventually decided that she didn't know what the problem was and passed a replacement request to the UK team (out of hours so she was in the US). Also said that I'd need to put 'the emergency plan that I'd agree with my care team' into action. Does anyone have one of those? I don't.
Ended the call pointing out - hopefully in not too pointed terms - the delay getting through and lack of feedback systems.
End result is that I chased UK support just after 9 and new pump on the way (target is 6 hours). Been jabbing myself at various times over the day - how very old fashioned.
Request for feedback received from Medtronic. Strangely enough, it didn't get much in the way of positives.
Rant over. Overall Medtronic have been very good for the 6ish years I've been using a pump, but a bit worrying that this type of thing can happen.
