medtronic 780g pump start

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charlieann94

Active Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Hey all,

I'm starting the above pump on Monday and I'll be 8 weeks pregnant - just wondered if anyone could talk me through what goes on. It's been so long since I had a pump previously.

Thanks
 
It might be slightly different for you, if you’ve not had a pump for a while, but for me the session consisted of a group of us (this was pre-Covid) being shown the pump, and its menus, etc, then being shown how to programme it, how to bolus on it, how to set/change basal, how to fill a pump reservoir, etc etc. But I’ve had a pump for almost 20 years and nobody in my group was a new pump user. Some had only used a pump for a short time, but we were all pump users and just swapping to a new pump.

During pregnancy, you’ll be adjusting basal a lot, especially in the second half as insulin resistance appears and increases. You’ll also be changing your bolus ratios. So I’d make sure I knew how to do that. I hope you’re given a good pump manual. Having that to hand is very helpful in the early days with any new pump.

While you’re waiting, you might just want to watch a few general videos on YouTube so you get a feel for that pump. Good luck 🙂
 
Hi @charlieann94 I have been using the 780 for over a year now.
Like @Inka I wasn't new to pumping so I knew what to ask.
Are you going to be using it alongside their sensors?

I had an excellent trainer from Medtronic who took three of us through our paces, with our local DSN also there.
We went through step by step. There was a quick guide which had been sent out beforehand and she answered any questions that arose as we went through that. It proved to be a useful reference sheet. The 780 was a new pump at the time so I am not sure whether it would now be your DSN or the Medtronic person now.

We were set up to use the pump manually without the sensors initially. I wanted time to get used to this before moving on and the trainer arranged a separate session when I was ready, again supported by my DSN.

The blood glucose meter that they provided will bluetooth your readings to the pump, but you then have to access the pump to confirm the reading, so there is no real advantage in using the bluetooth. I found the strips fiddly to get out, so use an alternative test kit. Medtonic mobile, or you could just stick with whatever you currently use.

The manual is fat and printed very thin paper!!!! I ended up calling product support. They are absolutely brilliant, and patiently answered any questions that arose. I found the switch from my previous pump difficult and over Christmas switched back and then started again in the New Year.

I now use the pump along with their sensors in a closed loop system, where the pump checks in with the sensor every five minutes and makes adjustments to the basal. I love it now and often end up with days of 80-90% Time in range. As you are pregnant it would be worth asking whether they would be willing to fund the sensors. (The danger is that you might get addicted to the flexibility, increase in sleep, reduction in hypos, ....)

Any questions that you have, I am happy to answer as best I can.
 
SB2015 said:
Hi @charlieann94 I have been using the 780 for over a year now.
Like @Inka I wasn't new to pumping so I knew what to ask.
Are you going to be using it alongside their sensors?

I had an excellent trainer from Medtronic who took three of us through our paces, with our local DSN also there.
We went through step by step. There was a quick guide which had been sent out beforehand and she answered any questions that arose as we went through that. It proved to be a useful reference sheet. The 780 was a new pump at the time so I am not sure whether it would now be your DSN or the Medtronic person now.

We were set up to use the pump manually without the sensors initially. I wanted time to get used to this before moving on and the trainer arranged a separate session when I was ready, again supported by my DSN.

The blood glucose meter that they provided will bluetooth your readings to the pump, but you then have to access the pump to confirm the reading, so there is no real advantage in using the bluetooth. I found the strips fiddly to get out, so use an alternative test kit. Medtonic mobile, or you could just stick with whatever you currently use.

The manual is fat and printed very thin paper!!!! I ended up calling product support. They are absolutely brilliant, and patiently answered any questions that arose. I found the switch from my previous pump difficult and over Christmas switched back and then started again in the New Year.

I now use the pump along with their sensors in a closed loop system, where the pump checks in with the sensor every five minutes and makes adjustments to the basal. I love it now and often end up with days of 80-90% Time in range. As you are pregnant it would be worth asking whether they would be willing to fund the sensors. (The danger is that you might get addicted to the flexibility, increase in sleep, reduction in hypos, ....)

Any questions that you have, I am happy to answer as best I can.
Click to expand...
Hey!

Thanks for your reply.

So, they are going to put me on the sensors for the pump but I will not be able to used the close loop systems as the targets are too high for pregnancy and it has not been approved. The only benefit I will get will be it stopping the insulin if I am low. They have put me on the Dexcom for now as the rep didn't have the capacity to do the sensors and pump on the same day. I think the thing I am most worried about is the different type of boluses! It seems a bit of a minefield and it all seems so much more overwhelming and risky now I'm pregnant.
 
Inka said:
It might be slightly different for you, if you’ve not had a pump for a while, but for me the session consisted of a group of us (this was pre-Covid) being shown the pump, and its menus, etc, then being shown how to programme it, how to bolus on it, how to set/change basal, how to fill a pump reservoir, etc etc. But I’ve had a pump for almost 20 years and nobody in my group was a new pump user. Some had only used a pump for a short time, but we were all pump users and just swapping to a new pump.

During pregnancy, you’ll be adjusting basal a lot, especially in the second half as insulin resistance appears and increases. You’ll also be changing your bolus ratios. So I’d make sure I knew how to do that. I hope you’re given a good pump manual. Having that to hand is very helpful in the early days with any new pump.

While you’re waiting, you might just want to watch a few general videos on YouTube so you get a feel for that pump. Good luck 🙂
Click to expand...
Thanks, Inka! My DN has told me it will be me and her at the clinic with the rep on zoom. I think I'm most worried about the different type of boluses. Will be straight on Youtube after work! 🙂
 
charlieann94 said:
Thanks, Inka! My DN has told me it will be me and her at the clinic with the rep on zoom. I think I'm most worried about the different type of boluses. Will be straight on Youtube after work! 🙂
Click to expand...

I’m sure it will be fine 🙂 The only thing that confuses me about the different boluses is that they sometimes have different names on different pumps. I tend to stick to the names I first learned. As long as you know what each bolus does (eg gives you all your bolus at once; gives you some bolus immediately and spreads the rest over a certain number of hours, etc) you’ll be able to choose what works best for you. I actually had to check on my pump just now for the names of the Dana RS boluses but I’ve used them all and know what they all do, and that’s what important.
 
Inka said:
The only thing that confuses me about the different boluses is that they sometimes have different names on different pumps.
Click to expand...

Square Wave = Extended
Dual Wave = Combo Bolus or Multi Wave or occasionally Extended(!)
 
everydayupsanddowns said:
Square Wave = Extended
Dual Wave = Combo Bolus or Multi Wave or occasionally Extended(!)
Click to expand...

I’ve got Step, Extended and Dual Pattern at the moment :D

I call them the same names whatever my pump says: (Normal) Bolus, Extended and Combi🙂
 
Inka said:
I’ve got Step, Extended and Dual Pattern at the moment :D
Click to expand...

Ooooh! new ones to add to the list!

What’s a ‘step’??
 
everydayupsanddowns said:
Ooooh! new ones to add to the list!

What’s a ‘step’??
Click to expand...

The Step is the normal bolus 🙂 I have no idea why it’s called that, but possibly because it’s a big step up (or down) with all the bolus insulin going in at once. Te nice thing about the Dana is it’s very visual and has a little diagram by each bolus choice showing the bolus visually. That’s on both the pump itself and the app. I found it really helpful to start with.
 
On your 780 It is
  • Normal. Bolus all given before food
    I use this for melas unless they are very high in fat or very big meals
  • Square wave. Bolus spread out over a time that you choose
    I use this one for meals with a high fat content
  • Dual wave. A mix of the two above
    I use this if there is some quick acting carbs aas well as some slower release.
    You choose the percentage of the bolus for the two different bits
    Also if I eat a bigger meal than usual I would use this.

These different boluses give you more flexibility to eat things that would have perhaps been a no before.

When I first used sensors I used the info to help me adjust the time intervals between my bolus and then eating. I learnt that these needed to be different through the day, with my biggest delay to eating after the bolus being in the morning.

Come back with any more questions.
 
….

It might help to think of the pump just giving you more options than your MDI does (a bit like a new phone) but you don’t have to use them all.

The one bit that you will need to do is set your basal profiles through the day to match what you need. They will work with you to do this and show you how to adjust them. This is one of the biggest bonuses
of pumping so well worth the work.

You can then do normal boluses as before but use the additional info from the sensor to help you make choices about what and when to eat. Then gradually make use of other facilities that the pump offers.

We could fire away with ideas that might help, but just get started and come back with any questions.
Their Pump Careline are excellent and so knowledgeable and patient.

Just keep the questions coming
 
Congratulations on your pregnancy and good luck with your pump start @charlieann94
Getting your basal set up correctly is the most important thing. I think of the various bolus patterns as Advanced Pumping. Some people take an advanced driving test but most of us do fine with the standard one (and I can't remember the last time I did a three-point-turn). So my advice would be to master the basics before thinking about the advanced features. And, when you are ready for Advanced Pumping, ask for help - from your diabetes team, from Medtronic and from the forum.
 
Hi, new member and first post, sorry if it’s in wrong place
Have had T1 for over 40yrs and been on several pumps but have been on medtronic 780g for the longest and i love it especially as i now have a sensor that does everything for me, I don’t need to do many blood tests and it reads my sugar levels and gives me boluses and insulin when eating food, all i have to do is put into pump how much carbs I’ve just eaten, even had time in target at 100% for one day but apart from slight blips it’s mainly been over 80%. This is absolutely amazing for me and is helping me get my life back. First got it as needed to be extremely well controlled for IVF treatment which we had and now have a 13yr old daughter, pregnancy was a nightmare as we both nearly didn’t make it due to MRSA Sepsis but here we are due to amazing NHS treatment. I got the new guardian 4 sensor earlier this year and it is exactly the same as the guardian 3 but don’t have to do so many blood tests and it learns from you so the longer it’s in place the better it gets. Never had problem with tubing but did prefer the longer tubes as made it easier if you needed to put it down somewhere, also have infusions for different problem and it is a bit of a pain but it is only three days a week for 12 hours each time so having to deal with that is a bit of a nuisance, also have lots of places where I can’t put tube from pump as it crumples and doesn’t work, the sound of one where you don’t need to insert anything under the skin sounds like a godsend and may become more available in the future, and affordable
 
Also wish you all the best for an amazing pregnancy
 
Thanks for sharing your experiences of the MM780G @Vixen69

Welcome to the forum!
 
How are you getting on with your pump @charlieann94 ?
I hope that it is helping you and the sensor readings helping you to head off highs and lows.
 
Vixen69 said:
Have had T1 for over 40yrs and been on several pumps but have been on medtronic 780g for the longest and i love it especially as i now have a sensor that does everything for me, I don’t need to do many blood tests and it reads my sugar levels and gives me boluses and insulin when eating food, all i have to do is put into pump how much carbs I’ve just eaten, even had time in target at 100% for one day but apart from slight blips it’s mainly been over 80%. This is absolutely amazing for me and is helping me get my life back
Click to expand...
Welcome to the forum @Vixen69
Great to read your experience of the 780. I took some time to get used to the switch from my Combo but I am now reaping the benefits of the closed loop system. I now think about my diabetes a lot less, and on occasions have got too complacent. However now down with COVID and seeing just how good it is at managing illness, especially over night. Guardian 4s have arrived today so it sounds like that will bring another bonus.
 
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