New insulin pump options

[Paulbreen]

Happy to answer any questions you have on the tSlim.

I have been running the tSlim with self-funded sensors since late Summer 2020, and I think the combination of Tandem and G6 is probably the best kit I’ve ever had to help me juggle my BG levels.

Average of 93% of time spent between 3.9-10mmol/L over the past 90 days, with only 5 days below 80% Time in Range (and 4 of them when I ran out of sensors!)

I concur with Mike tslim and G6 for 2 months now and averages at 95%. Way better system than Meditronic 640 which I was on before

 

[VICTOR HILL]

i have decided to use a pump that takes a pre filled insulin vial 160 units NOVARAPID
ENOUGH FOR ME at 20 /23 units a day i had enough of air i bubbles or OCCUSIONS think that what TECNOS call it good luck all next time i moan i think what is going on somewhere no hope no HOME NO INSULIN vic

 

[Matchless]

hi victor as far as i know there are only two pumps which use pre filled cartridges thats Accu chek insight and Mylife ypsomed which i am starting next wk .

 

[Zoombie]

I’m due a pump upgrade in September and the only options are omnipod or Medtronic. Dsn has advised I won’t be granted the omnipod due to my insulin requirements so the Medtronic it will be. I really was hoping for the t-slim but not an option.

 

[Melbob87]

I started on a pump in December. I was offered Medtronic 640 (rejected that because it was old technology) and they weren't offering the 780 at that time. Omnipod (interested as being tubeless). There was another couple, which I wasn't interested in. I was thinking of the t-slim, but although I liaised with the team and the local rep to try and get this, the team were given a training session, but not provided with one for me to see, and arranging to get one would have been another 2 or 3 months. In the end I went for the Omnipod Dash. Downside was that there were no official options for looping with it, However, as I wanted to get started I went with that one. Been very pleased with it, had some pod failures for various reasons ranging from trying to set a temp basal while I was out dog walking (it had problems communicating with the pod - ending up with a 'screamer' and no option other than th deactivate the pod - strange that it did this OK, when I was not talking to the pod!) and one that was dislodged by around 30 Kg of puppy-assistance! The other thing with the tandem was being restricted to the Dexcom sensors, which I wouldn't be able to get funding for - and self-funding would be 10% of my income!

Since April, I have been using a DIY loop (Android APS) but this does involve carefully following the step by step instructions to set up the software and build the app - and of course, there is no technical support from Insulet, only from within the online groups and forums, so it has to be approached with caution. I'm also using another 3rd-party app that reads the bluetooth signals from the Libre 2 and shows the results in real time, making it effectively a full CGM sensor, which Abbott didn't implement in their own app. That feeds the readings into the APS loop. So, it is possible, but certainly not as easy as a commercial system.

Hi, new to this group and just reading through messages. I’m due to get a new pump and also looking at DIY looping. I have tried the Omnipod dash dummy to see how i found having it on ect and was good because of No tubing but I wasn’t keen on having to carry another handse (PDM) but if you do the DIY looping do you still need the handset aswell or are you able to control everything from your phone ? Thanks mel

 

[helli]

Hi, new to this group and just reading through messages. I’m due to get a new pump and also looking at DIY looping. I have tried the Omnipod dash dummy to see how i found having it on ect and was good because of No tubing but I wasn’t keen on having to carry another handse (PDM) but if you do the DIY looping do you still need the handset aswell or are you able to control everything from your phone ? Thanks mel

I have not done it myself but have a friend with OmniPod DIY looping. She needs to carry her PDM and phone with her.

 

[SB2015]

I’m due a pump upgrade in September and the only options are omnipod or Medtronic. Dsn has advised I won’t be granted the omnipod due to my insulin requirements so the Medtronic it will be. I really was hoping for the t-slim but not an option.

I am looping with the Medtronic 780 and Guardian 4 sensor. T-slim wasn’t an option available when I had to choose so not even considered that one at the time.

I am generally in the 90s with TIR so very happy with that. It takes some time to get your head round things and I had to find ways of making it do what I want when doing extended periods of exercise, but I have found workarounds, like with any pump. The guardian 4 sensor requires one finger prick at the start after a warmup and that is it. I was amazed and thought that this would be unrealistic, but it works.

There is no way I would go back now and find that aI think about my diabetes a lot less now. If you have any questions very happy to help.

 

[Squirrel768]

the DIY looping do you still need the handset aswell or are you able to control everything from your phone ? Thanks mel

Hi Mel,

I've just been away for a week in my caravan. I took the PDM handset along as a backup (along with a box of pods and spare insulin) just in case of any problems (like losing my phone or something!) However, the PDM has been in retirement since April when I started on the closed loop - it sits at home with all of the pod manuals etc. but I control everything from the phone. The Android APS app gives me control (and a calculator) to enter carbs and bolus doses, setting profiles for the basal rates (which if often over-rides and sets a higher or lower temp basal rate according to current levels), and deactivating a pod or activating a new pod.

As with any medical device, official or unofficial, you need to apply a good measuer of comon sense, and I work on the basis that you need to be prepared for things to go wrong. I was away for just under a week. 2 pods (plus the one I started with) would normally cover that period. However, the food on the camp was often just too tempting (especially the food court vendors LOL) in addition to the food provided by our church, and the event host church! I think it was Friday I did a pod change - 3 days worth of insulin lasted me 2 days LOL. Phone behaved well, PDM stayed tucked away and wasn't needed, but was there in case of emergency!

So, do you need to carry the PDM? Yes, until you have the app running and able to administer doses/control profiles etc. After that, no - the phone does it all. Just don't lose the PDM though, 'just in case' 🙂

 

[Melbob87]

Hi Mel,

I've just been away for a week in my caravan. I took the PDM handset along as a backup (along with a box of pods and spare insulin) just in case of any problems (like losing my phone or something!) However, the PDM has been in retirement since April when I started on the closed loop - it sits at home with all of the pod manuals etc. but I control everything from the phone. The Android APS app gives me control (and a calculator) to enter carbs and bolus doses, setting profiles for the basal rates (which if often over-rides and sets a higher or lower temp basal rate according to current levels), and deactivating a pod or activating a new pod.

As with any medical device, official or unofficial, you need to apply a good measuer of comon sense, and I work on the basis that you need to be prepared for things to go wrong. I was away for just under a week. 2 pods (plus the one I started with) would normally cover that period. However, the food on the camp was often just too tempting (especially the food court vendors LOL) in addition to the food provided by our church, and the event host church! I think it was Friday I did a pod change - 3 days worth of insulin lasted me 2 days LOL. Phone behaved well, PDM stayed tucked away and wasn't needed, but was there in case of emergency!

So, do you need to carry the PDM? Yes, until you have the app running and able to administer doses/control profiles etc. After that, no - the phone does it all. Just don't lose the PDM though, 'just in case' 🙂

Thankyou! that's really good to know!