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About to get first ever pump!

Moodle

Moodle

Active Member
Messages
37
Location
Kent
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi

I am about to branch out to the world of insulin pumps, at last my diabetic centre has agreed to fund me :)

I am going for the Medtronic 640g after lots of online and this forum searching. My question is the blood testing machine you need to use, contour next link 2.4, are the strips available on the NHS?

Thanks in advance
Cheers
Nik
 
@Moodle Hey that's good news, welcome to the world of pumping ;)

Yes you can get these strips on the NHS.
 
Great new @Moodle, be sure to read up on the book Pumping Insulin, good luck and hope all goes well :)
 
Moodle said:
thanks @Juicyj! Just need the cgm bits to be the same and life will be good :)
Click to expand...

Yes the bells and whistles would be nice too ;) However the Contour meter is excellent as it pings your BG results direct into the pump and you can download results onto Carelink the Medtronic software for uploading pump results so your DSN can see what's going on, as well as helping you understand what's happening too. I did look at the CGM but was £500 to get this then a further £100 a month for the sensors..
 
ouch that's a little pricey! Can't really justify £25 a week. Anyway been doing blood tests for 33 years, sure I can cope! :)

Be amazing not to have injections though. Was a toss up between the accu chek insight or the 640, but people say such good things about the 640. Thanks for the advice :happy:
 
Hi Moodie,congratulations on getting a pump,I started pumping last year after 53 years of injections and I went for the 640g and I have never looked back,I've been on the pump 1 year and not a days problems,and Medtronic customer service are brilliant to deal with.GOOD LUCK.
 
thanks @yingtong I am really looking forward to getting it, although will be really weird not using a needle any more! But something I feel I can easily get used to! :)

Sorry @Juicyj one other question. Can you deliver the insulin via the Contour without doing a blood test as well? Thanks :)
 
Moodle said:
Sorry @Juicyj one other question. Can you deliver the insulin via the Contour without doing a blood test as well? Thanks :)
Click to expand...

Hi there, no you can't, you have to do a blood test then manually accept the result on the pump and bolus in for any carbs eaten or to accept a correction, still requires you to manage the pump.
 
Juicyj said:
Hi there, no you can't, you have to do a blood test then manually accept the result on the pump and bolus in for any carbs eaten or to accept a correction, still requires you to manage the pump.
Click to expand...

I was playing with the Contour and I'm sure you could deliver the bolus without having to test first. Been using up Accuchek strips so my contour is at home but it would be worth checking!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Sorry I think I misinterpretated your question, you can deliver insulin directly on the pump, however if testing on the contour you need to then accept the result on your pump first before it can deliver insulin.
 
thanks @Juicyj! Some vids on YouTube seem to suggest you can...I think I need to makes some further investigation! I also appear to have a 'pump googling addiction'...not sure if medical help is needed with this!! ;)

Here is a couple of those vids!
 
Hey @Moodle thanks for this, my Medtronic rep has set my pump up for manual bolusing, she didn't say this could be done, which (and i've yet to try lol) could be great if my pump is tucked away say in my bra and I don't want to get it out, have had it tucked in lots of other awkward places depending on what i'm wearing but would make like alot easier ;)
 
no worries @Juicyj! It would make life so much easier! Perhaps it will mean I won't have to wear a bra now! :D:D
Let me know if that works when you get the chance! Cheers Nik
 
Juicyj said:
Hey @Moodle thanks for this, my Medtronic rep has set my pump up for manual bolusing, she didn't say this could be done, which (and i've yet to try lol) could be great if my pump is tucked away say in my bra and I don't want to get it out, have had it tucked in lots of other awkward places depending on what i'm wearing but would make like alot easier ;)
Click to expand...
Ah - you haven't had a play!

If you hit the Menu button and go into Utilities, there's an option "Remote Bolus" that you can turn on. It turns the Contour Next Link into a bolusing remote! You don't need to go near the pump.

You have two choices. You can either configure a manual bolus amount on the Contour or have some preset boluses on the pump that you can select from the meter, if you wanted Dual or Square waves, for example.

Very easy to set up and use...
 
Moodle said:
Hi @noblehead, is this the book you mean?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pumping-In...swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1465393756&sr=1-1
Click to expand...
That is an excellent book, and worth getting even before you get the pump, the first 9 or 10 chapters give you a fair amount to think about and prepare in advance. You also may want to consider some of these:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000I5VWHW/ref=sr_ph?ie=UTF8&qid=1465394373&sr=1&keywords=post+it+arrows
to use with the book ... mine was full by the end (but I am a little OCD according to my fiancee)!
 
Hi @Moodle have you been given a date for getting your pump? Very jealous you're getting the 640g I've got the old Medtronic pump so can't answer any questions on the 640g but personally I find the people at Medtronic unbelievably helpful so don't worry about anything there :)

it is bizarre going from injecting 4+ times a day to not injecting, I adapted very quickly which I didn't think I would after around 25 years of injections, it's a lovely feeling though I've never looked back!


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