Hi - I'm a UK type 1 diabetic of 20 years...finally now coming to the front of the queue for a pump.
Our local diabetes clinic put on a pump showcase night recently, where we were shown four different types of pump we might consider. After seeing a work colleague with a pump that included CGM a few years ago (I think she had one pretty early on), that's what I've really been striving for.
I fell out of the system when I was diagnosed at 18, had a difficult time dealing with my diabetes since and after having Diabulemia a few years ago, I'm now on the road to much better control. However, I have autoimmune complications including problems with thyroid and coeliac disease that mean my dosages are often completely random. Ten units of insulin one day can have the effect of five units another...or some days I can be completely resistant. Nothing to do with site rotation etc.. All of this means I have to test sugars a minimum of 10-12 times a day to keep things stable...which of course is really really difficult in a full time job when you're racing around, let alone in the middle of the night. It's really hard to not let it get you down and make you exhausted with it all. So, I thought the pump and CGM would be the answer to my prayers and finally be the game changer I need in my diabetes care.
However, at the showcase evening, Medtronic was touted as the only pump available to me that featured CGM, and we were all given a really strong warning that it would be 'highly unlikely' that anyone would be able to have this feature on the NHS. I asked what it might cost privately to fund the CGM bit, and the rep just shook his head as if to say 'forget it'! It's left me feeling pretty devastated and demoralised given what I've been through in the past and how long it's taken for me to get to this point.... I just don't know if I can handle relying on this level of testing for the next 50 years.
Please can anyone help advise me on:
1. If I would have any kind of case for a pump with CGM
2. If I made a strong case, would it put my driving license at risk???!!
2. If not, is there anything I can part fund, or an alternative (flash monitoring has not been very accurate for me)
3. If no CGM feature, is it still worth having the Medtronic?
Thank you so much in advance x x x
Our local diabetes clinic put on a pump showcase night recently, where we were shown four different types of pump we might consider. After seeing a work colleague with a pump that included CGM a few years ago (I think she had one pretty early on), that's what I've really been striving for.
I fell out of the system when I was diagnosed at 18, had a difficult time dealing with my diabetes since and after having Diabulemia a few years ago, I'm now on the road to much better control. However, I have autoimmune complications including problems with thyroid and coeliac disease that mean my dosages are often completely random. Ten units of insulin one day can have the effect of five units another...or some days I can be completely resistant. Nothing to do with site rotation etc.. All of this means I have to test sugars a minimum of 10-12 times a day to keep things stable...which of course is really really difficult in a full time job when you're racing around, let alone in the middle of the night. It's really hard to not let it get you down and make you exhausted with it all. So, I thought the pump and CGM would be the answer to my prayers and finally be the game changer I need in my diabetes care.
However, at the showcase evening, Medtronic was touted as the only pump available to me that featured CGM, and we were all given a really strong warning that it would be 'highly unlikely' that anyone would be able to have this feature on the NHS. I asked what it might cost privately to fund the CGM bit, and the rep just shook his head as if to say 'forget it'! It's left me feeling pretty devastated and demoralised given what I've been through in the past and how long it's taken for me to get to this point.... I just don't know if I can handle relying on this level of testing for the next 50 years.
Please can anyone help advise me on:
1. If I would have any kind of case for a pump with CGM
2. If I made a strong case, would it put my driving license at risk???!!
2. If not, is there anything I can part fund, or an alternative (flash monitoring has not been very accurate for me)
3. If no CGM feature, is it still worth having the Medtronic?
Thank you so much in advance x x x
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