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roche pumps..
- Thread starter ebony321
- Start Date
jopar
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 2,222
Not sure whether if you asked Rouche you could get the Spirit pump, as both the Siprit and the D-tron pumps are missing off there product page!!!
I've been using thye spirit pump now for almost 2 years, and it does it's job not quite as easily as the others that Carbrocks has said some handy features aren't there such as the IOB, and some of the fine tuning of deliverly aren't quite as good..
With the latter, the fine tuning incredments are only going to be a real problem if you have very low insulin requirements, for most adults this isn't a problem, The Combi has improved it's increaments so this part now match the rest of the insulin pumps that are available..
You can over-come the lack of some of the wizards that other pumps feature, either by doing your own mental arthmatic (even to a certain extent work out how much IOB is stil effective) or you can actually get a software program the pocket compass that loads on a Palm OS PDA (doesn't work with windows mobile) which enables you to to recreate the missing wizards on the PDA... But is a pain in the butt at times...
The new Combi is basically an up-graded Spirit pump, with better communication built in, but still has the wizards located and combined with blood glucose meter! How much difference this make is very hard to tell, as even with pumps that all the wizards incorparated on the pump, you still have to entre a value from a Glucose meter... But with saying that you are more likely to lose or miss lay your blood glucose meter than your insulin pump!
As to the 6 year warrenty, and not having the pump replaced in this time, this is dependant on each clinic/pct I know with my clinic they replace the pump on a 4 year cycle, so you would need to ask about your clinic replacement policy..
I actually didn't get the choice (as I should have done) of pumps, it was a case of take it or leave it, I would have choosen a different one, the Animas 2020 would have been my pump of choice, but there again I am a bit of a gadget geek! I know of several pumpers who even though they have different wizards on there pumps available to them, don't actually use them prefering to calculate etc themselves... But it is all down to personal choice though..
If your clinic is giving you, your entitled choice then take a good look at the features of each pump and decided what features suit your individual needs... From delivery incredments ( if you don't need altra fine incredments, then all pumps will suit this side) to the different wizards that are available etc..
I've been using thye spirit pump now for almost 2 years, and it does it's job not quite as easily as the others that Carbrocks has said some handy features aren't there such as the IOB, and some of the fine tuning of deliverly aren't quite as good..
With the latter, the fine tuning incredments are only going to be a real problem if you have very low insulin requirements, for most adults this isn't a problem, The Combi has improved it's increaments so this part now match the rest of the insulin pumps that are available..
You can over-come the lack of some of the wizards that other pumps feature, either by doing your own mental arthmatic (even to a certain extent work out how much IOB is stil effective) or you can actually get a software program the pocket compass that loads on a Palm OS PDA (doesn't work with windows mobile) which enables you to to recreate the missing wizards on the PDA... But is a pain in the butt at times...
The new Combi is basically an up-graded Spirit pump, with better communication built in, but still has the wizards located and combined with blood glucose meter! How much difference this make is very hard to tell, as even with pumps that all the wizards incorparated on the pump, you still have to entre a value from a Glucose meter... But with saying that you are more likely to lose or miss lay your blood glucose meter than your insulin pump!
As to the 6 year warrenty, and not having the pump replaced in this time, this is dependant on each clinic/pct I know with my clinic they replace the pump on a 4 year cycle, so you would need to ask about your clinic replacement policy..
I actually didn't get the choice (as I should have done) of pumps, it was a case of take it or leave it, I would have choosen a different one, the Animas 2020 would have been my pump of choice, but there again I am a bit of a gadget geek! I know of several pumpers who even though they have different wizards on there pumps available to them, don't actually use them prefering to calculate etc themselves... But it is all down to personal choice though..
If your clinic is giving you, your entitled choice then take a good look at the features of each pump and decided what features suit your individual needs... From delivery incredments ( if you don't need altra fine incredments, then all pumps will suit this side) to the different wizards that are available etc..
This is interesting for me. I am about to go for my first session of traing on a Accuchek pump (not sure which one yet!) I don't have a choice, as this is teh only one that my DSN is trained in using..and at the time I had not really thought there was much choice....I am now off to do some research, but like Jopar, if thi si s teh only one I can get, then I am going to have it!
I do like their BG monitos though, so I am hoping that they are similar!
I do like their BG monitos though, so I am hoping that they are similar!
JANROU
Well-Known Member
Just been for my pump training day and now hooked up to the accu chek combo (only doing saline till monday). Don't have any experience with other pumps and it was the one the clinic wanted me to use but seems ok to use fairly straightforward. I was so glad that i was offered the pump that i would have accepted any of them. I hope that your experience is as good as mne has been so far. 
Hi,
all the answers are really useful, my consultant said they only have roche pumps as they get a discount for using the same supplier which means more pumps and all staff havemore expertise ad knowledge on one pump rather that a few bits of info from several, which makes sense to me and likewise in saying im greatful for any pump!!
my frst choice would also be the animas 2020, the website has so much info on it and there wasnt much i could fault it by!!
the roche accucheck website still has the spirit on there obviously its not linked wth the NHS on there so i didnt realise they werent available anymore and i guess it would be a bonus for the one available to be an upgrade!!
i was just wondering about how good they were and a few tips i guess and i'mpretty sure thats the one i'll be getting...
but then again he did say that the pumps were up or review again..meaning they can choose again which one they think is best (disregarding how cheap they are) so maybe they will chooe a different pump if the market seems to change?
and janrou good to hea your training went well and that you going on saline goes well too
i hope to be in your position very soon
all the answers are really useful, my consultant said they only have roche pumps as they get a discount for using the same supplier which means more pumps and all staff havemore expertise ad knowledge on one pump rather that a few bits of info from several, which makes sense to me and likewise in saying im greatful for any pump!!
my frst choice would also be the animas 2020, the website has so much info on it and there wasnt much i could fault it by!!
the roche accucheck website still has the spirit on there obviously its not linked wth the NHS on there so i didnt realise they werent available anymore and i guess it would be a bonus for the one available to be an upgrade!!
i was just wondering about how good they were and a few tips i guess and i'mpretty sure thats the one i'll be getting...
but then again he did say that the pumps were up or review again..meaning they can choose again which one they think is best (disregarding how cheap they are) so maybe they will chooe a different pump if the market seems to change?
and janrou good to hea your training went well and that you going on saline goes well too
i hope to be in your position very soon I am due to go to my first training session on 10th March and have been told I will strat straight away with insulin, not saline. I am surprised by some of the answers above as my pump nurse (trainer) said that they only offer the AccuChek Spirit (unless I can make a good case for another make). I also recently printed a list of pumps from the NICE website which also included this pump. Any comments would be appreciated.
Thanks
Thanks
Cannot find it for the moment but there was a link on the NICE website to the Purchasing and Supply Agency report CEP 08004 dated Feb 2008. From information on this website (Diabetes.co.uk) it appears that the Spirit has been superseded by the Spirit Combo. No wonder I am confused. It is probably the Spirit Combo is the one my trainer was talking about. As for choice, this website says that only three are available, the Spirit Combo, the Medtronic Paradigm and one other. I assume the other is the Animas. I should have looked her first! For the Medtronic the PCT will not fund the CBGM, which costs £40 every 3 days for the sensors, etc. I did watch a demo of the Spirit on AccuCheck website and the demonstrator was pushing buttons so it is not a disaster if you lose the remote. Not sure if that was the Combo, though. So, I'm offered the Spirit Combo but can have one of the others if I convince them (but without the Medtronic CBGM).
I will probably take the one on offer. This is the first time in 26 years that anyone has taken a real interest in me!
I will probably take the one on offer. This is the first time in 26 years that anyone has taken a real interest in me!
kegstore
Well-Known Member
Johnny,johnny37 said:
It is sometimes possible to persuade a PCT to fund CGMS, but you have to make a really good case. Most will loan them out on a temporary basis though. The sensor cost initially seems extortionate, but most people get at least 6 days out of a sensor, I get more than 9, which makes it a little more affordable. Medtronic don't tell you this, and why would they at £40 a pop?!
JANROU
Well-Known Member
I started on a accu chek combo earlier this month, pretty certain that the spirit has been discontinued, although the pump part of the combo appears to be an updated spirit. It was the one that the clinic offered and the nurses knew best I was happy to accept it as i just couldn't face the swings in my BG anymore, maybe that was shortsighted asI know there are lots of negative comments about the roche pump but i love mine already.
Hi all,
I'm new to this site. I am also fairly new to pumps in general.
I got the Accu-Check Combo at the start of January this year.
After many years of struggling with poor control this device is allowing me the control to rebuild my life.
Like other have said, this was the option I was offered. I attend a clinic based in Rugby, Warwickshire. The staff there are brilliant and their knowledge of this system is top notch.
The pump itself is incredibly simple to use. So simple that my nurse showed me how it worked last year, put me on a trial (that lasted a whole 5) with water, a brief refresher this year when my pump arrived and that was it. So by comparison, I've not had any of this training so many of you mention.
Using the combo is a dream. It's all in the settings. I'm still at the tweaking about stage but getting there. I love the combo meter as a device. Remote control! Colour screen! Does the calculations for me (not that difficult to be honest)! Can be overridden easily when I know more about the situation that it can.
The downside of the whole system? Well, this comes to the quality of the information supplied with the pump and the accompanying training guide (which I was given despite not sitting down with a teacher). The most obvious information lacking is about the different bolus types.
Now, most of us old lags (nearly 30 years on MDI) know all about 'standard' boluses. All in one go. But 'extended' and 'multiwave' boluses? The information is sparse about these at best. The manuals describe how they deliver the insulin, but with no indication of 'why' to choose a particular method. So if anyone can point me in a good direction to get the right info, I'd be most grateful. I'm currently trying to work out the GI version of my diet and this nebulous Glycaemic Load idea.
Cheers all!
Anthony
aka tanj666
I'm new to this site. I am also fairly new to pumps in general.
I got the Accu-Check Combo at the start of January this year.
After many years of struggling with poor control this device is allowing me the control to rebuild my life.
Like other have said, this was the option I was offered. I attend a clinic based in Rugby, Warwickshire. The staff there are brilliant and their knowledge of this system is top notch.
The pump itself is incredibly simple to use. So simple that my nurse showed me how it worked last year, put me on a trial (that lasted a whole 5) with water, a brief refresher this year when my pump arrived and that was it. So by comparison, I've not had any of this training so many of you mention.
Using the combo is a dream. It's all in the settings. I'm still at the tweaking about stage but getting there. I love the combo meter as a device. Remote control! Colour screen! Does the calculations for me (not that difficult to be honest)! Can be overridden easily when I know more about the situation that it can.
The downside of the whole system? Well, this comes to the quality of the information supplied with the pump and the accompanying training guide (which I was given despite not sitting down with a teacher). The most obvious information lacking is about the different bolus types.
Now, most of us old lags (nearly 30 years on MDI) know all about 'standard' boluses. All in one go. But 'extended' and 'multiwave' boluses? The information is sparse about these at best. The manuals describe how they deliver the insulin, but with no indication of 'why' to choose a particular method. So if anyone can point me in a good direction to get the right info, I'd be most grateful. I'm currently trying to work out the GI version of my diet and this nebulous Glycaemic Load idea.
Cheers all!
Anthony
aka tanj666
Hi Anthony,
Thank you for your post...that has reassured me, as I am a bit nervous of the techniology.
The training I have had was from a nurse (who didn't know that much to be honest) and on friday, the company rep is coming to talk to us about teh pump itself. from what I have gathered..although I do not pretend to be an expert, the different types of bolus are for differenttypes of meals. If you are having say, a quick acting carb meal, then you need it all in one shot, but if there is some fat in with teh meal (my favourite kind!) then you digest the carbs more slowly, so giving a big bolus in one hit may make you hypo, if the insulin gets there before teh carbs do. It is also for say, if you are eating out, and you don't know if you are going to have a dessert...but then get tempted by the sweet trolley, and need a second bolus.
Like I say though, I am no expert. I was given several large manuals with teh pump...whoch is not yet attached, so I will have a look and see if there is anything in there...and if so, let you know, so that you can get that book from Roche.
I am looking forward to a more steady life too, so it is greatto hear that it has been so good for you!
Thank you for your post...that has reassured me, as I am a bit nervous of the techniology.
The training I have had was from a nurse (who didn't know that much to be honest) and on friday, the company rep is coming to talk to us about teh pump itself. from what I have gathered..although I do not pretend to be an expert, the different types of bolus are for differenttypes of meals. If you are having say, a quick acting carb meal, then you need it all in one shot, but if there is some fat in with teh meal (my favourite kind!) then you digest the carbs more slowly, so giving a big bolus in one hit may make you hypo, if the insulin gets there before teh carbs do. It is also for say, if you are eating out, and you don't know if you are going to have a dessert...but then get tempted by the sweet trolley, and need a second bolus.
Like I say though, I am no expert. I was given several large manuals with teh pump...whoch is not yet attached, so I will have a look and see if there is anything in there...and if so, let you know, so that you can get that book from Roche.
I am looking forward to a more steady life too, so it is greatto hear that it has been so good for you!
kegstore
Well-Known Member
Johnnyjohnny37 said:
It's all down to circumstances - I have zero hypo awareness, numerous battle scars from previous incidents, live on my own - and a very persuasive and proactive consultant/nursing team. I had to fight for it via the Exceptional Funding Panel, and so far am the only person in my area to have succeeded.
carvellchris004
Newbie
- Messages
- 1
Just about to have a new pump after 3 years with animas. Roche combi looks good but only one blood monitor paired to pump. I have about 6 in different places at the moment. Any comments from users? Where do you keep your blood monitor? I keep my pump hanging from my bra! Works well for me.
