Sarah Howard
Sarah Howard (nee Tackett) has dedicated her career to supporting the T1D community ever since she was diagnosed with T1D while in college in May 2013. Since then, she has worked for various diabetes organizations, focusing on research, advocacy, and community-building efforts for people with T1D and their loved ones. Sarah is currently the Senior Manager of Marketing at T1D Exchange.
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I am going to be changing which pump I use within about a month. Ready for the next adventure and more stability with life!
I am trying be on insulin pen
this site is much more pump orientated than necessary ….I used to answer daily prior to pump influx.
Many, if not majority, of us are using pumps these days. We learn to problem solve from each other … and T1D Exchange learns from us what issues and problems need to be addressed in our lives with T1D.
Used to use the O5. It wound up wasting a lot of insulin. Didn’t give me the control and tech support was always problematic. Using tslim now and have much better control.
Bound to contract with Medtronic 630G, I can qualify for Omnipod through my prescription insurance, but the costs are still way out of range for me.
MyLife YpsoPump
My son has been using Tslim for over five years, Medtronic 530g for five years prior. However, we are awaiting insurance coverage for the ILet, and will switch to that, hopefully, soon.
I hate this pump. I think I’ve only got 9 months to go until insurance will pay for a new one. It’s been recalled, doesn’t loop, constantly eats batteries, when it broke down they replaced it with a refurbished one, I’ve had to replace battery lid multiple times. Should just be taken off of the market.
I’m guessing Medtronic, based on the battery lid replacement? I still get the recall notices…
I’ve been using the Tandem pump for so long I can’t remember anything else. It’s still not a cure, but after seeing all the advances over 70 years, going back is out of the question.
I don’t want to give up hoping, though, for a cure. It won’t affect me, but I can remember how it used to feel that one day I’d be free of all the fretting over whether the pump supplies would arrive when needed. I think that’s always been the hardest part of this whole journey!
It’s time to replace “Big Pharma” with a cure!
Replied 780g, yet transition is not until Wed 8/16. 770 G currently
After more than a decade with Medtronic I switched to Tandem X2: CIQ this April. My first pump (25 yrs after dx) was an old pager-style Paradigm. Had to replace it once due to “button freeze,” otherwise it was pretty rock solid. Tried the 670G when its warranty was up, which entailed switching to the MT Guardian CGM (I’d been using Dexcom). Hated the whole system and after six months I mothballed it, got my old Paradigm out of storage and went back to using that with Dexcom for another 6 years. Wouldn’t have changed–the 670G experience left me skeptical toward the whole AID idea–but the battery life started getting really bad. I just loathed the idea of going back to MT sensors and AID so after a lot of discussion with other T1s I decided to give the Tandem a try. Not perfect, but the whole design philosophy is MUCH more patient-centric, giving you much more flexibility in how you use and control the pump. So I’m pretty happy with it so far. Looks like that’s the majority opinion here too, by the responses.
Ditto for me … what you said about switching from Medtronic after 10 years use to Tandem. Have been on Tandem Dexcom combo for several incarnations of pump and sensor upgrades and absolutely love the ease of technology. Having lived with T1D for 62 years I trust the Tandem/Dexcom algorithms to manage the flow of insulin into my body.
What I have had issues with is build up of scar tissue at pump insertion sites. Currently on a pump vacation and using basal and bolus pens to give my body a rest, but I still wear my Tandem pump as a receiver and reference point for dosing insulin.
I used Minimed pumps for over 20 yrs, and tried every new generation of pump/sensor that came along. Best A1C was 7.0. Changed to Tandem, fine tuned the settings and have had a year of 5.8 A1C’s. The root cause of the difference is the Minimed CGM sensors were never accurate for me. The Dexcom sensors produce a result I can be confident in. Consequently, the near real time CGM number results in some behavioral modification. This is not trivial, since I am over 50 yrs with diabetes, and the Tandem/Dexcom system has been the most impactful technology for me. This also comes from an engineer who spent 30 years in the medical device industry, making me supercritical of technology fundamentals.
Hi Richard, I’m new to the Tandem was on med Tronic for 33 years how do you fine-tune the tandem I try to set it to 90 but it always goes back to 110 do I have to take it off of CGM to set my target lower just a question How did you find unit and what did you do what settings? Thanks I appreciate it.
To Sherrie. Are you using CIQ? If so, you can’t change the target. I stayed with BIQ, and my target is 80.
You sound like me, Richard Entrekin, although I was an architect of hospital & lab buildings instead. Mine is now 60 years. I could stand my final couple of years w Medtronic 670>>780 + Guardian sensors but couldn’t freely exit from my insurance-required 4 year span before getting a new pump. I lucked into a clinical trial of Tandem X2 for 15 month period and by then my insurance term had ended too so I KNEW I was certain that X2+G6 were the best I have ever had! I tried all 3 modes; settled on C-IQ.
I would like to know where users set their high glucose alarm. I use to set mine at 180 but switched to 130 resulting in amazing A1C improvements.
120
Finishing my 5th year on Medtronic 630G. When its warranty expires on 8/24, I’ll order a Tandem in order to stay with Dexcom.
My brother just switched from Medtronic to OmniPod 5. He tried Tandem for a couple of weeks but with his poor eyesight found loading the cartridge too difficult. He’s quite happy with OmniPod.
Tandem X2 with BIQ. I can st my own target, I have access to temp basal options and I can be the one in charge.
I answered that I use a T-Slim w CIQ, which is correct, but I am currently test driving a Beta Bionics iLet, which also uses the Dexcom G6 system. I have had good results so far. It is less flexible than is Tandem, but also easier in many ways, with fewer decisions to make and simplified dosing. I got almost identical results in the first 2 weeks between my usual Tandem results over 3 months and first 2 weeks of iLet- so it is performing well. Another good choice for closed loop systems!
I switched from Medtronic 770g to the Tandem t:slim X2 in February and love it. I was also able to update my 770g software to the 780g and I just finished testing it for a week, but it was causing me so much stress by allowing me to run high, barely giving any corrections and not recommending any corrections when my BG was over 200 with maybe .5 units IOB. I just don’t have the mental strength to deal with high BGs for weeks hoping it will learn my needs. I have to say it did an amazing job overnight. But I put my Tandem back on and will stick with it. The Guardian sensors (both 3 & the new 4) are just as accurate for me as Dexcom.
I gave up on Metronic several years ago after using them for over 20 years.
I went from using a Medtronic 620 to a Tandem tslim X2, on my Endocrinologist advice. He stated the number of blood sugar checks that I was doing and using a continuous glucose monitor with a pump was not helping my numbers. My ha1c went from 11 to 8. I have been IDDM type 1, 52 years and this is the best control that I have ever had.
I use DASH with FIY Loop 3.2 which I really like. I am considering testing the iASP algorithm as well.
I use the “original” OmniPod, which is now being phased out. I will begin training on the OmniPod 5 soon.
Used the Medtronic 670 several years, than the 770 generally in “manual.” With retirement dropped insurance so insulin from Amazon (Libre3 CGM Wal-Mart) until I hit the VA. Medtronic is working hard for me to upgrade now to the 780G system: sending the upgrade and several months supplies. With a fantastic a1C on shots (5.3 and 5.2) a pump will be easier. Can try an AID device but I’m comfortable just being able to adjust doses more easily.