Thread just for us old Type-1 diabetic insulin pump wearing Spyder Ryders

[Bob Denman]

[blitzkreig]

I am very sensitive to blood glucose levels and treat any Hypo early whether on or off my bike ...

I use an Animas "Ping" insulin pump. My special "OneTouch" glucose meter communicates wireless to my Ping Pump. So any adjustment is as simple as testing and sending the results wirelessly to my Ping Pump (which at times is tucked three or four layers down).

When it gets really warm (desert heat) I put my pump into a specially designed "Frio" hung from my belt. The Frio is a evaporative cooling pouch built for the purpose ...

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...BL._SY450_.jpg

[OverHillAndDale]

The idea of keeping the pump cool (or extra insulin) while ryding is appealing. We don't have the desert heat here in Alabama, just humid heat. I may purchase one of these for long trips.

I had one-touch meters that broadcast my BS to the pump, and now I use a Bayer Contour Next that also broadcasts. It's a small thing, but it is convenient not to have to put that reading into the pump manually to let it calculate boluses.

[Bob Denman]

Even though the Bayer BG tester uses a much smaller blood sample; I still miss the One-Touch monitors...

[blitzkreig]

The Frio insulin cooler has never let me down. It comes in all sorts of sizes ...

http://www.amazon.com/FRIO-Duo-Insul...284047&sr=1-19

I think the hottest longest ride I had with a Frio was Death Valley at about 110 degrees ... and my insulin made it

[OverHillAndDale]

(Not from me, I copied this off of another website)

Insulin is made up of proteins that do not respond well to overheating or freezing. Insulin should never be frozen, left in a car overnight or stored in direct sunlight. A car can get very hot in the summer months and the heat will cause the insulin proteins to break down and deteriorate. So even though it may look fine, it will no longer work the way it should. It is best to keep insulin at temperatures less than 86 degrees and greater than 36 degrees. Room temperature is best for vials or pens that are in use. Unopened insulin pens and vials should be stored in the refrigerator and are good until the expiration date on the bottle. The longer the insulin is left in a very hot or cold environment the more the proteins will break down. The best option at this point is to throw it away and start with a new bottle or new insulin pen.

Read more at http://www.diabeticconnect.com/diabe...5Wy6gKdKdCe.99

I will definitely purchase a frio.

[tobor9]

Even though the Bayer BG tester uses a much smaller blood sample; I still miss the One-Touch monitors...

When i got my first pump(MM-722) it came with a one touch ultra-link then four years later i got a new pump(MM-723)it came with a Bayer link meter but when i got on medicare they would not cover there strips so i went back to my one touch,in all these years i think i only changed the batteries twice and that was only because i thought i should every so often not 'cause it said i should(i've had to call for a new case twice as i wore them out and need a new one now.)

[OverHillAndDale]

Just took a 1500 mile trip from Birmingham, AL to New Orleans to attend Spyders on the Bayou. Wonderful fun event, lots of great rydes all around the N.O. area, great fried catfish and red beans and rice.

I used the setup I described on the first post in this thread where I could monitor my blood sugar everywhere I went and did pretty well. I bought a waterproof case for my phone (it rained EVERY day).

At least twice I saw my BS start to rise quickly. I tried to use some of the techniques in the book "Sugar Surfing" with moderately good results. I was able to counter the rise when I saw it start without overcompensating. (I know the pump well enough that I could bolus by touch only, and used the feedback on the phone to let me know I'd done it properly)

More importantly I caught the drops. I kept some hard candy in my glove box and used to to keep the drops from going too low.

My main concern from what I'm trying to over-responding to too much insulin. I still have some fine-tuning to do, but the techniques I'm using with the monitoring set up are working to keep me out of trouble.

[Bob Denman]

Glad to hear that you've got it all working for you!
Next Month; I'll be "playing the game", during SpyderFest!
I travel with Gummie-Bears for the lows, and I've got my 530 set up to bolus .5 units per push of the "Up" button. (I can also run it without peeking!)

[Bob Denman]

Have you all seen this news yet?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/natio...70d_story.html

[OverHillAndDale]

I saw this on www.nbcnews.com. Glad that transplants are becoming increasingly feasible and that standards are being set, disappointed they are not so much for glucose control as for clearing up hpypoglycemic unawareness.

[Bob Denman]

Since I'm completely unaware of hypoglycemic episodes; it makes good sense for me!
I'll ask my primary care physician to look into this... in about six months or so...

[Bob Denman]

Next Spring: Medtronic will be releasing their newest pump... The 670.
It will rely on much more accurate blood glucose sensors, and be the first pump to automatically dispense basal insulin as needed.
You'll still need to handle the blousing chores for meals, but this is the first step toward the "closed-loop" system.
It will also alter basal deliveries based upon predictive alerts... Current pumps only will warn of a predicted hypoglycemic episode, and shut down if your blood glucose levels drop to an pre-set level.
This will allow the pump to be more pro-active, and catch highs and lows earlier than ever!
I'm due for a new pump in January: I may just wait until this one is ready!

[OverHillAndDale]

I'll let you break in generation 2. I'm due in two years.


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[TexasSpyder]

I am a 52 year type 1 Diabetic under decent control, taking 2 injections daily for most of my life. I am now 68 years young. I still use a glucometer, none of the modern gadgets, and am happy with the results.

[tobor9]

I'd love the new pump for the color screen and bigger display but don't need the CGM.I'm due for a new pump in June but don't think Medicare will approve the 670G,i can dream though

[Bob Denman]

I'll keep you posted about how all of this unfolds...

[OverHillAndDale]

Bob - I didn't duplicate your trick of getting over 500 on a trip, In general I stayed between 125 and 200 ... except for the night I indulged on blue cobber

[Bob Denman]

GREAT job!
I would always prefer to run a bit on the high side, when I'm not sitting in the office...

[OverHillAndDale]

Indeed - whenever I travel or stay out of town alone I like to stay a bit high. Safer to have slightly elevated blood sugar than too low.


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[Bob Denman]

Did I ever tell the story of waking up in an emergency room with my Blood Glucose at only 21?

[OverHillAndDale]

Wow - amazed you were able to walk in!!


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[Bob Denman]

I didn't...

[Bob Denman]

Insulin Pump Update...

I just received Medtronic's 630G pump..
(My 530 was out of warranty)
I had debated waiting until the 670 was released, but decided that getting the 630 now would be the best way to get used to the new pump's setup...
I still have the option of upgrading to the 670 when it becomes available.

This new pump is a real trip!
The older pumps were basically just run by the buttons: You'd push a button a certain number of times, and it'd do what you wanted.
This beast is now menu-driven! I hooked it up last evening for insulin delivery, and just started a new Enlite sensor to monitor the BG levels...
It's going to take a while to figure out where they've hidden all of the information that we used to access so easily.
It runs on an AA battery, and is much heavier
It'll automatically link up to the new Bayer blood glucose tester, and the Enlite transmitter

One thing that I absolutely do NOT like: it shuts down after a proscribed period of inactivity, and must be "unlocked", before you can start tinkering with the buttons!
(I used to be able to suspend basal deliveries, or bolus for a high blood glucose level, while just about asleep... This is going to make all of that impossible.
I guess that it looks more like one of those Smart-Phones now: the kind of phone that I don't have!
I'll let you know how the learning process goes...

[OverHillAndDale]

Glad to hear someone else is breaking in the new technology. 2 fellows I work with are also making that transition. If all 3 of you are alive by the time my warranty expires (about 18 mos), I'll be switching over.

I'm hearing on major change that will take some real getting used to - harder to get in and get the info you want. Perhaps it's because you SHOULDN'T need to get in a fiddle so often because the pump is making a lot of the little decisions for you. I'd have a hard time adjusting my thought processes to let the pump do the thinking, but I'm having some real control issues at the moment and I like the thought that this pump may be smarter than me (well, at least AS smart).

Bob - keep us posted. I know this isn't directly Spyder related but it is relevant to number of us. And, us not going nuts from low blood sugar actually IS a safety component for Spyders.