Still shopping - aka: which pump and why?
Greetings folks,
I find myself in the position of needing to make a decision as to which CSII
device I should pick. I’ve read the marketing materials, seen the videos and
surfed the sites for both the Mini Med 507 and the Disetronic HTRONplus. But
this is just month 8 of dealing with being diabetic, so I know that I just don’t
know all the factors I ought to be taking into account with this decision.
I’m quite interested to hear how you all came to use the pump you have, any
examples of "feature envy" that the other brand has that yours does not, and
just general advice for starting up.
Pretty broad for my first post to this list, and if I’ve overlooked and obvious
resource for this sort of information, I’d love to know about it. (the
misc.health.diabetes faq is outdated on pump info, it seems)
Thanks 1×10^8th
John Peterson
January 12th, 2003 at 2:02 am
Hello John,
I have been diabetic for 21 years and have been pumping for close to 3 years
now, I use the Minimed 507 and it is the only thing that has been able to
control me. My hga1c was over 12 before I started pumping and now they are
consistently below 7. The pump will also allow you to have greater freedom
in your lifestyle. I’m pretty much able to eat anything I want and also with
the pump you do not have to live on a strict schedule.
The pump has a lot of advantages it works like an artificial pancreas and
gives you a small amount of insulin over a 24 hour period this is called
your basil rate. A lot of people who are diabetic have roller coaster rides
with there sugar levels the pump can help put a stop to them due to the
small amount of insulin is much more predictable then taking long acting
insulin via injections. Before meals you have to give yourself a bolus this
is the amount of insulin you would use to cover a meal. With the minimed
pump it has a feature called a square wave bolus which can allow you to take
insulin over a longer period of time to help cover meals that may take
longer to digest. I do not believe the disetronic has this feature.
The Disetronic people I believe give you 2 pumps, I heard it is because
there internal batteries may have a shorter life span ( I’m not positive
though ) It is a question you should ask them. The Minimed I know comes with
a 4 year warranty but is not water proof where as I believe the disetronic
is. Both pumps easily disconnect if you need to go swimming or take a
shower. I guess choosing to the pump is going to be up to your personal
preferences but I would recommend before starting on a pump see if you can
take a look at all the sets and see which one you would be more comfortable
with. Also if you can get a loaner pump and try it out first to see if you
would feel comfortable wearing it all the time. If you have any more
questions feel free to ask.
January 12th, 2003 at 2:15 pm
Hi John!
Just got my pump 3 weeks ago. I decided on the H-Tron plus Disetronic V 100
simply because I felt it had to be child-proof, or reasonably so. Between
nieces, nephews, and grandson,I asked my infusion specialist the details of
both. H-tron won out. Its not hard learning how to use it either. I’m a
nurse, and been a Type II for over 24 years. Took a long time to decide to
get my life and my diabetes on track. Start learning and asking questions.
It’s like you’re going thru culture shock right now and it will take some
time to settle down and take your business in hand. A diabetic has to be
just as knowledgeable if not more so than your diabetologist. Get someone
you can talk to and hook up with a CDE (certified diabetes educator).
They’re your best resources. Bottom line, I love the freedom the pump has
brought me. Takes a little getting used to setting up the pump and doing all
the stuff that goes along with it, but after a while its a snap!!
I contacted Insulin Infusion Specialists on the advice of my endocrinologist.
They have been great. There are videos you can send for for free to check
out both models (really only two on the market right now). Let your rep show
you both and play with them to see which is easier for you to handle. Then
make your decision.
Good Luck. Joan
January 12th, 2003 at 9:27 pm
I have been using a Minimed pump for almost 10 years, and my experience is
similar to yours in most respects. I also now have the 507 (the third I have
had over that time). I started with an A1c in 1979 of 16, it is now
consistently below 6.5.
Virtually all of the symptoms of diabetes have gone away; retinapathy,
neurapathy, kidney problems, etc. and life is almost normal except for the
presence of the pump all the time.
I too like the square wave bolus, and use it frequently as it works well when
using Humalog Insulin, which has a short lifetime, and often wears out before
the carbs do….
I am very happy with Minimed, but have also heard good stores about the
Disetronic. The one time I had a problem with the pump, Minimed had a
replacement pump on site the next day via FedEx. . I have heard (not
confirmed) that the Disetronic uses two pumps because their support is based in
Europe. The waterproofing is not really an issue, as I always remove it
anyway (the QR release works just great for this), and the short time involved
without the pump is not a problem. Best advice: try them both and make you
own informed decision.
David
Fac11 wrote:
January 13th, 2003 at 6:06 am
I would definately go with the Mini-Med…first because it i an American
product and more importantly because Mini-Med and Roche ( I work there) are
collaborating on something new tying in their two products together….also
because the service that you get from Mini-Med is superb..hope this
helps..Leslie