Guinea Pig: MiniMed 530G Insulin Pump with Enlite
In second grade, Mr. Harris introduced us to our class pet: a black, tan, and white guinea pig named Zipper. He (she?) squeaked quietly in a large cage filled with shavings in the back of the room while we learned about math and good citizenship. I got to bring him home for one of our breaks and loved on that little guinea pig while our cat shot daggers from her eyes. She was jealous.
Hi. Please call me Zipper for the next 90 days.
The MiniMed 530G with Enlite will become my insulin pump/sensor system, along with all that it entails over the next three months, thanks to a trial offered to me by Medtronic.
Here are the details of the trial, as I’m all into disclosure:
Medtronic is loaning me the entire system for the 90 day trial, including the 530G pump, CGM transmitter, Bayer Contour Next Link meter and test strips, Enlite sensors, reservoirs, and infusion sets. After the trial is complete, I will return all unused supplies as well as the pump, transmitter, and Bayer blood glucose meter.
I will be providing feedback to Medtronic through a survey and a one hour phone call after the trial is over. I will go through the entire set up as if I am a new pump user, including meeting with a Medtronic trainer and using their protocols and help desk. I will be changing my infusion sets every three days and my Enlite sensor every six days.
They won’t be putting words into my mouth (which is great, because it’s already full of my own) and I will share my honest opinion, my ups and downs, and what I think about the system. They know I’m not one to dance around the real issues, so you’ll get what you always get from me: unabashed and never whitewashed realism.
I’ve worn a Medtronic MiniMed pump for years and I’ve been happy with it. As I have said before, when I first started on a pump, there were only two companies in the game. As I was moving to Europe, I chose the “not Minimed” company, but when I returned to the U.S., Minimed had jumped so far ahead in technology, it was a no-brainer.
Time marches on and the market has expanded, not just with insulin pumps but with CGMs, and this is where my trepidation comes in. I had tried the Sof-Serter and abandoned it due to pain and accuracy issues. When I attended the Medtronic Advocacy Summit in January, I spoke with several Medtronic employees who assured me that the new CGM is less painful to insert and more accurate than before. We. Shall. See.
Why I’m Trying The MiniMed 530G with Enlite
I’m curious. (Isn’t that enough?)
I love my Dexcom CGM. I love its accuracy, it’s ability to eek past the recommended seven day readings, and the fact that my husband can take it from me and still watch my numbers as I snuggle in the other room with The Kid. (And yes, he has brought me a juice box when I didn’t realize I was going low.) I love my MiniMed Revel 723. My fingers know the buttons in the dark. It’s been a part of me for so long. There are other insulin pumps out there and I’ve petted some of them, wondering if I would like them just as much if not more than what I currently have.
But this Threshold Suspend thing that will stop insulin delivery if it goes below a decided upon BG level? Totally looking forward to that if it does what it’s supposed to do. My overnight lows, even with the Dexcom, are still pretty rough. I’m sleeping through my alarms until I get to the 55 mg/dl or below “prisoners are escaping” blare. By then, I’m wobbly, cranky, and I eat until I stop panicking. Total barrel full of fun the next day. As the Threshold Suspend is unique to the Medtronic Minimed 530G, it’s a big deal for me. Will it be worth giving up my Dexcom? Would it be better for me than the upcoming but not yet released Animas Vibe? Can I get over the non-open standard nature of Medtronic data? We. Shall. See.
We. Shall. See.
I keep saying: “We. Shall. See.” because you’re basically taking me home for 90 days. You get to watch me run around like Zipper and observe this experiment in ThePerfectD.com habitat. Fun photos! Great stories! An expletive or two! (O.K., I hope not…) Reality.
I would like a water bottle on the side of my cage, please. Maybe filled with caffeine? Can you do that for me?
My name is Zipper and I’ll be wearing the MiniMed 530G with Enlite for the next 90 days.
Squeak.
Hope you enjoy it, Squeakers! I’ll be anxiously awaiting your every word of input/experience with it. I also have the Minimed 723 and Dexcom G4. It’s a combo I would be hard-pressed to give up based on what I know of the Enlite system thus far. Like you said, we shall see!
I hope that you “enjoy” (funny word to use in this context?) this diabetes gadget, and I’m looking forward to hearing about your experiences with it.
Will you wear the Dexcom simultaneously to compare?
Squeek!
Oh, yes. I think it’s important to see what I’ve been using and how it differs.
I’m glad you’re getting a chance to “try before you buy” (or don’t buy). But I’m not so sure you’re the guinea pig here. This is already an FDA-approved, commercially available product. You’re not a guinea pig to check how Enlite responds to you; rather, Enlite is the guinea pig to see how you respond to it.
I had two guinea pigs when I was in high school — named Venus and Athena (I was really into mythology). They are no longer with us (actually, they are buried somewhere in the woods behind my parents’ backyard, I think). I miss them.
I feel like I’m testing the system on myself, therefore, squeak!
(And I got to pet some guinea pigs recently and was transported to my childhood. Happy…)
I’ll be interested to hear what you think. I switched to an Animas Ping about a year and a half ago in order to be eligible for the upgrade to the Animas Vibe. I still miss my Medtronic pump and of course have no idea when/if the Vibe will ever be available. But I am a loyal Dexcom user and still have nightmares about my years on the Medtronic Sof-Sensor.
Looking forward to reading what you think, Zipper! :)