Three weeks ago, I began what I thought would be just a break from my Minimed pump / CGM combo. I was constantly getting frustrated with CGM sensors not lasting the full 6 days (usually only about 4 days) and knowing that my records were going to be all messed up. I have to hand it to Medtronic though, they stuck it out with me the entire time and without hassle replaced boxes of sensors and even my serter. But with all of the trying and trying and trying, I just couldn’t get them to work. So, I wanted to take a break. Being overwhelmed with that and just everything else, I just didn’t feel like I could troubleshoot anymore. Now, I’m not saying their product isn’t good, because I know a LOT of people who use it and have had a lot of success too, but I’ve learned one thing – there is a lot of truth in the fact that not every device “fits” everyone, and no, they don’t all work the same. Thus, my theory that everyone should get to “date” pump systems before locking in needs to be a must. And I don’t mean just over the weekend. I mean like, for a whole month or two.  I just think with all the scar tissue I have and the sensitivity to the tape the Enlite has, it’s just not worth trying to make it work right now. So yes, in essence, it’s me, not them.

When I got frustrated, I switched back to using my Dexcom. Granted, it’s a pain in the butt to keep up with, but for me? The accuracy over the duration of wear time is much better. It wasn’t untileverything happened with my eye that I realized just how important it was. I’m not saying it is super accurate, but I’ve been able to depend on it more than the pump CGM, and right now that matters a heck of a lot more than whether it’s integrated or not. Plus, I have no tape rashes or burns from the Dexcom, so that’s a huge plus for me.

Also, at the time, I had a fling. No, not that kind of fling… a pump fling. Knowing how I am about wanting to switch up pumps between the Medtronic and my t:slim, I had actually planned on going through maybe two cartridges in my t:slim pump at the end of March. I don’t know if the battery works the same as most computer batteries, but with those, if you don’t use them, the batteries mess up, so every now and then I wanted to be able to use it so that just the lack of use didn’t mess up the battery. So, when the eye thing happened, I was on the t:slim. I was not having any issue at all with the pump like I had before, so I am not attributing what happened to that, but I am telling you that because when I spoke with my endo, he told me to “keep everything to the same” until I went for my appointment… which will be next week. So, for 3 weeks now, I’ve been using my t:slim pump. Much longer than I expected, but I have to say, I haven’t had the issues with random, uncontrollable highs that I did before. In fact, it’s been quite the opposite. My control has improved. I still wonder if the cartridges I had were affected by the recall, but that the lot numbers were too “young” to be considered in it (my lot numbers were in the 300′s, the recalls started in the 800′s). I’m not going to lie, I’m sort of hopeful that maybe that was the case and now the pump will work just fine.

And, as an update to the whole eye thing, I have good days and bad ones. For the most part, if I can keep my blood sugar as steady as possible and without any major swings (like, no arrows on the dex, and no BG’s above 180-200 for a period of time), my vision is pretty well clear. But if I have a period of time were my BG has run high for a while or if I have major swings (like when I went from 220′s to 70′s within an hour and a half), my eye is pretty well good for nothing for a while. It’s amazing me how things work and affect us all. If anything, this has taught me, as I said before, it’s not about what you use to control your diabetes, as long as you’re using it the best you can and doing the best you can.

Anyway, that’s sort of a rundown of what’s been going on. I know it’s probably confusing when I just throw stuff out there at random without any true point or purpose other than to just get stuff out of my head, but that’s sorta what I started blogging for anyway.