I wish, however, that I didn't have to keep giving the piece of garbage pump I am saddled with any more chances. I don't just hate this thing, I thoroughly despise it. Here's why- and much of this I have covered before-
1. You're told to never buy the first model year of a car, because they are buggy, unreliable, and all together frustrating. Well, this pump is a new model year, and it is all of those things.
2. It....is....slooooow. Slow to the point where my instant gratification programming kicks in after a few seconds and wonders how the hell medtronic could even release this thing with as unbelievably slllllloooooowwww it is. You press a button and it feels like an eternity before the screen changes, which is bad enough without adding that you usually have to do multiple button presses to do even the simplest of tasks on this device.
3. The sensors are supposed to last 6 days. I think that happened once. I usually get about three and then it requires a new one. Whether this is because I don't program it as often as I should or because the sensors themselves are crap or my body has too much scar tissue from 15+ years of pump use is irrelevant to me. As a busy working Mom I don't always have the opportunity to drop what I'm doing and program it when asked, or my blood sugar is too high to program (I've been told not to calibrate if it's over 250), or it's in flux (never calibrate it when you're rapidly rising/dropping, either). There are too many calibration rules to deal with when I'm alone on the desk at work or driving somewhere or just over all busy dealing with things. My life is not all about managing my diabetes all the time, and anyone who thinks it should be can just go away.
4. Automode is still an unmitigated disaster. "Don't calibrate your pump more than four times a day or it will be inaccurate" I was told in training...and yet, I was told "Calibrate required for automode" at least three times this morning. And since it didn't like the last one, now I have to calibrate the damned thing again. I prick my fingers more now trying to get automode to work than I ever did before I even had CGM. Quite frankly, I don't give a damn how many "amazing" algorithms are running in the background on this thing- if it can't work without one freaking calibration it's a giant #FAIL as far as I'm concerned.
5. The support is garbage. I'm sorry to point this out if the trainer is reading this (which I doubt), but if it makes you feel any better, it isn't just you. I have had more than one trainer not get back to me when I've contacted them with support issues. I've had more than one trainer text or email me to upload my info, tell me they'll get back to me in a day or two, and then I never hear from them again. It's disheartening. It's frustrating. And frankly, I suppose I *could* send a reminder or call and say, "Hey, what's up?" but if it is your JOB to follow up with someone and you can't do it then I'm not sure I really want to work with you. I mean, if your doctor repeatedly says they will call you with test results and repeatedly doesn't do it, you change doctors, right? Clearly that MD is a lazy jerk with no follow through. Sadly, I can't just find a new trainer, because I'm stuck with whomever medtronic has assigned to my geographic area.
I have a doctor's appointment in a couple of weeks and I'm going to have the worst test results of my life, maybe. Between my inherent laziness, battling depression, and a general fatigue that comes from life I am sure I will not be happy with myself. Bottom line is I need to be better and not rely on the magic device that was so hyped up by the people whose job it was to sell me on it. I fell for the charlatan plot and it's up to me to try and make this thing work as best as I can.
Thank goodness it's a new year.
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