Over 1 month on the 770g

After being on the Medtronic 770g with guardian 3 sensor for over a month I thought it about time I take a look at what it has been like. To start with it is a little bit frustrating that the app that links to the 770g doesn't currently work on my phone however with it in the roadmap to be add and also having an older phone around I managed to check everything out.

To start with I have previously been on the 670g for 2 years prior to now and I mention this because it has a defined outcome with my 770g. Going from having total control prior to the 670 to allowing the pump to get to know you was a step that took time and awareness. It meant empty carb boluses would now have longer effects than just brining your numbers down. It meant making small adjustments to the basal rates could now be done for you and possibly even better than you. It meant trust was now even more important. What it didn't mean was that it was easy to release the reigns and we would always do what was needed. I made the mistakes of trying to change things or make things happen faster than they should. I was guilty of not putting all my faith in what I was to have on my hip.

However through practice and stumbles you learn to work together and to put trust into multiple lines of code that will get to know you and how your diabetes work. Putting on my new 770g would now allow me to put all the wrongs right and start fresh. I started not trying to quicken the drop of my BS, I wouldn't do empty boluses, I would watch wait and see how it performs. 

Every now and again on the 670 I would switch back to manual to either move away from my frustration but also say I was wanting to make sure my basal rates were still correct. I would have highs and lows because things were just not right and I had to reactivate my brain to adjust the finer details of everything I was doing. What I now realise when I try to do this is that the auto mode was in fact doing more than I thought and in fact a lot more. The clean data that I had now begun with on the 770 was allowing the pump to keep me in range between 85 and 95% of the time (depending on the day, average over the last 30 days is 92%) keep in mind also that when out of range we are talking high 3's and maybe up to 11 mmol. Yes I still need to manage small adjustments to carb ratios, active insulin time and of course carb counting but in the scheme of things I realise that this is now a lot easier. Trust has now been formed and I look forward to feeling great without some of the worry.

The one thing that has to be stressed is that this whole process takes time and determination. It is easy to do a bolus and not eat, it is easy to turn off auto mode, it is easy to just stay as is and not accept change but what isn't easy is replicating the feeling of less worry and more time in range.

Early on in the 770 and the 670 journey I was very frustrated with sitting higher, especially over night where I was used to waking up in the high 4's low 5's however I was now in the 8's and even up to 10's. This i didn't like it just didn't feel nice within my body. I persisted though and now have the night sitting between 6.5 and 7.5. After a very busy day last week end I was even in the 5's (a few more alarms with minimal delivery but you deal with that).

So now the technical side of the 770 compared to the 670..... yes the Bluetooth connection. As I mentioned before my phone isn't yet capable of running the app (to new) however I have been doing some small tests on some other phones I have access to. Historically and even now I don't necessarily want to be looking at my pump all through out the day as my trust is there that with the data I enter It will keep me within range. I do understand when there is a child with T1D (as my daughter has) it allows for visibility while not stopping them or while they are away from you. Keep in mind though for the last part your child will need to have their own phone that is pushing the data out while you connect as a carer. It is just that visibility. The major benefit that I envisage is that when your child is sleeping (obviously in a separate room to you) their phone is capable of sitting on the bedside and you will get notifications if something needs attention. This wouldn't then interfere with them carrying another device at school or kinder or even child care but would give the peace of mind that you have the information. The ability to now be able to upgrade the software and to automatically upload to carelink is also another great feature through the app. It means greater amount of uploads so that your care team can see and offer help with the information.

I will continue to look at this partnership of person to pump (P squared lol) but for now knowing that my pump has the ability to stop my dangerous lows and high highs is amazing but to be able to get to know me and what my body needs is miraculous. Step by step, closer and closer we get.