[diabolique]

Hello to everyone.
I have just joined this forum and I am delighted to find a place to meet other diabetics and pump users such as myself. This is my first post.

I just got the Spirit about 10 days ago after being on the H-Tron for 10 years. I admit I did little research and impulsively said yes to the Spirit. What attracted me to it was that the pump and meter data can be downloaded via infrared connection to a Zire palm pilot that is also included. I had been using an old Palm One with an inexpensive shareware for manually entering and collating data for blood sugars/bolus/meals/carbs and of course exporting that data from the Palm to my home computer so I could organize it for my doctor. I am sure many of you do this.

I just called Accuchek/Disetronic because I couldn't figure out how to download the meter/pump data exported to the Zire PalmOne to my home computer using the AccuChek software shipped with the Spirit loaded on my computer.

Guess what: YOU CAN'T. The tech rep explained that I should just show my doctor the handheld device. "That's how to use it!" You can back up the data, she assured me but you can't "see" or output it! She assured me there will be new software in a year.

I just can't begin to express the stupidity of that design or amazement that a major multinational pharmacutical can overlook the obvious. If this tech is not mistaken, it means the whole purpose of the Spirit system is defeated. This is not "new & better technology", this is just dumb.

When I tell people I've been diabetic for 30 years they often assume the needles are the worst thing about managing diabetes. No it's not. Nor is pricking your finger 5,6,7,8 times a day, nor the diet restrictions. I think the worst thing is the record keeping, methodically writing this all down, day in and day out for the doctor! I hoped the Spirit System would make the record keeping easier. Alas, not so.

I will call again tomorrow, go up the management chain and see if I can get more information.

Many thanks.