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lahl
05-08-2008, 05:34 AM
Hello Folks:

i suspect that things like shoe size, the colour of my eyes and how many sibling I have are not very relevent in a diabetic forum.

i've been diabetic for 46 years, using a pump for 20 years. i'm very blessed to be canadian, in victoria B.C., for even being on medical welfare (not for my diabetes), i can thrive. i have great medical care. i have almost no complications and my HgA1c runs at around 5.8. i've earned that level, i do everything i can to keep it there: vegetarian, exercise 6-10hours a week ( i walk everywhere whithin an hour of my house and have been doing that or cycling for 20 years, even when I worked full-time), test my blood sugar 6-15 times a day, cook all my own food, blah blah. most of you know the schtick.

a few days ago, totally by fluke, for canadian diabetics have not yet been told by the company, i found out that disetronic has discontinued my pump.

i joined this forum to try to get a sense of what pumps folks like and what problems they might be having.

it's such a huge decision to make, this pump business. after i figure out which one to purchase, i gather piles of paperwork, letters, etc and beg welfare to get me a new one. rumour is that no-one has ever been approved by welfare, though all the folks who have tried thus far have been folks trying to get a pump for the first time.

i have a good case and am also hoping that by going through this process with welfare it might make make it easier for the next diabetic who needs a pump.

in canada, there are 4 (i think though some companies now seem to make more than one pump) pumps available: Accu-Chek, CozMore, Animas 2020, MiniMed Paradigm.

i need to make this decision fairly quickly due to the red-tape i have to go through and am hoping i can find info in the forum on how to do this.

any direction on how to use the forum for this use or suggestions as to who folks chose one pump over the other would be gratefully appreciated.

thank you muchly for being here, i felt a great deal of relief when i accidently found this forum.

Lahl

Evermont
05-08-2008, 05:59 AM
Lahl,

http://www.limeylemon.com/images/XWelcometoDF.gif

I can't help you with the pump, but others here will.

princesslinda
05-08-2008, 06:02 AM
Welcome Lahl! Check out some of our threads regarding pumps...there should be a lot of them. I'm sure some of our "pumpers" will be glad to share their experiences and preferences with you as well.

davef
05-08-2008, 06:25 AM
Lahl,

I'm not using a pump, so can't help there, but I can offer a big hello and welcome to the forums. It's a great place for information and the people are always ready to help and support.

steamfan261
05-08-2008, 06:30 AM
First, foremost and before you do anything else, call Medtronic regarding the Paradigm. They have people who have incredible skills in dealing with insurers, both in the U.S. and Canada. They can and will help you get the approval you need.

I don't work for Medtronic, but I love my 722, yes I do.

kgm0612
05-08-2008, 07:00 AM
Hi Lahl & Welcome!

I can't really offer any advice other than to say I've had great success with my Mini Med 515.

Karen

morrisma
05-08-2008, 07:08 AM
Welcome Lahl,
I have a minimed 715, hoping to upgrade soon to a 722 so I can start using the cgms. I've only used pumps from minimed/medtronic but I've like them a lot. Also, their service has been exceptional. I had a pump die due to static discharge and had a replacement the next day. I had a battery cap cause intermittent problems and had 2 new ones in the mail right away. With this kind of medical device that you come to rely on so much, that kind of service is very welcome.
Mike

fgummett
05-08-2008, 07:09 AM
+1 for MM Pump and service :)

notme
05-08-2008, 08:00 AM
The answer to almost any question about different pumps are on this forum. There is lots to read and lots of comparisons in the first few sticky threads. Pumping Insulin - Diabetes Forums (http://www.diabetesforums.com/forum/pumping-insulin/)

Good luck in your quest for a new pump. Sounds like you know what to do.

mortis505
05-08-2008, 08:07 AM
Hi Lahl, and welcome to DF! Have a look at this thread here (http://www.diabetesforums.com/forum/pumping-insulin/13323-pump-comparisons-all-about.html) It shows the Pros and Cons of some of the pumps, and also provides some additional links for study.

xteach
05-21-2008, 07:12 PM
I am a die hard, loyal Minimed user and have the Paradigm pump. Love it - Recommend it - Swear by it! ! ! Visit their web site and get in touch with someone there! ! !

Good luck!

jacobsam622
05-25-2008, 11:45 PM
Welcome to the DF