(BPT) - One woman’s story about how her life changed after over three decades living with diabetes
Parenting is a 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week job. For Melanie, it’s not her only responsibility that runs on a non-stop clock. Melanie lives with type 1 diabetes, a condition that requires constant management, which means while she is juggling her son’s school schedule, hockey practices and work, she is also keeping an eye on her sugar levels.
Approximately 1.6 million Americans are living with type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease in which the body can’t make insulin, the hormone needed for glucose (sugar) to enter cells and produce energy. When it can’t enter the cells, sugar stays in the bloodstream and builds up, which can cause serious illness if not treated.[i]
To manage type 1 diabetes, insulin is taken throughout the day manually either from an insulin pen or through an insulin pump, and glucose levels need to be monitored on a constant basis to see how the body is reacting to the balance of carbohydrates and insulin.1 Managing diabetes is challenging as the amount of insulin needs to change throughout the day depending on what the person is eating, how the person is sleeping, their stress levels and many other factors.
For Melanie, using an insulin pump made the challenge of living with diabetes a little bit easier. “I started using an insulin pump 10 years after I was diagnosed with diabetes. Now that I know what life is like with a pump, I can’t imagine my life without one.”
In the more than two decades that Melanie has been using an insulin pump to help manage her diabetes, there have been many advancements in the technology and features available through her pump. Her current MiniMed 770G system uses self-adjusting* technology to help prevent highs and lows in her sensor glucose levels by automatically adjusting insulin delivery every five minutes to adapt to her unique needs.
The most recent advancement that Melanie enjoys is a new program called My Insights, which leverages personal data to curate an individualized monthly email with educational content that is most relevant to her based on what she may currently be experiencing.
“With my diabetes, I have a lot to keep track of to stay healthy. My Insights provides me with personalized tips on how to improve pump use,” Melanie said. “I’m competitive – I love to win. My Insights acknowledges wins for the month and shows me the improvements I have made from the previous months. The monthly email highlights goals I have achieved.”
Beyond her diabetes management, Melanie experiences more confidence when traveling with her son, thanks to her MiniMed 770G system and the My Insights emails. Melanie was hesitant to travel alone with her son for hockey out of concern about lows and the potential negative experience that might create for her son if she experienced a low while alone with him. With the MiniMed 770G system and personalized tips shared, Melanie now has more confidence to travel with her son and enjoy all the moments that matter most to her.
“I did not expect the emotion I got from the encouragement provided by the My Insights emails,” Melanie shared. “I didn’t realize that was something I was missing and really appreciated.”
Programs like My Insights add to the ways that Medtronic is aiming to make it easier to live life with diabetes. The company recently launched their Medtronic Extended infusion set, which doubles the wear time of an infusion set, which is used to deliver insulin from your pump to your body.**
If you are interested in the My Insights program for your diabetes management, talk to your doctor to learn more about the MiniMed 770G system. My Insights details are available at www.medtronicdiabetes.com/insights.
The MiniMed™ 770G system is for type 1 ages 2 and over. Prescription required. Individual results may vary. WARNING: Do not use SmartGuard™ Auto Mode for people who require less than 8 units or more than 250 units of insulin/day. For details, please visit http://www.medtronicdiabetes.com/support/download-library/user-guides and www.medtronicdiabetes.com/importantsafetyinformation for complete details.
Important Safety Information for Medtronic Extended infusion set:
Prescription required. Used for insulin only, not for IV/blood products. Infection/irritation can occur. Follow product instructions when using. See bit.ly/infusionsetsafety.
*Refers to SmartGuardTM Auto Mode. Some user interaction required. Individual results may vary.
**Compared to 3-day infusion sets
[i] Type 1 diabetes. Mayo Clinic. Available at https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/type-1-diabetes/symptoms-causes/syc-20353011. Accessed April 1, 2021.
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