When to test a new pump?

I was originally supposed to start with the Medtronic pump just before Christmas. Christmas is a challenging time for people with type 1 diabetes, with plenty of food we only encounter once a year and therefore don't necessarily know how it affects our glucose levels. And more sitting and lying around than usual. With more than just one occasional treat. So it would have been a good time to challenge the new pump, see what it can do under those circumstances. And, I would have had plenty of free time to play around with it.

However, Medtronic Finland did not get the pump on time. There had been a software update to the pump, causing something in the product code to be changed, which caused some hiccups to the delivery.

Medtronic kindly asked whether I'd like to get a demo pump for Christmas time, so I could play around with it and learn the features, but not yet fill it with insulin and connect it to myself. I thought this to be too much of a hassle, as I still needed to operate my old pump. I'd rather make the switch once the real pump arrived.

So we started after Christmas, when I returned to work. It's kind of fair too. It may be easier for the new pump to convince me of its capabilities under more regular circumstances.

Medtronic 640G

I'm now connected to a new pump, the Medtronic 640G.

And here's the disclaimer: I signed a blogger contract with Medtronic.

Signing the contract was not really required of me to get the pump. I have discussed my need for a new pump with my doctor, and she has indicated I have a choice between the three pumps they can offer: the Accu-Chek Spirit Combo, Animas Vibe, or the Medtronic 640G. However, I wasn't sure which pump I'd prefer.

So I asked Medtronic whether they could provide me with a sample so I could get to try it in real life. They said the easiest way would be to get it under the blogger contract, which actually sounded good to me, since I've felt I should be more active with this blog. Now there would be a reason to write a post every once in a while.

So you may consider any upcoming posts about the Medtronic 640G as advertisement, if you wish. However, I'll do my best to record both the good and the bad experiences.