I might be in the minority, but I actually really like the pouch that our OmniPod PDM resides in. Maybe it’s because it’s what I’m used to or maybe it’s because it holds all the supplies that we need easy access to (the PDM, test strips, MultiClix, lancets, insulin, extra batteries). But what I don’t like is how incredibly b-o-r-i-n-g it is. Plain old black. What, is my daughter a 40-year-old business man?

After viewing the video of Q talking about her OmniPod, a bunch of people asked me what kind of case we keep her PDM in. It’s a case that Sugar Medical Supply sent us for review consideration.

(E-mail and feed subscribers click over for embedded video.)

I can’t say it’s 100% perfect for us, but it comes really close. I don’t know that any bag will ever be 100% perfect.

Positives:

• I like that it fits inside the purse that Q carries with her everywhere we go (or that my husband or I carry for her).
• You can see the PDM screen when it is placed into the velcro strap. That’s my biggest complaint about most bags–I want to see the PDM screen and be able to insert a test strip and check her blood sugar without taking out the PDM.
• It’s well padded. And I’ve even been able to wipe away dirt from the outside with a damp cloth.

Negatives:

• The zippered section needs another half inch for me. I would like to be able to throw in an extra vial of insulin and test strips when I see that the current one is getting low.
• The PDM doesn’t lay perfectly flat on top of the velcro, but it’s not a huge issue.

And it doesn’t just hold the OmniPod PDM, it has a universal strap to hold most meters (see their website for specifics).

(From the Sugar Medical Supply website) The Sugar Bag:

• our unique “Universal Strap System” which secures 99% of glucose meters in the bag
• clear viewing of test results
• fashionable yet practical
• holds insulin pens and supplies
• tyle not compromised for Diabetics!
• perfect for Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes

And if you are ordering the Sugar Bag, why not throw a Supply Pouch in your bag too. It’s a zippered pouch, kind of like a makeup bag, that can hold extras. And they are only $3.99!

Discount

Use coupon code DMOM15 for 15% off your purchase through February 28, 2012.

Giveaway

One lucky reader of D-Mom Blog will win their choice of Sugar Medical Supply  Sugar Bag.

Required Entry

To enter tell me which of the styles they offer you love and who you’d like to give it to if you win. (You can change your mind if you are in fact the winner.)

Extra Optional Entries

Leave an additional comment for each extra entry to be counted.

• Blog about this giveaway including a link to this post (http://www.d-mom.com/?p=16066).
• Tweet about this giveaway including a link to this post (http://www.d-mom.com/?p=16066) and mention @dmomblog.
• Post about the giveaway on Facebook including a link to this post (http://www.d-mom.com/?p=16066).

Read the official giveaway rules. Entry deadline February 20, 2012. US and Canadian mailing addresses only.

Further Reading

More D-Mom Tested product reviews

Disclosure: Sugar Medical Supply provided me with a supply bag for review consideration. Monetary compensation was not received for this post and opinions are my own. Please read my disclosure statement.

All images are copyright D-Mom Blog and D-Mom Media and may not be copied or reproduced without express written permission.

{D-Mom Tested} Sugar Medical Supply D-Bag GIVEAWAY is a post from: D-Mom Blog

The information provided here is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please read the disclaimer, disclosure, and privacy policy statements.

I’ve been curious about the home A1c tests. We have an A1c done in office every three to four months, but sometimes I wish I could check in between to see if changes we’ve made are making any difference. (And, yes I know the A1c is only one measurement of how well diabetes is being managed.)

I saw the Bayer A1cNow Selfcheck kits on sale and decided that it was worth it to buy a box and check it out. That evening I pulled it out and did the test and was absolutely SHOCKED at the number that popped up. There is NO WAY that Q’s A1c was 10.5.

That would indicate an average BG of 255. I don’t think so!

So not only was I totally upset and discouraged, but I was perplexed. I wrote it off as inaccurate and decided to wait until our next endo appointment and use the second test in the box to compare. In the meantime I saw two other bloggers use the home kit and they each seemed to think that the test was accurate enough.

Our next endo appointment rolled around. I have been struggling with Q’s A1c’s (both literally and emotionally) because they are higher than I would like them to be and we made some changes in the past couple of months that we really thought would bring it down. In fact her A1c dropped 0.5, a much appreciated improvement.

We still have a little way to go, but we made a couple more changes to I:C ratios and correction factors that I think will help. We also talked about doing the iPro again. (Unfortunately this clinic requires three separate visits: putting it on, taking it off, and discussing results with the doctor in person. It’s 90 minutes each way for us.)

Armed with an A1c taken in the endo’s office (finger prick, not blood draw), I pulled out the home A1c test to check it’s accuracy.

It was 1.8 HIGHER than the result at the endo.

FAIL.

I followed the instructions each time. We both washed hands each time. I don’t think I did anything to mess it up. (Plus if I can’t do it right, then they have no business selling them to the masses.)

Long story short, the Bayer A1cNow Selfcheck test does not get the D-Mom Seal of Approval. I won’t waste my money (or shock at seeing a super high number) ever again.

Have you tried an at home A1c test? Did you feel like it was accurate?

Further Reading

Moments of Wonderful A1c Now – Trying out the home test

Diabetes Mine Home A1C Testing vs. The Lab

Disclosure: I paid for the home A1c test with my own money. Bayer did not ask me to write about their product. Opinions are my own.

{Diabetes Management} Home A1c Test Fail is a post from: D-Mom Blog

The information provided here is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please read the disclaimer, disclosure, and privacy policy statements.

We have a two-story house and I’m usually pretty groggy when I check on Q in the middle of the night. I try to zombie my way through overnight checks with one eye only slightly open in hopes that I can fall back asleep. After a couple of nights when I had to go all the way downstairs for some supply or another, I put together a little kit that we keep in the kids’ bathroom upstairs.

At bedtime we bring Q’s pump pouch and the clipboard where we log her numbers and put it on the bathroom counter. Usually this is all we need.

But if there is a high or low blood sugar to deal with overnight, I have our supplies at the ready to minimize my activity and thinking at 2:00 am.

Overnight Supply Kit

• Blood glucose meter and strips
• Extra vial of blood glucose test strips
• Blood ketone meter and strips
• Syringes
• Supplies for 2 pump changes (pod, alcohol swab, Q-tip in baggie)
• 2 juice boxes
• Fast-acting sugar such as glucose tablets or Smarties
• Glucagon

I purchased this plastic box at Target, but I have seen the same one at Michael’s. I like it because the lid locks down and it stays closed.

The extra meter is just in case the meter on her PDM wouldn’t work for some reason or if the PDM was still downstairs.

The blood ketone meter is awesome for overnight because I can check for ketones while she sleeps and she doesn’t even wake up.

The syringes are in case I would have to give her insulin by syringe if her pump failed and her blood sugar was very high. In two years of pumping, I’ve only had to do this twice and the one time I probably could have bolused with the new site.

Syringes can also be used for mini-glucagon to treat severe hypoglycemia. (I’ve never done this. Our endo has gone over the procedure with me but asked that I call her if I felt like I needed to do this to access the situation.)

If you were wondering, I keep the syringes in an empty FreeStyle lancets box. They fit in there nicely. I’ve been on the lookout for a small plastic container that will hold a few syringes, but haven’t found the perfect one yet.

Further Reading

More posts about

blood ketone meters

glucose tablets

treating lows

{Diabetes Management} Overnight Supply Kit is a post from: D-Mom Blog

The information provided here is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please read the disclaimer, disclosure, and privacy policy statements.

People often ask why we chose the OmniPod over insulin pumps. I always give a diplomatic answer about how all pumps have their pluses and minuses before giving our reasons. But the reality is that there was never a question for us. We wanted a patch pump.

My friend Stacey has been wearing a traditional pump with tubing for a while and she decided to give OmniPod a try. In the spirit of encouragement, Q made a little video for Stacey to tell her some of the reasons why she likes the OmniPod.

(E-mail and feed subscribers click over for embedded video.)

Disclosure: OmniPod did not ask me to write about their product and I am not compensated in any way by the company. Though they should because Q is one of their greatest spokespersons.

Further Reading

More of Q’s videos

More post about OmniPod

{YouTube Tuesday} Why Q Likes the OmniPod is a post from: D-Mom Blog

The information provided here is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please read the disclaimer, disclosure, and privacy policy statements.

On April 25, 2010, I uploaded a video to YouTube as my entry into the Diabetes Mine Design Challenge. My concept: A blood glucose meter that used WIFI or cellular service to send a message to caregivers alerting them of their child’s blood sugar reading.

My Diabetes Mine Design Challenge entry:

If you watch the Telcare video for this new meter, at about the 3:00 minute mark, you see that it acts very much like the meter I described.

Telcare‘s product video:

I haven’t seen this meter in action, but there was an article in the Wall Street Journal, Diabetic Tester That Talks to iPhones and Doctors by Walt Mossberg, this weekend describing his experience with it.

Mossberg says “Despite some drawbacks, including a high price, I recommend the Telcare be considered by diabetics who want a better substitute for paper logs, or would benefit from real-time sharing of their readings.”

Mossberg’s Video:

(E-mail and feed subscribers click over for embedded videos.)

Kerri of Six Until Me also wrote her initial thoughts on the meter, Checking Out Telcare.

I’m interested to see this meter in action. A meter that gives the option of wirelessly sending BG readings to a caregiver would be useful in school, sports, or play date situations.

We use a very bare bones paper logbook mostly because I haven’t found a good way to download meter data in a meaningful (to me) way. I would love to see data automatically pop on on my iPhone or iPad.

For me I need an easy to use meter (that my seven-year-old can operate without help), that gives few errors (especially because a seven-year-old is a moving target), good accuracy, and great insurance coverage. I’m keeping my eye on this product. And you know what they say: innovation drives competition.

Can you believe how many diabetes products have had announcements since the beginning of the year? (See links below.)

What do you think? Would it be useful to get an alert when your child tests her blood sugar?

Further Reading

I’m a Mac, Diabetes is a PC

{D-Product Alert} Butterfly Strips FDA Approved for OmniPod…Finally!

{D-Product Alert} Blood Sugar Sensing Contact Lenses

{D-Product Alert} Medtronic mySentry

{D-Product Alert} Telcare Meter is a post from: D-Mom Blog

The information provided here is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please read the disclaimer, disclosure, and privacy policy statements.

OmniPod users have been in limbo for over a year after Abbott changed to the new “butterfly” test strips because they weren’t FDA approved for use in the Insulet OmniPod insulin pump PDM.

Some have been using the new strips because they weren’t able to get the older style strips any more. Some were frantically searching for the old style afraid that they were not accurate or not safe. Some were using the new strips in an alternate, separate meter. And some were using the new ones just plain because they liked them better and they seemed to be working just fine.

This morning FDA approval of the Abbott FreeStyle “butterfly” strips was announced.

Here are portions of the announcement:

The FDA granted 510(k) clearance to Abbott’s Freestyle glucose test strip for use with Insulet’s OmniPod insulin management system.

The FDA granted 510(k) clearance to Abbott’s (NYSE:ABT) Freestyle glucose test strip for use with Insulet’s (NSDQ:PODD) OmniPod insulin pump.

“The FDA has notified the company that the new Abbott Freestyle test strip has been cleared for use with the OmniPod,” Insulet confirmed in an email to MassDevice. “The companies are in the midst of updating the product label and will be communicating with customers once that has been completed, hopefully next week.”

It’s good news for Bedford, Mass.-based Insulet, as Abbott’s Freestyle is one of the most popular test strips on the market.

Insulet is awaiting word from the federal watchdog agency on its 510(k) application for the next-generation OmniPod it says will help reduce production costs by more than a third.

The latest version of the system is ⅓ smaller, 25 percent lighter and “expected to reduce our cost of production by about a third, driving significant gross margin improvement,” CEO Duane DeSisto said in May 2011. “We are confident that the easy-to-use design of our tubeless insulin pump will raise the bar for the industry again and improve our competitive position in the marketplace.”

Read the entire release here.

Images from the FreeStyle website.

Thanks to Lorraine for the tip. I saw her mention it before I saw it on MassDevice’s feed this morning.

Further Reading

More posts about FreeStyle Test Strips

More posts about Insulet OmniPod Insulin Pump

More press releases

{D-Product Alert} Butterfly Strips FDA Approved for OmniPod…Finally! is a post from: D-Mom Blog

The information provided here is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please read the disclaimer, disclosure, and privacy policy statements.

Lots of diabetes management news this week. First Medtronic announced FDA approval of the mySentry device.

This morning I saw this article about Microsoft and the University of Washington’s research project to develop contact lenses that sense blood sugar levels and communicate them wirelessly.

How futuristic.

Whether or not this concept comes to market or when, I appreciate research into alternative methods of checking blood sugars other than through drops of blood via a finger prick.

I’m guessing that since it’s Microsoft, it won’t be communicating with my iPhone!

Read the article about this research and see lots of pictures on the Gizmag website.

(E-mail and feed subscribers click over for embedded cool video.)

Image courtesy of Gizmag.

{D-Product Alert} Blood Sugar Sensing Contact Lenses is a post from: D-Mom Blog

The information provided here is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please read the disclaimer, disclosure, and privacy policy statements.

Sleep deprivation is probably one of the most difficult aspects of parenting a child with diabetes because lack of sleep permeates all other facets of your daily life. This newly FDA approved technology from Medtronic is a much-needed advancement in technology.

Watch this video to see how the mySentry works. I’ve included the press release below.

Medtronic Launches First-Of-Its-Kind mySentry™ Remote Glucose Monitor
(E-mail and feed subscribers click over for embedded video.)

You can read the entire press release about mySentry on Medtronic’s website and read their blog post.

mySentry Allows Caregivers to See Real-Time Insulin Pump Information and Glucose Trends from Another Room

MINNEAPOLIS – January 4, 2012 – Today, Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE:MDT) announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval and U.S. market launch of the first-of-its-kind mySentry™ Remote Glucose Monitor, which allows a parent or caregiver to monitor from another room a patient’s MiniMed Paradigm® REAL-Time Revel™ System. The remote glucose monitor also marks the launch of a new category of Connected Care solutions that will provide people with diabetes and their caregivers convenient options to access their diabetes management information.

mySentry allows caregivers to see real-time insulin pump status and glucose trends, as well as hear alerts and alarms, at their bedside while an adult or child with diabetes sleeps in his or her own room. This could be especially useful for parents, who could be alerted through a predictive alarm in the middle of the night if their child’s glucose levels are falling, allowing them to take action to prevent an episode of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). For a caregiver of someone with type 1 diabetes, nighttime hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) represents one of their greatest concerns.

“Many of the parents of our patients wake up a couple of times every night to check their child’s blood sugar level and even that may not be enough to prevent episodes of severe hypoglycemia,” said William Tamborlane, M.D., Chief of Pediatric Endocrinology and Deputy Director of the Yale Center for Clinical Investigation. “Advances in continuous glucose monitoring, including remote monitoring like mySentry, have given parents an added level of protection from dangerous nighttime hypoglycemia occurring in their sleeping child, as well as a means to improve their quality of life.”

An estimated 75 percent of all episodes of severe hypoglycemia in children occur at night¹. By alerting a parent or caregiver to an alarm, mySentry may provide added nighttime protection.

“We’re excited to bring this new innovation to market that could give caregivers greater peace of mind. The mySentry Remote Glucose Monitor is the first step toward our vision to develop an entire category of Connected Care products that help people more proactively manage their diabetes by making it easier and more convenient to access the wealth of information captured by our integrated insulin pump and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system,” said Greg Meehan, Vice President and General Manager of the Continuous Glucose Monitoring business at Medtronic.

mySentry is used in conjunction with the MiniMed Paradigm® REAL-Time Revel™ System, an insulin pump with built-in continuous glucose monitoring. mySentry can be placed in the bedroom or in any room throughout the house so all important information is just a glance away. mySentry provides flexibility and a wide range of uses including displaying all of the alerts and alarms available on the Paradigm Revel insulin pump: predictive alerts, continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) graph, insulin pump battery life, amount of insulin remaining, and time until the next glucose sensor calibration.

Medtronic is committed to working with health insurance providers to ensure access to and reimbursement for the product. More information is available at http://www.medtronicdiabetes.com/mysentry.

{D-Product Alert} Medtronic mySentry is a post from: D-Mom Blog

The information provided here is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please read the disclaimer, disclosure, and privacy policy statements.

I consider Gary Scheiner’s Think Like a Pancreas as a go-to resource. Did you know that Gary, a CDE and T1 pumper himself, offers not only diabetes coaching, but also webinar-style online classes in diabetes management? I took one of his live classes this fall and appreciated that I could ask him questions directly. His classes are also available as archives.

Here is a sample class to get an idea of how it works. In this video, Gary explains about bolusing for pizza.

(E-mail and feed subscribers click over for embedded video.)

If you are interested in taking some of the Type-1 University classes, you are in luck because January tuition is FREE. Register soon because space is limited. Live classes are normally $29.95 each and pre-recorded classes are $19.95.

(From the outreach letter:)

If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to take better care of your diabetes, listen up!  During the month of January, 2012, all “live” classes at Type-1 University (www.type1university.com) are completely free.  Learn how to make better use of your pump, carb count like a pro, prevent lows, utilize a continuous glucose monitor, or take off unwanted pounds while using insulin.  Classes are held on Tuesday evenings and Thursday afternoons, EST.  The full curriculum and course schedule can be found at www.type1university.com.

The webinar-style courses are approximately one hour in length and include a pdf copy of the presentation slides and chances to post questions for the instructor.   Pre-registration is required, and space is limited, so enroll today!

More information

Type-1 University

Integrated Diabetes Services, LLC

For more information, visit www.type1university.com

Think Like a Pancreas: A Practical Guide to Managing Diabetes with Insulin-Completely Revised and Updated (Pre-order the new edition due out January 2012.)

Free Online Courses From Type-1 University is a post from: D-Mom Blog

The information provided here is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please read the disclaimer, disclosure, and privacy policy statements.

Mac-compatibility remains an issue for many of us trying to manage diabetes.

What I would really like is for the Abbott CoPilot software to be Mac-compatible. I’m happy with the FreeStyle strips and meters because they are very easy for Q to use, just incredibly unhappy that I can’t get the data off the meter!

I thought you might find this press release interesting. iBGStar has received FDA clearance.

iBGStar™ Blood Glucose Monitoring System Receives U.S. FDA 510(k) Clearance

(Here’s a portion of the press release:)

December 7, 2011 – Sanofi U.S., together with its partner AgaMatrix, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted 510(k) premarket clearance for the iBGStar™ Blood Glucose Monitoring System, the first and only FDA cleared blood glucose meter that directly connects to the Apple® iPhone® and iPod touch®, seamlessly integrating accurate blood glucose monitoring into the lifestyles of people with diabetes. The iBGStar™ is already available in Germany, France, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Italy.

The compact iBGStar™ glucose meter, when plugged directly into the iPhone® or iPod® touch, quickly displays results immediately after testing on the full-color touch screen via the iBGStar™ Diabetes Manager App. iBGStar™ also can be used alone to measure blood glucose levels and results can be synchronized to an iPhone® or iPod® touch at a later time.

Further Reading

I’m a Mac, Diabetes is a PC

iBGStar: Marrying iPhones and Meters

iBGStar website

You can read the entire press release on Sanofi’s website.

iBGStar Receives FDA 510(k) Clearance is a post from: D-Mom Blog

The information provided here is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please read the disclaimer, disclosure, and privacy policy statements.