Cool Tech in Personal Health

[roydan]

Now, before you start typing to tell us about your awesome smart watch that counts steps, measures your pulse and tells the time (impressive), I want this thread to be about something a bit different, and to ask whether or not you or someone else you know is using a life changing piece of technology that is helping with an actual medical problem.

I'm a type 1 diabetic, and recently got an insulin pump that is connected to a blood sugar sensor and adjust my insulin so my blood sugar is adjusted properly without needing to do anything except indicating when I'm about to eat something.

It's not new, even though I got it about two weeks ago. It is 100% life changing, and the pump does a much better job that I used to in keeping my blood sugar balanced, which is most likely translated to a few more years for me here on planet earth.


Anything cool you are using?

 

[Deleted member 1603965]

Not trying to troll you or anything but since I wear glasses, I find them to be like really amazing. I can only imagine how people before glasses were invented used to deal with their eye related/ vision related issues. Science is awesome.

 

[roydan]

Not trying to troll you or anything but since I wear glasses, I find them to be like really amazing. I can only imagine how people before glasses were invented used to deal with their eye related/ vision related issues. Science is awesome.

I can't believe you beat me with glasses.

 

[RK]

Not exactly high-tech, but my invisible braces have been life-changing for me. I had some misalignment in my teeth and didn’t want to wear traditional wired braces, so I found a better option with the invisible ones. Not sure if this fits your question, but braces are a type of medical device, and they’ve definitely improved my life!

 

[PetraAnn]

Now, before you start typing to tell us about your awesome smart watch that counts steps, measures your pulse and tells the time (impressive), I want this thread to be about something a bit different, and to ask whether or not you or someone else you know is using a life changing piece of technology that is helping with an actual medical problem.

I'm a type 1 diabetic, and recently got an insulin pump that is connected to a blood sugar sensor and adjust my insulin so my blood sugar is adjusted properly without needing to do anything except indicating when I'm about to eat something.

It's not new, even though I got it about two weeks ago. It is 100% life changing, and the pump does a much better job that I used to in keeping my blood sugar balanced, which is most likely translated to a few more years for me here on planet earth.


Anything cool you are using?

Welcome to the club nobody wants to be in. What pump do you have? I have one that was created by a local company called the Kaleido. Small, light, can be stuck anywhere. Love it.

 

[roydan]

Welcome to the club nobody wants to be in. What pump do you have? I have one that was created by a local company called the Kaleido. Small, light, can be stuck anywhere. Love it.

I'm T1D since 99, not that new, just late to the closed loop pumps. I got a Medtronic Minimed 780G with the Simplera sensors.

Never heared about Kaleido, but we don't have many options here. I see that it connects to the Dexcom sensor, do you have it as well? Is it a closed loop setup?

Overall the % of T1D people on the BHW staff is statistically insane lol...

 

[tutankamun]

Vape sticks are amazing. If you wash your own marijuana of terpenes prepare some e-liquid out of it you can carry make your your e-liquid and everyone (parents, girlfriends, police etc) will be none the wiser. It's like 1984 here still with weed laws, even for medicinal purposes, sadly.

 

[PetraAnn]

I'm T1D since 99, not that new, just late to the closed loop pumps. I got a Medtronic Minimed 780G with the Simplera sensors.

Never heared about Kaleido, but we don't have many options here. I see that it connects to the Dexcom sensor, do you have it as well? Is it a closed loop setup?

Overall the % of T1D people on the BHW staff is statistically insane lol...

Kaleido is relatively new. It was just going on the market when I was diagnosed in 2019. In 2020 they had a problem with the insulin cartridge mould (in about 1 in 5 cartridges there was a huge air bubble). Everything was being shut down right when they were supposed to be meeting with suppliers so we all had to switch pumps. I went on the medtronic 640g and will never, ever, ever, ever, ever, go back. I don't understand how when every other pump company is going smaller, lighter and USB they're bigger and heavier than a 1980s pager and still take AA batteries. Lets not talk about the clip and the dutch customer service was trash. I never got one call or interaction after my "trainer" signed off.

Anyways, by the time my 4 years with Kaleido was up (for all intents and purposes, the medtronic was considered a loaner) they were back on the market and when they asked if I wanted to come back I couldn't wait to jump the medtronic ship. It's pretty hard to pull out your infusion set with a 5mm tube. If Kaleido hadn't come back, I was going to go to TSlim.

As far as looping with the Kaleido, no. I haven't had the pleasure to try it yet. The Netherlands has a health insurance mafia who has decided that CGMs are only for those under 18, are pregnant or want to be pregnant (and then you're time boxed -- as soon as you pop it out or it's been too long you lose it), or have unmanaged diabetes (but you lose it if you're managed for 3 months). In fact, it's only a month or two ago that Abbott was allowed to upgrade the libre2 app to become a CGM for all of us even though the tech has been out almost a year. I think we're close to being able to choose any sensor, CGM or flash, but I don't think it'll happen this year. That is, if they don't decide that sensors are too costly and take them away again.

 

[roydan]

The Netherlands has a health insurance mafia who has decided that CGMs are only for those under 18, are pregnant or want to be pregnant (and then you're time boxed -- as soon as you pop it out or it's been too long you lose it), or have unmanaged diabetes (but you lose it if you're managed for 3 months).

This is scary similar to what's going on here in Israel, except once you're connected to a sensor, you are "whitelisted" for good.
I was actually "campaigning" for a sensor for a long time and couldn't collect results under 45 (needed to collect and document three measurements under 45 in 3 months).
Once I went to the clinic and the nurse asked me why I didn't get a sensor, she started searching for low readings and found them instantly (I was on Libre2 before the 780G).

The Kalido is kinda sexy.. as weird as it sounds. Very nice looking.

 

[PetraAnn]

This is scary similar to what's going on here in Israel, except once you're connected to a sensor, you are "whitelisted" for good.
I was actually "campaigning" for a sensor for a long time and couldn't collect results under 45 (needed to collect and document three measurements under 45 in 3 months).
Once I went to the clinic and the nurse asked me why I didn't get a sensor, she started searching for low readings and found them instantly (I was on Libre2 before the 780G).

The Kalido is kinda sexy.. as weird as it sounds. Very nice looking.

So in the 5 years I've been diagnosed, the rules changed to allow kids who get a CGM to continue it after 18. I thought it was absolutely horrible that this is all they've known and now they have to go to (a limited amount of) strips? I paid for the FSL1 out of pocket for about 6 months before they changed the rules allowing anyone on intensive insulin therapy to get it. I always have a fight with my internist because of course I hacked my libre to make it into a CGM. I used the miaomiao with FSL1 and with 2 I can use it straight with xDrip. But it always causes a controversy. ;-D

Honestly, I'm fine with the FSL+xdrip combo BUT I really, really want to loop. It's killing me there's a technology I could use but don't have access to.

 

[Heiko]

Do you have health insurance, and do they cover it?

 

[Nw_Work]

So in the 5 years I've been diagnosed, the rules changed to allow kids who get a CGM to continue it after 18. I thought it was absolutely horrible that this is all they've known and now they have to go to (a limited amount of) strips? I paid for the FSL1 out of pocket for about 6 months before they changed the rules allowing anyone on intensive insulin therapy to get it. I always have a fight with my internist because of course I hacked my libre to make it into a CGM. I used the miaomiao with FSL1 and with 2 I can use it straight with xDrip. But it always causes a controversy. ;-D

Honestly, I'm fine with the FSL+xdrip combo BUT I really, really want to loop. It's killing me there's a technology I could use but don't have access to.

Way too many shorterned abrevations can we pls get the longer form to make sense what a CGM is what a FSL1 is etc?

 

[roydan]

So in the 5 years I've been diagnosed, the rules changed to allow kids who get a CGM to continue it after 18. I thought it was absolutely horrible that this is all they've known and now they have to go to (a limited amount of) strips? I paid for the FSL1 out of pocket for about 6 months before they changed the rules allowing anyone on intensive insulin therapy to get it. I always have a fight with my internist because of course I hacked my libre to make it into a CGM. I used the miaomiao with FSL1 and with 2 I can use it straight with xDrip. But it always causes a controversy. ;-D

Honestly, I'm fine with the FSL+xdrip combo BUT I really, really want to loop. It's killing me there's a technology I could use but don't have access to.

My biggest struggle with the loop is that it requires a hands-off approach and patience, and let's say say that I'm not known for having tons of patience and waiting for things to happen on their own.

I considered the miaomiao for a while but decided against it because I'm not behaving well when I'm hypoglycemic and didn't want to risk my kids seeing me like that.

Do you have health insurance, and do they cover it?

I have health insurance, but I get these from the public healthcare everybody have here.

Way too many shorterned abrevations can we pls get the longer form to make sense what a CGM is what a FSL1 is etc?

CGM stands for continuous glucose monitoring. Basically a device that monitors blood suger 24/7 instead of the patient needing to check it every couple of hours.
FSL1 is Freestyle Libre, a device that checks blood sugar without needing to take blood from the finger or arm.
FSL2 is the next version that offered continuous glucose monitoring (GCM)

Some GCM devises sync to insulin pumps so they can inject insulin once the bloog sugar gets high ot to stop the insulin flow if it gets too low. This is called closed loop.

 

[Juhku]

Not trying to troll you or anything but since I wear glasses, I find them to be like really amazing. I can only imagine how people before glasses were invented used to deal with their eye related/ vision related issues. Science is awesome.

I feel the same.

Have used glasses for most of my life.

6 months ago I found that nowadays there are contact lenses that can be worn 24h/30days.

You can wear them for 30 days continuously, and even take showers and short sauna sessions with them.
Expensive as hell when compared to regular contact lenses or glasses, but a game changer for me.

 

[Nw_Work]

My biggest struggle with the loop is that it requires a hands-off approach and patience, and let's say say that I'm not known for having tons of patience and waiting for things to happen on their own.

I considered the miaomiao for a while but decided against it because I'm not behaving well when I'm hypoglycemic and didn't want to risk my kids seeing me like that.


I have health insurance, but I get these from the public healthcare everybody have here.


CGM stands for continuous glucose monitoring. Basically a device that monitors blood suger 24/7 instead of the patient needing to check it every couple of hours.
FSL1 is Freestyle Libre, a device that checks blood sugar without needing to take blood from the finger or arm.
FSL2 is the next version that offered continuous glucose monitoring (GCM)

Some GCM devises sync to insulin pumps so they can inject insulin once the bloog sugar gets high ot to stop the insulin flow if it gets too low. This is called closed loop.

So CGM and FSL2 have a needle which pricks and stays inside user while FSL1 does not? People had mentioned Kaleido and Medtronic devices are both of those with needles?

 

[tradesy]

I don't use it, but it blows my mind that our medicine has come close to using exoskeletons for a variety of musculoskeletal problems.
The future is coming faster and faster

 

[roydan]

So CGM and FSL2 have a needle which pricks and stays inside user while FSL1 does not? People had mentioned Kaleido and Medtronic devices are both of those with needles?

It's not a needle, but a piece of flexible metalic material you don't really feel.
Kaleido and Medtronic are insulin pumps, they are inserted with a needle, but the needle comes out and you are left with a silicone 'straw' that drips the insulin.

Every device is inserted with a needle, and then the needle comes of, similarly to infusion sets.

 

[Nw_Work]

It's not a needle, but a piece of flexible metalic material you don't really feel.
Kaleido and Medtronic are insulin pumps, they are inserted with a needle, but the needle comes out and you are left with a silicone 'straw' that drips the insulin.

Every device is inserted with a needle, and then the needle comes of, similarly to infusion sets.

Wow this is a whole new world
and all I ever knew was people taking home 5-10 syringes of doses or the bottle and buying syringes for treatment

Cost wise is this cheaper or more expensive than traditional system?

 

[roydan]

Cost wise is this cheaper or more expensive than traditional system?

It is fully covered by the national insurance here, but the actual cost is a lot higher.

 

[PrivateRx]

I'm T1D since 99, not that new, just late to the closed loop pumps. I got a Medtronic Minimed 780G with the Simplera sensors.

Never heared about Kaleido, but we don't have many options here. I see that it connects to the Dexcom sensor, do you have it as well? Is it a closed loop setup?

Overall the % of T1D people on the BHW staff is statistically insane lol...

how is your use of Simplera sensors? do they really stick for 7 days as advertised? or they fall off earlier? have you used them while swimming or is that contra-indicated?