My Thoughts On The S Annual Medtronic Diabetes Advocate Forum

Members of The DOC @ The 2d Annual Medtronic Diabetes Advocate Forum

So it’s taken me a while, (plus a teaser post earlier my existent post) only hither are my thoughts regarding the 2d Annual Medtronic Diabetes Advocate Forum.

I was feeling all sorts of things equally I headed to the airdrome to wing cross province to the Forum, including sleepy - I had to live at Philadelphia at 5:30 a..m subsequently all!

I was excited

I wasn’t quite certain all that was inwards shop for us, only I knew it would live interesting as well as informative as well as I knew our grouping wouldn’t live shy inwards their opinions. So yes, I was real excited!

And I was weary of traveling (there had been a bomb scare at Philadelphia international Airport the morn I flew out,) as well as thence seeing my beau bloggers was comforting on many levels.

The twenty-four sixty minutes menstruum of the Forum was all most Closed Loops, CGMs, Pharma participating inwards Social Media, Lenny The Lion & Build Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Bear working together, as well as Diabetes connectedness to Rocket Science (LANE DESBOROUGH,) Global Citizenship regarding diabetes inwards 3rd earth countries as well as the Book of Better.

It was a hell of a lot to accept in, as well as I’ve been marinating on all that went downward a calendar week as well as a one-half ago.

My Thoughts:

Diabetes Bloggers as well as Pharma sitting at the same tabular array as well as discussing diabetes is non a bad thing. As long equally everyone stays on the straight as well as narrow as well as keeps their eyes on what’s important: The Patient as well as what the patient NEEDS as well as WANTS.

And the diabetes patient as well as heart user was the principal give-and-take of the day.

Did Medtronic percentage amongst us what they are working on? YES they did - But why wouldn’t they?

And it turns out, they’re working on a lot.

As a mortal who has lived amongst diabetes for around 35 years, I desire to know what’s downward the Diabetes Pike, as well as thence to speak.

HELLS YA I desire to know what Pharma is doing to brand my life easier land direct addressing all my concerns.

And I desire Pharma to ‘keep me in the loop,”not out.

My (and past times ME, I hateful OUR) diabetes lives depends on beingness kept in the loop. And no pun intended regarding the term(s) THE LOOP or LOOP, equally inwards Closed Loop.

SO I was glad to take away heed Greg Mehan (GM of Medtronic’s CGM Business Division) utter to us most the Artificial Pancreas, (Closed Loop) organisation as well as how Medtronic ( similar other diabetes companies) are working on a shut loop system.

I’m all for diabetes options because my pancreas has been broken for almost 35 years - I wouldn’t heed a shut loop organisation land I’m waiting on a cure.

I desire a heart that tin suspend my insulin when my glucose is depression as well as I desire to know earlier my numbers caput due south that they are genuinely going south.. Right at 1 time that heart applied scientific discipline is available inwards Europe - Medtronic amongst the Veo Insulin Pump as well as Animas amongst the Vibe Insulin Pump. Unfortunately inwards the US, nosotros are nonetheless waiting.

We learned that Medronic is working on Patch Pump, though no dates could live given equally to when nosotros could meet a epitome - though nosotros kept asking!

We were given a demonstration of MySentry , Meddtronic's Remote GLucose Monitoring System, its features including alarms, privacy screens, etc.

I know from others inwards the DOC how convenient having a CGM monitoring organisation amongst a covert as well as without is for a bring upward of a kid amongst diabetes - And equally an adult.. And sec a unmarried adult woman living amongst diabetes, I would dear to live able to await at the nightstand as well as meet inwards what direction my numbers are trending - Even though I'm no longer all cute as well as fuzzy, I nonetheless direct hold diabetes!

At the goal of the day, nosotros equally a grouping were each offered a three- calendar month case of the MySentry.

Were nosotros shocked?? Yes nosotros were - as well as nosotros all felt excited as well as concerned all at the same time.

I retrieve collectively nosotros are aware of the ethical concerns taking Medtronic upward on their offer, which our friend Scottie J brings upward Kim as well as Lane Desborough as well as his crew. Lane’s grouping is responsible for the Closing the Loop for Medtronic. They literally Diabetes Rocket Scientists as well as Engineers as well as personally, I’ve never felt as well as thence incredibly non as well as thence smart as well as inspired all at the same fourth dimension equally I did amongst this group.

Blogger Roundtable Discussion

Next in that place was a Roundtable most the Pharma engaging inwards Social Media to assist the On-line Community helping facilitated past times Kelly Close, George Simmons as well as myself.

The 3 of us worked difficult on coming upward amongst the questions only had no doubtfulness our grouping could render the answers - And they did! Checkout David Edelman’s play past times play, here.

Global Citizenship as well as Diabetes

Dr Francine Kaufman ‘s (Medtronic’s Chief Medical Officer, Pediatric Endo as well as Mom to several children amongst diabetes) presentation on Diabetes inwards Third World Countries as well as her go amongst Life for Child made me cry, it made me angry, as well as it made me desire to alter things.

Fran has travelled all over the globe to assist children amongst diabetes inwards 3rd earth countries as well as their families .

In Bharat for example, immature girls amongst diabetes aren’t considered worth saving! If they hold upward to immature adulthood as well as goal upward inwards an arranged marriage, they enshroud the fact that they accept insulin as well as direct hold diabetes.

In Haiti, in that place are medical tents for those amongst diabetes, only no meters, no refrigeration as well as barely plenty insulin.

The images she brought dorsum haunt me every day. To acquire to a greater extent than most how y'all tin assist children amongst diabetes inwards 3rd earth countries, acquire to: http://www.idf.org/lifeforachildand detect out how y'all tin assist brand a difference.

Lions Are More Cuddly Than Navel Oranges

Medtronic’s ain Diabetes Ambassador, Lenny The Lion has a novel interactive site for kids as well as has partnered amongst Build Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Bear, as well as thence that when a patient get’s a Lenny The Lion, they too tin acquire an gift certificate to Build Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Bear.

As an 8 twelvemonth whose solely diabetes centric pal given to her past times the infirmary was an actual omphalos orangish to exercise injecting saline ( which fake insulin) into, I dear the fact that kids tin direct hold a pal amongst diabetes - specially 1 who wears a pump.

Personally, I’d dear to meet medtronic accept it a stride farther past times giving Lenny some siblings, (Maybe Larry as well as Leona?) a blood brother as well as a sis to live exact, because land children amongst diabetes direct hold a lot on their plates, as well as thence create their siblings - BIG TIME. And yes, I brought the sibling enquiry upward during the forum, as well as Medtronic seemed to similar it.

Bottom Line

All inwards all, I learned a lot as well as Medtronic answered our questions caput on.

I left the forum feeling skillful advertizement similar some skillful was done.

And I’m excited to meet what the hereafter holds regarding diabetes technology, because I lived through a fourth dimension when in that place was no such matter equally Diabetes Technology - And it sucked.

People who survived the Diabetes Dark Ages had their wellness compromised because in that place was no such matter equally glucose testing, fast acting insulins or insulin pumps. Today nosotros accept Diabetes Technology for granted, as well as it wasn't as well as thence long agone when in that place was no diabetes technology.

Today, I (and past times "I" I hateful "We") acquire to enquire the questions to Pharma personally - And they attempt as well as answer.

Granted, it's non e'er the reply nosotros desire - But I know my/our vocalization is beingness heard.

Dialogue is wonderful matter - And I for 1 volition decease along this conversation going

Disclosure

Medtronic invited me to attend their Forum as well as paid for all my go expenses, lodging, as well as nutrient for the duration of the event. Medtronic too payed me a small-scale honorarium for planning/hosting the Diabetes RoundTable Discussion.

Members of the DOC who attended the Forum direct hold been invited to attempt the MySentry CGM organisation for 3 months - And I’m seriously considering it.

Medtronic did non enquire me to comment or write most my experiences, nor direct hold they asked that they review anything I mightiness write most regarding my experience at their Forum or amongst their products. But me beingness me, I’ll absolutely write most the good, the bad, as well as the diabetesalicious of it all