United States
AT
AU
BE
CA
CH
CN
CZ
DE
DK
ES
FI
FR
GR
HR
HU
IE
IL
IN
IT
JP
NL
NO
PL
PT
RO
RU
SE
SK
TR
UK
ZA
Menu
Alert: Product and Recall Notices
L-R: Amanda Griswold, Karrie Hawbaker, Naomi Ruperto, Louis Dias
At Medtronic Diabetes our vision is to transform diabetes care together for greater freedom and better health. Each word in that statement is important – including the one “together”. We’re a group of passionate people working hard to make a big positive impact on the lives of those with diabetes. But we can’t do it alone. Collaboration is key. With healthcare providers, academic institutions, non-profits and other companies. And, most importantly, with you – the people who live with diabetes every day.
We started this blog back in 2011 and it has been a great way for us to connect with you and others in the Diabetes Online Community (DOC). We share helpful diabetes tips, stories and perspective from the community and information about our efforts to change the way people manage diabetes. We count on you to give us your thoughts and feedback and ask lots of questions. We’ve learned so much over the years and yet you still teach us something new every day. Thank you for your continuous questions and keep the feedback coming!
Let’s meet The LOOP blog editorial team!
- Louis Dias – Chief Patient Officer
- Francine R. Kaufman – Chief Medical Officer
- Karrie Hawbaker – Editor of The LOOP and Senior Manager, Social Media
- Naomi Ruperto – Social Community Manager
- Amanda Griswold – Senior Specialist, Social Media
- Liza Resurreccion, MS, RD, BC-ADM, CDE – Clinical Education Specialist
In addition to our editorial team, we often have members of the DOC, patients, and Medtronic Diabetes employees share their interesting stories, experiences, and perspectives about living with diabetes or their connection to someone with diabetes. Our stellar group of guest bloggers include: Karen Graffeo, Chris Stocker, and Cheryl Cormany. If you are interested in guest writing for The LOOP, email us at loopblog@medtronic.com, and tell us about yourself!
Our wonderful 24-hour customer service team is happy to help with individual customer service issues, as we cannot address specific individual concerns on the blog. The Customer Service team can be reached at 1.800.646.4633.
Of course, The LOOP blog (or any blog) should never be used as medical advice. Always work closely with your healthcare team to manage your diabetes.
This blog contains information about therapies approved for use in the United States, and is intended to be viewed by residents of the United States.
5 Ways To Help Someone Experiencing Hypoglycemia
Low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, is when the sugar in blood falls below an individual’s healthy levels. As a friend or loved one of a person living with diabetes, you can help by being prepared to help manage or treat hypoglycemia when it happens. Sometimes the cause of hypoglycemia can be obvious: too much insulin, […]Read More »How To Spot And Treat Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA)
Diabetic Ketoacidosis You work hard at managing your diabetes and even use technology to help keep your numbers in range, but you can still experience high blood sugar levels. Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) develops when your body doesn’t have enough insulin to allow blood sugar into your cells for use as energy. Instead, your liver […]Read More »10 Ways To Raise Diabetes Awareness This November (And Why It Matters)
The biggest month for diabetes awareness activities is only a few days away, and it’s the perfect time to raise your voice to increase awareness about diabetes! You might ask: Why? How does more awareness meaningfully impact the lives of people with diabetes? The question is a good one, but the answer is simple. Awareness […]Read More »Living with Type 1 Diabetes: A Veteran’s Story
In the spirit of showing gratitude for all those who have served in the military on this Veteran’s Day, we asked Medtronic Ambassador Spencer to share his story about living with type 1 diabetes as a veteran. Q. Could you please tell us a little bit about yourself? My name is Spencer, and I’m a […]Read More »Steroids and diabetes: The effect on high blood sugar
There are various reasons that people take steroid medications. Reasons include bone or muscle injury, pain, lung conditions such as asthma flare-ups, and influenza infections. COVID-19 can cause shortness of breath and breathing problems1 and steroids might be used. If your medical provider prescribes a steroid medication, here are some things you should know. What […]Read More »Back to School with Type 1 Diabetes
It’s a time of year parents usually look forward to—the beginning of the school year. But this year, many parents and students are facing anxiety and uncertainty during the unprecedented circumstances of the continuing global pandemic and what it will mean for the school system. For our Medtronic Diabetes Ambassador, Amy, who is a teacher, […]Read More »Sam Talbot’s Favorite Snacks
Along with family time and fireworks, Fourth of July weekend may involve a lot of snacking. We asked Chef Sam Talbot to share some of his favorite snacks to give our community some creative inspiration. These are all incredibly simple to make, with just a few classic ingredients that you might already have in your […]Read More »Lumps And Bumps From Insulin Therapy
Here at Medtronic, we get a lot of questions from customers about the lumps and bumps that may appear at injection sites. So, here's a Q&A on what these lumps are, why they occur and how to prevent them.Read More »The New Diabetes.Shop Makes It Easier to Order and Track Your Diabetes Supplies
We’re excited to announce the launch of the all-new Diabetes.Shop, a mobile-friendly website that makes managing your diabetes supplies with Medtronic easy and personalized. You spoke, and we listened. Our team spent months collecting customer feedback to re-envision the Diabetes.Shop experience – to give you clarity and peace of mind when ordering and tracking your […]Read More »A Message From Our President
Understanding Your Health Insurance Deductible
The start of the new year can be a confusing time when it comes to health insurance coverage and medical costs, particularly if you or dependents have diabetes. Perhaps you made some changes during open enrollment, or your options for healthcare providers and/or coverage were different. The beginning of the year is also when health […]Read More »How To Get Through TSA With These 5 Diabetes Devices & Supplies
This article has been updated as of December 19, 2019 Whether you’re traveling for business or pleasure, everyone must pass through security before boarding a flight. But you may be wondering how to properly get your diabetes supplies and devices through the checkpoint, particularly if you wear an insulin pump or a continuous glucose monitor. […]Read More »Tricks for a Halloween with Diabetes-Friendly Treats
Remember the Teal Pumpkin Project? It was featured on the blog a few years ago and the movement is still going strong! Started by FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education) in 2014, the Teal Pumpkin Project promotes the inclusion of non-food treats for trick-or-treaters, particularly for those with serious food allergies or other diet limitations. […]Read More »An Important Message for Animas Customers
Are you an Animas pumper or do you know anyone who is? If so, read on for two important pieces of information that Animas pumpers should know: 1. Last chance to get Animas pump supplies: Did you know September 30, 2019 is the last day to get Animas pump supplies? Animas, Medtronic, and all […]Read More »Announcing My Upcoming Retirement
After 10 years of serving patients as chief medical officer for the Diabetes Group at Medtronic, last week I announced that I am retiring from the company at the end of the calendar year. This was truly a bittersweet decision for me. It has been an absolute privilege to be part of the team that […]Read More »How Riding in the Ride to Cure Impacted One Medtronic Diabetes Employee
Medtronic recently kicked-off a 3-year partnership with JDRF by sponsoring a team of riders at the JDRF Ride to Cure in Amelia Island, FL. To help increase awareness and participation, Medtronic invited employees to enter for a chance to join the cycling team in Florida. Over 80 employees applied. Today, we’d like to introduce you […]Read More »Medtronic Sponsors Employees in the Ride to Cure
Medtronic is excited to announce that we’re sponsoring a team of riders at this year’s JDRF Ride to Cure event in Amelia Island, FL. This sponsorship aims to support those who are living with diabetes, including our own employees, family members and friends, in the hopes that one day there will be a cure for […]Read More »An Update on Medtronic Options for People on Animas® Insulin Pumps
Last fall Animas® announced that they would be discontinuing the manufacture and sale of all Animas® Vibe™ and OneTouch® Ping® insulin pumps in the US and Canada. We know this news was upsetting to many of you and want you to know that you are not alone. We’re here for you and are inspired by […]Read More »FDA Approves the MiniMed 670G System for Children 7-13
The Big News I have been personally touched by the inspiring stories of children and their families. Juggling school tests and carb counts. Middle of the night finger pokes. Highs and lows, physically and emotionally. And while my three children don’t have diabetes, I know the feeling of wanting the very best for them (to […]Read More »Now Available – the Guardian Connect Smart CGM System with the Sugar.IQ diabetes assistant!
In March, we announced FDA approval of the world’s first Smart1 CGM, the Guardian Connect system. This all new continuous glucose monitor is specifically designed to provide valuable insights – right on your smartphone – so you can take action2 against highs and lows. If you inject insulin or manage diabetes with oral medication, I’m excited […]Read More »FDA APPROVES THE GUARDIAN CONNECT SYSTEM, THE WORLD’S FIRST “SMART CGM” TO HELP PEOPLE OUTSMART THEIR DIABETES
I’m thrilled to share some great news – we just received FDA approval for a new category of smart, standalone CGM, the Guardian™ Connect system! What’s more, people using this system have exclusive access to the groundbreaking Sugar.IQ™ smart diabetes assistant. Louis Dias recently wrote about our culture of listening at Medtronic. As we’ve listened […]Read More »5 Tips for a Smooth Transition to the MiniMed 670G System
I recently switched to the MiniMed™ 670G system with SmartGuard™ technology and I now trust that the system is working to help take care of me. I spend less time correcting highs and lows and don’t have to look at my CGM graphs as often. The MiniMed 670G system is the next step along my […]Read More »New Year New Beginnings
A new year means new beginnings. I want to take this time to thank you for your patience with us over the last few months and share some very positive updates with you. Product Supply Update As many of you know, an earlier-than-expected approval of the MiniMed™ 670G system with SmartGuard™ technology, unprecedented demand for […]Read More »2017 Round-Up: 7 of Our Favorite Posts from the Year
Last year was an exciting year for all of us here at Medtronic Diabetes, from putting the first group of people with diabetes on the MiniMed 670G system, to sponsoring a team of runners in the New York Marathon with Beyond Type 1! It’s been my absolute pleasure to highlight some absolutely inspiring stories and […]Read More »Inspired By Beyond Type Run
Last month, an inspirational 17 runners with type 1 diabetes courageously crossed the finish line of the world-renowned NYC Marathon. These runners were all part of Beyond Type Run, a Beyond Type 1 team initiative sponsored by Medtronic. We were incredibly proud to be able to support the team and inspired every step of the […]Read More »6 Tips for Sick Days with Diabetes
Being sick can be a real drag, even more so if you have diabetes. Managing your diabetes when you’re under the weather can be tricky, so we asked some of our people with diabetes share their sick day management tips. Here are 6 tips they shared that may help you manage your diabetes sick days. What […]Read More »Medtronic Service and Support for Animas Insulin Pump Customers
As you may have read, this morning Animas announced its decision to close its insulin pump business, discontinuing the manufacturing and sale of all Animas® Vibe® and OneTouch Ping® insulin pumps in the US and Canada. In addition, Animas has selected Medtronic to be its partner-of-choice to support Animas customers through this time. Our top priority […]Read More »Update for Roche Accu-Chek Customers
You may have heard some recent changes with Roche diabetes business so I wanted to shed some light on the recent news. If you’re a Roche Accu-Chek customer, I want to assure you that we’re going to be here for you every step of the way. As of August 31, Roche will no longer […]Read More »Presenting Sponsor for Beyond Type 1: New York City Marathon Team
We’re thrilled to announce that we’ll be sponsoring the “Beyond Type Run” team at the world-renowned fitness event, the TCS New York City Marathon! Beyond Type 1 has been named an official charity partner of the marathon this year. Beyond Type 1 has played an important role in the diabetes community focusing on education and empowerment […]Read More »Two New CareLink Reports for MiniMed 670G System Users
In diabetes management, as in so many aspects of life, knowledge (and understanding) is power. Fortunately, CareLink™ software gives you valuable information to help you better understand your diabetes. With comprehensive, actionable insights based on your pump and CGM information, you and your healthcare team have what you need to collaborate how best to optimize […]Read More »How Blood Sugar Levels Impact Everyday Emotions
Mood changes can be a common experience in people with diabetes, both type 1 and type 2. Medtronic Diabetes Clinical Manager Gina, who has lived with type 1 diabetes for more than 39 years, addresses the affect blood sugar levels can have on your everyday emotions. The other day, I was driving and was suddenly […]Read More »What I Want my Daughter to Know About My Diabetes
To My Daughter, Diabetes is a complicated disease. There’s a lot to know. What’s your blood sugar range? What’s a bolus, a basal, an A1C? What about insulin pumps? It can be difficult to keep track of it all. But there’s something even more difficult than counting carbs. Explaining my diabetes to you, my precious […]Read More »Tape Tips: Getting the Most Out of Your Infusion Set and Sensor This Summer
With summer upon us, we receive so many questions about how to make the most out of your infusion set and glucose sensor sites. It’s a busy time of year, typically with lots of water, sweat and even sand! Here are some great tips straight from our website to help you better prepare for summer! […]Read More »4 Trends in Diabetes Care from the ADA 77th Scientific Sessions
This weekend, physicians, researchers, diabetes companies and non-profits from all over the world come together for the American Diabetes Association 77th Scientific Sessions. It’s the biggest gathering of the diabetes scientific community all year. But what does it mean for you, someone living with and doing your best to manage your diabetes each day? As […]Read More »Update on MiniMed 670G Availability
Today, I’m excited to share that we’re rolling out the MiniMed 670G system, beginning with those in the Priority Access program. But before we get into details, on behalf of the entire Medtronic team, I want to extend both my gratitude and my commitment to you. First, thank you for your enthusiasm for this new […]Read More »Nikhita Shares Her MiniMed 670G System Experience
When I first met Nikhita, she was one of only a handful of people I had talked with who had real-life experience with the MiniMed 670G system. While I had been in many, many meetings about this exciting technology, I was so excited to hear what it was really like for those in the clinical […]Read More »4 Tips to Help Avoid Diabetes Burnout
Living with diabetes is a constant battle of ups and downs. And I’m not just talking about your blood glucose levels! The emotional part of diabetes can be even more tiresome and stressful than the physical aspect of diabetes. This is when diabetes burnout happens. What is diabetes burnout? We may all have our own […]Read More »On Targets and Staying in Range with the MiniMed 670G System
Almost seven years ago, I became the Chief Medical Officer at Medtronic Diabetes to work with the teams developing the closed loop system. I knew that it was the right time for this advancement in diabetes technology and I wanted to be part of it despite knowing there would be challenges on many fronts. But […]Read More »Nicky Answers YOUR Questions about the MiniMed 670G System
Meet our MiniMed 670G system video star, Nicky Williams. We think she’s pretty amazing. I’ve met a lot of inspiring people with diabetes. But when I was lucky enough to meet Nicky, this 17-year-old who plays soccer, hikes mountains, rides horses, excels in school and is a working through an ambitious “1000 places to see” […]Read More »California to Hear Bill AB 447 to Authorize Medi-Cal to Cover CGM
At Medtronic, we know how valuable access to continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) can be. We’ve heard countless stories from patients about the changes it’s made to daily diabetes management and how it’s helped improve their lives. Because of this, Medtronic, as well as others have been trying to ensure CGM coverage for Medicaid recipients in […]Read More »Important Update on MiniMed 670G Availability and the Priority Access Program
Last fall we announced the FDA approval of the world’s first hybrid closed loop system and it was one of the proudest days of my career. After 35 years of innovation, we’re thrilled to make this revolutionary technology a reality. The MiniMed 670G® system is the most advanced insulin pump and sensor system that is […]Read More »A Culture of Listening
At Medtronic, it is in our mission to have an understanding of what our patients go through on a daily basis. One way to foster this type of empathy is for employees to wear our products. This includes everyone from Operations, Research & Development, Sales, Marketing and the leadership team, including Omar Ishrak, CEO of […]Read More »4 Tips for finding the best diabetes support network
For more than two decades, I thought I had to handle my life with diabetes on my own. It didn’t occur to me that having a network of support would be beneficial to me. But as it turns out, having a support network has made me healthier, more engaged and informed, and less alone. […]Read More »Intimate Moments: Diabetes Doesn’t have to Get in the Way
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and I’m lucky to have the best Valentine in the world – my beautiful wife. So, what better time to discuss diabetes and intimacy? As you may remember, I wear the MiniMed 630G system to help manage my daily life with diabetes. The CGM helps me make many […]Read More »DiabetesSistersVoices: Gain Support and Help Research
As a patient living with diabetes, social media has become an important part of my life. It’s where I connect with others who have diabetes for support and advice. It’s where I learn about the newest technologies and innovations that can keep me healthy. It doesn’t take the place of my doctors, but it provides […]Read More »Collaborating with Fitbit to Innovate and Help the Lives of People with Diabetes
As we continue our journey to become a holistic diabetes management company, our vision is to transform diabetes care together, for greater freedom and better health. Along this journey, we’re looking at many new and different ways to help people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Our newest example of this is an exciting […]Read More »Managing Life with Type 1 Diabetes
My name is Chris and I am a lot of things. I am a father. I am a husband. I am an Entrepreneur, CEO. I am a person living with diabetes. I am a MiniMed Ambassador. I am also a lot of other things including, Philadelphia Eagles fan, Uncle, Brother, Son, Friend. And like everyone […]Read More »Introducing Turning Point: A Powerful Program to Help Hospitals and People Living with Diabetes
A few weeks ago, I introduced myself and mentioned my role here at Medtronic Diabetes. In my blog I mentioned that we’re constantly trying to find innovative ways to be there globally for people living with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. One way is through introducing exciting new products to the community, like the […]Read More »Front of Line Access to the MiniMed 670G System
Want to get front of the line access to the MiniMed 670G system when it becomes available in the spring? Here’s how! In this video, Naomi and I explain the new Priority Access program. Visit www.medtronicdiabetes.com/priority-access to learn more. Editors Note: Due to overwhelming demand, we’ve been able to extend this program to customers through […]Read More »Breaking From the Negative Emotions of Diabetes
Some might find it interesting, but there is a wad of dollar bills carefully tucked into the outside pocket of the pouch I use as my meter case. Each dollar represents a time I did a finger stick and my blood sugar was an even 100. I don’t remember exactly where or when I came […]Read More »An Ode to Diabetes Innovation
You may remember, MiniMed Ambassador, Addie, from her blog on Managing Diabetes in High School. Today, she’s writing about her new insulin pump, the MiniMed 630G system and how it’s made a difference in her life while living away from home for college. I started insulin pump therapy in the fourth grade. Considering I had […]Read More »Meet Our Chief Patient Officer: Louis Dias
A little over a year ago, Medtronic Diabetes saw the importance of having a role that primarily focused on patients. Someone who would make sure that as a company, we are putting the patient at the forefront of everything we do. This bold move speaks volumes to the dedication the company has at ensuring that […]Read More »Meet iPro2 Professional CGM, Giving Meaningful Insights
When you think of Medtronic Diabetes, insulin pumps, CGM sensors and advanced algorithms might first come to mind. But did you know, we have an entire family of products and services for people with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes? It’s part of our evolution into a holistic diabetes management company. One example is […]Read More »2016 JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes – Death Valley
Editor’s note: Happy Diabetes Awareness month! This time of year there are many different ways that Medtronic employees raise funds and awareness for diabetes. Today I want you to meet Zach, a member of our Brand Communications team, who recently took part in the JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes. Death Valley is an extreme place. […]Read More »The MiniMed® Connect Accessory and App Now Available for Android!
We’re excited to announce that the MiniMed® Connect mobile accessory and app are now available for most popular Android™ smartphones! It’s taken us longer than we initially expected to deliver an Android-compatible version of the MiniMed Connect accessory, but we are pleased that Medtronic customers using the MiniMed 530G and Revel systems, will have the first […]Read More »Pump Tip: Square Wave Bolus
MiniMed® Paradigm Models, MiniMed® Revel, MiniMed® 530G system, MiniMed® 630G system Little kids (and big kids alike) might enjoy the treats and other sweet-goodies that go along with Halloween. It’s hard to resist a cupcake decorated like a vampire, we know. As long as you plan and adjust your bolus amounts accordingly, you can still […]Read More »Breaking News: FDA Approves the MiniMed 670G System, World’s First Hybrid Closed Loop System
Today we have fantastic news to share – Medtronic has received FDA approval of the world’s first hybrid closed loop system! The MiniMed® 670G system is the most advanced insulin pump and sensor system designed to help people with type 1 diabetes spend less time worrying about their glucose levels and more time living their […]Read More »Introducing The i-Port Advance Injection Port
You may know Medtronic for insulin pumps and CGM, but we aspire do much more. We’re broadening our focus to be a more holistic diabetes company and our desire is to meet the needs of the millions of people globally impacted by diabetes. We will continue to strive to provide solutions for people with diabetes, […]Read More »Making Data Meaningful: How I Use The New CareLink Personal Reports
One of the best features of wearing a continuous glucose monitor to me is the data that it provides. Being able to upload data and view reports plays a critical role in my diabetes management plan. My doctor and I review these reports at every appointment in order to make the best decisions for my […]Read More »Pump Tip: How to Clean Your Pump
Pump: MiniMed Paradigm Models, MiniMed Revel and MiniMed 530G system Summer is a time of beach days, road trips, concerts and outdoor fun. Which means…your pump could probably use a good once-over. As summer comes to an end, use a small amount of mild detergent mixed with water and a soft clean cloth to clean […]Read More »Tips for Parents: Back to School with Diabetes
You might remember Naomi from Perth, Australia from her blog post earlier this year. Today we’ve invited her back to talk about what’s top of mind for many of you: back to school! Naomi’s five-year-old son, Xavier, lives with T1D. And while the timing of the school semester and specific policies might vary from one […]Read More »Meet the Newest Member of the Family: The MiniMed 630G System
Great news, everyone! Today I’m thrilled to share that the FDA has approved the MiniMed® 630G system with SmartGuard™ technology. This advanced diabetes system provides better glucose control[i], protective action and personalized management so you can focus less on managing highs and lows and more on what matters most to you –whether that’s time with […]Read More »Pump Tip: Helpful Resources for Your Child's School Nurse
Have a child or teen with diabetes going back to school? Even after the meetings with teachers and nurses, diabetes, insulin pumps and glucose monitors can be overwhelming. This is understandable, of course. We all know that the diabetes crash course can leave one’s head spinning. And school nurses have to so many kids with […]Read More »Get Ready for Back to School with this Roundup
Many families are preparing for the end of summer and are getting ready to go back to school. For parents, that might mean a bit of anxiety as you not only prepare your child, but also the school for how to take care of your child’s diabetes. This roundup is here to help you prepare. […]Read More »Pump Tip: Running a Selftest on Your Pump
There’s a lot going on inside your insulin pump. For this reason, your pump is equipped to cycle through a full range of tests to make sure everything is functioning properly and on the up and up! This feature is called the Selftest, and during this test, your pump verifies that your audio and vibrate […]Read More »Living Alone with Diabetes
Ever concerned about living alone with diabetes? Like most other things, it just means some extra preparation and a little occasional help from your friends. Today, MiniMed Ambassador Leslie Kramer tells us how she does it. Almost 40 years ago a very wise woman, my mother, allowed me to make the most important decision of […]Read More »Studying Abroad with Type 1 Diabetes
Today, I’d like to introduce you to MiniMed Ambassador, Lorna Meinke. Lorna’s adventurous lifestyle intrigued us, especially when we heard that she’s studied aboard twice! Living with diabetes in a city and country that isn’t home can sometimes be challenging so we wanted to get Lorna’s perspective on how she prepared and what life was […]Read More »Five Myths Of CGM
When first thinking about insulin pump therapy or continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), did you have questions or thoughts of what it might be like and how it would work? Maybe you were concerned about what taking the next step would be like? Or, you may have used CGM in the past, but with so many […]Read More »Get Ready For Summer with This Roundup
Summer – time to hit the pool, travel around or hang at the beach. And, no matter what you’re up to, the change in weather or your activities, might mean that you need to prepare with what to do with your insulin pump and CGM. Take a look at our roundup to help, no matter […]Read More »Collaborating with Qualcomm Life to Innovate for People with Type 2 Diabetes
As we continue our journey to become a holistic diabetes management company, our focus every day is to transform diabetes care together, for greater freedom and better health. We’re working to deliver new and intelligent solutions to solve some of the diabetes challenges that you know all too well. Today we’re excited to share with […]Read More »Life with Celiac And Type 1 Diabetes
May is Celiac Awareness month and it is estimated that about 8% of people living with type 1 diabetes also have celiac disease. Because of this we wanted to acknowledge what a person living with type 1 and celiac goes through. Today, meet Liisa DePeri, a MiniMed Ambassador who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes […]Read More »How You Can Get Involved: Diabetes Blog Week 2016
When I started Diabetes Blog Week in 2010, I remember being unsure if anyone at all would be interested in participating. So it’s both thrilling and unexpected to be gearing up for the 7th annual edition! Through the years there have been some changes, but my main goal for the week remains consistent – to […]Read More »Tips For Finding The Right Diabetes Camp For Your Child
As the school year winds down, we begin to think about all of the activities that come along with warm weather and the summer months. Sporting activities, sleepovers, and summer camp are things that always seem to be topics of conversation. For kids with diabetes, diabetes camp is a great opportunity to not only get […]Read More »Diabetes Advocate Forum 2016: Transforming Diabetes Care Together
Earlier this month, we had the wonderful opportunity to welcome 20+ people to our office in Southern California for another Diabetes Advocate Forum! Why? It’s an exciting time at Medtronic as we take some big steps toward our vision of transforming diabetes care together, for greater freedom and better health. It’s important to share our […]Read More »The Facts About Low Blood Sugar
It’s no shock that hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) is often the number one concern for people managing type 1 diabetes, and even type 2 diabetes. We all know that hypoglycemia can be extremely dangerous, and catching and treating these lows is challenging. But have you ever thought about what impact lows may be having on […]Read More »Clinical Trial Update: New Results On Insulin Pumps And Type 2 Diabetes
At Medtronic, a significant investment in clinical research is a key part of how we help people with diabetes enjoy greater freedom and better health. It’s what allows us to evaluate the effectiveness of new technologies or existing technologies for new groups of people. And, in addition to helping health care providers decide what therapies […]Read More »Parenting With Type 1 Diabetes
I can’t believe that it has already been a year since I first posted about my thoughts of becoming a father with type 1 diabetes. At that time I had a lot of fears of the unknown, a year later there are still a lot of unknowns that create fear and stress. There is still […]Read More »Haiti 2016: Finding Hope Among Poverty, Political Turmoil And Diabetes
Our 6th annual trip to Haiti has begun, and we are at our 5th camp for children with diabetes. We are in a new venue for camp – a girl’s primary school with old chalk boards, desks (we barely fit), and sun, heat and bugs (there are mainly flies, fleas and nits/gnats, not the feared […]Read More »5 Tips For Traveling With Diabetes
For 15 years MiniMed Ambassador, Jonni Lightfoot, has traveled all over the planet with diabetes as the bass player and bandleader for the band, Air Supply. You may remember him from previous guest blogs such as Rock N Roll Road Trip With Diabetes and A Little Help from a Friend: How I Started Insulin Pump Therapy. Today, […]Read More »Introducing The i-Port Advance Injection Port
You may know Medtronic for insulin pumps and CGM, but we aspire do much more. We’re broadening our focus to be a more holistic diabetes company and our desire is to meet the needs of the millions of people globally impacted by diabetes. We will continue to strive to provide solutions for people with diabetes, […]Read More »The Effects Of Alcohol On People With Diabetes
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! As many of you know, this is a holiday recognized globally to celebrate the Irish culture. Festivities might include vibrant cultural festivals, wearing shamrocks and the color green, or drinking green beer. Speaking of alcohol, watch my video with a few tips on how it affects people with diabetes: For a […]Read More »Welcoming Our Diabetes Doesn’t Stop Me Contest Winner
What #DiabetesDoesntStopMe means to me We recently launched the #DiabetesDoesntStopMe Instagram contest where we asked you to share photos to define this hashtag. We received fantastic submissions and selected a random winner, Katie Sterner. Katie submitted photos ranging from a kiss under the Eiffel tower to a post-Zumba workout selfie. We were inspired by her […]Read More »Daylight Savings Time: Updating Your Insulin Pump
Tomorrow at 2am it’s Daylight Savings Time. Not only does that mean losing an hour of sleep, but you also don’t want to forget to update your insulin pump settings! Your personal settings, like basal and bolus rates, are determined by the time, so being even an hour off could affect your blood sugar levels. […]Read More »Reflecting On 5 Years In The Diabetes Online Community
Today we’re recognizing the 5th anniversary of this blog and the start of our social media program here at Medtronic Diabetes! It’s been an amazing experience for the entire team and we all want to thank you for being a special of this community. While today so many of you find us through other channels […]Read More »Diabetes Fashion Roundup: Where To Wear An Insulin Pump?
One of the questions I often hear when someone is trying to decide on insulin pump therapy, is “where will I wear an insulin pump?” For many this can be a personal preference and dependent on the weather, outfit or activity on any given day. Today, we round up some of the best insulin pump […]Read More »Behind The Photo: Jason Johnson
You probably see a lot of photos from Medtronic, showing people with big smiles doing interesting activities, often with an insulin pump visible on their waist. Did you ever wonder if they were real people with diabetes? Or did you assume they were models? The truth is, most are REAL MiniMed pumpers who volunteered to […]Read More »Diabetes Sports Roundup
After a diabetes diagnosis people often wonder how it will impact their daily life. One of the top questions is:will I be able to still play sports and exercise like I used to? Today let’s hear from just a few of our very active athletes with diabetes and hear they’re inspiring stories – along with […]Read More »Why I Switched To A Continuous Glucose Monitor For My Diabetes Management
Editor’s Note: Over the years we’ve had a lot of great articles from guest bloggers about the role that MiniMed® pumps and Continuous Glucose Monitors play in their lives and this is one of our favorites! Read on as Karen shares about the moment that she made the important decision to begin using CGM and why […]Read More »Business Travel With Diabetes: Taking MiniMed Connect On The Road
Kate Lecker is a busy wife, mother of two, and working professional. She has lived with type 1 diabetes for more than 30 years and is often hypo-unaware, not feeling the lows until around 30mg/dL. When traveling for work, she and her husband have always had a travel safety protocol in place to make sure […]Read More »10 Tips For Your Insulin Pump
Whether you’re new to insulin pumps, or have been pumping for most of your life, there’s always something new to learn! Here are our top 10 tips. 1. The Bolus Wizard on your insulin pump lets you set up to 8 sensitivity settings throughout the day. Your insulin sensitivity is the amount that your blood […]Read More »Dating And Diabetes: A Valentine’s Roundup
With Valentine’s Day coming up this weekend, I always like to reminisce on some of our blogs that focus on dating, love and of course diabetes! Whether you’re dating, engaged or are married we have a roundup of blogs that are perfect reading material for this Valentine’s Day. When to Tell your Valentine about your […]Read More »4 Forms Of Diabetes Support
You don’t need to feel alone in your journey with diabetes. Whether you’re interested in joining a lively online community, in need of advice from someone who understands what you’re going through, or looking for educational tools to help you or a loved one manage diabetes, there’s resources and support out there for you. Peer […]Read More »High Or Low Blood Glucose Making You Cranky? Here’s Why
Mood changes can be a common experience in people with diabetes, both type 1 and type 2. Medtronic Diabetes Clinical Manager Gina, who has lived with type 1 diabetes for more than 39 years, addresses the affect blood sugar levels can have on your everyday emotions. The other day, I was driving and was suddenly […]Read More »Cooler Weather Is Here! Remember Proper Insulin Storage
While it may be 72 and sunny here in Southern California, my Facebook feed is filled with snowy weather reports and ski jacket-clad friends from the East Coast and Midwest. So, with temperatures dropping, we thought…what better time to revisit one of Naomi’s great posts on proper insulin storage? Hope you find this as helpful… […]Read More »10 Tips For Grocery Shopping With Diabetes
What’s the best way to navigate and make healthy choices in the grocery store that’ll help you better manage your diabetes? Medtronic Diabetes Senior Diabetes Clinical Manager, Stacey Rhea, RD, LDN, CDE, shares her top 10 grocery shopping tips for keeping your home stocked with the healthy foods you need to stick to your diabetes […]Read More »5 Ways To Treat Low Blood Sugar
There are many ways I have treated a low blood glucose (BG) over the 10 plus years I have lived with type 1 diabetes, and I’ve determined how quickly my body reacts to particular items. Depending on my low, I use a different item to treat it, but always aim for 15 grams of fast […]Read More »Back From CES 2016: Using Data To Drive Better Diabetes Outcomes
As we’re transforming into a holistic diabetes management company, our goal is to provide leading technologies that leverage data and informatics to provide insights to help you better manage your diabetes. Living with diabetes includes a lot of data points (as you know, with all of the numbers that float around in your head, from […]Read More »Net Carbs Vs. Total Carbs: What Counts?
People often wonder if they should count their net carbohydrates or total carbohydrates, which appear on some nutrition labels. Medtronic Diabetes Clinical Manager for Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Katie Crupi-Sullivan, RD, CDE, tackles net carbs, and the advice she gives her patients with diabetes. Net carbs or total carbs: “I’m confused” One of my patients […]Read More »Partnering With IBM Watson Health To Develop Diabetes Solutions
Our progress to innovate diabetes solutions with our partner IBM Watson Health has yielded significant cooperative learning and discovery. Medtronic is also planning to leverage Watson technology to help patients, healthcare providers, and healthcare systems, from mobile applications to advancements in artificial pancreas technology, to transform diabetes care. Watch Jeff Ruiz, vice president, Diabetes Services […]Read More »My First 5 Impressions Of MiniMed Connect
Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of one, Taylor Lookofsky has had unique life-long experiences. Taylor was one of the first customers who received MiniMed Connect and has some feedback to share on what it’s been like to live with a new innovation in diabetes management. Here are 5 things I’ve learned about […]Read More »Diabetes Winter Hacks: 7 Tips To Staying On Track Cold Weather Season
A big thanks to Miranda Lowery, CDE, RD, for stopping by today with 7 tips for managing your diabetes even when the temperature drops. 1. Keep your diabetes devices and insulin out of the cold Just like extreme heat, extreme cold can affect your insulin (insulin solutions freeze near 32 degrees Fahrenheit), and we recommend […]Read More »Our 4 Favorite Books Of 2015
To help you sort through this year’s book offerings, we’ve put together four top reads we thought you might enjoy. What’s your favorite book of 2015 or of all time? Comment below for a chance to win an autographed copy of Rhythms! 1. Rhythms, by Francine R. Kaufman, M.D. When Dr. Kaufman wasn’t spending her […]Read More »Innovator Interview: Enlite Improvements
“Continuous improvements are a part of our process and culture, and we will never lose this focus.” Meet Brian Kannard, a Senior Program Manager from our continuous glucose monitor (CGM) Research and Development team who focuses on product development. His current project: advancing the Enlite sensor platform. Q. What is your connection to diabetes? A. […]Read More »7 Holiday Diabetes Management Tips
In the midst of all the holiday hustle and bustle, people with diabetes can have a mound of other stresses to contend with, such as blood sugar fluctuations as a direct result of a full calendar. Living with type 1 diabetes for over 25 years, MiniMed Ambassador, previous Medtronic Diabetes Clinical Manager and blogger Regina […]Read More »Holiday Diabetes Management: 5 Activities To Try This Season
Here in the U.S., the next few weeks are going to be filled with a lot of feasting and festivities, which can make it hard to stay on track with your health and fitness goals. At the same time, for most of us, eating well and staying active helps us manage stress and better enjoy […]Read More »Dating And Type 1 Diabetes
Socializing, friends, and close relationships are very important to anyone – with or without diabetes. Telling dates about your diabetes isn’t always easy, and how and when you tell them is a personal decision. Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 7, MiniMed Ambassador, Dakota, has had diabetes for 12+ years. Hear how he’s approaching […]Read More »Innovator Interview: MiniMed Connect
Developing new diabetes technology requires hard work from many people and MiniMed Connect was no exception. Today we introduce you to someone with a very important role in making it a reality, Cyrus Roushan. When he’s not busy guiding the MiniMed Connect team, which is composed of people across multiple departments and groups, you can […]Read More »The Role of Fiber In Diabetes Management
Today we welcome back Medtronic Diabetes Educator, Jessica Miller, RD, DE to talk about the importance of Fiber in healthy eating. Fiber is a type of carbohydrate found in plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grain breads and cereals. Unlike other types of carbs, the body can’t digest fiber, so instead of being […]Read More »Living Well With Diabetes? Show Us How And Enter Our Instagram Contest!
Managing diabetes is difficult and requires a lot of work every day. But you know that it doesn’t have to hold you back. Part of diabetes awareness means letting friends, family and the general public know that you can live well with this disease and chase your dreams – whatever those dreams may be. So, […]Read More »All About That Cure: 4 Little Girls Advocate For Type 1 Diabetes through Music Videos
Rarely do you see diabetes and pop culture mix, but these four girls have done just that. Meet Katherine, Maya, Mia, and Maggie. Four young girls thriving with type 1 diabetes who raise awareness about diabetes by making parodies of modern pop songs, changing them into them fun, educational videos about living with diabetes. Last […]Read More »Fall Back: Daylight Savings is Ending
Fall has arrived, which means Daylight Savings time is ending! On Sunday, November 2, most of us here in the United States will “Fall Back” our clocks by one hour (Yay for an extra hour of sleep!). The time on your insulin pump/continuous glucose monitor (CGM) determines your personal settings, including basal and bolus rates, […]Read More »3 Ways Peer Support Can Help With Diabetes Management
Diabetes is not an easy disease. From diagnosis to daily management, diabetes can cause a lot of self-doubt and at times, make you feel down. Peer support can help you assure yourself you are managing this disease the best you can, and there are ways to live a healthy lifestyle despite all of the negative […]Read More »Battling The Blues With Exercise
While feeling down from time to time is normal, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), studies have shown people with diabetes are at a greater risk for depression than people without diabetes. Medtronic Diabetes Clinical Manager, Gina Addy McKelvey, FNP, CDE, has been living with type 1 diabetes for 39 years and has had […]Read More »Teaching My Child About My Diabetes
As a single mother with type 1 diabetes, it was important for MiniMed Ambassador Jill Meyer to teach her daughter about her diabetes management and care from an early age so she could understand and help when mommy needed someone. She walks us through the different stages of teaching her daughter, and the lessons learned […]Read More »CGM Medicare Access Next Steps: Contact Your Local Committee Members!
We’ve made great progress since re-introducing the Medicare CGM Access Act of 2015 (H.R. 1427, S 804), which would require Medicare to cover continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) for seniors who are currently denied access to this important diabetes management technology. Thanks to you, we now have 28 Senators and 153 House Members co-sponsoring the bill, […]Read More »New Product Review: MiniMed Connect!
I’ve always worn a Medtronic pump and continuous glucose monitor (CGM), and I’ve always loved the fact they are integrated. My CGM graph is right on my hip, on the screen of my pump. But I’ll admit, there have been times I’ve wished I could view my graph somewhere else too. For example, on cold […]Read More »Now Available: MiniMed Connect!
As many of you know, in June we received FDA clearance of MiniMed Connect. Today, we’re thrilled to announce we’re now shipping the first and only product that discretely and conveniently displays both insulin pump and CGM data on your smartphone. Of course, it also allows caregivers to remotely monitor your diabetes data and can […]Read More »Living Positively: D-Mom Of 4 Children With Type 1 Diabetes
On the surface, Elissa Renouf looks like your typical mother of five beautiful, happy, healthy, well-loved children, four boys and one girl, ages 13 to 21. Digging further, you’ll learn their family’s life is a little more complicated than others – four children with type 1 diabetes (two with celiac disease), and one child with […]Read More »6 Tips For Protecting Your Peepers
The eyes are like the windows to the soul, and for people with diabetes, they’re also a window into revealing diabetes related eye diseases. Eye care is important, especially if you have diabetes, since you have an increased risk of developing eye complications. You can help lower your risk of eye complications with these six […]Read More »A Day In The Life: MDI VS. Insulin Pump Therapy with CGM
As someone who has lived with diabetes for over 11 years, I have experienced life with multiple daily injections (MDI), as well as an insulin pump therapy and continuous glucose monitor (CGM). Either way, I am still living with diabetes, but these two lifestyles are fairly different in the way I manage my disease, and […]Read More »Overcoming Fears: A Father With Type 1 Diabetes
Falsely diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at 27, diabetes dad and type 1 dad blogger, Gary opens up about being a father and how flying vintage war planes helped him overcome his fears of managing type 1 diabetes. Q. Can you start by sharing your diagnosis story? A. At the age of 27, I was […]Read More »My Favorite CGM Feature: High and Low Predictive Alerts
As a busy wife, mother, and student, MiniMed Ambassador Alexis, gives some credit of her successful diabetes management to her insulin pump and continuous glucose monitor (CGM). While insulin pump therapy changed her diabetes management, starting on CGM took her management to another level. Alexis shares her favorite CGM feature – High and Low Predictive […]Read More »Pitching A Winning Game Against Diabetes
(Photo: Christian J. Stewart / Independent Sports News) Recent high school graduate, Jonathan Buckley, thought his dream of being a pitcher was threatened when he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 12. Managing diabetes while playing sports is no easy task for a teenager whose body is going through typical growth […]Read More »Nighttime With Threshold Suspend
Diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 8, before blood glucose (BG) meters, Donna Winchester monitored her BG through regular urine tests several times a day. Over 35 years later, she is now managing her diabetes with the MiniMed 530G with Enlite. Recently, Donna had a nighttime experience with Threshold Suspend she shares with us […]Read More »Rest Up: 10 Tips To Improve How Well You’re Sleeping
Anyone who’s tossed and turned throughout the night, or has woken up feeling sluggish, knows how important it is to get a good night’s sleep and the misery of living without one. Sleep is important for our hormones to regulate a large number of our body’s processes, such as appetite, weight control, and our immune […]Read More »Managing Diabetes In School: From Pre-School To College
Starting a new school year often involves gathering school supplies and picking out a first-day-of-school outfit, but for parents of children with diabetes, there’s a lot more to it than that. Whether your child has had diabetes for years, is beginning a new school with diabetes, or you’re balancing school and diabetes for the first […]Read More »Take The Medtronic Community Member Survey
We love our community members and want to be sure we’re doing all we can to help you or your loved ones live a happier, healthier life with diabetes. To get a better understanding of who you are and how you use social media for diabetes information and support, we put together a quick survey […]Read More »Stress Less: 4 Tips For Helping Diabetes Related Stress
Stress is a very common problem for anyone, especially a person with diabetes. Throughout the day, there may be four or five different things that I am feeling stressed out about. Do I have enough time to meet a client deadline? My daughter, wife, and myself all have an appointment today. The pool needs to […]Read More »Why I Chose A Medtronic Insulin Pump
The decision to start insulin pump therapy is personal, and there’s no right answer to the question of when and whether to start. Initially hesitant to have something attached to her body, after 17 years of multiple daily injections (MDI), Adele Morgan decided it was her time to begin her journey pumping with Medtronic. Pumping […]Read More »MasterLab 2015: Raising Voices For Diabetes Advocacy
We had a great time sponsoring the second annual MasterLab Diabetes Advocates conference again this year in Orlando. Hosted by the Diabetes Hands Foundation, this event brings together leaders from across the diabetes community to speak and learn about diabetes advocacy. Wanting to provide advocates in the Diabetes Online Community (DOC) the tools to sharpen […]Read More »Get the most out of your diabetes doctor visit
In today’s healthcare environment, the time you spend face-to-face with your doctor can be limited. To get the most from your health care providers (HCPs) and help alleviate any anxiety you may feel about the appointment, preparation is key. Medtronic Diabetes Clinical Manager and Registered Nurse, Laura Golden, shares tips on how you can […]Read More »Two Pediatricians And A T1D Diagnosis
Like many other families, Dr. Stephen W. Russell and his wife, Dr. Gretel Russell, had no family connection to diabetes. They are also both pediatricians, though that didn’t prepare them for two new jobs in a new city – and a new diagnosis of diabetes for their daughter – all in the same summer. Not […]Read More »3 Steps To Help Manage Your Partner’s Diabetes
When dealing with diabetes, we can take it all on ourselves, or we can accept help from our loved ones. I believe the right way is whatever way works best in our individual lives (which is to say there is no single right way). And at times in my life, I have done each method. […]Read More »How To: Handle Common CGM Sensor Errors
The D-Force is back! This time, D-Force D-tective Lacquitta and Trendsetter Kelly take on CGM sensor errors. Need more CGM tips? Check out Enlite Insertion Technique and Performance and Helpful CGM Calibration Tips.Read More »Misconceptions About Insulin Pump Therapy And Type 2 Diabetes
Many people think that if you live with type 2 diabetes and use insulin pump therapy, it means you’ve failed in managing your diabetes. Unfortunately, it’s a misconception that Medtronic Diabetes Clinical Manager, Beth Spencer Kline, MSN, RN, NP-C, CDE, hears too often from patients. Type 2 diabetes is a progressive disease, and exercise and […]Read More »Medicare CGM Access Act Of 2015: The Next Step To Reach Our Goal
For more than a year, Medtronic has been engaged in a coalition effort to support legislation that will expand coverage for diabetes therapies under Medicare. As you know, Medicare does not yet cover CGM devices, leaving seniors with diabetes without access to this technology. We have received a lot of customer feedback about this and want […]Read More »New Partnerships Help Us Fulfill Our Vision for Diabetes Care
You may know Medtronic as your trusted partner in diabetes devices, like an insulin pump and CGM systems, but we aspire to be – and do – much more. We are moving beyond pumps and sensors and broadening our strategy to be a more holistic diabetes company that meets more of your needs and the […]Read More »New Clinical Trial Brings Artificial Pancreas Closer
As part of our commitment to greater freedom and better health for people with diabetes, Medtronic has been advancing artificial pancreas research and development for decades. It’s a step-by-step process toward a very important goal: allowing people with diabetes to achieve better clinical outcomes, spend less time on their diabetes management, and more time living […]Read More »Introducing Convenient Mobile Access To Your Pump And CGM Data With MiniMed Connect
Today we’re sharing some great news for people with diabetes, and their care partners and healthcare teams: we’ve receive FDA clearance of MiniMed Connect! This is the first product to allow people with diabetes to discreetly and conveniently view their insulin pump and CGM data on a smartphone. MiniMed Connect also provides remote monitoring and […]Read More »15 Tips For Diabetes Foot Care
When you have diabetes, it’s important to take good care of your feet, as you’re more vulnerable to foot problems because diabetes can damage your nerves and reduce blood flow to your feet. To ensure the best foot health, Certified Diabetes Foot Specialist and Medtronic Diabetes Clinical Manager, Tasha Kennon, RN, BS, CDE, shares 15 […]Read More »It’s All About the Trend: A Tour de Cure Cycling Adventure
Tour de Cure cyclist John Burger was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes almost 30 years ago. One of the coping mechanisms he found uplifting was becoming involved in diabetes advocacy, including participating in ADA’s Tour de Cure event to raise funds to stop diabetes. John found a real sweet spot for diabetes control with exercise […]Read More »Diabetes Show And Tell: Jaquita
Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 8, MiniMed Ambassador, Jaquita, struggled with diabetes throughout her teen years, but she never let it her stop her from becoming a mother of a vibrant little boy (and another on the way!), wife, colleague, and professional. She was introduced to insulin pump therapy in her […]Read More »Sleepover Tips For A Child With Diabetes
Kids want to be part of the group, and going to sleepovers is one of those typical childhood activities. While all parents may have their own concerns, for parents with children with type 1 diabetes, sleepovers can be a little more stressful. MiniMed Ambassador and D-Mom of a daughter with type 1 diabetes, Sue, shares […]Read More »Tour De Cure: Riding To Diabetes Acceptance
After a serious bout of the flu, Steve Moore was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 28. Initially difficult to accept his diagnosis, Steve realized a few years later it was time to better manage his diabetes through exercising, eating properly, and starting insulin pump therapy. His motivation to improve his diabetes […]Read More »Helpful CGM Calibration Tips
The D-Force is back! This time, MiniMed D-Force, Champion Jim, Busy Bee Cara, and D-tective Lacquitta talk about tips to help you calibrate your Enlite sensor for success. If you missed the first video, Enlite Insertion Technique and Performance, you can view it here! Have any questions? Let us know in the comments below. IMPORTANT […]Read More »Tips For Someone Considering Insulin Pump Therapy
Are you currently on multiple daily injections and considering insulin pump therapy? Meet these four individuals who all live with diabetes and wear a MiniMed insulin pump, and previously managed their diabetes with multiple daily injections (MDI). Hear what they have to say about making the switch! Already on pump therapy? Share your tips in […]Read More »Healthful Routines For Year-Round Diabetes Care
What types of things do you need to know about your routine care when you have diabetes and take insulin? How often do you need to see your doctor? What tests and checks are usually done? Let’s take a look at healthful routines to help you care for your diabetes throughout the year. Daily: Check […]Read More »Overcoming Diabetes Challenges
When Tracee was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 19, she wrestled with the physical and emotional challenges of having the disease. Being the only one in her immediate and extended family with diabetes, she felt it was unfair for her to deal with having a chronic disease when no one […]Read More »Debunking 6 Myths Of Insulin Pump Therapy
There are some common myths about insulin pump therapy, and if you’re thinking about pumping, it’s important to gather all your facts before making a decision to start. We asked Registered Dietitian and Medtronic Diabetes Educator of three years, Jessica, to debunk some of these myths for us and provide you with a better picture […]Read More »Drag Racing With Type 1 Diabetes
For a woman whose hobby is a volatile sport – namely drag racing close to 200 mph, the last thing to slow her down is her type 1 diabetes. Wynette was diagnosed with gestational diabetes during her first pregnancy at the age of 21. After giving birth, her gestational diabetes went away only to return […]Read More »Diabetes Show and Tell: Jonni Lightfoot
MiniMed Ambassador and professional musician, Jonni Lightfoot, has been living with type 1 diabetes since the age of 27 and pumping since age 29. You may remember the Air Supply bassist and band leader from his past LOOP blog posts, Rock N Roll Road Trip with Diabetes and A Little Help from a Friend: How […]Read More »My Experience Using Threshold Suspend
Now that I’ve been using my MiniMed 530G with Enlite for more than a year, I wanted to give some thought to my experiences with the Threshold Suspend feature. The short version is I rarely use it. However, the short version leaves out the most important parts of the story, so bear with me as […]Read More »Finding Confidence: Not Letting Diabetes Hold Me Back
I tend to play it safe a lot. But lately, I’ve been trying new things and pushing myself out of my comfort zone. It’s not because of some new-found motivation or inspiration, nor is it because I’m trying to prove something to myself. It’s for my son. I strive to be the best dad I […]Read More »Update: Expanding Access To CGM In Medicare
It’s a new year, a new Congress, and a new opportunity to provide Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) coverage for diabetes patients on Medicare! As we told you last year, Medtronic is engaged in a coalition effort to support legislation that will expand coverage for diabetes therapies under Medicare. Right now, Medicare does not cover CGM devices, […]Read More »Celebrating The LOOP’s 4th Blogaversary
It’s that time of the year again to celebrate the start of The LOOP blog, marking its fourth year! We want to give a huge thank you to all of our readers for taking the time to read our posts, comment, support, guest blog, and share The LOOP with others along the way. With over […]Read More »Spring Forward: Daylight Savings Starts Sunday
Spring is here, which means that it’s Daylight Savings time! On March 8, most of us here in the U.S. will “Spring Forward” our clocks by one hour. The time on your insulin pump/continuous glucose monitor (CGM) determines your personal settings (including basal and bolus rates), so you’ll want to make sure it is always […]Read More »6 Steps For Taping Your Enlite Sensor
Properly applying your Enlite overtape plays a key role in helping keep your sensor in place. Just as important, your Enlite overtape should be applied after the sensor is inserted, but before connecting the transmitter to the sensor. These 6 steps walk you through applying your sensor overtape to help reduce transmitter movement and protect […]Read More »To Pump Or Not To Pump
My decision to start insulin pump therapy started about 10 years ago. I was diagnosed in April 2004, and decided to start pumping December 2005. When I was first diagnosed, I left the hospital unsure on whether or not I could give myself shots every single day. But it’s a weird feeling, a natural instinct […]Read More »Balancing Life Amongst Diabetes
Trying to balance a career, blood glucose, toddler, and an active lifestyle has provided its fair share of challenges for Pumpin’ Crossfit Mom blogger, Gina Capone. And on top of that, she added in some CrossFit as well. Today, Gina shares how she manages to balance her life amongst type 1 diabetes. Can you relate? […]Read More »Diabetes Show And Tell: Caroline Carter
Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in the 5th grade, after a bout with mononucleosis (mono), MiniMed Ambassador, Caroline Carter, shares some of her diabetes insights, from what she carries in her bag, to her favorite awkward diabetes moment, to her diabetes superhero. You may remember this New Hampshire native from her past LOOP blog posts, […]Read More »Don’t Sweat It: Exercising with Type 1 Diabetes and an Insulin Pump
As Registered Dietitian and Medtronic Diabetes Clinical Manager, Nancy Lea, rings in the New Year, she anticipates her yoga studio will go from slightly overcrowded to masses of bodies crammed into tight rows. Their mats will be only inches apart from one another as they sweat and struggle through a 90-minute class. Exercise is […]Read More »Living With Diabetes: An Ode To Love Being Alive
The Times Square ball dropped. The Mummers did their thing. Champagne corks were popped. What will 2015 bring? Some new diabetes tech? A medical breakthrough? A dreamy thought, I admit But what can I do? With the New Year upon us, I just can’t sit and wait For someone else to pull strings That control […]Read More »Keep the Beat: Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease
Along with Valentine’s Day on the 14th, February is also American Heart Month. While cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the United States, adults with diabetes, both type 1 and type 2, are at an increased risk of heart disease and stroke than those without diabetes. Educating yourself on cardiovascular disease […]Read More »Meet Gretchen: One Amazing Woman with Diabetes Making a Difference
One of the 10 2014 Bakken Invitation honorees, Gretchen Merritt, has lived with type-1 diabetes most of her life. For Gretchen, who began using an insulin pump at age 22, diabetes does not hold her back from accomplishing her goals – including her passion to make a difference in the lives of others. On this […]Read More »A Type 1 Diabetes Diagnosis: One Year Later
After working for Medtronic over 10 years (8 years in Cardiac Rhythm Disease Management Clinical and 2 years in Global IT Clinical Support), Philip became a diabetes customer and patient. Just before Thanksgiving 2013, he came down with a cold that seemed to never subside. Having been a generally healthy person, Philip was shocked when […]Read More »Preparing for a Baby: From a Dad-to-Be with Type 1 Diabetes
Editor’s Note: I am so excited to introduce you to our newest guest blogger, Chris Stocker, from The Life of a Diabetic, who has lived with type 1 diabetes since the age of 19. Originally from Pennsylvania, Chris resides in South Florida with his wife, Amanda. Managing his own search engine optimization (SEO) company, CSI […]Read More »How To: Use CareLink Daily Summary Report
Questions often come up on the use of CareLink Personal therapy management software. This Web-based system brings together information from your insulin pump, continuous glucose monitor (CGM), blood glucose meter, and logbook, and organizes it into easy-to-read charts, graphs and tables. Once you are signed into CareLink and have uploaded your data, you can generate […]Read More »From Type 1 Diabetes to IronMan: A Triathletes Journey
“Diabetes is just a disease. I wasn’t going to let it define me.” IronMan is one of the longest and most strenuous triathlons in the world, made up of a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, and 26.2 mile run. It’s a challenging event for anyone and for someone with diabetes, it can be […]Read More »Introducing the MiniMed Ambassadors Program
Our customers often tell us how much they love their MiniMed insulin pump and CGM and how it helps them manage their diabetes, allowing them to focus on the things in life that matter most (family, friends, adventures etc.). But they also tell us that the decision to choose pump therapy was a big one […]Read More »Behind the Wheel with Diabetes
Today we’d like to welcome Senior Diabetes Clinical Manager, Certified Diabetes Educator, and Registered Dietitian, Donna Murray. Donna worked in various Dietitian roles for over 18 years, wrote nutrition articles for Livestrong, and started her own nutrition website Inside Out Nutritional Health before beginning her career at Medtronic Diabetes. She lives by the mantra “diabetes […]Read More »Under the Weather: 6 Tips for Managing Diabetes Sick Days
Being sick can be a real drag, even more so if you have diabetes. Managing your diabetes when you’re under the weather can be tricky, so we asked some of our MiniMed Ambassadors to share their sick day management tips. Here are 6 tips they shared that may help you manage your diabetes sick days. […]Read More »Choosing the Right Tool for the Job
There’s a saying that goes: “always choose the right tool for the job”. Well, when it comes to managing my blood sugars during the “busy season” between Halloween and New Years’ Day (or, for that matter, any other season), the right tool – the one I was born with – stopped working over thirty years […]Read More »5 Diabetes Meal Time Tips
Editor’s Note: We’re honored to have the blog post “5 Diabetes Meal Time Tips” featured on the Glu community. Registered Dietitian and Medtronic Diabetes Educator, Sandra, was diagnosed with type I diabetes at age 8, and her husband at age 11. It wasn’t until she became a Certified Product Trainer, training people with diabetes on […]Read More »Diapers, Drop-offs, Dancing… and Diabetes
Somewhere in-between putting on her super-hero cape in the morning and changing her reservoir late at night, Regina stops to take a breath. Registered Dietitian, Serving up Diabetes blogger, and living with type 1 diabetes for over 24 years, Regina shares her insight what it’s like to juggle good diabetes management amongst a full time […]Read More »15 Tips for Managing Diabetes during the Holidays
Today we welcome Certified Diabetes Educator, Registered Dietitian, and Diabetes Clinical Manager, Savanna Cummings. Savanna is dedicated to educating and providing the best possible outcomes for patients and healthcare providers using insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitoring systems, and believes in utilizing education and technology to achieve diabetes self-management for all people with diabetes. Today, […]Read More »Diabetes Show and Tell: Daniel Penner
Living with type 1 diabetes since age 4 has taken Daniel Penner many directions, including complications from diabetes which resulted in amputations of both of his legs below the knee. Trying to keep his diabetes under control with these complications was nearly impossible, or so he thought. About six years ago, Daniel and his doctor […]Read More »Raising Awareness For Diabetes
There’s no one right way to support a cause. Whatever your D-Type (our personality quiz to discover what makes you unique), you can be an advocate in YOUR own way. We asked some of our friends in the community how they raise awareness for diabetes, and here’s what they shared. How about you? What are […]Read More »5 Tips for Smart Snacking with Diabetes
Finding yourself reaching for that mouth-watering cookie, sugary candy bar, or bag of greasy chips when cravings hit? Don’t let hunger strikes derail your diabetes meal plan. Healthy snacks can help optimize your blood glucose control, support your overall diabetes diet, provide you with a boost of energy, and help you avoid overeating. The number […]Read More »Walking For A World Without Diabetes
Every October and November, I look forward to walking with the JDRF and ADA to help fund research to prevent and cure diabetes and improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. I love taking my kids, catching up with Medtronic customers, and uniting with the diabetes community to take each step by step […]Read More »The Power of Peer-to-Peer Advocacy
Editor’s Note: I am so excited to introduce you to our newest guest blogger, Scott E, from Rolling in the D, who has lived with type 1 diabetes for over 30 years. His wife and two sons are most important in his life, and Scott enjoys playing an active role in the online diabetes community, […]Read More »World Diabetes Day: Blue Circles Across the Globe
November 14 marks World Diabetes Day, an annual campaign led by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and its member associations that engages millions of people worldwide in diabetes advocacy and awareness. The day itself marks the birthday of Doctor Frederick Banting, whose research, along with Charles Best, led to the discovery of insulin in 1922. […]Read More »#TBT: History of the HelpLine
In the summer of 1986, Kelly Joy started at MiniMed as an intern tasked to write the first ever HelpLine manual. Kelly is now the Senior Director of Clinical Education at Medtronic and has devoted her Life of Helping to Improve the Lives of Those with Diabetes, growing up with a mother with type 1 […]Read More »Awkward Diabetes Moments
Life is full of awkward moments… or at least my life is. And since diabetes is with me every day, it’s also no surprise I’ve experienced more than a few awkward diabetes moments. I shared my favorite one in my recent Diabetes Show and Tell post, but I thought it might be fun to share […]Read More »A Spooky Halloween Roundup
Over the years, we’ve gathered some really neat Halloween articles from our awesome guest bloggers. This Halloween, we want to share a roundup of these great posts with you from tips for managing diabetes with all the trick-or-treat candy, to a Halloween diagnosis story, to Medtronic’s pumpkin carving festivities. What are your favorite Halloween blogs? […]Read More »Diagnosed at Age 2: Grandma’s Trooper Tony
Following weeks of extremely wet diapers, thirst, and weight loss, on a Sunday afternoon in February 2013, Sharon’s two year old grandson, Tony, was rushed to the Emergency Room and diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Six weeks later, little Tony started on a MiniMed Revel insulin pump. Diabetes has changed their family’s whole world, and […]Read More »How to Personalize Your Pump and CGM Alarm Settings
There are many different alerts and alarms built-in to insulin pump and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems today, which may be overwhelming if you turn them all on at once or set them to levels that aren’t right for you. Your MiniMed insulin pump and CGM allows you to personalize various features and alarms to […]Read More »Diabetes Show and Tell: Matt Kearney
Diagnosed with type one diabetes at the age of 12, Matt Kearney managed his diabetes with multiple daily injections (MDI) until 2006, when he landed himself in physical therapy rehab after a bad off-road motorcycle accident. It was during this time Matt assessed his health, and decided to start managing his diabetes with a MiniMed […]Read More »6 Tips for Healing Bruised Fingers
We know that with each blood glucose (BG) check, you are making a proactive decision to proactively manage your diabetes and we applaud you for that! In doing so, we’ve heard feedback from our customers that this can also become painful and frustrating over time so we wanted to see what we could do to […]Read More »Happy First Anniversary, MiniMed 530G with Enlite
We’ve hit a major milestone here at Medtronic Diabetes. Today marks the first anniversary of the first shipment of our newest innovation, MiniMed 530G with Enlite! Since we received FDA approval in September of 2013, thousands of people with diabetes have ordered the new MiniMed 530G system, which features Threshold Suspend technology that stops insulin […]Read More »CGM Sensor: 10 Support Tips to Know
Last month, we ran 10 support tips to know about your insulin pump, and this month we’re bringing you 10 support tips for your Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM). What other support tips would you like to see in the future? Let us know in the comments below. Did you know… 1. When inserting your Enlite […]Read More »Diagnosis Didn’t End the Run: Congratulations 2014 Global Heroes
Running long distances was never supposed to be easy, and it becomes even harder when your body becomes a barrier. For runners diagnosed with medical conditions, this is a reality. It’s so inspiring to see those impacted by medical technology overcome everyday hurdles, and each year, Medtronic hosts the Global Heroes program to celebrate some […]Read More »Insulin Pump Therapy: Why Did I Wait?
We often hear, “I don’t know why I waited so long to start on my insulin pump”, from individuals on insulin pump therapy. This phrase has not only come from our customers, but from our very own employees! In this article shared recently in the News to Infuse Newsletter, Medtronic Diabetes employee, Steven Sanders, shares […]Read More »In The First Few Hours of a New Sensor
Ever wonder what happens during those first few hours of your new sensor wear? What’s happening to the sensor, and why do you have to wait two hours before you start getting sensor readings? While it may be tempting to want a shorter initialization time frame, it’s important to follow the steps you learned in […]Read More »Important Update on Medicare CGM Access Act
As most of you know, continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) technology is a valuable diabetes management tool clinically proven to provide better glucose control[1][2]. While 95% of private health plans cover the technology, Medicare does not, denying Americans age 65 and older access to this critical technology. For more than a year, Medtronic, along with a […]Read More »Creating an Artificial Pancreas: Q&A with Carolyn Schmitz
Over the past three years, head of Research and Development (R&D) for the Insulin Delivery Closed Loop group, Carolyn Schmitz, has helped bring engineering solutions to insulin delivery products, paving the pathway toward an artificial pancreas. Passionate about helping the diabetes community, Carolyn and her team are committed to delivering diabetes technology that improves outcomes […]Read More »Insulin Pumps: 10 Support Tips To Know
Each month, we post 2-3 support tips on our Facebook page, and this month we’ve collected some of our most popular insulin pump support tips to deliver to you in one post for you to easily reference. Have questions after reading? Let us know in the comments below. Did you know… 1. Each of the […]Read More »What Worried Me About Insulin Pump Therapy
How is it going to make me feel? Where do I wear it? Will it be complicated to use? These are just a few of the concerns we hear from people when we ask them about their concerns for starting insulin pump therapy. Watch this video to hear four people living with diabetes share their […]Read More »4 Diabetes Books To Read
Looking for diabetes books to add to your summer reading list? You have plenty of sources, like Goodreads and the New York Times book reviews, to help you find your next book, but with over thousands of books, how do you choose which ones to read? Here are four of our top diabetes book recommendations. […]Read More »Why It’s Important to Advocate for CGM Coverage
Although I’ve only worn a Continuous Glucose Monitor for about 5 ½ of the almost 35 years I’ve had diabetes, I can’t imagine my life without it. And yet, for those on Medicare, that is a reality. Medicare does not approve coverage for CGMs. This fact both angers and scares me. I’ll admit that when […]Read More »Why Jim De Piante Calls His Diabetes a “New Hobby”
Project Manager and public speaker, Jim De Piante, was 53 years when he was diagnosed with latent autoimmune diabetes of adults (LADA), a form of type 1 diabetes that occurs in adults, often with a slower course of onset. Much like the rest of his life, he views his diabetes as more of a hobby […]Read More »CareLink Personal Gets an Upgrade!
Update – November 10, 2014: CareLink Personal is now compatible with OS X Yosemite (10.10)! We appreciate your patience while we worked to update, test, and validate CareLink with Mac’s latest operating system. Today, we’re excited to share that CareLink Personal will soon be compatible with more operating systems and software! The much anticipated support […]Read More »myMedtronic Connect App: Now Available for Android Devices
You may have already used the free myMedtronic app if you have an iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad, and today, it is finally available for Android devices! The myMedtronic Connect app provides on-the-go support for our customers, with the ability to order supplies and accessories, access helpful tools, set reminders, get travel tips, and read […]Read More »10 Tips for Teachers of Students with Diabetes
The upcoming school year is approaching and it’s time to start preparing your children for a successful year. If one (or more) of them live with diabetes, you have a little more planning than most to think about. Elementary school Principal with type 1 diabetes and MiniMed Ambassador, Vince Myers, who you may remember from […]Read More »4 Features of the Bolus Wizard
A lot of our customers give credit to the Bolus Wizard being one of their favorite features of their insulin pump because it takes out a lot of the guess work involved in day-to-day boluses. Guess work like, how much insulin is stacked up since the last time I gave a bolus to bring down […]Read More »How You Can Advocate for CGM Coverage
Editor’s Note (9/19/2014): We’re pleased to share that another key step has been taken in the legislative process! Representatives Tom Reed, Dianna DeGette, and Ed Whitfield have introduced companion legislation into the House of Representatives. Read this blog to learn more! When it comes to bills in Congress and important healthcare policy initiatives for people […]Read More »How To: Calibrate Your CGM System
When it comes to using continuous glucose monitors (CGM), there are a few pieces of information you learned during training that can impact your experience using the MiniMed 530G with Enlite. We recently asked some of our customers what CGM concept they needed a refresher course on, and the concept we heard consistently was “Calibrating […]Read More »How the MiniMed Insulin Pump Impacts Lives
Better control, more physical and emotional energy, increased confidence. These are just a few of the comments we often hear from people when we ask them about the impact a MiniMed insulin pump has had on their lives. Watch this video to learn more from four of these people. Want to share how insulin pump […]Read More »Diabetes Show and Tell: Karen Graffeo
Q. What diabetes items do you typically carry in your bag? I’m a chronic over packer, so it might be quicker to tell you what diabetes items I DON’T carry in my bag! But seriously, no cute little clutch bags for me – I carry a big purse loaded with diabetes supplies. The front pocket […]Read More »Mark Krukar’s Top 5 Faves about MiniMed 530G with Enlite
Like many who were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes 40-plus years ago, Mark Krukar spent a week in the hospital and was told he would have to take insulin shots every day for the rest of his life. In the early years, Mark did little to manage his diabetes, leading him to a disturbing wakeup […]Read More »Think Different: How To Fight Diabetes Like A Soldier
“Living with type 1 diabetes is like fighting to win a battle.” This is Medtronic Diabetes Senior Clinical Manager and author of Operation Determination, Mary Beth’s, mantra. Living with type 1 diabetes for 34 years, she educates and inspires others with diabetes through teaching them to adopt a motivational state of mind by continuously fighting […]Read More »New Study on Insulin Pumps and Type 2 Diabetes
We're really excited to announce the results from the Opt2mise trial have been published, and were presented at the American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions a few weeks ago. This is the largest global study to evaluate and compare insulin pump therapy versus multiple daily insulin injections in people with type 2 diabetes.Read More »#TBT: The Best Advice Given After Diagnosed With Diabetes
Being diagnosed with diabetes can prompt a lot of questions, confusion, and uncertainty. Once a Throwback Thursday ago, we asked some of our friends in the community for the best advice they received when they were first diagnosed with diabetes. Here's what they shared. How about you? What's the best advice you were told when diagnosed?Read More »How To Count Carbohydrates: 5 Tips to Keep You On Track
Counting carbohydrates (carbs) is important to do at meal and snack times to calculate the amount of insulin you'll need. Carbs are the one thing that can really affect our blood sugar and throw us into a tailspin, whether we have too many or not enough to match our insulin dose. Carb counting seems simple enough, but sometimes it can be a little tricky. Here are 5 tips from our clinical team to help keep you on track.Read More »Technology #TBT: MiniMed 508 vs MiniMed 530G with Enlite
Kitty Castellini joined the Medtronic family in 2000 when she started using the MiniMed 508 insulin pump. As you may recall from her 50 Year Journey with Diabetes blog, Kitty underwent a pancreatic transplant in 2004, and for some time did not need an insulin pump to manage her diabetes. In 2013, Kitty's transplanted pancreas failed, leading her back to insulin pump therapy. From the MiniMed 508, to the MiniMed 530G with Enlite, Kitty shares how far technology advancements have come.Read More »Sensor Glucose and Blood Glucose: What's the Difference?
Many of you have been wondering what the difference is between sensor glucose and blood glucose values. To help give you a better understanding, this video demonstrates and explains why the two values will rarely match and are expected to be different. Have questions after watching the video? Let us know in the comments below.Read More »How I Manage My Glucose Levels When I'm Under Stress
As I type this, my throat burns, my nose is drippy and red, and my ears feel sore and tingly. Oh? and my blood sugar? My blood sugar is running around 50% higher than I'd like, and every time I eat anything, it soars even higher. The stress of germs attacking my body makes blood sugar management harder than ever. My strategy includes running a bumped up temp basal, drinking lots of fluids, and constantly trying to remind myself not to let those out of range numbers aggravate me.Read More »Making A Diabetes Difference In Haiti 2014: Part II
A couple days ago, Dr. Kaufman shared her initial thoughts as she arrived to Haiti for the fourth time with her husband, Neal, to help out the first ever diabetes camp for the third year.Today, Dr. Kaufman reflects on her four-day journey helping to improve diabetes care and outcomes for children in Haiti.Read More »Making a Diabetes Difference in Haiti 2014: Part I
For the third year in a row, Dr. Kaufman and her husband, Neal, returned to Haiti for their fourth time to provide aid to the country's first ever diabetes camp, determined to bring better diabetes care and outcomes for Haitian children. In the first entry of this two-part series, Dr. Kaufman shares her initial feelings and experience as she and Neal arrive to Haiti and the new camp site.Read More »New Consensus Statement from AACE and ACE on Insulin Pump Therapy
This week, the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) and the American College of Endocrinology (ACE) updated their consensus statement on insulin pump therapy. If you or someone in your life lives with diabetes, you may be wondering: 1) what is a consensus statement and 2) what does this mean for me?Read More »A Little Help from a Friend: How I Started Insulin Pump Therapy
When we last heard from Jonni Lightfoot, he shared how he manages his diabetes while on the road with his band, Air Supply, for more than 200 days a year. Today, Jonni takes us back 15 years to how he got started on the MiniMed insulin pump with a little help from his friend. Tell us, how did your journey start?Read More »Cary Talbot Talks Future Product Development and Customer Feedback
Director of Marketing for the Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) business, Cary Talbot, leads an entire team focused on planning the development of future CGM systems. His team focuses on understanding our customers, their perspective on current products, and what they need to better manage diabetes. Cary shares insights into how customer feedback gets incorporated in the CGM product development cycle through his Marketing team's activities.Read More »5 Tips for Getting Motivated to Exercise and Eat Well
Whether you're a health nut, fitness fanatic, or thinking about starting healthier habits or an exercise routine, motivation is key. As a health conscious person and an avid exerciser myself, I even have days where I have to motivate and pump myself up to eat healthy, or get my butt to the gym, yoga studio, or on a hike. We all know eating well and regular physical activity can help balance your physical and mental health.Read More »Connection Between Gratitude And Living Well With Diabetes
Motivational speaker, Ken Ellis, has successfully managed type 1 diabetes for more than 53 years, and continues to stay motivated through maintaining an attitude of gratitude for the positive things in life. For the past 25 years, rather than bemoan his fate, Ken facilitates hospital and community diabetes support groups, helping hundreds of people.Read More »Diabetes Show and Tell: Kelly Kunik
Diabetesaliciousness blogger, Kelly Kunik, shared her One Spooky Halloween Diagnosis story with us back in October, and has joined us again today to share some of her most memorable moments living with type 1 diabetes. Kelly was not alone in her diabetes diagnosis, as 4 of her 8 immediate family members were also diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, as well as a handful of extended family members.Read More »Thank You Arizona State Legislature!
Today, we're sending a very big THANK YOU to the Arizona State Legislature for passing a budget that restores access to insulin pumps for adults with diabetes in the state's Medicaid program. Until now, the Arizona Medicaid program included coverage for children with type 1 diabetes. However, once these children turned 21, they were no longer eligible for an insulin pump or supplies.Read More »10 Things to Know When Switching to MiniMed 530G with Enlite
Michelle Shaw is a daughter, friend, wife, mother of three boys (ages 8, 6, and 4), registered nurse, Medtronic employee, an athlete, and a person living with type 1 diabetes for 27 years. After pumping for 17 years, and wearing a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) for 7 years, Michelle recently switched from the MiniMed Paradigm Revel and Sof-sensor to the MiniMed 530G with Enlite. This article was previously published in our News to Infuse Newsletter, and we thought you'd enjoy us sharing it!Read More »TrialNet: Screening for Type 1 Diabetes
You may remember guest blogger Amanda Griswold's entry on deciding to have her son screened for autoantibodies predictive of the development of type 1 diabetes through the research program, TrialNet. Today, we want to remind you of this program, and how it can help us learn more about how type 1 diabetes develops and ways to delay and prevent it.Read More »Managing Type 2 Diabetes with Insulin Pump Therapy
In 2002, at the age of 39, Tony was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. His primary care doctor started him on the usual diabetes regimen he started all his patients on - oral diabetes medications, and was told to get a blood glucose meter, test a couple times a day, and lose weight. As he left his doctor's office, he was given two pamphlets about diabetes and was wished "good luck". Tony takes you through his struggle managing type 2 diabetes, and how insulin pump therapy changed his life.Read More »Diabetes Show And Tell: Scott
Scott was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 1981, at the age of seven. When he and his wife decided to start a family, Scott became more focused on his diabetes care; he connected with other people who have diabetes through online forums, and in 2006, started using an insulin pump. He finds balancing his family life, full-time engineering job, and diabetes advocacy work to be nearly as challenging as balancing his blood sugars.Read More »How To: Use the Threshold Suspend Feature
Our latest integrated system, MiniMed 530G with Enlite, offers the new feature of Threshold Suspend. Threshold Suspend is a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) enabled feature that is designed to automatically stop insulin delivery when your sensor value reaches or falls below a pre-set threshold. You may have heard the news about this important step toward a fully automated artificial pancreas, but how does it actually work?Read More »Intensely Inspiring Others With Type 1 Diabetes
As a college student, Lyndsay Riffe studied nutrition to become a dietitian. She had developed a deep understanding and passion for the human body's complex relationship with food during her childhood, after she was diagnosed with diabetes at age three. Lyndsay thought the influence of diabetes on her professional life would end there.Read More »Insulin Pump Therapy: I Wish I Knew Then What I Know Now
My first son was diagnosed fifteen years ago at eight months old. Back then, we used a flurry of different insulins, trying to find the best regimen for him. Every day was a marathon. We jumped through hoops to make our daily routine match the demands the insulin had on our son.Read More »The LOOP Celebrates Its 3rd Blogaversary!
Today, we are celebrating The LOOP blog's 3rd blogaversary! Since the launch of our blog, we have enjoyed continuing to find new ways to connect with you in the online such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Through all these channels, it's been exciting to share success and community generated stories, help and support tips, industry news and announcements, while connecting with many amazing people in the Diabetes Online Community.Read More »50 Year Journey With Diabetes
Kitty Castellini has more than 50 years of experience with diabetes. In 2004, she underwent a pancreas transplant. In 2013, Kitty's transplanted pancreas failed and her type 1 diabetes returned. She shares her lifelong story of diabetes with you today.Read More »My Initial Thoughts On The MiniMed 530G With Enlite
When my new MiniMed 530G with Enlite system arrived on my doorstep early November, excitement washed over me. It also brought temptation to rip open the boxes and get started right away, but I knew I needed to wait for my training session. Training happened smack dab in the middle of November, and now that I've used the new system for a while, I'd like to share some observations and some things I wish I had known.Read More »Rock N Roll Road Trip With Diabetes
For the last 13 years, Jonni Lightfoot has been touring the world with diabetes as the bass player and bandleader for the 80's band, Air Supply. Jonni is away from home about 200 days of the year, spending most of his time travelling to exotic places and performing to sold-out shows on a nightly basis. Today, Jonni joins us to talk about how he manages his diabetes with the MiniMed 530G with Enlite while away from home performing.Read More »Diabetes Show And Tell: Cara Richardson
Cara Richardson was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of four, and started on insulin pump therapy in 2006. When she's not working to support her insulin needs, she is blogging at CountryGirlDiabetic. Read on to see what essentials this blogger carries in her bag, interesting diabetes experiences she has encountered, and some insight into her personal life with diabetes.Read More »The Type 1 Diabetes Trio: Caleb Hatchett
When Caleb Hatchet was in recovery from surgery on his femur January 2013, he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, making him the eldest and third child in his family to be diagnosed. "Due to the fact that it had been over two years since Daniel's diagnosis, for me to get type 1 would be more of a joke than reality," says Caleb, now 18 and a college student. After being diagnosed, reality struck, and he was now the third child in his family diagnosed with type 1 in three years.Read More »Inspired To Action: Our Third Diabetes Advocate Forum
At the end of our 3rd Diabetes Advocate Forum, I wasn't lying when I tweeted I was about to cry. Surely I was exhausted because it had been a long 60 hours and the end of many weeks of planning. But I mostly wanted to hang on to the feeling of a group of people coming together and finding new ways to work together to help people with diabetes. While Medtronic only played a small part of that - as it was the attendees with all of their ideas, energy and projects that came together.Read More »From MDI To MiniMed 530G: 20 Years Of Diabetes Tech Changes: Steven Rubenstein
Steven Rubenstein has been around diabetes his whole life, growing up with a mother and father who have the condition. A young man admitted to the hospital for liver failure, Steven, then 20, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Although his diagnosis was a shock, he felt it was easier to deal with since he had grown up around it. Steven shares how diabetes management technology has changed throughout the past 20 years, from using multiple daily injections, to the new MiniMed 530G with Enlite.Read More »Traveling Across The World With Type 1 Diabetes: Michael DiFiore
After Michael DiFiore enjoyed a career at Medtronic for 10 years, he recently started a new life chapter determined to travel the world. Michael shares his journey managing his type 1 diabetes while traveling across the world to India. Thanks Michael for sharing your story and tips for others managing diabetes while traveling.Read More »The Lowdown on Managing Diabetes During Exercise
Although I know regular exercise is very beneficial to those with diabetes, it's always been a struggle for me. Several years ago my Facebook feed was filled with posts about the Couch to 5K program. It felt like everyone I knew was training for a 5K. Something about those posts hooked me, and before I knew it, I was training for a 5K too. My husband Pete and I even signed up for a local 5K race.Read More »The Enlite Sensor: Interview With An Innovator
One of the most fulfilling parts of my job is the opportunity to collaborate on projects, brush shoulders in the hallway with people who I consider extremely smart, inspirational, and committed to the work they do for people with diabetes. Eric Larson, a Mechanical Engineering Manager for Sensor and Research Development, is NO exception! Eric was a monumental force behind the brand new Enlite sensor and its important components like the Enlite serter.Read More »Life Is A Journey, Not A Race: Vince Myers
It is my pleasure today to introduce Vince Myers. Vince was the first person in the United States to receive the MiniMed530G system, and is an extremely motivating guy. After 6 years of being on just an insulin pump, Vince's A1C hung around 7.0, but his inactivity had taken a toll on his body, making him feel sluggish and out of shape. Determined to get in better health, Vince began training for his first 5k race one year ago, and just finished his first 10k last month.Read More »Diabetes Month: Walking For A Cure With JDRF And ADA
One of the reasons I enjoy working for Medtronic is because of the employees' willingness to get involved and reach out to the diabetes community. The leaders of the organization encourage employees to live out the mission: alleviating pain, restoring health, and extending life. Partnering with our local JDRF and ADA teams in Los Angeles and San Antonio to raise money for a cure is a great way to do this!Read More »A Lifetime Of Helping To Improve The Lives Of Those With Diabetes: Kelly Joy
Today, I am so pleased to introduce you to Kelly Joy, the Senior Director of Education and Professional Relations here a Medtronic. Kelly has devoted her life to improving the lives of those living with diabetes. Growing up with her mother having type 1 diabetes, Kelly knows first-hand the impact that diabetes has on the family unit. She has worked for Medtronic for over 25 years, and has held a variety of positions within the organization over that time.Read More »What's New About Enlite: Medtronic's Newest CGM Sensor
Since launching MiniMed 530G with Enlite a few weeks ago, many customers have asked us how Enlite is different from previous sensors. So, we went to Jeff Myers, Product Manager from our CGM team, to give us the scoop. Here's what he had to say.Read More »What The Customer Experience Means To Me: Jeff Anglin
If a Medtronic Employee ever hears the word "Customer Experience", it's likely that the name "Jeff Anglin" comes to mind. It is with pleasure that I introduce to you, our Director of Customer Experience, Jeff Anglin. Jeff has been with Medtronic for 11 years and is our go-to person when it comes to anything related to the customer. Each day, he and his team strive to make sure the voice of the customer is heard and that your needs as a person with diabetes are continuously taken into account.Read More »Medtronic And Lilly Join As National Sponsors Of The JDRF Walk To Cure Diabetes
Today, I'm proud to announce that Medtronic is partnering with Lilly Diabetes to serve as the national presenting sponsors of the 2014 JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes events! As the national presenting sponsors, Medtronic and Lilly will host educational booths at select local events and will work with our employees to form Walk teams at each location. The sponsorship, a first for JDRF and the Medtronic-Lilly Alliance, will help JDRF fund more than half a million dollars for type 1 diabetes research.Read More »One Spooky Diagnosis Story
On Halloween, third grader Kelly Kunik anticipated dressing up, trick-or-treating, and eating candy with her friends. Instead, she was learning about insulin and what a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes would mean for the future of her childhood. Kelly now wears a MiniMed pump and serves as a blogger and diabetes advocate. We are so glad that she shared her Halloween diagnosis story with us! Leave Kelly a note of encouragement in the comments, and be sure to wish her a Happy Diaversary!Read More »In Case You Missed It: California Ruling On Access To Insulin For Students
Recently, our News to Infuse newsletter team sat down with Dr. Francine Kaufman to discuss a California Supreme Court ruling that trained non-licensed school personnel can assist California's students in administering insulin if needed. Because this issue is so important, and because the ruling impacts the daily care of more than 10,000 students living with diabetes in California/.Read More »A Thirty Year Journey With Medtronic
I've met a lot of people with diabetes, and Cindy Tenney is one that stands out as one of the most fascinating. She was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 13 and has lived a full life with diabetes. When it comes to diabetes technology, she's seen it all as she wore our very first insulin pump, the MiniMed 502.Read More »MiniMed 530G With Enlite: Your Top Questions Answered
Since announcing the news that we received FDA approval of MiniMed® 530G with Enlite on Friday, it's been great to hear so many of you share in our excitement about this new product and critical first step toward a fully automated artificial pancreas. Hearing from you here on The LOOP as well as on Facebook and Twitter, as always, is really wonderful. In addition to sharing enthusiasm for this new technology, you've asked many very good questions.Read More »Breastfeeding And Managing Your Diabetes
We've heard from some magnificent moms with diabetes in the past. Remember Cheryl and Elisa? Today, we hear from Shannon Massi Yuri, a mom to three beautiful kids, including a set of twins! Being able to breastfeed her children was very important to Shannon. Read her story below to hear how she did it and share your experiences with us in the comments.Read More »Introducing The MiniMed 530G With Enlite
Today we have some wonderful, long-awaited news to share with all of you! The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the MiniMed 530G® system with Enlite®, a breakthrough, first-generation artificial pancreas system with Threshold Suspend automation for people with diabetes.Read More »Addicted to Diabetes Data
I'm kind of a nerd. I love data and graphs and stats. I loved every math class I ever took. So pouring over all the charts and information in my CareLink reports is right up my alley. I set a reminder on my calendar to upload my pump every Friday so the reports are always current and ready to go. Of course, there is a lot of information there, and sometimes I only have time to quickly look at the most helpful information.Read More »Running Toward Your Dreams: Congratulations To The 2013 Medtronic Global Heroes
If you live with the help of a medical device, you have at least a few additional hurdles to face in order to live well and accomplish your goals. That's why it' so inspiring to see people overcoming these hurdles in both everyday ways and really big ones. To celebrate some of these big accomplishments, every year Medtronic hosts the Global Heroes program.Read More »Cyclist With Type 1 Diabetes Rides For Cancer Awareness: Part 2
Today, I'm excited to share with you another post from guest blogger, Gilpreet Kooner who we first introduced you to back in July when she told us her inspiring story. Gilpreet teamed up with a local charity and was planning to cycle with a team of others all the way from Texas to Alaska to fight and bring about cancer awareness! I'm happy to report that Gilpreet completed this amazing once in a life-time journey and has stopped back to share a little about her ride.Read More »A Finger Prickin Good Diabetes Story
Today, I'm happy to introduce you to Brooke Wheeler. Brooke is the mom of an adorable little boy named Carson, who lives with type 1 diabetes. Read their diagnosis story and be sure to check out her website to learn how she is giving back to the diabetes community.Read More »My Decision To Begin Using A Continuous Glucose Monitor
When I made the leap from multiple daily injections to using a pump more than five years ago, it was a tough decision for me. Last year I wrote a post about the fears that held me back for so long and why I'm so glad I finally overcame them. But after I had been pumping for six months I decided to add a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) to the mix, and that decision was quite an easy one for me.Read More »Off To Boarding School With Diabetes
Earlier this year we introduced you to Ed Monas, who you learned has many titles, two of which are Director of Sales Initiatives and Distributor Operations here at Medtronic and "diabetes dad." Ed and his wife Linda have a son Grey who has had type 1 diabetes since he was 10 months old. Grey is now a teenager and taking more and more responsibility for his own diabetes. Last fall, he even spent a semester at boarding school 2,000+ miles away from home.Read More »Summertime Diabetes Management Routines: Extreme Heat Edition
Our friends in the diabetes community have recently shared some great tips on how to wear an insulin pump in the summertime and how to manage your diabetes when swimming. Today we wrap up this series as they share tips specifically for when those temperatures get really extreme. How about you ? how are you braving the heat this summer?Read More »Meet Diabetes Advocate, George Dove
I am constantly amazed at young people affected by type 1 diabetes for their resilience, bravery, and ability to seemingly step beyond their years to advocate within their local, regional, and national communities to increase awareness, fund research, and improve therapy coverage. While most kids are concentrated on school, sports, and playing with their friends, these amazing young adults somehow find time for all of that and time for spreading awareness and educating others about diabetes.Read More »Introducing Your New Medtronic Online Experience
If you're a Medtronic customer, you might have noticed that over the last year we've been making changes to our online tools to improve your online customer experience. This summer we've launched two anxiously awaited online options. You have been requesting these changes for a while now and I want you to know that we've listened! We're thrilled to announce the launch of Online Auto Reorder and Online Bill Pay!Read More »Back To School Reference Guide For School Nurses
With another back-to-school season just around the corner, many of us are thinking about all of the things we need to do to prepare our children for a successful year in school. With all of the stressors that go along with preparing for a new school year such as school supply shopping, packing and preparing for a new classroom, teacher, coursework and routine, it's easy to become overwhelmed. This feeling can be amplified when also planning for a child who has diabetes.Read More »Friends For Life: Celebrating Life, Joy, Empathy And Strength
Last year at the Medtronic Diabetes Advocate Forum, my friend and fellow D-dad Bennet Dunlap looked me in the eye and said "You need to go to Friends for Life. It's a life-changing experience." Fast-forward to a few weeks ago, when I took a break from my busy work schedule (I traveled over 100,000 miles last year), and took my sons Hayden (14, T1DM, celiac, egg allergies) and Hunter (8, egg allergies) to Orlando to attend the 14th annual Children With Diabetes Friends for Life Conference.Read More »Myth Vs Reality: Insulin Pumps And Continuous Glucose Monitors
Today, Amanda Griswold from the Customer Experience Team here at Medtronic joins us to talk about questions that people commonly have before going on an insulin pump and/or continuous glucose monitor (CGM). What are some questions you had before trying a pump/CGM and how do you feel now?Read More »Summertime Diabetes Management Routines: Swim Edition
You recently heard from some of our friends in the diabetes community who shared their tips for how to wear an insulin pump in the summertime. Today they're back to talk about diabetes management tips when going swimming. If you're hitting the beach, pool or lake this weekend, make sure to read on!Read More »Summer Diabetes Management Routines: Fashion Edition
Summertime brings warmer weather, which means a lighter wardrobe of skirts, shorts and swimwear. So, we asked some of our friends in the diabetes online community for some tips on how they wear their insulin pumps with summer fashion. Read what they had to say, then tell us your own tips in the comments!Read More »Diabetes Technology In The Family Home
Today, I'd like for you to meet Kristin Rohlman. She's a first grade teacher in Kansas with three lovely children: Levi, Lexianne, and Lucas. Lucas was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes last year and this has changed many aspects of the lives of each person in their family. But it hasn't stopped them from having an active lifestyle by enjoying many sports, including playing baseball, biking, and swimming.Read More »Important Safety Update For Paradigm Reservoirs
At Medtronic, making quality products that our customers can trust is our top priority. We are committed to improving our products, as well as communicating with you about potential issues when they arise.
As part of that commitment, we are voluntarily recalling certain manufacturing lots of the insulin reservoirs used with our Paradigm insulin pumps. This recall affects approximately 13% of the volume of reservoirs Medtronic manufactures in a year.Read More »Cyclist With Type 1 Diabetes Rides For Cancer Awareness
Today, I'm very excited to share with you the first blog of a four-part series from new guest blogger, Gilpreet Kooner. Gilpreet is a recent biomedical engineering graduate from the University of Texas at Austin. Living with type 1 diabetes for the last five years, Gilpreet embodies a "Living Without Limits" lifestyle. To prove it, she has teamed up with Texas 4000 and will adventure on a 70-day cycling trip from Texas to Alaska this summer, all in the name of fighting cancer.Read More »Wishing All Dads A Happy Father's Day!
In honor of Father's Day this upcoming Sunday, we want to take the opportunity to thank all you Dads, step-dads, granddads and honorary dads for all you do! To celebrate this special day with our community, we decided to share a few of the wonderful stories submitted by our customers to our News to Infuse newsletter last year. Please take a moment to read these sentimental stories, and then share your own tribute to your dad in the comments below.Read More »Important Update For Medtronic Customers
Here at Medtronic Diabetes, we're committed to keeping customers like you informed about issues and solutions concerning our products and services. Your safety is absolutely our top priority, which is why I'm writing today to let you know about a potential safety issue and provide you with information on how you can avoid it.Read More »My Thoughts On The New CONTOUR NEXT LINK Meter
My very first blood glucose meter was probably about the size of a brick, and in my mind it was as heavy as a brick too. This was back in the early 1980's when meters required a huge blood sample (by today's standards) and several minutes to give a reading, but it was so much better than the urine testing that had been my only option. Over the years I've watched meters grow smaller and faster and easier to use.Read More »An International Diabetes Perspective: Kyle Jacques Rose
Today, it's my pleasure to introduce you to Kyle Jacques Rose, a true global ambassador for diabetes. Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 16, Kyle has quite a story. His career has evolved from engineer to professional athlete/diabetes advocate to university faculty at INSEAD; he speaks four languages and has resided in as many continents.Read More »Diabetes Education And Camping
As the school year comes to a close, we begin to shift our mindset into summer mode and all of the activities that go along with the season. Diabetes Camp is a great opportunity for kids to get active, make new friends and learn more about diabetes management. However, for many parents of kids with diabetes, sending their child away from home for a week can be cause for concern.Read More »5 Summer Alarm Bells For D-Parents
As acting pancreases, we do a lot more thinking than we give ourselves credit for. When it comes to diabetes we make thousands of decisions a day. Many of which come so naturally it's hard to process the true amount of brain capacity it takes to keep the numbers in check. Summer tends to be my big wake up call. A shift in the boys' insulin needs begins, and as such I need to make many more conscious diabetes decisions than normal.Read More »Mommyhood And Diabetes
You've heard from Elisa Marchetti before in the blog post about her travel adventures from Costa Rica to China and her touching story in the Medtronic edition of You Can Do This. Today, Elisa shares the story of becoming a new Mommy! Read on about her experiences entering into Mommy-hood, and allow us to take this time to wish Elisa and all the moms out there a Happy Mother's Day!Read More »Remembering Dr. Rubin
A few weeks ago, the diabetes community lost a very dear friend, Dr. Richard R. Rubin. An associate professor of medicine and pediatrics for The Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Rubin spent his career helping people with diabetes and their families manage the emotional and psychological challenges of the disease.Read More »Haiti 2013: Diabetes Management And The Magic Of Laughing Children Part 2
Editor's Note: Today, Dr. Kaufman shares her closing thoughts on her experiences from her most recent trip to Haiti, where she helped with their second-ever diabetes camp. If you're just now joining us for her story on this years trip, please be sure to check out Haiti 2013: Diabetes Management and the Magic of Laughing Children.Read More »Meet Diabetes Dad Ed Monas
Anyone with children will tell you how difficult it can be to balance both career and family ? probably even more difficult than they ever imagined before the kids arrived. Now imagine you're a successful attorney with a demanding career as a partner in a law firm. And then your first baby ? at only 10 months old ? is diagnosed with diabetes.Read More »Tying the Knot with Diabetes
For most men and women, their wedding day is one they'll never forget. It takes a tremendous amount of planning to make this day special, and maybe even a little more so for those with diabetes. Today, we share with you a special guest post from professional golfer and pumper, Carling Coffing.Read More »Haiti 2013: Diabetes Management And The Magic Of Laughing Children
Editor's Note: Last year, we shared with you a three-part-series from Dr. Francine Kaufman about her experiences visiting Haiti in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake and helping with their first-ever diabetes camp (Return to Haiti Part 1, Return to Haiti Part 2, Return to Haiti Part 3. This year, Dr. Kaufman and her husband - Dr. Neal Kaufman - returned to Haiti to help children with diabetes without aid.Read More »Diabetes Advocate Competes in Outstanding Teen Program
One of my favorite things about our community is hearing inspiring stories of people living well with diabetes while pursuing and achieving so many different dreams ? sports, music, art, travel, education and so much more. You may remember high school freshman Caroline Carter from her recent guest blog here on The LOOP, Advocating for Diabetes in the Big Apple.Read More »Important Update for Medtronic Diabetes Customers
Here at Medtronic Diabetes, we're committed to continuing to improve our products and to enable people to better manage their diabetes. The safety of you, our customers, is absolutely our top priority. This is why I'm writing today to let you know that, if you are a Medtronic customer who uses a Paradigm insulin pump, this week you and your healthcare provider will receive a letter from us in the mail. This letter is a voluntary notification about two potential issues with your pump.Read More »Road Trip With Diabetes
Today we welcome back our favorite sky-diver with diabetes, Michael Craig, who's here to share some exciting news - he's moving across the country for an exciting new job with the JDRF! Of course, new jobs are stressful and moving is a hassle for anyone. But there's even more to think about and plan for if you live with type 1 diabetes. Hear how Michael is managing it all and join us in congratulating him on such an exciting time in his life!Read More »March Madness in Las Vegas - Diabetes Edition
You may remember Brett Griswold from some of our previous blogs such as On Love and Diabetes, Screening for Type 1 Diabetes and When to Tell Your Valentine about your Diabetes. Today, Brett shares with us how he prepares to manage his diabetes while vacationing in Las Vegas during March Madness. How do you prepare for vacation?Read More »St. Patricks Day Tradition Meets Diabetes Management
Growing up in a household full of Irish heritage, St. Patrick's Day has always been one of my favorite holidays. I love the tradition of green shamrocks, cornbeef and cabbage and Irish music. So I was thrilled when a customer shared a photo of playing a bagpipe in a St. Patrick's Day Parade. Thanks Jennifer for sharing your tips for managing to pump while playing the long route.Read More »Joy On Using The MiniMed To Help Manage Her Childs Diabetes
Today, we hear from Jake's mom, Joy. She talks about how she was initially nervous to transition to insulin pump therapy to help manage Jake's type 1 diabetes. She found that with practice it became easier and now even brings her peace of mind. Listen to her story and tell us: what were your concerns before starting your child on insulin pump therapy and what's life like for your family now?Read More »The LOOP Celebrates Its 2nd Blogaversary
When we started the LOOP blog two years ago, it was our first significant step forward into the world of social media. Since then, we have started our Twitter and Facebook communities and we are so pleased with how engaged and united each of you has been. Today marks the two year blogaversary for The LOOP and so we wanted to take a moment to celebrate and recognize this special occasion! To do this we've rounded up some of our all-time favorite blogs from the past two years.Read More »Meet Jack: 13 And Living With Diabetes
Regardless of age, the decision to use an insulin pump to help manage diabetes is a huge decision for both the person of diabetes and their loved ones. We recently sat down with 13-year-old Jack to talk about his decision to go on the pump and how it's affected his day-to-day diabetes management. To hear even more from Jack, be sure to check out his video on WebMD.Read More »The Scary Experience Of Diabetic Ketoacidosis
Today, we're excited to share with you another guest blog from Katie Janowiak, who works for the Medtronic Foundation, our company's philanthropic arm. When she first told me her story about food poisoning and Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA), I knew others could benefit from hearing it as well. Thanks Katie for your openness and allowing us to share your scary story so that the LOOP community can learn from it.Read More »When To Tell Your Valentine About Your Diabetes
It's one thing to be open with family and friends about diabetes and the impact it has on your life, but what happens when you start dating someone? Many people wonder when is the right time to share with a significant (or potentially significant) other about life with diabetes. In honor of Valentine's Day we reached out to a few friends to hear what they had to say. Check out their answers below and share your opinion in the comments.Read More »Which Infusion Set Is Right For You?
A new year often brings change, and one of these might include changing the type of infusion set you wear. Infusion sets come in different kinds, each with different tubing and cannula length options. Based on lifestyle changes, your body type, and fluctuations in individual needs, your healthcare team might recommend looking into other infusion sets. Since there are many options, this is a popular topic.Read More »Life In The Wintry Mountains
It is my pleasure today to introduce competitive ski racer, Nick Ward. Nick is an extremely inspirational young guy. After his diabetes diagnosis, he was told he wouldn't be able to continue his pursuit of a competitive ski career. Passionate and driven, Nick pressed forward and continues on his quest of one day representing our nation as part of the U.S. Olympic Team.Read More »Introducing New Social Community Manager: Naomi Kingery
Today, I am thrilled to introduce you to our new community manager, Naomi Kingery. Many of you are already familiar with Naomi from reading her support tips and personal stories here on The LOOP, or perhaps reading her personal blog, Diabetic Diva. Personally, Naomi has been a huge inspiration. After reading Naomi's first book about being diagnosed and living with diabetes as a teen, "Sugar Free Me," I was motivated to join Medtronic.Read More »Advocating For Diabetes In The Big Apple
It is with great pleasure that I introduce you to Caroline Carter, a very bright and dedicated high school freshman. Caroline is involved in so many activities and I find myself amazed at how she manages it all! She is an honor student, athlete, community volunteer, entertainer, and oh yea...she has type 1 diabetes too. She recently took a road trip to New York City to educate others about diabetes.Read More »Learn about CGM from Dr Kaufman - Live on TuDiabetes
Recently, we've been asking our customers about which diabetes management topics they'd like to learn more. Interestingly, most of the topics you tell us you want to discuss are around continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) - predictive alerts, when to calibrate, what's next in CGM technology, etc. So, when Dr. Kaufman agreed to do a Live Interview on TuDiabetes, we jumped at the chance to ask her to share more about this popular topic.Read More »Diabetes Goals For 2013
I really enjoy the holiday season, but by the time New Year's rolls around I'm ready to say farewell to the non-stop festivities and get back to a normal routine. As I pack away my Christmas decorations and get my house in order, I think about getting my diabetes management in order too. Sure, I work hard at diabetes all year long, even during the holidays, but I always have room for a little diabetes tune-up.Read More »Happy New Year from Medtronic!
I hope everyone had a wonderful and relaxing holiday season with family and friends. As we usher in the New Year, I'd like to take a moment to once again say, Thank You! Thank you to all of our readers for being a special part of our online community. Seeing you all come together to support one another on a daily basis on Facebook, Twitter, and right here on The LOOP is exciting and it inspires me to come to work every day.Read More »Diabetes In India: Skills-Based Volunteering
Recently my friend Fran Kaufman, our Chief Medical Officer, contacted me to explain that Medtronic was piloting a skills-based volunteering program, Skills for Change. She asked if I would like to be part of a small global team travelling to Chennai, India for 3 weeks to focus on gestational and type 2 diabetes. I immediately jumped at the opportunity.Read More »Prepping For The Holidays With Diabetes
It's that time of year again - the 8-week long flurry of festivity in the U.S. that we call "The Holidays". Feasts, travelling, gift-giving, joy (and stress) are big parts of the mix for many Americans. Of course, the celebrating can come with a few unique challenges if you live with diabetes. So, here's a roundup of some of our favorite blog entries and resources that we thought you might find most helpful this time of year.Read More »A Part Of Me: Ashley On Wearing The MiniMed
Today we hear from Ashley, who discusses what life was like on injections and how she was worried an insulin pump would be a constant reminder of diabetes - to her and others around her. She talks about what life is really like now that she's on the MiniMed pump and how no one else needs to see the pump if she doesn't want them to. Listen to her story and tell us: What were your concerns before starting insulin pump therapy and what's life like for you now?Read More »Diabetes Organization For The Organized
I'll admit it, I'm weirdly good at keeping track of things. I'm over-organized to a fault and at any given time I have dozens of lists swirling around in my head. My husband uses me as a walking calendar. I have an eerie ability to remember not only important information, but also some pretty useless stuff . . . like all of the lyrics to any song from the ?80s, even if I haven't heard it in 20 years.Read More »Advocacy On Two Wheels: My First Tour De Cure
Today, meet Morgan Bond, a senior marketing communications specialist here at Medtronic. Morgan recently teamed up with others from Medtronic Diabetes to ride in the American Diabetes Association (ADA) Tour de Cure in Santa Barbara, CA in an effort to raise awareness and money to help improve the lives of those living with diabetes. A big thanks goes out to Morgan and all who rode that day, sticking it out and braving the weather during the long ride!Read More »Be Our Guest! A Special Visit from Customer Aron Medow
As many of you know, we were thrilled to welcome Aron Medow, winner of our Facebook launch contest, to Los Angeles and Medtronic. Aron was kind enough to share with us the following very kind words about his visit. But I think we should be the ones thanking him - the team and I had a wonderful time with Aron, his beautiful wife Nellie and their adorable, high-energy little boys. Thank you Medow family - we're so glad you had a nice time here in Los Angeles!Read More »Putting our Mission in Motion at the San Antonio and LA JDRF Walks
Today, I am pleased to share with you a guest blog from JoQuese Satterwhite, a Senior Quality Analyst Supervisor here at Medtronic. In today's post, JoQuese talks about employees living out our mission both in and out of the workplace. This year, employees had the opportunity to attend diabetes walks for the American Diabetes Association and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. JoQuese specifically shares about our recent participation in both the San Antonio and Los Angeles JDRF walks.Read More »Election Results Are In! Find Out Who Won Favorite Diabetes Ambassador
I want to take a moment to thank all of you who participated in the Medtronic Diabetes Ambassador Election! It was exciting to host an election allowing the community to come together and share their thoughts and vote on their favorite diabetes ambassador.Read More »Meet The Karanikitas Family: Life With mySentry
When Alex Karanikitas was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, his mom Kristine wanted to move his bed into her room at night she was so worried about middle-of-the-night lows. Then they found the mySentry Remote Glucose Monitor. Watch the video below to hear how the Karanikitas family heads off those nighttime lows todayRead More »We Need Your Vote! Diabetes Ambassador Election 2012!
In the spirit of the 2012 U.S. General Election held today, we thought we would run an election of our own to determine your favorite Medtronic sponsored Diabetes Ambassador of all-time. Over the last 30 years, several characters have helped us communicate with kids and kids at heart in the diabetes community. Today, the Bolus Wizard, Carl the Chameleon, and Lenny the Lion are each asking for your vote for favorite all-time Diabetes Ambassador.Read More »Important Information for Customers Impacted by Hurricane Sandy
We are dedicated to providing services to our customers when they are faced with unusual circumstances. In the event you or your family is impacted by the recent storm please remember to take the following items with you:Read More »Pumping in Kazakhstan: Might Not Be What You Think
Kazakhstan is one of the best kept secrets in the world. If you think it is what was portrayed a few years ago in a rather irreverent movie, you are totally wrong. It is a vast country stretching across the Silk Road from Iran to China with a diverse ethnic/racial population and incredible resources - oil, gas and minerals - that have enabled the government to advance education, housing, industry and health for its people.Read More »Pumpkin Carving Medtronic Style!
Every holiday has its traditions. Here at Medtronic Diabetes, we wanted to partake in one of Halloween's most common traditions ? pumpkin carving? Medtronic style!Read More »Tackling The Unexpected
In my last post I talked about using my pump's Dual Wave Bolus feature to tackle foods that are rough on my blood sugar. But the Dual Wave isn't the only feature on my pump that helps with my blood sugar management. I also make use of the Temp Basal function to try to cut down on highs and lows.Read More »Your Halloween May Vary
I have a secret. A secret not even my own children know.
I'm not a fan of Halloween.
There are many reasons for my hesitancy to embrace this holiday, the pinnacle being I have three children with type 1 diabetes.
Yet the fact remains, I am the mother to four Halloween loving boys. There is no getting around it...I must embrace the holiday as if it were my own birthday.Read More »Back-To-School With Diabetes: A 4AM Mental Checklist
With school back in session for most kids, many families spent the last several weeks packing and preparing for a new classroom, teacher, coursework and routine. Of course, back-to-school planning is even more important for kids with diabetes. Today, we hear from guest blogger Krissy Karanikitas, as she mentally runs through her lists and plans for her two children, Alex and Lilly, during a 4am blood glucose check.Read More »Calibration Tips For New CGM Users
Today, I'm excited to introduce Lori Schlosser, mother of 14-year-old Noah, who lives with Type 1 Diabetes. In today's guest post, Lori shares with us some of the challenges that parents face when raising a child with Type 1 Diabetes as well as some tips she has learned since Noah's recent incorporation of CGM technology into his daily diabetes management. If you have tips of your own, we'd love for you to share them with us in the comments below!Read More »Meet Theresa: Living With Type 2 Diabetes
Today, we hear from Theresa Reynoso, who shares a very difficult story. She lost her son at age 19 from Type 1 diabetes and talks about her day-to-day management of her own Type 2 diabetes. She says it's not easy, but with the help of her insulin pump, it makes managing her diabetes a lot less difficult. Take a moment to listen to Theresa's story and share your thoughts with us in the comments.Read More »Screening For Type 1 Diabetes
You may remember today's guest blogger Amanda Griswold from earlier this year, when she and her husband Brett shared with us their unusual love story. Today we're lucky to have her back to talk about the couple's decision to have their son screened for autoantibodies predictive of the development of Type 1 Diabetes through the research program TrialNet.Read More »The Results Are In! We Are Proud To Introduce Our Back-To-School Contest Winners
We've been inspired with how our community came together during our Back-to-School Facebook contest and shared such thoughtful tips for effective diabetes management for students of all ages. Our voting period wrapped up this past Thursday September 13th, and it's time to announce our three winners!Read More »Voting Is Now Open! Which Back-To-School Tip Is Your Favorite?
We were thrilled to see all of the great tips shared through our Back-to-School Facebook contest over the last few weeks! It's been inspiring to read all of your great tips for managing diabetes in classrooms ? from kindergarten to college. Now, the time has come to vote for your favorite tip!Read More »Update on Linking Blood Glucose Meters for Medtronic Insulin Pumps
We have good news to share with you today. We just announced, along with our partner Bayer HealthCare, a new blood glucose meter that will link to Medtronic insulin pumps.
The CONTOUR® NEXT LINK has a bright, easy-to-read color display, requires a small blood sample size (0.6 microliters) and uses Bayer's patented No-Coding™ technology to eliminate inaccurate test results that occur due to miscoding of the meter.Read More »One Skydiver's Recount of his First 30 Days on CGM
I'm excited to share with you our first guest blog from action sports enthusiast and professional skydiver, Michael Craig. You may remember him from his interview with The LOOP back in June. Michael is definitely an inspirational guy, always going for it, and not letting life circumstances prevent him from following his dreams and doing what he loves; something that anyone can admire. Today, Michael shares some of his history with us, as well as his experiences after 30 days using CGM.Read More »Pizza And Martini Night!
As a person with diabetes, I find that certain foods will completely wreck my blood sugar. Those items can vary from person to person, but I've got quite a list of foods that always bring me major blood sugar mayhem. So when I began pumping after 28 years of injections I was determined to use my pump's features to tackle some of my favorite challenging foods. Any guesses on which food was first on my list?Read More »How About Some Candy For Those Unexpected Lows?
Today, we're excited to share with you another guest blog from Katie Janowiak, who works for the Medtronic Foundation, our company's philanthropic arm. This time, Katie takes us back to her college days at Michigan State University and comically demonstrates the importance of always thinking ahead and being prepared when living with diabetes.Read More »From Small Student Group to National Non-Profit Diabetes Organization
For many students and families who have a loved one living with diabetes, heading off to college for the first time can be both an exciting and scary experience. For the first time these students experience living on their own and they are ultimately responsible for their own well-being and diabetes management. The College Diabetes Network, an organization emerging on college campuses throughout the U.S. and Canada, strives to improve the lives of students on campus living with type 1 diabetesRead More »Insulin Pumps And Continuous Glucose Monitoring Book Winners!
I would like to take a moment to first thank everyone for the wonderful diabetes management tips submitted on our Insulin Pumps and Continuous Glucose Monitoring blog by Dr. Francine Kaufman. As you know, everyone who submitted a tip was automatically entered in to a drawing to win 1 of 10 copies of her new book, Insulin Pumps and Continuous Glucose Monitoring: A User's Guide To Effective Diabetes Management.Read More »Diabetes In The Classroom: You Be The Teacher And Win!
Do you have a great tip for managing diabetes while in school? With the new school year quickly approaching, we want to hear about the ways you prepare. Do you have great tips when it comes to managing diabetes in the cafeteria, or in the middle of biology class? Whether your tip is for a little one just starting Kindergarten, a tween/teen or a young adult heading off to college, we want to hear from you!Read More »Meet James - Living with Type 1 Diabetes
Meet James, a Medtronic MiniMed customer who shares his experience about being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes and using insulin pump therapy to help him manage his diabetes.Read More »Back To School With Diabetes
Editor's Note: Last fall, the amazing d-mom Meri Schumacher from ourdiabeticlife.com was kind enough to write an article for our e-newsletter News to Infuse, sharing some of her back-to-school wisdom to parents and other family members of children with diabetes. With another school year right around the corner for many, we thought this would be a good time to share this information with our readers of The LOOP as well. Hope you enjoy and a big thank you Meri for sharingRead More »Congratulations July Best Of The 'Betes Winners!
Today, we want to give big congratulations to the winners of this month's Best of the 'Betes Blogs!
If you're not familiar, the Best of the ?Betes is the brainchild of Sara Knicks over at Moments of Wonderful and a great way to discover new diabetes blogs and bloggers. Here's how it works - Throughout the month as you're reading your favorite diabetes blogs, you can nominate your favorites in 13 different categories...Read More »From A Person With Diabetes To A Diabetes Advocate
When I first got involved in the diabetes online community (or DOC), I was simply looking to connect with others like me. I always felt alone in dealing with diabetes, so it was incredible to find a whole community who really understood the things I was going through. The support was wonderful . . . but I soon found I could turn to the DOC for more. I found a great wealth of information on the non-medical side of life with diabetes -Read More »A Diabetes Camp Love Story
With summer in full swing, there's been a lot of talk lately about diabetes camp, especially over on the Medtronic Diabetes Facebook page. So today we're thrilled to welcome Jennifer LeBlanc, a Diabetes Clinical Manager here at Medtronic, to share some of her camp memories and what the experience meant to her. We'd love to also hear about your memories, so feel free to share in the comments!Read More »Medtronic Engineering Team Wins IDEA Award for Enlite Serter
Today we're excited to congratulate Uli Rankers and his team of engineers here at Medtronic for winning a silver IDEA award for the Enlite? Serter!
The 2012 International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA?) program is a celebration of design excellence in products, sustainability, interaction design, packaging, strategy, research and concepts.Read More »Insulin Pumps And Continuous Glucose Monitoring
Editor's note: We were excited to hear that our very own Dr. Kaufman worked with the American Diabetes Association on a new book, "Insulin Pumps and Continuous Glucose Monitoring: A User's Guide to Effective Diabetes Management." We will be giving away 10 copies of the book by random drawing - to enter, please send us a comment below and tell us what diabetes management tip you would like to share.Read More »Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Earthquakes and Floods, Oh My!
Dealing with natural disasters can be daunting for anyone and whether it is flooding, fires, tornadoes, earthquakes, snow, or a hurricane, it's important for anyone to be prepared. If you're someone who lives with diabetes you also have to think about your diabetes management needs and supplies as part of that reactive plan to have in place for yourself and loved ones. About five years ago, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, we put in place a disaster relief program...Read More »Convenience Is A Necessity
Before my Paradigm Revel, my old routine used to look a bit like this:
1. Check blood sugar
2. Calculate carbs (if eating a meal or snack)
3. Pull out the calculator and use about 3-4 different mathematical equations to guess at a round-about dose for said carbs
4. Then, either inject (if I were using pens) or program my old pump to deliver the said dose.
5. And, when I was able to get a CGM, my next step was to find the CGM and input my latest BG reading in for calibration.Read More »We Have A Winner!
I want to take a moment to thank all of you who have joined our new Facebook community! It's wonderful to be able to share with/hear from you on a daily basis, as well as twice a week here at The LOOP. When joining us on Facebook, I know many of you also entered the contest to win a trip to Los Angeles to enjoy some of our local sights, tour the Medtronic facility and meet with some of our executives.
The good news is, we've selected a winner!Read More »Let's Build Our Timeline Together
As many of you know, we launched the Medtronic Diabetes Facebook page a few weeks ago. We're really enjoying the opportunity to connect with customers like you both on Facebook as well as here at The LOOP.
In addition to answering your questions and providing tips and information, it's been wonderful to hear from so many of you about the extraordinary (and ordinary) moments in your lives ? from wedding days and birthday pool parties to softball games and mountain climbs.Read More »Remembering Dr. Rimoin's Diabetes Research Contributions
In case you missed it last week, the diabetes community lost someone who made a significant contribution to the understanding of diabetes - Dr. David Lawrence Rimoin.Read More »Who Says The Sky Is The Limit?
Many people with diabetes tell the story of how, shortly after diagnosis, a friend, family member or healthcare provider says something along the lines of "You can't be at truck driver or join the military, but career-wise anything else is open to you." I've been lucky enough to meet people for whom "anything else" became a fireman, teacher, scientist, nurse, journalist, hair stylist, runner, singer or professional athlete.
But meeting Michael Craig still wowed me...Read More »JDRF and Medtronic Team Up to Advance the Next Generation of CGM Technology
Today, I'm so pleased to share with you some exciting news about our new partnership with JDRF, in collaboration with the Helmsley Charitable Trust (HCT), to advance continuous glucose monitoring toward an artificial pancreas. The goal of the partnership is to accelerate the development of the Medtronic novel redundant sensor system, which combines two unique sensing technologies in one device.Read More »Out With The Old, In With The New
Since starting on insulin pumps over 12 years ago, I have used almost every type of infusion set that has been made (along with almost every insulin pump, but that's another story). The last type of set I used was the Quick-Set for my Paradigm Revel pump. I liked it because the packaging was not a lot of waste and you could use either the Quick-Serter or insert it manually.Read More »When Diabetes Gets Me Down
The morning started out well enough. I put in a new infusion set before heading to work. Spent all morning in the 180s, despite multiple corrections. Sometimes that happens, so I didn't think too much of it.
Then I had lunch. And bolused for all my carbs. Only my body didn't get the memo. I looked down to see double up arrows on my CGM. And discovered I had small ketones. So frustrating!Read More »Teenage Dreams and a T1 Diagnosis
Today we're excited to introduce you to Katie Janowiak, who works for the Medtronic Foundation, our company's philanthropic arm. It's an exciting job, helping Medtronic employees get involved in the communities and causes we care about. But today she's here to share something personal - her diagnosis with Type 1 Diabetes 15 years ago and what she's learned since then about living with diabetes.Read More »Celebrating A Pumpaversary
A few weeks ago, I celebrated my fourth "pumpaversary". And I really did celebrate the milestone of being on an insulin pump for four years, because my road to get here was a long one.Read More »Join us on Facebook
I have some exciting news to share with you today - Medtronic Diabetes is now on Facebook! We know that a lot of you spend time on Facebook connecting with your friends and with others who have diabetes. We have really enjoyed connecting with you here at The LOOP, as well as on Twitter, which is why we're thrilled to be on Facebook.Read More »Together We Are Smarter
Last week was the personal highpoint of my year. One of the best things I get to do every day is answer questions and provide information to people with diabetes to make the management of their diabetes a little easier. At the same time, I work with many of the leaders of the company to get updates on product innovations like the closed loop, clinical studies to improve outcomes, and a variety of other topics including education and support.Read More »Return To Haiti Part 3
Editor's Note: Today Dr. Kaufman shares her closing thoughts on her experiences from her most recent trip to Haiti, where she helped with the first-ever diabetes camp in Haiti. If you're just now joining us for her story, please be sure to check out Return to Haiti: Part 1. and Return to Haiti: Part 2.Read More »Return To Haiti Part 2
Friday night we left the camp at dusk - it is not safe to travel much after dark - just after the kids rambled off the bus and got settled in camp. It is located up in the mountains, where the well-off live. Anxious to get back, we got up early Saturday morning and headed back up the mountain. Heading up this mountain in Haiti was like swimming against the current, broken down vehicles, chaos in the streets, pot holes as big as cars, and animals running free - mainly dogs and goats.Read More »Return To Haiti Part 1
We have been in Haiti for three days - but it seems like a life time. When we arrived in the airport, it was chaos, and finding our host - Phillipe Larco, MD (an epidemiologist, and the husband of Nancy Larco, MD - the endocrinologist who runs FHADIMAC, the Haitian Diabetes Association and who we came to work with) - was an arduous task being jostled and harangued by a throng of Haitian men trying to help us so that we would pay them a dollar.Read More »Happy Blogaversary! Top Posts From Our First Year
Can you believe it? It's the LOOP's first blogaversary already! And, of course, we couldn't have done it without you, our readers. Thank you!
It seems like just yesterday we were nervously hovering over the "publish" button for the first time, asking ourselves things like:
"Is this first post okay?" "Will anyone read it?" "Can we really do this ? do we have something to say that the DOC will care about?"Read More »Meet D-Mom Extraordinaire: Meri Schuhmacher
I am so excited to introduce you to our newest guest blogger, Meri Schuhmacher from Our Diabetic Life. With four wonderful boys (three with diabetes), she's an incredibly busy D-Mom who still always manages to find the time and warmth to support and encourage others in the diabetes community. She was one of the first to try out the mySentry Remote Glucose Monitor and we're thrilled to have her blogging for us here.Read More »What's Your Newbie Pumper Story?
Have you met Karen Graffeo? You may know her from her blog Bitter~Sweet or her work with her local chapter of JDRF (if you live in New England) or from the very successful Diabetes Blog Week, which Karen created and now organizes each May. We love Karen's positive attitude about life and diabetes (even when times are hard) and, with more than 30 years with Type 1 Diabetes, she has a lot of valuable experience to share. So, we thought we'd ask her to do a series of guest posts here at The LOOP.Read More »At The Heart Of Diabetes
As I am sure you already know, there are long-term complications associated with diabetes and the goal of effective diabetes management is to prevent these complications from developing. The most common long-term complication is heart disease, also called coronary artery disease and abbreviated as CAD.Read More »Endo Appointment - Check; Upload - Check
It's that time again?the three-month check-in/check-up at the doctor's office. Time to get everything together: logbook, refills needed, questions or concerns jotted down.
The part I used to dread was the most was the logbook part. Making sure I had the right cables for the right devices, uploading three devices (meter, pump and CGM) and praying my printer would work to print off the needed reports.Read More »On Love and Diabetes
Valentine's Day is today - a day that's typically all about love and romance. Now, when you think of diabetes and Medtronic, romance might not be the first word to come to your mind. But when I think of diabetes, Medtronic and romance, two names immediately came to mind: Amanda and Brett Griswold. Amanda works here in Marketing with Lenny the Lion and a few other fun projects. When I first started at Medtronic someone told me a brief version of their story and all I could say was "Wow!"Read More »Important Update on CareLink Personal
Last month, Dr. Kauffman shared how when patients upload to CareLink it helps provide her with valuable information that helps make the most of their visit together. Today, we're very excited to share the news that CareLink Personal is available for use with even more computer systems and software. The much anticipated support for MAC OS 10.7 (Lion) is now available with CareLink Personal 5.7! This version also supports Internet Explorer 9 and FireFox 5.0.Read More »10,982 Miles with Diabetes
When I first met Blair Ryan more than a year ago, she and her Insulindependence colleague Peter Nerothin were introducing Amanda and me to a fantastic burrito place in Solano Beach, CA. With the waves of the Pacific crashing behind us, I knew right away I liked this classic SoCal woman with the big smile and contagious enthusiasm for staying fit and helping people with diabetes.Read More »Rock The Vote For Diabetes
One of the best parts of my job is getting to meet people who are doing amazing work in the diabetes community, whether one of our customers, an advocate or a diabetes researcher. Last week I had the opportunity to meet Quinn Nystrom, who has been an inspirational leader, youth advocate, and speaker since she was diagnosed at the age of 13.Read More »How Does Professional CGM Work?
As you may have heard, we recently launched iPro2, the next-generation of our continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system used by physicians to help improve diabetes management. iPro2 includes a tiny, disposable glucose sensor and a small data recorder which automatically records glucose information every five minutes. Patients wear the small device while going about their normal daily activities before returning it to their physician's office for evaluation.Read More »How Do You Order Your Supplies?
As you all know, living with diabetes means dealing with a lot of stuff: insulin, glucose tabs, meters, test strips, reservoirs, tape, infusion sets, sensors, skin prep, the list goes on. And, of course, you have to keep on top of ordering all this stuff, since running out can be anywhere from inconvenient to dangerous.Read More »STAR 3 Clinical Trial Update
I have been excited to be a part of the STAR 3 clinical trial since becoming the Chief Medical Officer of Medtronic. The 12 month study phase results of Star 3, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed that there was a significant reduction in A1C in those study participants using an integrated insulin pump and CGM (SAP) compared to those using multiple daily injections (MDI).Read More »Parties
We all love to go to them. We laugh and have fun with family and friends. The LAST thing we want to be worried about is what our blood sugar may be doing that could be a potential party-pooper for us. So what do we do?Read More »Thank You DSMA Live!
We just wanted to take a quick moment to thank Cherise Shockley, George Simmons and Scott Johnson the lovely hosts of DSMA Live!Read More »A New Year A New Insurance Plan
Happy 2012! With the new year, you may have a new insurance policy. Here's just a quick reminder that, if that's the case, please be sure to give us a call to update your policy information. That way, we can ensure you keep receiving your supplies without interruption.Read More »Thanks for a Great Year!
2011 is closing out and I can't help but pause for reflection and say Thank You! Thank you to all of our readers and customers who have shared their ideas, insights and on some days even complaints. I can confidently say on behalf of all of Medtronic Diabetes, we have appreciated your candor and participation. We learn so much from you each and every day.Read More »2011 Diabetes Conference Recap
Each year I look forward to the time of year during which a lot of the major medical meetings for diabetes take place. It's a time where I can interact with my colleagues and friends and we can share the latest science and technology with the goal of finding the best treatment our patients.Read More »All Wrapped Up In Bacon!
On World Diabetes Day, George Simmons held bacon skin contest giveaway. If you haven't seen the video (link to video entry), race right over to George's blog and watch it today.Read More »Arming Your Endo With Information: Uploading To CareLink
As an Endocrinologist it's important for me to have as much information as possible when I meet with a patient and their family. That's why CareLink is so important to me in my practice. It gives me more detailed information than blood work or what my patients typically volunteer.Read More »Announcing The 2011 LOOP Halloween Contest Winners
Back in October, we asked you to share how you incorporate diabetes into your Halloween costume and told you we'd award prizes for our favorites. Truth be told, the winners were not quite what we expected (and more of the canine/feline variety) but the best of the best, nonetheless!Read More »We're on Twitter!
Have you heard? We're now on Twitter! If you like talking with us here at The LOOP but want to know even more (in 140 characters or less), follow @MDT_Diabetes on Twitter.
We'll still be posting here about twice a week and continue to look forward to your comments. But we're also really excited about being able to talk daily with the DOC on Twitter about living with diabetes and managing it with technology.
See you there!Read More »Packing Light
When I was little, I would always forget to bring something I was supposed to have with me at all times. Whether it be my meter, a few extra needles (this was back in the "shot" days), insulin, you name it. I don't have enough fingers and toes to count the numerous times I heard my mom or dad sigh and say, "Sarah, you'd forget your head if it weren't attached to you!". And they were right. But I wanted to be like everyone else.Read More »Tips For D-Parents: The Weekly Meeting
You may or may not know that, in addition to a long career as a Pediatric Endocrinologist, I also have had a long career as a parent. When my boys were growing up I was very big on what I call "The Weekly Meeting" and on positive reinforcement.Read More »Introducing the mySentry Remote Glucose Monitor
Happy New Year! I am thrilled to start off 2012 by sharing some really exciting news with you. We have received FDA approval for the mySentry™ Remote Glucose Monitor, the first product of its kind that allows parents and caregivers to monitor the MiniMed Paradigm® REAL-Time Revel™ System from another room.Read More »Diabetes Travel Round-up: Preparing For The Holiday Travel Season
I've heard that the day before Thanksgiving is the busiest day of the year for US travel. I've also heard it's a myth. Either way, from Thanksgiving until New Year's a lot of people are heading out of town to visit friends and family or to enjoy a fun get-away while they have some time off work/school. If you're one of those people and you also have diabetes, here's the blog roundup for you.Read More »Tips And Tricks For New CGM Users
Today we hear from Celeste Cooper, who offers up some helpful sensor tips - whether you're just starting out or nearly CGM pro! For even more resources, visit the Help and Support section of our Website.Read More »Bringing New Products to Market
Ever wonder why it takes so long for new diabetes devices to get to market? Today Dr. Mastrototaro, Vice President of Research and Development for the Diabetes business unit of Medtronic, talks about some of the time-consuming steps in the process. He also gives The LOOP a preview of the types of products Medtronic is working on for the future.Read More »Halloween For Kids With Diabetes
Today we welcome back Allison Blass as a guest blogger at The LOOP. In this post, she's digging up some childhood trick-or-treat memories and offering up some advice to D-parents about making Halloween fun for kids with diabetes. Also, whether you're a kid or a kid at heart, there's still time to enter your photos (from this year or Halloween's past) to The LOOP Halloween Contest. First prize is $100 Gift Card!Read More »Happy Halloween! Remember To Turn In Your Costume Entries
Happy Halloween! We're sure you are excited about dressing up for Halloween this weekend. When you do, don't forget to take pics for The LOOP Halloween Costume Contest and email them to loopblog@medtronic.com long with a 300-word summary of your get-up by the 31st. We're giving prizes for our favorite three and top prize wins $100 Visa Gift card.
We can't wait to see everyone's creativity! In the meantime, have a safe and spooktacular weekend!Read More »Insulin Pump Security Update
You may have heard recently about computer security professionals demonstrating ways insulin pumps can be wirelessly tampered with or "hacked." I'd like to share with you the facts, update you on the progress Medtronic is making in this area, and provide you with some steps you can take to protect yourself.Read More »Living on My Own With Diabetes
Today we hear from Nicole Purcell. She's had type 1 diabetes for nearly 30 years and, just recently, begun living on her own without parents or roommates for the first time ? a scary but exciting new journey . If you have any tips for Nicole or others in her situation, please share in the comments.ad, rather unceremoniously, told me she was leaving, to go back to Texas. In eighteen hours. The very next day.Read More »My Personal Best, Motivated by Diabetes
On Sunday, October 2, I ran the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon. This was the 30th running of the "most beautiful marathon in America" and Medtronic's new CEO Omar Ishrak spoke to the 8,500 marathon runners and 7,500 TC 10-mile runners, priming us just before the start. It was great to have him kick it off. Omar cares deeply about diabetes; as part of his own learning journey he recently met with a number of us as part of an employee focus group.Read More »Desert Springs Hospital's Health And Diabetes Fest
On Saturday, October 1, I had the pleasure of attending Desert Springs Hospital's 20th Health and Diabetes Fest in Las Vegas, NV.Read More »Bolus Reminders For A Busy Mommy
That's the name of the game when you're a new mom. From the time your feet hit the floor in the morning until you lay back down at night for a hopeful few hours of rest, you're on the go. Whether you're getting the baby what he needs or trying to get yourself ready without putting on two different socks (or remembering the socks at all?), you're constantly moving and going, trying to get everything done in time.Read More »Call For Entries: The LOOP Halloween Costume Contest!
Halloween is almost here - that time of year to get creative and don your favorite costume. But if you're an all-year-round diabetes superhero and wear an insulin pump or CGM, how does that fit into your October 31st ensemble?Read More »Blood Glucose Readings Vs. Sensor Glucose Readings
Today we welcome back Dr. Mastrototaro, who answers one of the most frequently asked CGM questions: Why do sensor glucose readings lag behind blood glucose readings?Read More »Diabetes Mine Innovation Summit
On Saturday September 17, I participated in a remarkable event: the first ever Diabetes Mine Innovation Summit, held at Stanford University concurrently with the Health 2.0 Conference. Forty people attended the all-day, intensive interactive session facilitated by IDEO, one of the world's leading design firms. Firms in attendance included Abbott, Agamatrix, Caleritas, DexCom, Johnson & Johnson, Medtronic, Sanofi-Aventis, and WellDoc.Read More »Wedding Bells and Diabetes
Today our guest blogger is a very familiar face and voice to the DOC - Allison Blass, assistant editor at Diabetes Mine. She also writes on her personal blog, Lemonade Life. A diabetes blogger since her teen years, Allison is now a newlywed. (Say it with me...awwwwwww.....)So, who better to share with The LOOP her answer to a question we often hear from young women with diabetes ? what do you do with your insulin pump on your wedding day?Read More »How Does CGM Really Work?
Last time you heard from Dr. Mastrototaro, he gave the short description of how Medtronic's integrated CGM works. Today, for those of you who might want to know more, he goes a bit more in-depth, explaining the roles of the sensor, transmitter and insulin pump in the system. He also talks about what goes on in the pump to calibrate that sensor.Read More »Q&A With Global Hero Lindsay Gossack
Last time, we heard from Lindsey Burch about her participating in the upcoming Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon. Today, we hear from another Global Hero ? Lindsay Gossack from Seattle, Washington. We know Lindsay has done a lot of prep for this race and wish her the best! From everyone at The LOOP, all the best to you on race day Lindsay!Read More »Q&A with Global Hero Lindsey Burch
Today, we hear from Lindsey Burch, a science and math teacher from Mission, Kansas who is also a Global Hero. What's a Global Hero you ask? Well, it's a runner who benefits from a medical device to treat a chronic disease (i.e. diabetes) and has been chosen to run (for free) the Medtronic Twin Cities marathon on October 2nd.Read More »Raising Our Voices: Advocating For Others With Diabetes
Editors Note: As some of you may know, throughout her more than 30-year career Dr. Kaufman has worked around the globe to help people with diabetes. That's why, with the UN Summit on Non-Communicable Diseases just around the corner, we asked her to share some of her thoughts on giving back and advocating for the global diabetes community.Read More »Pumping And Pregnancy
Today I am so excited to introduce you to our newest guest blogger - the lovely Sarah Knotts from IGTS Blog! As a brand new first-time mom (of a perfectly precious little boy!) and new user of the MiniMed Paradigm® REAL-Time Revel™ insulin pump and continuous glucose monitor, she has a lot of interesting experience to share. The good news is, she'll be posting every month, right around this time. Please give her a warm welcome to The LOOP!Read More »Getting Inked: One Family's Lifelong Display Of Solidarity
It's not every day that you get to work and find the headline "Medtronic: You Need to Call These People" in your Google alerts. But that's what happened earlier this summer when the lovely Kerri Sparling of Six Until Me posted a photo submission from Camille Boivin. The photo shows off Camille and husband Philippe's tattoos of Medtronic insulin pumps on their stomachs. You read that right - tattoos of insulin pumps!Read More »4 FAQs About Water Activities
We've been talking a lot this summer about summer vacations, repelling down waterfalls and preventing moisture damage to your pump. Today, we welcome back Amy Kellerman, a product specialist on our insulin delivery marketing team, to continue on that theme to talk about what to do with your pump and CGM for different water situations.Read More »Further Response to Insulin Pump Hacking
This week there have been additional stories about wireless tampering of insulin pumps and Medtronic's information security efforts. We wrote an initial blog but wanted to follow up with more information as it is important that you feel safe when wearing your device.Read More »Back To School With Diabetes: Part 2
Today we continue with Part 2 of Dr. Dewan's post on using CareLink Personal Software in schools to better monitor students with diabetes throughout the day and improve communication between families, physicians and school nurses. Last time he talked about set-up and addressing roadblocks. In this entry, he talks about maximizing CareLink once it's implemented.Read More »Back To School With Diabetes: Part 1
Today we're thrilled to feature a guest post from Dr. Asheesh Dewan, a pediatric endocrinologist from Las Vegas, Nevada. Dr. Dewan has worked with several parents and school administrators and nurses in the Las Vegas area to implement CareLink Personal Software in more than 50 schools to better monitor students with diabetes throughout the day and improve communication between families, physicians and school nurses. Thank you Dr. Dewan for all you do for the diabetes community!Read More »Myth Vs. Fact: Weight Gain
One concern patients sometimes ask about before starting insulin pump therapy is weight gain. A common myth exists that going on a pump causes one to gain weight. While it is just a myth and using an insulin pump does not cause weight gain, many people taking insulin do gain weight. The question is, why?Read More »Celiabetes: Managing Diabetes And Celiac
Meet today's guest blogger, Michael DiFiore, a Marketing Associate on our Continuous Glucose Monitoring team. In this post Michael talks about living with type 1 diabetes and celiac, an autoimmune disease that affects the digestive system. According to the JDRF, he's not alone: 1 in 10 people with type 1 diabetes also have celiac. (In the general population, approximately 1 in 100 people have celiac.) Thanks Michael for sharing your story and tips for others managing both conditions.Read More »Medtronic Insulin Pump Security
Recently, the Associated Press ran an article about research presented at a computer security conference regarding the security of insulin pumps. We know this has been discussed quite a bit on Twitter and blogs such as Six Until Me and Scott Hanselman's Computer Zen this weekend so today we thought we'd take the opportunity to answer a few questions about the security of Medtronic insulin pumps.Read More »Meet Dr. John Mastrototaro
We're very pleased to introduce you to another one of our executives with a long history of working hard to improve the lives of people with diabetes. Dr. John Mastrototaro, Vice President of Research and Development for the Diabetes business unit of Medtronic, has been with us for more than 17 years.Read More »Great Vacations - Even Without A Vacation From Diabetes
A while back you heard about Naomi's exciting Trip to India. Today, we hear from another world traveler from Medtronic. Elisa Marchetti is a Principal Human Resources Generalist in the Diabetes business unit of Medtronic. But here at The LOOP she's talking about how to travel without letting diabetes hold you back - from Costa Rica to China!Read More »What Control Means to Engineers
As many of you know, I came to work for Medtronic after my son Hayden was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in August 2009. I was hired to apply my 25 years of experience as a control engineer for oil refineries, chemical plants, and energy companies to the task of developing an artificial pancreas. The work is challenging and fulfilling; it's the most important work I've ever done. It's also given me the chance to meet many other individuals and families faced with managing diabetes.Read More »New STAR 3 Data Released at ADA
At this year's American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions, new clinical data was released from the landmark STAR 3 Study which compared A1C reduction for people using an insulin pump integrated with CGM to those using multiple daily injections (MDI). We are excited to share this new data with you and hope it motivates you to keep up your good work managing diabetes.Read More »10 Tips For The College-Bound
Meet 22-year-old Lauren Gerenraich. Lauren has lived with type 1 diabetes for seven years, is an active volunteer with the JDRF and recently began her blog The LD. We really enjoyed her Diabetes Blog Week post where she wrote a letter to her 16-year-old self. Since she's now a college grad, we asked her to reflect a bit and offer up some tips for those of you heading off to university this fall.Read More »Tips And Tricks For Toddlers
Today we have a guest post from Angie Levesque, mother to 5-year-old Isabelle. Nearly four years ago, Angie and her husband Ken were overwhelmed when Isabelle was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Today, Angie shares her family's story along with some helpful tips she's learned along the way for other parents of young children with diabetes. Have a tip to add? Tell us in the comments!Read More »Will You Drop it on The Floor? Will You Catch It On A Door?
I don't know about you, but I can easily get caught up in an episode of "How It's Made." Today we hear from Amy Kellerman, a product specialist on our insulin delivery marketing team, who gives us a peek into the extensive quality testing Medtronic insulin pumps and other products go through to ensure they're tough enough to make it through the daily lives of customers like you.Read More »6 Tips For A July 4th Celebration
July 4th is a great time to celebrate our nation's independence with friends and family, outdoor activities and (of course) food. As Americans, this is a holiday where we traditionally love to go big. If you have diabetes, a little restraint and planning might be in order, but there's no reason you can't go big on fun. Here are a few tips from our clinical team to help keep you on track.Read More »An Amazing Race With The Help Of A Diabetes Educator
Meet the inspirational Natalie Strand, winner of the Amazing Race 17. Natalie proved to millions of viewers that diabetes does not have to hold you back from anything! A while back, Natalie gave a great interview to Diabetes Mine about her reality TV experience. Today, she talks to The LOOP about the important role her certified diabetes educator (CDE) plays in her diabetes management.Read More »Going For Gold
Today, meet 19-year-old Ross McDonald. Though diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 12, Ross continues to chase his dream of winning an Olympic Gold Medal. Now a two-time Massachusetts State Champion in the pole vault and a member of the University of Southern California's track team, Ross credits diabetes for teaching him to face obstacles head-on instead of pushing them aside - a valuable lesson for both on and off the field.Read More »Will I Look Weird Naked?
Meet Maggie Hunts - international speaker, comedian, singer, and author. Having lived with diabetes for more than 25 years, Maggie travels the world sharing her experiences and showing others that you can live a happy and healthy life with diabetes. With her sense of humor and openness to tackle just about any subject, Maggie's first post the The LOOP will answer a question that many of you may have: Will I Look Weird Naked?Read More »Have you Met Lenny Yet?
Today we welcome Stephen Gray, Marketing Associate at Medtronic, who's swinging by The LOOP to introduce you to his courageous friend Lenny the Lion ? just in case you haven't had the chance to meet him yet. As Stephen will tell you, Lenny's a busy cat with a lot of friends, including Meri Schuhmacher and her four fabulous boys ? three of whom have type 1 diabetes! Lenny is helping Meri celebrate her blogaversary (and recover from her adventurous trip to Disney Land).Read More »Medtronic's Commitment to the JDRF
Recently our own Greg Meehan, Vice President and General Manager of Continuous Glucose Management and Hospital Products for the Diabetes business unit, joined the board of directors of the Los Angeles Chapter of the JDRF. Today, he discusses his personal passion for helping others as well our commitment to the JDRF and the diabetes community.Read More »Diabetes Is Your Own Disease
Today we hear from 14-year-old Claire Montgomery, founder and writer of her own blog where she writes about the many changes over the past few years, including being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and moving to Mexico. She talks to us today about the lessons she has learned since her diagnosis and the importance of being able to take more responsibility for her own diabetes management now that she's growing up - an important lesson for many tweens and teens growing up with diabetes.Read More »Living Long With Diabetes
Last week, the Associated Press ran an article about 90-year-old Bob Krause, who recently celebrated his 85th anniversary with type 1 diabetes. That's right, his 85th anniversary! To put it in perspective, the year Bob was born, Frederick Banting and John Macleod had just discovered insulin.Read More »Top 5 Air Travel FAQ
Summer is here and it's time for many of us to hit the road ? or air. Before you set out to satisfy your wanderlust, check out our answers to the top five questions we receive about air travel with an insulin pump and/or continuous glucose monitor (CGM).Read More »TSA Screenings Update For People With Diabetes
Back in November, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) introduced new airport body scanners for passengers. We know that travelling with diabetes can be a bit nerve-wracking for some (just ask Karen Graffeo or Kelly Kunik). So it's no wonder that, six months later, airport security is still a hot topic coming into our 24-hour Helpline.Read More »ADA Announces New Research Grant for Diabetes Technology
Today, the American Diabetes Association and Medtronic together announced that we're offering new research grants for diabetes technology. Essentially, we're accepting applications from medical researchers to study the data from our CareLink? database to learn more about the impact of diabetes management tools on clinical outcomes, compliance and use of diabetes devices ? as well as various factors that affect glycemic control in patients with diabetes.Read More »FIRST® LEGO® League 2010 Challenge
Aloha! Today we share a fun clip from students at Hanahau `oli School in Honolulu, Hawaii, who are putting their brains to work for diabetes technology. The team of third, fourth and fifth graders you see here participated in the FIRST® LEGO® League 2010 Challenge, a competition designed to get children excited about science and technology ? and teach them valuable employment and life skills.Read More »Tour de Cure: Medtronic Team Bikes To Support ADA
Today, we hear from our very own Jenny Simonson, an Associate Product Specialist who recently rode with the Medtronic team in the American Diabetes Association (ADA) Tour de Cure in Long Beach, Ca. The bike ride is just one of many events in which Medtronic employees participate to raise funds for non-profit organizations like ADA and JDRF.Read More »Life is Not Over, Just Altered
Today, we hear from John Berry, a dedicated firefighter from Texas, who doesn't let his diabetes stand in the way of his life-saving work. John talks to us about his "Ah-Ha" moment where he realized he needed to take better control of his health and some of the tools he
now uses to manage his diabetes like temporary basal rates and predictive alerts.Read More »To our Valued Customers Recently Affected by the Tornadoes
As you know, Alabama and other southern states were recently devastated by what is being called one of the worst tornado outbreaks in U.S. history. Nothing can quite prepare us for the effects that a natural disaster such as this will have on us. In the past year alone our world has seen its share of disasters from earthquakes and tsunamis to wild storms which, in many cases, leave people without the basic necessities of life.Read More »Type 1 Diabetes and Pregnancy: "Healthy and Happy"
As most of you know, there was a time (not so very long ago) when women with type 1 diabetes were universally told they couldn't/shouldn't have children. Of course, we know that medical opinion on this topic has changed and physicians now tend to make recommendations about children based on each individual's health and diabetes control, with many beautiful babies to show for it!Read More »Research and Development at Medtronic: Driving Toward a Closed Loop System
Almost two years ago, I left my three-decade long position in academic medicine to come to Medtronic to be part of the effort to develop an artificial pancreas, a fundamental goal for all of us in diabetes research. With all of the work currently underway, Medtronic is committed to bringing innovation and advancement to diabetes therapy.Read More »Living with Diabetes: Glen's Story Part 2
Today we are happy to share Part 2 of Glen Lowe's story. In Part 1, Glen shared the story of his type 2 diagnosis and the work he is doing with the Health Care Disparities Group. Today in Part 2, Glen tells us about the devastating loss of his brother and serious complications that drove him to make some changes in the way he was managing his diabetes.Read More »Living with Diabetes: Glen's Story Part 1
Today we hear Part 1 of a two-part interview with Glen Lowe, a territory manager in the Neuromodulation business unit of Medtronic who lives with type 2 diabetes. Glen was kind enough to talk with The LOOP about his diagnosis, the work he's doing with the Health Care Disparities Group and a few pieces of advice to others. We thank Glen very much for taking the time to share with us his personal journey and positive look forward. Stay tuned for Part 2 of his story coming soon.Read More »Are You A Global Hero?
And if you are a global hero, do you happen to run marathons? We're asking because this week is the deadline for the Medtronic Global Heroes program.It's a pretty neat way to celebrate runners who benefit from medical technology, showing the world that people who live with chronic, life-changing conditions live full and rich lives.Read More »Carling Coffing: Pursuing Her Dreams
Meet professional golfer and winner of the Golf Channel's "Big Break" competition, Carling Coffing. From the moment Carling was first diagnosed, she decided that she would never let diabetes get in the way of pursuing her dreams. Today, Carling shares her story.Read More »Reaching Out To The DOC Through Diabetes Advocates
On Friday, we invited over 20 members of the Diabetes Online Community (DOC) to Northridge, CA to visit the home of the Diabetes business unit of Medtronic for what we called the Diabetes Advocate Forum (#MedtronicDAF). We thank everyone for coming and those who participated via Twitter for a very fun and dynamic day.Read More »Good News for Mac Lovers
A couple weeks back, Naomi talked about her logbook struggles and how CareLink? Therapy Management Software really helps her take control of her health. She's not alone ? CareLink is a very popular part of our integrated system. Customers tell us they really like seeing the cause-and-effect relationships in all those colorful charts, graphs, and tables. And it's really helpful to be able to share and discuss them with your endo.Read More »Too Young to Burnout at 30
Today we'd like to introduce Kristen Call, another Medtronic employee living with diabetes, who initially started her career in the diabetes business unit while on MDI. Now working with Medtronic Navigation in the operating room, Kristen opens up to The LOOP about her personal challenges with treating her diabetes, and how turning 30 motivated her when she needed it most.Read More »Tips For Exercising With Diabetes
A lot of patients ask me if it is safe for them to exercise with diabetes, and my answer is yes. As someone whose desk is a treadmill, I firmly believe that being active is important for everyone. Here are some tips for your workout.Read More »A Recent Visit To Haiti
I recently traveled to Haiti with my husband, and the incredible Evelyne Fleury Milfort, nurse practitioner and diabetes educator at USC. The purpose of our visit was to provide training for health care professionals at all levels concerning the treatment of people with diabetes. Because we want to continue helping the people of Haiti, we need a plan of action, and it is clear that our first step is to share our experience with you.Read More »Pumpin' From The Slopes
Today, meet Michael Findling. He's one of those guys who keeps the Medtronic marketing department fun. He's also a 7-year pumper and a lifelong outdoor sports guy. Let's hear his take on taking on the slopes of Southern California with his insulin pump.Read More »Welcome to The LOOP: Part 2
Its exciting to celebrate our one month anniversary this week. The best part has been interacting with everyone who has commented or sent in feedback. Check out the video below to hear how you can particpate in the LOOP.Read More »Job Well Done! Recognizing Effective Diabetes Management
When you work hard and perform well at your job, it's always nice to get a little recognition from the boss, right? We all know that managing diabetes effectively is no small task. So, when's the last time someone recognized you for putting in the time and effort to take control of your diabetes?Read More »Wishing You A Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Donning some green and embracing your inner leprechaun can be a lot of fun. But if your St. Patrick's Day involves green beer (or any other type of alcohol), you need to be careful. That's why we asked our own Dr. Francine Kaufman to provide some tips to help keep your celebration safe.Read More »Growing Up With Diabetes: 3 Tips For The Teen Years
While all parents struggle when our kids hit the teenage years and we have to start "letting go" a bit, it's especially hard when your child has diabetes. We asked Karen Biastre to give us her perspective and tips for how her family manages now that her teenage son Nate is looking for a little more freedom. Have any tips to add? Be sure to let us know in the comments!Read More »My Additional Diabetes Brain
Today we're happy to feature a post from Naomi Kingery. Like many Medtronic employees, Naomi has personal experience with diabetes. In fact, she had been a self-proclaimed "Proud Pink Pumper" for seven years before coming to work with us. You may also know her as the "Diabetic Diva," offering her fresh, fun perspective to the diabetes community. Today, she's talking to The Loop about the challenge of keeping track of her blood sugar numbers.Read More »Welcome!
Today marks our first official blog entry in The LOOP! We have started this as a way of "Closing the Loop" with our loyal customers and the diabetes online community (DOC). We have heard feedback from many of you that you want us to engage and participate in the DOC. The LOOP is just one small step, but we think a very important first step.Read More »