Medtronic Employees Giving Back to the Diabetes Community

At Medtronic, we are committed to making the best technologies possible to support people living with diabetes. But the ultimate goal is a cure, which is why Medtronic and our employees support organizations like JDRF and the American Diabetes Association. While attending several local events each year, we’d like to highlight two upcoming events in particular that demonstrate the dedication of our employees.

1. This October, more than 20 employees from around the United States will be taking part in the JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes, Amelia Island, FL. This is a ride of up to 100 miles where participants will cycle along beaches and over marshlands to show their commitment to finding a cure for diabetes.
2. Also, in October, more than 40 employees from our Northridge office will be taking part in the American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure in Glendale, California. To date, Medtronic employees have raised over $130,000 in fundraising between the two organizations for these particular events.

We are extremely proud of our employees and their commitment to making a world where people can Live More and Worry Less while living with diabetes.

Today, we’d like to introduce our employee John, a member of our marketing team who also lives with type 1 diabetes. John uses the MiniMed 670G system to manage his diabetes and is putting his pump to the test as he trains to conquer the JDRF ride in Amelia Island.

My name is John. I am 34 years old. I’ve been married for 11 years to my beautiful wife, we have 3 sons and a baby on the way. Faith plays a huge role in my life and has shaped me into the man I am today. I am a husband and a father. I am a nurse. I am an educator. I am a son. I am a friend. I enjoy a fairly normal life by most standards. Oh yeah… I also have type 1 diabetes. I have lived with diabetes for 21 years. I can definitely remember life before diabetes, as I was diagnosed at 13 years old, but have come to accept it and strive everyday to conquer my disease and not let my disease conquer me. My journey with diabetes has had its ups and downs, lefts and rights, & back and forths- but I am confident that I will always endure. Nearly 3 years ago, I was struggling with weight and had lost control over my diabetes management. I made some pretty drastic lifestyle changes, including losing over 130 pounds, and for the first time my A1C was under 7 and it’s stayed there! I learned a lot about myself and my diabetes. I used to live in fear of my diabetes. I used to not exercise out of fear of going low. I used to fear the uncertainty of the future. Now, I just take life one day at a time and take things as they come.

I have always wanted to train for something. I have always wanted to get more involved with the type 1 community. I have always wanted to prove to myself that my diabetes could not hold me back. Well, earlier this year I learned Medtronic was sponsoring a certain number of employees as part of the Medtronic ride team for the JDRF Ride to Cure in Amelia Island, FL. I had to immediately psych myself up to enter my name- I mean, I am absolutely not an athlete and the ride can last as long as 100 miles. I didn’t even own an appropriate bike! I entered anyway… did not get selected! Undiscouraged, I reached out to the ride lead and told my story. Guess what? A spot had vacated! I was now on the team!

With only five months until the ride, I bought a bike and training began. I crashed the bike my second week of training… snapped the frame on the wheel and replaced the front rim. Then life happened! A lot of travel for work and a ton of excuses. But nonetheless, I endure and continue to train. I have watched over a million (ok, slight exaggeration) YouTube videos and gotten advice from every biker I know. The rest is now up to me!

I have no idea how close to 100 miles I will get. When I started out, I had it in my mind that if I did not hit 100 miles, it would be a bust. Now I am thinking the most important part is the experience. This has given me the opportunity to train and get some much-needed exercise back into my life. I cannot wait to ride with my team and make memories that I will carry on forever- I am so proud to work for an organization that sponsors employees to do things like this. Even better, it will be a privilege to ride with other people living with type 1 diabetes and bond with others who experience the same obstacles I face in my daily life. Amelia Island… I’m coming for you!

Important Safety Information

MINIMED 670G™ SYSTEM

The Medtronic MiniMed™ 670G system is intended for continuous delivery of basal insulin (at user selectable rates) and administration of insulin boluses (in user selectable amounts) for the management of type 1 diabetes mellitus in persons, seven years of age and older, requiring insulin as well as for the continuous monitoring and trending of glucose levels in the fluid under the skin. The MiniMed™ 670G system includes SmartGuard™ technology, which can be programmed to automatically adjust delivery of basal insulin based on Continuous Glucose Monitor sensor glucose values and can suspend delivery of insulin when the sensor glucose value falls below or is predicted to fall below predefined threshold values. The system requires a prescription. The Guardian™ Sensor (3) glucose values are not intended to be used directly for making therapy adjustments, but rather to provide an indication of when a fingerstick may be required. A confirmatory finger stick test via the CONTOUR®NEXT LINK 2.4 blood glucose meter is required prior to making adjustments to diabetes therapy. All therapy adjustments should be based on measurements obtained using the CONTOUR®NEXT LINK 2.4 blood glucose meter and not on values provided by the Guardian™ Sensor (3). Always check the pump display to ensure the glucose result shown agrees with the glucose results shown on the CONTOUR®NEXT LINK 2.4 blood glucose meter. Do not calibrate your CGM device or calculate a bolus using a blood glucose meter result taken from an Alternative Site (palm) or from a control solution test. It is not recommended to calibrate your CGM device when sensor or blood glucose values are changing rapidly, e.g., following a meal or physical exercise. If a control solution test is out of range, please note that the result may be transmitted to your pump when in the “Always” send mode.

Pump therapy is not recommended for people whose vision or hearing does not allow recognition of pump signals and alarms. Pump therapy is not recommended for people who are unwilling or unable to maintain contact with their healthcare professional. The safety of the MiniMed™ 670G system has not been studied in pregnant women. For complete details of the system, including product and important safety information such as indications, contraindications, warnings and precautions associated with system and its components, please consult http://www.medtronicdiabetes.com/important-safety-information#minimed-670g  and the appropriate user guide at http://www.medtronicdiabetes.com/download-library

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