Meet #MedtronicChampion Daniela

From fear to flourish: Meet #MedtronicChampion Daniela
 

Daniela is many things: a mom, wife, daughter, sister, psychologist, advocate, educator, runner … and she lives with type 1 diabetes in Costa Rica. She’s also a proud #MedtronicChampion and thrilled to be part of the new Medtronic Diabetes global community. Here’s her story:  

My diabetes diagnosis
 

I found out I had diabetes over 30 years ago. I always joke that I am like a dinosaur of diabetes because I feel like I came from a different era. At that time, no one had access to education, the internet, or peer support. It was a very lonely period and very fear based. In fact, it took several trips to the hospital, and my parents’ determination, to get my diagnosis. No one in my family has diabetes, so the doctors immediately wrote off diabetes as a possibility, even though all the classic signs were there — weight loss, drinking a lot of water, frequent urination, and extreme fatigue. It left me unable to participate in the activities I enjoyed like cheerleading, ballet, and gymnastics.

Getting access to care
 

My parents took me to a private clinic for a blood sugar test. While we were waiting for those results, I fainted and ended up in a coma for three days. When I woke up, I didn’t recognize myself. It was scary and it took a lot of psychological help to realize that the girl in the mirror was really me.  

The following years were very lonely and difficult. I didn’t meet anyone else who had diabetes for five years after my diagnosis. We didn’t have much access to test strips or technology. Eventually, my parents went to the U.S. to buy a glucose meter and a ton of test strips. We decided to monitor my diabetes on our own.

Using a Medtronic pump
 

I managed my diabetes for 27 years by myself and was comfortable doing it, so I became anti-technology. I also couldn’t imagine wearing a pump with my active lifestyle.
 

Finally, even though I was scared, I got myself the MiniMed™ 670G system. Now, I am on the latest MiniMed™ insulin pump system and I love it! Insulin pumps have helped not only my peace of mind, but my family’s as well. My husband said he was sleeping peacefully for the first time in 13 and a half years. I no longer have the fear I once did, and neither does my family. It’s put us all at ease.  

The #MedtronicChampion Global Community
 

I love being a part of a community with peer support from other people like you. Many people think that those with diabetes are all the same, but we’re not. This community shows the diversity of where we come from, how we look, and how diabetes acts in different individuals. It is a great place to connect, understand, learn from others, and know you’re not alone. 

Together we have a much better chance to stop the stigma, discrimination, and education regarding our condition.  

 I am a #MedtronicChampion because I advocate and educate about the mental health impacts of diabetes, and how diabetes technology can make a huge difference in improving not only your mental health, but the mental health of your family.     

The testimonial above relates an account of an individual’s experience using a Medtronic device. The account is genuine, typical, and documented. However, this individual’s experience does not provide any indication, guide, warranty or guarantee as to the response or experience other people may have using the device. The experience other individuals have with the device could be different. Experiences can and do vary. Please talk to your doctor about your condition and the risks and benefits of Medtronic devices.

Important Safety Information: MiniMed^™ 770G System With SmartGuard^™ Technology

The MiniMed^™ 770G 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 two 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^™ 770G System includes SmartGuard^™ technology, which can be programmed to automatically adjust delivery of basal insulin based on continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) sensor glucose values (SG) and can suspend delivery of insulin when the SG value falls below or is predicted to fall below predefined threshold values. 

The Medtronic MiniMed^™ 770G System consists of the following devices: MiniMed^™ 770G Insulin Pump, the Guardian^™ Link (3) Transmitter, the Guardian^™ Sensor (3), one-press serter, the Accu-Chek^® Guide Link blood glucose meter, and the AccuChek^®Guide Test Strips. The system requires a prescription. 

The Guardian^™ Sensor (3) has not been evaluated and is not intended to be used directly for making therapy adjustments, but rather to provide an indication of when a fingerstick may be required. All therapy adjustments should be based on measurements obtained using a blood glucose meter and not on values provided by the Guardian^™ Sensor (3). All therapy adjustments should be based on measurements obtained using the Accu-Chek^® Guide Link 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 Accu-Chek^® Guide Link blood glucose meter. Do not calibrate your CGM device or calculate a bolus using a blood glucose meter result taken from an alternative site. 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.

WARNING: Do not use the MiniMed^™ 770G system until appropriate training has been received from a healthcare professional. Training is essential to ensure the safe use of the MiniMed^™ 770G system.

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^™ 770G 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 https://www.medtronicdiabetes.com/important-safetyinformation#minimed-770g and the appropriate user guide at https://www.medtronicdiabetes.com/download-library

Important Safety Information

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 the 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 also 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-6… and the appropriate user guide at http://www.medtronicdiabetes.com/download-library.