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Blog Entries With Tag: Salvador DaliBlog: Anna's BlogFrom: FatCatAnnaPosted: Dec 19, 2012
Okay – I maybe wording the title incorrectly – but this is my take on a copy of a letter from Animas Corporation. In a nutshell, as of January 1, 2016 my current pump aka George Michael (GM) will no longer function. GM – who I acquired back in February 2012 – is no longer under warranty – that finished up in April 2012 – so he’s screwed for being replaced with one that will function past that date according to the letter. That’s despite him being a spanking brand new pump (manufactured in September 2011) – he has no protection – except I was told if I had technical issues I’m still permitted to call up for help. I am though forever an optimist thinking/hoping that he will last longer than the 2 years I seem to get out of the previous Animas pumps (Antonio Banderas and Salvador Dali) that I’ve had over the 4 years since I switched over from MDI (multiple dosage injections aka poor mans pump). Forking out $8K+ every 4 years (or get a loan at who knows what interest rate) – is not something I am looking forward. That’s a lot of cash to spend on a medical device that you hope lasts for awhile – but in the letter today – the software as of the Jan 1st date will no longer allow the pump to work. So, my dreams of writing a blog about how long my pump has served me with similar stories of pump users having their pump still working for close to 10 years – is in my eyes – a pipe dream. In the letter, dated December 17, 2012 – it states – “ We want to inform you that the software included in the Animas 2020 insulin pump only operates until midnight on Dec 31, 2015. After this date, the pump will no longer deliver insulin and will generate a Call Service Alarm”. They go on to state that “this end of use date is not currently included in our product labelling.” Hmm, wonder why they left that out for users like myself when we are looking at purchasing a life saving device that some of us have had to pay out of pocket for? Would I (we) have questioned owning a pump whose software stops functioning on such and such a date? I know I would, and now am pondering if I should just forgo pumping after George Michael bites the dust, or consider going with a pump manufacturer that will guarantee that my pump software will remain working beyond the warranty time frame. I have been shopping around to find another pump manufacturer that is available here in Canada – and have found one – but for now – I am holding my breath until I really have to consider replacing GM. One thing my DH who works for an aircraft manufacturer, was saying that software on avionic boxes (e.g. transponder, air data computers, cabin software) gets updated regularly. If these weren’t updated, technically you cannot fly the aircraft without some of those updates – aka “unserviceable”. Why cannot the 2020 pump software be updated so that it works past this date of “expiry” stated in the letter? This is a question I am going to be putting to Animas Canada – to see if they can give me a legit question. Come on GM - please live to at least December 31, 2015 - don't be like your former brothers in arms !!!
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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Tags: Antonio Banderas (1) Salvador Dali (1) software (1) warranty (1) George Michael (1) 2020 (1) pump (1) Animas (1) Related posts:My first month with Bowie my Dexcom G4 CGMS | Crack Free #ShowMeYourPump | Jenna and The Hypo Fairy | Welcome Ziggy Stardust | Wearing a dress with medical gadgets | Pre-op visit with endo at hospital | I'm so excited | My First Night with Dexcom G4 CGMS | Work, work and more work | To pump or not to pumpBlog: Anna's BlogFrom: FatCatAnnaPosted: Mar 6, 2012
Well, hopefully I haven’t left this second post too long to end the story. I’ve since discovered that my Dad is still on Facebook (long story) – so even if you posted any comments – he knows the story (though he’s not said anything – he’s a quiet man). So, on with my little tale of two pumps – who are only trying to do what they do – make me stay alive and healthy with the control of my diabetes. Last week I told you about the woes of Salvador Dali, my Animas 2020 insulin pump. George Michael went back to Animas Canada a few days later as he had served his purpose of saving me during my holidays, then all hell broke loose again. It was time for his never ending insulin cartridge refill that he goes through every 2-3 days (depending on how much insulin we go through – I average 75 units every 3 days of NovoRapid). So, I do the steps we all do with our insulin pumps, DISCONNECT from infusion set that is in our body, REWIND the motor, put new insulin into cartridge, RELOAD cartridge back into pump, TIGHTEN the cartridge cap, then PRIME the infusion set tubing. What happened next though had never occurred, I’d placed the new insulin cartridge into the pump, and was waiting for it to reload up (on the screen after it’s done this – it shows you how much is in the insulin cartridge and then you start PRIMING). Instead, somehow Salvador tripped up on a few steps, he never told me he was ready to PRIME the tubing, but he just kept on going, e.g. he unloaded the WHOLE 75 units of insulin (into the kitchen sink – I went running over to it – as usually he only squirts out 2 units – this was a stream!!!) It all happened so fast (wonder if the real Salvador was fast like this – you know – in the boudoir), that I thought perhaps I had missed a step – heck – you never know. So being the ADD gal that I am, I decided to do the WHOLE process over, and once again, the same thing occurred – SCREAM!!! Pressing on any buttons on my pump didn’t stop the action – he just kept pushing out yet another load of insulin. In the meantime, my DH has made a video of the process, just incase Animas doesn’t believe me (trust me – videos have saved me in the past with large corporations who care about their products when it comes to making a legitimate claim). I was right pissed off now (in a polite British way of course), even more if I was an American consumer (and I mentioned this to Animas later on). For Americans, depending on their insurance company they are only allowed so much insulin / blood test strips – if they go over – it’s either out of pocket – or they go without!!! I mean, how often do you waste 190 units of insulin within a 10 minute period – unless your ratio for insulin is like 1:1 !!! Now, after skirting out all the insulin a second time, Salvador started doing the same scenario he was doing that caused me to abandon him during my holidays a week before – he was saying: WARNING – PUMP IS NOT PRIMED. NO DELIVERY. CONFIRM. I immediately am typing down everything that has just occurred as I wait on hold for Animas Customer Support to answer – and this is all around dinner time – when I’ve just prepared a lovely meal – and I’m hungry (good thing my blood sugars were in the happy zone at the time). After a 5 minute wait (was amazed at how short it was) I explain the situation with Salvador – advising them to read over the notes in my file– and within about 15 minutes of answering questions, etc. – they are all set to call up Animas Canada – and get a new pump to me that evening. That response REALLY amazed me – as I thought that they would be humming and hawing – especially with my warranty ending on my pump – and the fact that this is the 2nd replacement pump I’ve be receiving from them in 4 years. I was gob smacked to say the least. So I hang up the phone, and go off to prepare myself for injecting for dinner, and wondering if Animas USA is not pulling my leg about getting a new pump to me via Animas Canada, as we are having a heavy snow fall outside. Within 15 minutes, I get a call from a service representative here in Montreal, she’s shopping at the time (crazy woman it’s snowing like cats and dogs) – and she’s asking me what are my 1st and 2nd choice for colour for a new pump – and the pump will be there in under 3 hours. I thank her profusely – tell her I have to take her out for a coffee one day (she speaks English AND lives about a 10 minute drive from my house – small world). All of these calls started at 18h00 on a Friday evening – and by 21h00 hours – my new pump – PINK – and named George Michael like my vacation loaner pump are all nicely nestled in my home. Now, is that service or what? My only hope is that this latest pump will last longer than the 2 years that each 2020 pump I’ve had over the years has lasted, and that the government of Quebec gets a pump program for adults – similar to Ontario. If not, I’ll be doing pole dancing as a part time job in order to help pay the loan off (hey – it’s good exercise – don’t put your nose up at it!!). NB: I have had a few vacation loaner pumps over the years, along with replacement pumps. I have LOTS of spare manuals. I decided to tidy up all the spares I have, and ensure I have only one copy (in French and English) with all the correct settings written in the column provided in the manual (on my holidays – I took the wrong manual – with old pump settings – SCREAM). In one of the manuals, I came across a letter dated March 19, 2010 – URGENT: MEDICAL DEVICE NOTIFICATION. This was for One Touch Ping Glucose Management System and Animas 2020 Insulin Pump users. The letter basically describes exactly what occurred during my holidays with Salvador Dali – and what he had done for his final bow to the curtain. So, obviously, this is a problem with some of their devices, and as usual, I seem to have this knack for having a sign on my back that says “KICK ME”. I’ve heard from other pumps users – mostly non-Animas users – who’ve never had any problems with their pumps – and their original pumps keep on ticking way past their warranty stage. Let’s hope my luck has changed with this 3rd pump – and that I have a long and happy life with George Michael – because sadly – Animas doesn’t make a purple pump … yet … and if I’m ever to change again … I want a purple razzle dazzle pump!!!
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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Tags: failure (1) George Michael (1) Salvador Dali (1) 2020 (1) Animas (1) pump (1) insulin (1) Type 1 diabetes (1) Related posts:Type 1 vs. Type 2 | In a slump and scared | Surviving the Holocaust with Type 1 diabetes | My first month with Bowie my Dexcom G4 CGMS | Edmonton man denied insulin for 20 hours | Crack Free #ShowMeYourPump | Jenna and The Hypo Fairy | Welcome Ziggy Stardust | Wearing a dress with medical gadgets | Pre-op visit with endo at hospitalBlog: Anna's BlogFrom: FatCatAnnaPosted: Feb 29, 2012
Please note – since writing up this blog below last week – a new chapter to this story will be revealed in Part 2. Keep your eyes posted for it shortly. For those of you who follow me in Twitter / Facebook – don’t reveal any sneak peeks here! So, off I went to self-diagnosis Salvador Dali the best way I knew how along with my manual by my side. He was constantly saying “Not primed. No delivery”. I was close to doing an infusion change at the time – which always corresponds with a refill of my insulin cartridge to keep me going for another 3. In the end, after following through all the steps for loading up a new fully filled cartridge and new infusion set all primed, while Salvador keep on saying “Not primed. No delivery” every 3 minutes – we did a few other steps to try to stop the warning (e.g. remove battery, reload cartridge, etc. – but with no success). My DH luckily was with me during the fun process of having to get my vacation loaner all set up with the programming since I didn’t have the hardware or software program in my netbook to do a direct transfer of the set-up of Salvador to the vacation loaner pump. Let’s just say it was not a fun process (it reminded me of what a Mum goes through when her child is screaming in agony and you can’t figure out what is wrong). So, in the end it was done within an hour.
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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Tags: cartridge (1) Salvador Dali (1) George Michael (1) cruise (1) pump (1) insulin (1) Animas (1) Related posts:Type 1 vs. Type 2 | In a slump and scared | Surviving the Holocaust with Type 1 diabetes | My first month with Bowie my Dexcom G4 CGMS | Edmonton man denied insulin for 20 hours | Crack Free #ShowMeYourPump | Jenna and The Hypo Fairy | Welcome Ziggy Stardust | Wearing a dress with medical gadgets | Pre-op visit with endo at hospitalBlog: Anna's BlogFrom: FatCatAnnaPosted: Jun 10, 2011
Today we are delighted to be interviewing FatCatAnna's (FCA) pump Salvador Dali (SD). Salvador became FCA's side kick a few years ago after her first insulin pump Antonio Bandera's cheated on her.
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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Tags: Lolita (1) blood meter (1) blood sugar (1) Malaga (1) Salvador Dali (1) insulin pump (1) travel (1) Spain (1) Related posts:Keeping track | My 13 year old self describing her DKA in the 70's | Miss Idaho is Defeating Diabetes | Twist and Shout – Sleep Apnoea | When You're Hot, You're Hot | Carb Counting | Home Stretch | Flying high and I'm afraid of heights | Estimated Average Glucose: A New Term in Diabetes Control | NO DELIVERY |
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