The MiniMed™ 780G system helps make Thanksgiving easier
Fall time and diabetes
The ‘ber months are upon us, and there is no greater sign of the season than when you enter the grocery store, coffee shop, or see all the recipes start to pop up on your social feed.
Hi! I’m Cheryl, a Medtronic employee living with type 1 diabetes for 35 years, and to me, fall means FOOD! There are so many special things to enjoy this time of year, and for many people living with diabetes, there is a new level of stress that comes with it as well.
How many carbs in a pumpkin spice latte’s whipped cream?
Did I eat one or five fun-sized candy bars?
How could I possibly know how to carb count my family’s ancient stuffing recipe?
The challenges of holiday mealtimes
In the past, what made the holidays challenging was the temptation of foods that are only available this time of year coupled with how hard it is to account for them correctly.
Despite many of the store-bought seasonal foods having great nutritional facts, they are often presented in communal trays sitting out without their labels. I always seem to forget to bolus for those.
More challenging are all the homemade items — neighbors drop off treats, gatherings include things made by friends, and then there is the granddaddy of them all…Thanksgiving!
But let me tell you, last year was my first year with the MiniMed™ 780G system, and experiencing the holidays with Meal Detection™ technology‡ made such a difference!
Thanksgiving with the MiniMed™ 780G system
Most people living with diabetes will tell you that Turkey Day is tough because there are often NO nutrition facts on any of the foods you are eating. You are left to guess, and if you are like me, you often guess wrong.
What makes the MiniMed™ 780G system so great is that you don’t have to get those carbs 100 percent correct! The biggest “A-ha!” moment for me was when the system caught the candy I grabbed from my kids trick-or-treating bag and softened that glucose spike.
On Thanksgiving, I can glance at the food choices and give it my best shot knowing that the system is going to help fill in where I get it wrong. Looking back at my CareLink™ data for Thanksgiving dinner was amazing. Was it perfect? No, because holidays are meant to be fun, but was it significantly better than years past.
Tips for holiday eating with diabetes
Some of my tips for holiday eating with the MiniMed™ 780G system:
- Don’t completely give up carb counting, but don’t obsess over it either. Several advocacy groups have great resources for holiday carb counts like Breakthrough T1D. Entering your best guess will allow your MiniMed™ 780G system to help fill in any gaps.
- Despite good glucose control, holiday eating can cause a few extra pounds to creep on. Plan to get in some good exercise on days when holiday eating is coming. Sign up for a local turkey trot and have your family join in on the fun!
- Remember that high-carb and high-fat foods can cause a delay in blood sugar spikes. Be mindful that despite good blousing, you may see glucose rise after the Thanksgiving dishes are done. Keep an eye on your active insulin to see how Meal Detection™ technology is responding to this spike.
- Head into a big holiday meal with a fresh infusion set and reservoir that won’t run out during the festivities.
- If you are traveling for the holidays, Medtronic has resources to help make travel planning more manageable. And if you haven’t experienced a vacation with the MiniMed™ 780G system, trust me, it’s easier!
The most important thing is to ENJOY your holiday celebrations and indulge a little. Be THANKFUL for all the technology that is allowing those of us living with diabetes to be able to delight in some of our favorite holiday foods.
‡ Taking a bolus 15 – 20 minutes before a meal helps to keep blood sugar levels under control after eating.
Important safety information: MiniMed™ 780G system with SmartGuard™ technology with Guardian™ 4 sensor
The MiniMed™ 780G system is intended for continuous delivery of basal insulin at selectable rates, and the administration of insulin boluses at 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™ 780G system includes SmartGuard™ technology, which can be programmed to automatically adjust insulin delivery based on the continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) sensor glucose values and can suspend delivery of insulin when the sensor glucose (SG) value falls below or is predicted to fall below predefined threshold values.
The Medtronic MiniMed™ 780G system consists of the following devices: MiniMed™ 780G insulin pump, the Guardian™ 4 transmitter, the Guardian™ 4 sensor, One-press serter, the Accu-Chek™ Guide Link blood glucose meter, and the Accu-Chek™ Guide test strips. The system requires a prescription from a healthcare professional.
The Guardian™ 4 sensor is intended for use with the MiniMed™ 780G system and the Guardian 4 transmitter to monitor glucose levels for the management of diabetes. The sensor is intended for single use and requires a prescription. The Guardian™ 4 sensor is indicated for up to seven days of continuous use.
The Guardian™ 4 sensor is not intended to be used directly to make therapy adjustments while the MiniMed™ 780G is operating in manual mode. All therapy adjustments in manual mode should be based on measurements obtained using a blood glucose meter and not on values provided by the Guardian™ 4 sensor. The Guardian™ 4 sensor has been studied and is approved for use in patients ages 7 years and older and in the arm insertion site only. Do not use the Guardian™ 4 sensor in the abdomen or other body sites including the buttocks, due to unknown or different performance that could result in hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia.
WARNING: Do not use the SmartGuard™ feature for people who require less than 8 units or more than 250 units of total daily insulin per day. A total daily dose of at least 8 units, but no more than 250 units, is required to operate in the SmartGuard™ feature. |
WARNING: Do not use the MiniMed™ 780G system until appropriate training has been received from a healthcare professional. Training is essential to ensure the safe use of the MiniMed™ 780G system.
WARNING: Do not use SG values to make treatment decisions, including delivering a bolus, while the pump is in Manual Mode. When the SmartGuard™ feature is active and you are no longer in Manual Mode, the pump uses an SG value, when available, to calculate a bolus amount. However, if your symptoms do not match the SG value, use a BG meter to confirm the SG value. Failure to confirm glucose levels when your symptoms do not match the SG value can result in the infusion of too much or too little insulin, which may cause hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia.
Pump therapy is not recommended for people whose vision or hearing does not allow for the recognition of pump signals, alerts, or alarms. The safety of the MiniMed™ 780G system has not been studied in pregnant women, persons with type 2 diabetes, or in persons using other anti-hyperglycemic therapies that do not include insulin. 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-safety-information#minimed-780g and the appropriate user guide at https://www.medtronicdiabetes.com/download-library
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About Author
Cheryl Cormany
Principal Marketing Specialist and PWDCheryl has lived with type 1 diabetes since the age of 6 and shares her passion for the diabetes community as a customer marketing specialist, having been with Medtronic Diabetes since 2005. She is a mom to 3 boys, a lover of coffee, family vacations and sharing her excitement around diabetes technology with our customers.