Medtronic replaced my insulin pump, again. This will be the second replacement pump I’ve had. This time, I sent it back because it got a crack. They promptly replaced it. The first time I got a replacement because of the clear retainer ring recall.

My Medtronic 670G Insulin Pump got a crack on the back side, near the battery compartment. While a crack can seem minor, it makes your insulin pump not waterproof, and possibly other issues could arise too. When I called Medtronic to tell them about the crack, they requested that I stop using the pump and that I switch to a back up method. It’s apparent that they consider any damage to be a risk.

I don’t know how I got a crack in my insulin pump. I didn’t bump or drop it. Maybe the pump had a defect. It was under warranty and Medtronic replaced it quickly.

Switching to a replacement pump is a bit of work, because the pump arrives without any settings programmed into it. Before using it, I had to manually copy all of my settings from my old pump. I had to set up the basal rate, as well as the other settings. I referred to Medtronic’s Workbork on Transfer Settings for the Minimed 670G Replacement Pump.

I’m sure that if I wanted to, I could have asked my doctor to help me set up my new pump. But, I am really comfortable with my pump, and I know my way around the menus, and I was careful to make sure I programmed all of the settings, per the instructions.

The other inconvenience is that I couldn’t use Auto Mode right away. I had to stay in manual mode for a couple of days, while the new pump gets to know me.

Manual mode takes a bit more work. I was afraid to do the wrong correction bolus before bed and was anxious about possibly going low. Everything turned out ok, although my blood glucose was a bit higher at night than I would have liked.

While I often use manual mode during the day (especially on days where I’m needing a higher than usual amount of insulin), I really appreciate auto mode. Auto mode allows me to think about my diabetes less, as it automatically adjusts insulin delivery based on a CGM. I am able to not think about my diabetes for long periods of times. It’s amazing. It’s almost a closed loop system.

So I had a coupe of days where I had to pay more attention and make more manual adjustments, and diabetes care took more time than usual. There is always something to do, isn’t there?

How is your insulin pump holding up?