# Accu-Chek Combo



## Phil65 (Mar 24, 2011)

Just recieved my information pack and dvd in the post and should be getting my pump on 11 April......very excited!  Anybody got any tips/advice for this system? And those of you that use it, do you find it good/easy to use?


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## everydayupsanddowns (Mar 24, 2011)

No experience with the pump, but I think there are some similarities with the Combo handset and the Expert BG meter.

Ellie Jones uses the Combo I think so hopefully she will be along in due course to give you some insight.

I've been using the Expert since Christmas and I have to say I LOVE it. It took a while to get used to its little idiosyncracies and get my meal ratios/'health' factors (eg % reduction for exercise), and various other settings fine-tuned, but in recent weeks I've had lots and lots of days where I've been staying in range all day (pre and post meal). Something which only ever used to happen very occasionally.

My initial thoughts (which might help explain some initially confusing behaviours) are here: Accu-chek Expert Review - one month in


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## marynf (Mar 24, 2011)

We have been using the Accu Chek combo for nearly a month now and it is brilliant!  I chose it over the Medtronic because of the remote control.  Not having to extricate the pump from S's clothes each time she wanted something to eat was a major factor, and because the remote is also the meter it just goes in her kit bag instead of the nano we used before.  I can do everything bar the finger prick from a few feet away and so suddenly diabetes is much less invasive. It means we can bolus for everything she eats, without her noticing almost, and so her BG figures have really stabilised.  Did I mention how much I love this pump?!

The manual is enormous, but very clear.  I am an instruction reader and read it all from cover to cover; my husband waited until I told him how to do the basics and in fact the whole system is intuitive.  You might be on saline for a week or so, which is a good opportunity to play with settings and so on without any disasters....You do need the pump and the handset in front of you for it to make sense sometimes.  

Enjoy your pump start!

Mary

Daughter S aged 5
Started pump 1st March 2011


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## Ergates (Mar 24, 2011)

That's a good review, Mike!  Not too far different from my own experience with the Combo handset and the pump.  The combo does deal in 0.1 unit changes of insulin, and with a few other bits and pieces would let me rate it a little higher than you did, but I'd agree with the assessment that it could have been really brilliant.

Good luck Phil, I really really like my combo meter and pump.  Together they are doing huge things for my control, and I'm far better off than I was on MDI.


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## Ellie Jones (Mar 24, 2011)

I'm Here

Tips and Tricks...

I up-graded from the older spirit pump to the Combo at Christmas and I do actually like it and get on fine...

The menu on the pump side is pretty straight forward and well arranged (I did have problems to start because they've rejigged it from the older spirit, so the 'stop' now comes before the bolus's not before!)

The handset is straight forward with few exceptions some setting/functions are quite where you expect to find them..  But it's a case of just getting used to them..

Tip when it comes to priming a cannular and the bolus wizard

If you tell the handset that you are eating carbs the amount that requires the same as the priming dose of the canular!  (don't actually eat the carbs though) this prevents the bolus wizard getting confused and calculating the cannular prime into it's next calculation..

Most tips about starting up, is really in consistant with all pumps

Such as take on thing at a time, don't change too much at one go, tackling night basal rates first is probably the easiest.. Sort out the basals before fine tuning insulin/carb ratio's...

A tip for basal setting..

Copy the basal profile they load onto your pump to a second profile..  Work with this one to make your changes and when you get a change that works transfer it to the first profile..  This enables you to make a change but know that if it doesn't work you can return it to the settings that did!

Don't expect too much straight away it's hard work to start but does get easier, once you've got your basal setting set up, they will still need regular reviews with fasting tests as they your needs can change over time and even with the changes in the seasons!

I would also suggest investing in Pumping Insulin by John Walsh (the pumpers bible) as this gives all the information about using and utilizing your pump (the author himself not only an endo, but an insulin pump user)

Good luck I suspect that you won't look back, and we'll all here to answer questions, give other hints and tips etc...


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## Phil65 (Mar 24, 2011)

everydayupsanddowns said:


> No experience with the pump, but I think there are some similarities with the Combo handset and the Expert BG meter.
> 
> Ellie Jones uses the Combo I think so hopefully she will be along in due course to give you some insight.
> 
> ...




Mike,

I've been using the 'Expert' meter for about 6 months and I agree it is excellent!  I hope your target ranges that you have achieved haven't improved as a result of you changing the target ranges on your meter!  lol


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## Phil65 (Mar 24, 2011)

Thanks for your snippets of advice and support.......no doubt I will be firing some questions your way in a couple of weeks!


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## everydayupsanddowns (Mar 24, 2011)

Phil65 said:


> Mike,
> 
> I've been using the 'Expert' meter for about 6 months and I agree it is excellent!  I hope your target ranges that you have achieved haven't improved as a result of you changing the target ranges on your meter!  lol



Sorry Phil, I'm sure I you posted about being on the Expert a while ago 

Not sure what you mean about target ranges... are you saying 1.8 - 28.5 isn't tight enough? 

Actually I've had to narrow it a bit so that the corrections aim to keep me at 6 I'm prepared to have a little more 'blue' on the pie chart knowing my actual numbers are better for it. Frustrates me that there is no 'hyper' range on the target reporting. The ability to differentiate between 'below' and 'hypo' is really useful, but though you can set the warning level, everything is just classed as 'above'.


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## Phil65 (Mar 24, 2011)

everydayupsanddowns said:


> Sorry Phil, I'm sure I you posted about being on the Expert a while ago
> 
> Not sure what you mean about target ranges... are you saying 1.8 - 28.5 isn't tight enough?
> 
> Actually I've had to narrow it a bit so that the corrections aim to keep me at 6 I'm prepared to have a little more 'blue' on the pie chart knowing my actual numbers are better for it. Frustrates me that there is no 'hyper' range on the target reporting. The ability to differentiate between 'below' and 'hypo' is really useful, but though you can set the warning level, everything is just classed as 'above'.



Agreed Mike,  The pie chart would be even better if they colour coded bg ranges, 1-4, 4.1-8, 8.1- 11, 11.1-16, 16.1-20 etc etc


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