My T:slim and Dexcom Journey: Observations, Questions, Compliments, and Concerns

Like @Thomas I also tend to use the bolus calculator more for record keeping purposes. I like to know WHY I gave insulin at a particular time, and when I’m feeling ambitious I try to go back through my history and record the past few days in Nightscout, which is basically a labor intensive way of creating the useful types of graphs that t:connect is supposed to be giving me :stuck_out_tongue:

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@glitzabetes they have dumbed it down to the lowest common denominator. Cuts down on the training curve.

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Good morning❣️

I was following Tslim FB post and reminded me of something that I wanted to pass on to you @Nickyghaleb. I have 2 portable chargers. I carry one in my purse and one at home in case electricity goes out or just so I can charge while I move around. I keep pump topped off which is approved by Tandem but I like to be prepared lol.

Adding link. The techie guys seem to like this one

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@Jattzl
Agreed.

I like the Anker products.

Possible I went a little overboard in my purchases. But I really like their stuff.
:stuck_out_tongue:

House chargers, car chargers, small batteries, mid-size batteries.
Still mulling over their ridiculous sized battery. Would work great for camping.

My child does carry two of the smaller batteries as standard equipment in the school backpack. More often then not, it ends up being used for the phone.

Note: Charging the Tandem X2 ends up being so minor as to not even notice. Trying to run the cell phones and laptops is the focus. And the Tandem uses anything the other equipment can plug into.

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I might have done so too :slight_smile:

@Jattzl, I like this new 5000mAh model you listed, but for EDC I prefer this one (3350mAh), which is more compact and can really fit anywhere:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005X1Y7I2/

Like @Thomas’s child, my son carries one of these everywhere in his D bag.

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I agree 100%

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Two peas in a pod! :grin:

The smaller the better for me. Thanks for link!

I had two chargers that came free with my iPhone bundle from Costco so I am a happy camper. They work for me but I’m not a pea in your pod @Thomas @Michel :wink:

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Every time I think I’m getting it together, you guys start in on something new, and I’m just busy trying to throw it all into the suitcase— without knowing what it is or why I need it. :woman_facepalming:

So can I charge this thing in the car? Can I charge it from afar? Can I charge it in a jam? Can I charge with it some ham? @Pgithens… this is on you with the Dr. Seuss talk.

Real questions:

Can I charge it in the car? I am assuming yes until someone says no.

Swapping chargers or using alternative chargers… I’ve never thought twice about doing this and was doing it with my Libre when I got a verbal reprimanding by an engineering guy in my group. So I now I just do it quietly— but is it a bad idea for the pump?? Because I really don’t want to hurt my baby. :grin: And my drains pretty fast… I think. What is a normal percentage decrease in, say, 12 hours?? And is it possible for it to vary in how fast it drains?? I charged to 100% last night while I was watching tv. I was at 85% by the time I turned the lights out… but am at 75% this morning. Now, I was watching Game of Thrones for the first time so maybe that was zapping my battery. :grin:

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I could answer this with my non techie pea in a pod answer but I’ll let the other peas do it much more thoroughly!

I plug in anytime I get the urge lol. Make sure you have a cord on hand too.

yep!!! you can charge it in the car…on a boat and even with a goat…as long as the goat has a mini usb port/cord installed…where the goat has it installed is up to you… :smiley:

hmmm, your pump drains power more than mine. i have all my alarms turned off except for lows at night. do you have alarms on going off every few minutes? maybe that’s it?

my sensor is hooked up, too, so the reading is on my pump…i keep forgetting to charge mine while i’m in the shower, but i’m at 45% and that will last me the whole day at least…

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Issues… you’ve got issues. :grin:

So… you guys don’t worry about using different chargers then? I can use an iPad charger if that’s what I’ve got lying around??

Yes. They’re going off all of the time. Without having the time to be able to learn this thing the way I prefer, which is by reading and logging, I was hoping to just learn by submersion. Some of it is working out that way. The most important thing I’m learning is I love the way this resumes insulin… and for me, that’s huge. But I also was hoping to just kind of pick up on the alert sounds— and that is not happening. You won’t know then, Pgithens, since you’re both new and have silenced them somewhat, but does anyone else pay any attention to the alarms?? I feel like they keep changing them on me— but know that’s not what’s really happening. :roll_eyes:

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I have very few alarms going at this point as all my adjustments have been made regarding IQ. But I have heard that IQ uses more battery power and judging from your RED screen shot above I would say its working away! Also check you screen timeout settings.

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Yes! Anything the little thing fits into too lol

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I specifically asked my pump trainer about this and she said I could use any charger I wanted, it didn’t matter.

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I do pay attention to the alarms and I don’t notice them changing although they are different for different issues… During the day I’m constantly adjusting them according to what I need to pay attention to at the time. Now, because my basal is fine tuned, I only use the high and low at night though.

SAME. Any where to any charger at any time. You won’t hurt the baby lol

At this point for you, I would use as many alarms as you need and have your screen on as long as you need. Don’t worry about the battery! Any where to - any charger- at any time.

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Blue fish red fish. Yes yes yes.

Ignore the idiots (Is that an allowed term if it can be clinically proven to be true) that say only use the provided charging equipment. Not even worth the argument.

Don’t overthink how fast it initially goes down.

A Tandem X2 full charge should last 7 days without Dexcom integration and 5 days with Dexcom integration.

There is nothing wrong with letting it run down until it pops up whatever warning - particularly if you want to test how long the charge lasts. But timing how long it takes from 100% to 75% (in my opinion) does not really test anything.

Absolutely. Do not change your behaviour even one iota trying to save battery.

Make the device work for you.

Do not work for the device.

If you get 3 days or less from full charge down to Tandem alert about low battery then call Tandem Technical Support.

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This.

We have a pump that is over 1.5 years old and it still holds the charge for 4.5 days with the Dexcom integration working.

Another charging thought, assuming you drive around a bit, you can easily charge while driving.

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i don’t think an iPad charging cable will fit into the port on the t:slim, BUT if you have a mini-usb phone charger cable, that will work.

and if you have Dexcom, the green cable from the Dexcom receiver box works with the pump…

i think you have PTSD from the 670 whose alerts would go off all of the time…

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PMSS— Post Medtronic Stress Syndrome. Valerie from the other group gave it a name. Smart girl. :grin:

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:rofl:

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