I am setting up the PDM for the DASH system for the first time and need some help.
I went through all the screens and I’m stuck on how to select the basal rate program I want to use.
It says you can have up to 12 programs, I only have two entered right now.
The first one I entered is not the one I want to be active. I want the second one to be active, but the “activate” button is grayed out.
I do not have an active pod. I’m wearing my last Eros until later this evening.
Do I need to wait until I have an active pod to select the basal program I want to use? This seems like the answer, but it doesn’t seem right. I should be able to enter all 12 of the “allowable” basal programs, and then select the one I want to use, before I put a new pod on. Is there a way for me to do that, activate a basal program, other than the first basal program listed, before I put a pod on?
Well, I reversed the basal programs, changing the rates for the first one I entered to the second one I entered and then the second, inactive basal rate, was changed to the first. Convoluted, but it worked!
There should be a way to do this, without having to change the names and rates, reversing them really, but it worked and now I can be confident, in this at least, when I change my pod later on today, that the correct basal rate will be running, right out of the gate. Not that the five minutes it takes to do what I just did, but now I don’t have to worry if that five minutes wouldn’t be available to me, lol. Oh my!!
Glad you have it all figured out and feel confident. That seems to me to be the minimum required before strapping something to your body and delivering insulin.
Yes, I can select either basal program to view it, in list form. The graph is visible from the “Basal Programs” screen. And, you are correct … I cannot activate the second basal program; the first is automatically the active basal program. The activate button/selection may become available once I have an active pod, but that doesn’t seem like the best alternative. The best alternative would then be to only allow me to enter -one- basal program, the one I want activated at the time of the initial start up.
I can understand why you switched, but man that kinda sucks.
I hope it is not some kind of back-room dealing that Insulet is doing in order to force people to switch over. Roll out a product that people are not very excited about and then do some stuff behind the scenes to make people start using it.
In no world can I imagine a phone app called Glooko (I pronounce it Glookoo) generating that much enthusiasm. As far as I’m concerned, Eros is spot on and I hope the demand keeps flowing to where they have no choice but to continue (like Chuck Taylors, assuming they’ve stayed mostly the same).
It seems as though AAPS has put some effort into hacking Dash, but still has a ways to go.
Well, I decided to change my pod a few hours early so as not to have any late-night surprises!
After I started a new pod, I checked and I am able to activate the other basal program. A design flaw to be certain - it should only let me enter the basal rate I want to begin with, not up to 12, which I am unable to select until after a pod is activated.
I also realized I had to set the time of day and reminders and other settings, after I started a new pod. I needed to stop insulin delivery to do that, but for the few minutes, wasn’t an issue for me. I wouldn’t want to be a new user though and have to suspend insulin right out of the gate. Perhaps I did with the Eros and I’m not recalling.
I only use the PDM, not a phone or other device. I’m not wild about the rechargeable battery. It doesn’t seem to hold a charge long and I believe I will need to plug it in every night - unlike my other PDM which lasted a month or better on two AAA batteries. My bag is always next to me, with my PDM in it. Now the PDM will be tethered to a charging cord and not always next to me. I’m sure I’ll get used to it.
I’m not wild either about not having my glucometer with the PDM. I thought I would be able to use my old PDM as a glucometer, but since I’ve stopped using it, it (the old PDM) reminds me I don’t have an active pod and do I want to activate one now. The alert is what is going to force me to pop the batteries so I don’t keep getting the alerts.
I do have a Freedom glucometer, so I’ll start to use that more than just as a back up. The new “kit” came with a glucometer (Contour next ONE) but I have a glut of Freestyle (regular, not light) strips, enough to probably last me a lifetime now that I’m not testing like I used too!
Not sure about the reminders and other settings, but on the old PDM you definitely have to suspend delivery any time you change the time or date.
The old PDM will not keep reminding you. If you turn off program reminders and confidence reminders, it will only remind you once that you have no active pod. After that, it will keep quiet.
We can talk trade if you are interested.
Buy one of these and keep it with you when you leave the house. Like in your car or purse. These are very small and can bail you out if you are in a jam.
Yes, you’re correct with that, of course, but I’m talking about the initial setup of the PDM - that, I can’t recall if I had to wait until I had an active pod for some of the settings.
The old PDM will not keep reminding you. If you turn off program reminders and confidence reminders, it will only remind you once that you have no active pod. After that, it will keep quiet.
Well, it was more than once, at least three times before I walked away from it. Prior to that, I never didn’t have an active pod so I’m guessing I did not have the prompt set correctly.
I will have to find the correct setting for testing after 90 minutes of starting a new pod because with the old PDM all I needed to do was acknowledge the reminder. With the new PDM it continues to remind me until I enter a new BG. I finally relinquished and entered a value from my CGM.
We can talk trade if you are interested.
No, I’m good, as long as I have a glucometer that uses Freestyle Freedom strips, I’m good. Thank you for the kind offer!
Buy one of these and keep it with you when you leave the house. Like in your car or purse. These are very small and can bail you out if you are in a jam.
I should do that. It was easier to just carry two AAA batteries and just another change I wasn’t expecting. Our children have the portable chargers and all seem to like them.
I think it keeps “reminding” you, but only until you acknowledge the reminder by pushing the button.
Not 100% sure, I can test this out sometime.
But I think the PDM only requires one acknowledgment that you are indeed an adult and are responsible and that you realize you have no active pod but are otherwise a good human being and promise to live a good and proper life - after you acknowledge that you have no active pod.
It’s the same way when you put on a new pod. Yes, I changed my pod 90 minutes ago. Yes, I am a responsible person and will check my BG. Yes, yes, you naggy PDM!
Kinda silly isn’t it? How did I ever manage to survive 44 years without a pump telling me what to do?
Sorry, not much value in my post. Just mocking their micro-management of the D.
