October 27, 1999
Pump mini miracle for diabetics
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
As Eric Currin careened down 100 class 4 and 5 rapids in a small whitewater raft, dropping abruptly over 10-foot waterfalls or washing overboard and clawing his way to the surface, he was not too worried about his life and limb. An experienced boater, rafter and swimmer, the lifelong diabetic was more concerned that his new MiniMed insulin pump stay dry and keep feeding him his life-sustaining doses of insulin.
He found that the pump worked just find in its waterproof case, something he had tested under less extreme conditions before the trip. So after just a few weeks of wearing the pump, his rafting trip to West Virginia this fall showed him that his multiple insulin injections each day may be a thing of the past.
"All in all, the experience turned out to be quite remarkable," said Currin, owner of a local computer consulting business. "I was so nervous about the pump that I did not worry about anything else. When I did go out of the raft and was swept under water, it was just part of white water rafting."
Diagnosed with juvenile diabetes at 13, Currin spent the past 29 years never missing a meal because his blood sugar would swing out of control. He was so in tune with his blood sugar levels that he rarely tested them - he could feel what level they were at and was always accurate to within ten points.
With all his traveling and the nature of his consulting work, having to stop and eat frequently and at regular intervals was a strain. However, the pump has worked so well he is able to even skip meals or not eat so regularly, something he had not done since his diagnosis decades before.
Still somewhat skeptical of the miraculous results, Currin finds himself testing his sugar so often now that his fingertips are raw. Each time he confirms that the pump is doing its job - better than he dreamed it could.
"I'd never had this good of control with the old method," said Currin, who noted that friends tell him he seems more energetic. "For almost all my adult life, if I missed a meal it was all over. For me an absolute miracle of the pump is being able to skip a meal."
Currin is one of 150 users of a diabetic pump in northwester Michigan, most of whom find it as miraculous as he does. The pump is the size of a pager and has a small IV catheter to deliver the insulin. It is geared toward Type 1 diabetics who are already educated about their condition and have shown they are motivated to care for themselves.
Local pump users gathered last Thursday evening at an educational and support meeting sponsored by MiniMed at the Waterfront Conference, swapping success stories and learning about the latest features of upcoming pumps. MiniMed is one of two pump makers in the United States. Most attendees at the meeting have been diabetics for decades who found the pump gave them a chance for a less restricted, more healthy life.
"Before the pump, my sugars were like a roller coaster," said Rae Ann Thompson of Mancelona, a pump wearer for six years. "With the pump I can keep my insulin count at 90 like a normal person. I have a lot more energy and fewer mood swings."
The pumps have been available for 20 years but have gained in popularity in the past few years as insurance companies began paying for them. In addition, doctors and support staff such as diabetes educators and support groups, had to be educated about their use and efficacy before the user base expanded.
Vickie Alexander, a diabetes educator with Munson Healthcare, is also a pump convert in both her personal and professional life. After 25 years of injecting herself with insulin four times a day, she switched to an insulin pump a year ago.
"The pump has afforded me a lot of flexibility and freedom," Alexander said. "I have cut back on my insulin by 25 percent, too, and my blood sugar stays more consistent."