Today, it’s my pleasure to introduce you to Kyle Jacques Rose, a true global ambassador for diabetes. Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 16, Kyle has quite a story. His career has evolved from engineer to professional athlete/diabetes advocate to university faculty at INSEAD; he speaks four languages and has resided in as many continents.  Read More >

Like me, you probably have a diabetes supply drawer (unofficially) labeled with “I have no idea what to do with these.” We recently asked a question to our Facebook community that read, “Spring is almost here! Are you planning to do some spring cleaning with your diabetes supplies?” and it sounded like the community had some of the same questions I had about best practices for disposing of these supplies. So what are you supposed to do with different diabetes supplies?  Read More >

You may remember Brett Griswold from some of our previous blogs such as On Love and Diabetes, Screening for Type 1 Diabetes and When to Tell Your Valentine about your Diabetes. Today, Brett shares with us how he prepares to manage his diabetes while vacationing in Las Vegas during March Madness. How do you prepare for vacation?  Read More >

Today, we hear from Jake’s mom, Joy. She talks about how she was initially nervous to transition to insulin pump therapy to help manage Jake’s type 1 diabetes. She found that with practice it became easier and now even brings her peace of mind. Listen to her story and tell us: what were your concerns before starting your child on insulin pump therapy and what’s life like for your family now?  Read More >

We recently heard from Mari Ruddy as she prepared for the trip of a lifetime to India with our Medtronic Team. She had the opportunity to travel through four Indian cities to raise awareness about living with diabetes and managing it with technology. Her trip was a success and was recognized in a variety of Indian Press outlets. She was able to make an impact on the hearts of many people (which we knew she would!).  Read More >

I really enjoy the holiday season, but by the time New Year’s rolls around I’m ready to say farewell to the non-stop festivities and get back to a normal routine. As I pack away my Christmas decorations and get my house in order, I think about getting my diabetes management in order too. Sure, I work hard at diabetes all year long, even during the holidays, but I always have room for a little diabetes tune-up.  Read More >

All year long I have had the pleasure of writing a variety of support related blog posts here on The LOOP. While using technology to assist with a disease as complex as diabetes, there is an opportunity to learn something new every day.  Read More >

It’s that time of year again – the 8-week long flurry of festivity in the U.S. that we call “The Holidays”. Feasts, travelling, gift-giving, joy (and stress) are big parts of the mix for many Americans. Of course, the celebrating can come with a few unique challenges if you live with diabetes. So, here’s a roundup of some of our favorite blog entries and resources that we thought you might find most helpful this time of year.  Read More >

Today we hear from Ashley, who discusses what life was like on injections and how she was worried an insulin pump would be a constant reminder of diabetes – to her and others around her. She talks about what life is really like now that she’s on the MiniMed pump and how no one else needs to see the pump if she doesn’t want them to. Listen to her story and tell us: What were your concerns before starting insulin pump therapy and what’s life like for you now?  Read More >

I would like for you to meet Celine Parent. After a diagnosis with diabetes, she saw that her life would take a different path which would one day include becoming a half marathoner and triathlete. Recently, she was selected to run a 10 mile race as a Medtronic Global Hero because of her work in the diabetes community. (This is an awesome accomplishment!) Read her story about the biggest marathon in her life, ten years with diabetes.  Read More >

As Thanksgiving approaches you might be thinking one of three things: the arrival of the pilgrims to North America, what you are thankful for, and what yummy meal(s) you might be eating the day of! So as you prepare for your Thanksgiving feast, let’s talk about the word that goes hand in hand with feast, “bolus.”  Read More >

Editor’s Note: I am excited to introduce our guest blogger Mari Ruddy, a long-time Medtronic customer and diabetes advocate, two time breast cancer survivor and endurance athlete. She has had type 1 diabetes for 31 years and is the founder of the Red Rider Program of the American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure and the Director of TeamWILD. Today she tells readers about her upcoming trip to India with our Medtronic team.  Read More >

I have a secret. A secret not even my own children know. I'm not a fan of Halloween. There are many reasons for my hesitancy to embrace this holiday, the pinnacle being I have three children with type 1 diabetes. Yet the fact remains, I am the mother to four Halloween loving boys. There is no getting around it...I must embrace the holiday as if it were my own birthday.  Read More >

I typically use most of the options my insulin pump offers, from linking my blood glucose meter to communicate with my pump, to using temporary basal rates when I need to. One feature that I never understood (and was somewhat intimidated by) was basal patterns. I didn’t fully get why I would need additional settings, in what life circumstances I would use them, and if I even trusted myself to remember to turn the basal patterns on and off once I figured all that out.  Read More >

Today, we’re excited to share with you another guest blog from Katie Janowiak, who works for the Medtronic Foundation, our company’s philanthropic arm. This time, Katie takes us back to her college days at Michigan State University and comically demonstrates the importance of always thinking ahead and being prepared when living with diabetes.  Read More >

Editor’s Note: Last fall, the amazing d-mom Meri Schumacher from ourdiabeticlife.com was kind enough to write an article for our e-newsletter News to Infuse, sharing some of her back-to-school wisdom to parents and other family members of children with diabetes. With another school year right around the corner for many, we thought this would be a good time to share this information with our readers of The LOOP as well. Hope you enjoy and a big thank you Meri for sharing  Read More >

With summer in full swing, there’s been a lot of talk lately about diabetes camp, especially over on the Medtronic Diabetes Facebook page. So today we’re thrilled to welcome Jennifer LeBlanc, a Diabetes Clinical Manager here at Medtronic, to share some of her camp memories and what the experience meant to her. We’d love to also hear about your memories, so feel free to share in the comments!  Read More >

Part of my job description is to prepare customers for questions they may have by providing proactive information before the question has to be asked. This could be a tip like making sure you write down your username and password for our logged in properties like CareLink Personal®, or to be aware that you need to disconnect your insulin pump and CGM Transmitter when you have an MRI done  Read More >

When my son was first diagnosed with diabetes, my wife and I were very focused on tackling the clinical part of the disease. We worried less about things like the impact of diabetes on his lifestyle and social interactions. But we soon we realized that it’s important not to get too out of balance; to forget that there’s a person behind the disease.  Read More >

December can be a very busy month when a lot of people celebrate various holidays, spend time with family and friends near and far, and/or ring in the New Year. It can be a lot of excitement and a lot to think about – in addition to thinking about diabetes! So we rounded up a few past blog entries that we thought might come in handy this time of year. Hope you enjoy!  Read More >

Along with the lines wrapping around airports and shopping malls on the days before and after Thanksgiving, did you know that it is during this season that we see some of the highest call-volume days on the 24-Hour HelpLine?  Read More >

I’ve heard that the day before Thanksgiving is the busiest day of the year for US travel. I’ve also heard it’s a myth. Either way, from Thanksgiving until New Year’s a lot of people are heading out of town to visit friends and family or to enjoy a fun get-away while they have some time off work/school. If you’re one of those people and you also have diabetes, here’s the blog roundup for you.  Read More >

With school back in session, we know many parents of children with diabetes face the challenge of how to best work with teachers and other school staff to ensure their child’s safety at school and create a positive environment for learning. We happened to see a letter Lane sent to Hayden’s school and asked him to share it with you. This is just one way to communicate with your child’s school.  Read More >

On Saturday, October 1, I had the pleasure of attending Desert Springs Hospital’s 20th Health and Diabetes Fest in Las Vegas, NV.  Read More >

Today our guest blogger is a very familiar face and voice to the DOC – Allison Blass, assistant editor at Diabetes Mine. She also writes on her personal blog, Lemonade Life. A diabetes blogger since her teen years, Allison is now a newlywed. (Say it with me...awwwwwww…..)So, who better to share with The LOOP her answer to a question we often hear from young women with diabetes – what do you do with your insulin pump on your wedding day?  Read More >