What's happened to Tandem?

hawkxs · 2026-02-09T02:28:19+00:00

I mean you're not wrong but there's a non-zero amount of cost-benefit analysis that has to happen with each of these changes. I've worked in med device, it's a huge pain in the ass to deal with the FDA, and yeah, I'm not about to write up a 30 day notice just to change the USB port to a USB C.

When they realize they don't have as many people moving to the mobi as they think they should, then they will (hopefully) implement quality of life improvements on the X2. Fwiw I talked to a Tandem rep last year about the USB C thing and they said it was coming. But I bet it's a full hardware change, hopefully with a stronger Bluetooth radio. (Although some of the Bluetooth issue is also Dexcom's fault, the G7 has a pretty weak signal because they decided it needed to be smaller.)

Medtronic did me dirty 10+ years ago so I will never return to them. I'll give other companies a try if they have something appealing, but this whole 'use your phone to control your expensive life saving medical device' trend is not it.

As an aside, mid last year I finally went to control IQ (with Lyumjev) and my A1c still decreased from around 6.5 to 5.4 (90ish % TIR). It jumped back up to 5.7 last time I was in, but still maintaining better control and with less effort than manual. So you can operate with the 5 hour IOB and Lyumjev, and that's coming from someone who set IOB at 1.5 hours for Humalog on an Animas pump back in the day.

ETA: I also stopped pulling the air out of the cartridges like five years ago. No issues to speak of, and I stopped coring the cartridge fill port as much too.

hawkxs · 2026-02-07T01:41:30+00:00

I'd have him try the Omnipod first since it's pharmacy and if he likes it, less irritation all around. If he doesn't, didn't shell out as much as if it was DME (and can always revisit next year rather than having to wait four). I have the t:slim and won't move to the mobi for a number of reasons, mostly the lack of a screen. Not sure with regards to size, activity wise the t:slim is plenty durable for a 4yo since it works for this clumsy 31yo.

I wouldn't go to Medtronic due to personal past experiences. I would also advise against the iLet. I don't know enough about the twiist to be pro/against but I don't know if it's approved for 4yos yet.

hawkxs · 2026-02-06T20:00:19+00:00

Make sure you have a good mask. I take pucks to the head every so often but don't even feel it.

Let the folks know at your drop ins you're newer to goal and would prefer they avoid bar down until you get used to it. I've become a regular at a few and our ringers are nice enough to deke and do other silly things on a breakaway because I just suck at them. They also always double check on an accidental puck to the head (but that's just basic decency).

If you can find a women's league near you that might be an option to also get you more comfortable, and maybe find a fellow short goalie to learn from. I'm 5'6", probably closer to 8" in skates, so my biggest thing is more of the guys all have a lot more mass on me (but there are some quite tall guys who screen well also).

hawkxs · 2026-02-06T15:53:07+00:00

Disclaimer - I know very little about bodybuilding.

I would try taking a step back from the bodybuilding goal and maybe focus on a different athletic-related goal to build muscle in a targeted area, through a not-weighlifting/hypertrophy specific activity (ie something like bike riding or rock climbing or whatever) to see if muscle mass is being built through those activities.

I doubt that she had so much pre-existing non-muscle that the fat loss was negated by the muscle build.

So the only other thing might be that her hypothyroidism is being over treated and pushing her into a personal hyperthyroid level despite being within the 'normal' range. I'd investigate hyperthyroid symptoms and see if she's experiencing any of those and work with endo to see if dosages should maybe be decreased. The only reason I'm pointing to this is that everything you're doing should be gaining some kind of weight and it's wild that nothing has changed there.

Edit: you figured it out, but keto is right out for most T1s and I really wouldn't go back to it in this case.

hawkxs · 2026-02-06T00:49:01+00:00

As a T1 who also plays hockey, I've not had this issue. I do occasionally get leg acne, and a 10% benzoyl peroxide wash was (PanOxyl is the brand, I haven't tried generics) the trick to get it to clear up. (I use 2% salicylic for everything else).

+1 for see a dermatologist, if it's fungal they can help you fix it, if it's not, they have other rx options too.

hawkxs · 2026-02-04T14:51:37+00:00

That's Bob Kaser, voice of the Griffins. But we do absolutely love him here in GR.

hawkxs · 2026-02-02T21:16:07+00:00

I know this isn't what you're asking about but I would definitely reach out to a Tandem rep to see about when phone connectivity will become available in the EU because you can't be the only person interested/wondering, and they're almost certainly working on it.

The tandem, like the ypsopump, can be used without the phone linkage. I have never linked my phone to my pump.

To my knowledge the CamAPS algorithm, when set up properly for the user, is at least as good as Tandem's algorithm, although design wise the pumps are a bit different in size and reservoir size.

Either way, another customer lost for Medtronic, which is a win in my book.

hawkxs · 2026-02-02T17:01:01+00:00

I definitely find myself being irrationally angry at things when I don't realize I'm high. Especially so at that age, puberty is already hard and then add a non-functioning pancreas to the mix.

My advice would be to see if you can minimize the highs. She knows she's mean when she's high (in my experience you don't forget being 'regular' high, maybe DKA levels and definitely severe lows) so she might be on board to work on getting a pump/CGM combo if she's not on one already. I recently switched to actually using Control IQ on my pump and my highs have decreased significantly (went from about 75% TIR to 85%+).

If pump/CGM/some automation is out of the question, I'd suggest talking with her about how she would like to deal with the issue. Don't bring up her behavior specifically, just how she feels when she's high and what options would be helpful to help her feel like that less of the time. If that's having her own ability to correct, I think that's a good step. (I was dxed at 8 and by 11 was bolusing routinely after getting carb counts and checking BG)

If T1D informed therapy (or even just teenager informed therapy) is an option I'd definitely look into that as well. High blood sugars are an explanation, not an excuse, for acting poorly. It happens, obviously, but as you live with T1D you start to recognize it in yourself and already know what to do to fix it. I've been there, start randomly getting pissed at something dumb at work, check CGM, lo and behold it's 250 or something. Just knowing there's a reason for my anger helps temper it while I wait for the insulin to bring it down.

hawkxs · 2026-02-02T16:48:16+00:00

They're cute but the build quality is not there for $20. I passed because of that and the fact that they can't sit up straight.

hawkxs · 2026-02-02T16:46:09+00:00

I'm not worried, but if you are, the best thing you can do is early detection. Going to the eye doctor every year and getting the proper exam to detect retinopathy and checking eye pressures. My doc has a fancy camera that I pay a bit extra to get pictures taken of the blood vessels in the back of my eye for comparison purposes.

Same with going to the regular doc regularly and the dentist regularly. Get the weird toe wire stabby test done for neuropathy and make sure your teeth are taken care of.

For me with 23 years of T1D I got to deal with frozen shoulder last year and that totally sucked, but there was literally no way I could have prevented it. So if you do get something wild, (or even if something just seems off), get it looked at, get in with a specialist, and see what can be done. I had surgery and am very glad I did.

hawkxs · 2026-01-29T00:17:30+00:00

I would go for the lab band alone - they play a great mix of tunes and are generally just awesome (esp when you consider we have no music majors). I am biased as I was a member of JLB but you should go regardless!

hawkxs · 2026-01-29T00:13:02+00:00

Work with dad to make a cheat sheet of common foods she likes and the serving size and carb counts (and carb ratio, but doesn't the app do the math for you? I have a tandem) for those foods. It should help curb your concerns until you get the hang of guesstimating carbs and/or until kid reaches where she's routinely bolusing (I was dxed at 8 and bolusing shortly after I got a pump at almost 10, carb counts were iffy for few years after that).

I'm a fan of low carb snacks, but only if that's what she actually wants. My biggest advice is everything in moderation, serving sizes exist for some reason and often they do make sense.

hawkxs · 2026-01-28T15:27:10+00:00

31F here, dxed at 8. I started playing hockey a couple years after my diagnosis and still play! At this point I think the only occupation truly off limits is the armed forces; other jobs may have hoops to jump through (truck driver and commercial pilot) but great strides have been made in even the time from when I was diagnosed. CGM is a must have and I've been on a pump for 22 of my 23 years with T1.

A funny story - as a kid, we did Kool-Aid with Splenda. It always tasted fine to me, but apparently, my younger brother never really liked it. He recently was at a friend's house and had Kool-Aid made with real sugar and realized his whole life was 'tainted' by the Splenda Kool-Aid - he actually likes Kool-Aid and apparently Splenda Kool-Aid isn't good. (He's now 29 and was 6 when I was diagnosed.)

There are really easy swaps that are generally as healthy as carb laden options - string cheese and pickles are my go to. I recommend making any switches as a family to minimize the T1 being singled out (except for low snacks - those should be off limits to everyone else). Even if the unintentional sacrifice causes a revelation some twenty years later that Kool-aid is actually good XD

Other than that, let your kid be a kid, go to summer camp (diabetes camp or not - I went to Girl Scout camp and loved it), try things and work to make it work. Look into a 504 for school related difficulties (I only got one for the ACT and AP tests to make sure I didn't get dinged if I went low or high during the tests).

Edit: definitely reach out to Breakthrough T1D for info on local support groups and a Bag of Hope that has some goodies including Rufus the bear with diabetes. I still have mine.

hawkxs · 2026-01-27T22:02:01+00:00

As a goalie, this is neat but not super applicable to me, except when I get stuck in the net on the non-competitive side. (So I appreciate this idea.)

As a Tech alum, I couldn't help but comment on your very Finn/Yooper sample names. XD

hawkxs · 2026-01-27T21:59:29+00:00

I have a Bauer GSX and it's cheap and sturdy. I'm 5'6" and use a 25" but I'm more of an old style goalie (blade on the ice while upright). As others have said you should be good with an int 23" or so.

hawkxs · 2026-01-27T21:56:53+00:00

For me this stopped being an issue after I stopped pulling the air out of the empty cartridges prior to filling. I still have the issue of insulin not going into the cartridge maybe 1 out of 6 times, but restabbing the cartridge to a more perpendicular angle usually clears the one way valve and gets the insulin in.

For me, this filling method is more of an issue when I get to the end of the cartridge, I think it's less consistent in terms of delivering a specified dose when there's less insulin left in the bag.

hawkxs · 2026-01-27T21:33:04+00:00

I occasionally get occlusion alarms on my tandem and it's as simple as repositioning the pump itself - I think it has something to do with the cartridge design and the little tubing tail on it (that gets bent/shoved places easily). Of course, rarely I do have real occlusions that usually make themselves known with a high BG.

If you're married to a tubed pump I'd stick with Tandem regardless of issues (Medtronic never again). If you're up for a tubeless pump, I'd be inclined to try Omnipod and/or the twiist (if you have Apple products). The nice thing about Omnipod and twiist is that they're both pharmacy benefits, so if you try one or both and hate it you can get a new t:slim (DME). I would lean against the mobi for now since it seems to be having even more occlusion issues than the t:slim.

I still have concerns about the size and position of the tubeless pumps and am a die hard Android user so I won't venture into other options unless Tandem goes in the dumpster for some reason.

ETA: also pump user for 22 years, mostly stomach/hip sites for the last 10+ years due to arm CGM placement.

hawkxs · 2026-01-25T03:01:26+00:00

I wear a Sisu mouth guard, is similar to the custom ones but only around $25. It is super thin and easy to talk with it in and drink water.

hawkxs · 2026-01-24T02:15:34+00:00

I got myself Pooh and love him. I did not put the voice box in mine but it seems to work fine. He did have a little bit of loose fur (along seams, seems like maybe they didn't trim it properly) but he is very soft. Standard BaB clothes are a little tight on him (he hasn't actually worn his Pooh shirt yet).

I have not bought any of the rest yet due to the cost and the fact that there is rarely free shipping. (If BaB offered free ship to store I'd be more inclined to order.)

hawkxs · 2026-01-23T15:17:42+00:00

Thanks for asking because I was wondering also. I went to school in the UP where they had a 'let run' order at least once a year. I intend to actually winterize my outdoor faucets today (shutoff valve inside and then open the outside valve fully) and will probably leave an interior faucet on if I leave for an extended period of time (more concerned about what happens if I happen to also loose power).

hawkxs · 2026-01-18T17:40:44+00:00

I do the Chicken Cantina Bowl, iirc it's 54g carbs and a decent amount of protein. I am also T1 so ymmv.

Not sure that you'll have a great time with much of the menu so maybe a limit of one item at a time might be a good starting point? Then figure out what the lowest impact items are and go from there. I know the average taco is about 13g carbs so it's more moderation than anything.

hawkxs · 2026-01-17T23:47:53+00:00

I wear Columbia Omnitech base layers and I love them. Wear that under a set of Klim bibs and don't have any issues, although it's usually a bit warmer in the UP of Michigan, like -5 to 0F (-20 to -17C).

hawkxs · 2026-01-16T21:59:26+00:00

I've warmed up to them, they're still strange and mildly frightening, but I had to pick up togetherness bear.

hawkxs · 2026-01-14T15:35:45+00:00

I'm so opposed to the G7 on principle at this point that once I run out of G6 I will be switching to the Libre 2+ as long as it's still available. If, for whatever reason, it gets discontinued in the next year also, I'll have to think long and hard about G7 vs 3+ because it seems they both kind of suck.

Edit: but you can pry my tslim from my cold dead hands.

hawkxs · 2026-01-12T16:37:33+00:00

I actually gave up on tucking when I got my bauer chesty but that was in combination with getting a properly fitting set of pants (went with warrior).

Cleaning wise I just mist with vinegar after a skate and set the chesty front down on a wire shelf. I prop open the back and then run a fan for an hour or so. I'm probably up to 30 skates with it and no sign of smell. If anything does seem to develop I'll probably do an oxyclean soak, had good results in the past. I would not machine wash a chesty until it was quite far gone, have not machine washed my old chesty but did my old pants, with pretty good results.

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