Guest guest Posted July 27, 2008 Report Share Posted July 27, 2008 That is precisely the reason why so much is not going to ever be available here. But I still don't buy it really. I'm sorry, but people need to take some responsibility for use and understanding of the devices they use to treat their conditions.It is a person's responsbility to understand what they are dealing with. I can't believe that if someone gets a 70 on their meter, and is feeling a low blood sugar, that they would know that it is not a high - whether a 70 in mmol or a 70 in mg, it is cause for medical attention one way or another. If you use any given device wrong, problems will happen. If you don't understand how to use a wheelchair correctly you can hurt yourself too. I think there is a world of difference between allowing an ingested drug like thalidomide, to that of a medical device. The alternative in this case is to use a meter that is years out of date. How right is that? But this is the way it is, so be it. I won't try to change Health Canada, but I don't really have to like it either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 27, 2008 Report Share Posted July 27, 2008 That is precisely the reason why so much is not going to ever be available here. But I still don't buy it really. I'm sorry, but people need to take some responsibility for use and understanding of the devices they use to treat their conditions.It is a person's responsbility to understand what they are dealing with. I can't believe that if someone gets a 70 on their meter, and is feeling a low blood sugar, that they would know that it is not a high - whether a 70 in mmol or a 70 in mg, it is cause for medical attention one way or another. If you use any given device wrong, problems will happen. If you don't understand how to use a wheelchair correctly you can hurt yourself too. I think there is a world of difference between allowing an ingested drug like thalidomide, to that of a medical device. The alternative in this case is to use a meter that is years out of date. How right is that? But this is the way it is, so be it. I won't try to change Health Canada, but I don't really have to like it either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 27, 2008 Report Share Posted July 27, 2008 That is precisely the reason why so much is not going to ever be available here. But I still don't buy it really. I'm sorry, but people need to take some responsibility for use and understanding of the devices they use to treat their conditions.It is a person's responsbility to understand what they are dealing with. I can't believe that if someone gets a 70 on their meter, and is feeling a low blood sugar, that they would know that it is not a high - whether a 70 in mmol or a 70 in mg, it is cause for medical attention one way or another. If you use any given device wrong, problems will happen. If you don't understand how to use a wheelchair correctly you can hurt yourself too. I think there is a world of difference between allowing an ingested drug like thalidomide, to that of a medical device. The alternative in this case is to use a meter that is years out of date. How right is that? But this is the way it is, so be it. I won't try to change Health Canada, but I don't really have to like it either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 27, 2008 Report Share Posted July 27, 2008 Hi Larry, Without going into discussion about our advocacy groups in Canada, after attending the NFB convention in Dallas to work for DDI this year, I can see where blind Canadians have a problem with bringing in accessible products. We in Canada first do not have the numbers of visually impaired people to go after things and second we do not stick together to support one another over issues in Canada. Canadians in general are more passive and less assertive. Also most of our numbers are made up of seniors who do not fight for anything and are grateful for anything they get. I think this will change in the future, but for now that is the way it is. Second, the Canadian government cannot force any company to bring their products to Canada. French translation causes problems too as I have mentioned before. A good example is sugar free foods. For example, I picked up sugar free instant Jello banana cream pudding in the States. We have Jello here and the boxes are already translated for the most part, so why don't they bring it up? Don't know. In past, the biggest problem for the meters has been the the companies have said that there's no market for a talking meter for the blind. I think this is amusing because DDI seems to found a big enough market. Anyways, I am an important part of bringing the Prodigy meters to Canada and we are doing our best, but it all takes time, so please be patient, we are doing our best. Ruth From: blind-diabetics [mailto:blind-diabetics ] On Behalf Of Larry Naessens Sent: Saturday, July 26, 2008 2:32 PM To: blind-diabetics Subject: Re: Pump announcement Hi Ruth. This is an interesting discussion and I'd like to chime in with a thought or 2 if I may. I wonder if part of the problem is that here in Canada, virtually no organization lobbies the government for quicker action when it comes to subsidizing, encouraging or even allowing the sale of new products that promote accessibility. I understand the inconvenience caused by the need to include French labeling for all products. Indeed such a law does discourage companies from marketing their products to Canada. But what about the bureaucracy faced by those who do attempt to bring certain products to the Canadian consumer. Our government is, in my not so humble opinion, too slow to endorse many such advances. The Prodigy meter presents one such glaring example. The audible GPS is another. It offers an incrredible oportunity for blind people to enhance mobility. Whether one uses a cane or relies on a guide dog, such a device opens a world of possibilities. If someone who who would like to take advantage of such a system happens to have the $1500 necessary to by the device, they are good to go. Yet it is not a part of our Assistive devices program. Why not? I can't think of a good reason. For those outside Canada, the assistive devices program helps to defray the cost of devices that help people to cope with various conditions including both blindness and diabetes. At any rate, my point here is that though I am compelled to live with our government's slow acceptance of devices that would make life easier, I can't excuse it. If we are to have a program that partners with blind people, diabetics and others to help defray the cost of devices that will lead to greater independence, let's include products that are relevant. Further, I would like to see our government respond in a more timely matter when it comes to the approval of medically related products that pose no health risk to the user. As usual, just my 2 cents on the subject. I am, I must confess, a bit of an idealist. Larry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 27, 2008 Report Share Posted July 27, 2008 Hi Larry, Without going into discussion about our advocacy groups in Canada, after attending the NFB convention in Dallas to work for DDI this year, I can see where blind Canadians have a problem with bringing in accessible products. We in Canada first do not have the numbers of visually impaired people to go after things and second we do not stick together to support one another over issues in Canada. Canadians in general are more passive and less assertive. Also most of our numbers are made up of seniors who do not fight for anything and are grateful for anything they get. I think this will change in the future, but for now that is the way it is. Second, the Canadian government cannot force any company to bring their products to Canada. French translation causes problems too as I have mentioned before. A good example is sugar free foods. For example, I picked up sugar free instant Jello banana cream pudding in the States. We have Jello here and the boxes are already translated for the most part, so why don't they bring it up? Don't know. In past, the biggest problem for the meters has been the the companies have said that there's no market for a talking meter for the blind. I think this is amusing because DDI seems to found a big enough market. Anyways, I am an important part of bringing the Prodigy meters to Canada and we are doing our best, but it all takes time, so please be patient, we are doing our best. Ruth From: blind-diabetics [mailto:blind-diabetics ] On Behalf Of Larry Naessens Sent: Saturday, July 26, 2008 2:32 PM To: blind-diabetics Subject: Re: Pump announcement Hi Ruth. This is an interesting discussion and I'd like to chime in with a thought or 2 if I may. I wonder if part of the problem is that here in Canada, virtually no organization lobbies the government for quicker action when it comes to subsidizing, encouraging or even allowing the sale of new products that promote accessibility. I understand the inconvenience caused by the need to include French labeling for all products. Indeed such a law does discourage companies from marketing their products to Canada. But what about the bureaucracy faced by those who do attempt to bring certain products to the Canadian consumer. Our government is, in my not so humble opinion, too slow to endorse many such advances. The Prodigy meter presents one such glaring example. The audible GPS is another. It offers an incrredible oportunity for blind people to enhance mobility. Whether one uses a cane or relies on a guide dog, such a device opens a world of possibilities. If someone who who would like to take advantage of such a system happens to have the $1500 necessary to by the device, they are good to go. Yet it is not a part of our Assistive devices program. Why not? I can't think of a good reason. For those outside Canada, the assistive devices program helps to defray the cost of devices that help people to cope with various conditions including both blindness and diabetes. At any rate, my point here is that though I am compelled to live with our government's slow acceptance of devices that would make life easier, I can't excuse it. If we are to have a program that partners with blind people, diabetics and others to help defray the cost of devices that will lead to greater independence, let's include products that are relevant. Further, I would like to see our government respond in a more timely matter when it comes to the approval of medically related products that pose no health risk to the user. As usual, just my 2 cents on the subject. I am, I must confess, a bit of an idealist. Larry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 27, 2008 Report Share Posted July 27, 2008 Just to clarify what I meant, I wrote that they would know that it is not a high - whether a 70 in mmol or a 70 in mg, it is cause for medical attention one way or another. The user would need to have the sense to know that if your blood sugar is 70 mmol, that is impossible because meters over 30 (or so) will only say HIGH. That is what I was trying to say about understanding your equipment. Also in the midst of dealing with a low, one has to have the sense to eat now and test later whenever possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 27, 2008 Report Share Posted July 27, 2008 Just to clarify what I meant, I wrote that they would know that it is not a high - whether a 70 in mmol or a 70 in mg, it is cause for medical attention one way or another. The user would need to have the sense to know that if your blood sugar is 70 mmol, that is impossible because meters over 30 (or so) will only say HIGH. That is what I was trying to say about understanding your equipment. Also in the midst of dealing with a low, one has to have the sense to eat now and test later whenever possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 27, 2008 Report Share Posted July 27, 2008 Hi Ruth. First and foremost, I have no problem with the manner in which DDI is conducting its affairs in the when it comes to grining Prodigy to Canada. In fact, I applaud the effort as it allows Canadians who wish to advance beyond 15 year old technology to do so. Where would we be without your company's efforts? Probably nowhere. My complaint, for lack of a better word, involves the lack of proactive steps taken by any Canadian blind agency for the purpose of bringing us into the 21st century when it comes to access to accessibility. CDA does not lobby on behalf of blind diabetics. CNIB, to my knowledge, does not lobby on bhalf of blind citizens. So, do we just except second rate accessibility? I guess maybe that is what you are telling me I need to do for the present. But for me that is a difficult pill to swallow. May I explain? When living ing the States, I was busy raising a son who was multipally handicapped. He was blind, hearing impaired, emotionally impaired, learning disabled and suffered from a heart condition. His goal was to live iin a group home as an adult, so that he could enjoy as much independence as possible. But both the government in the state where we lived and any agency that could have interceded on his behalf refused to do so. They claimed that individually, none of his handicaps were sufficiently severe to warrant subsidised residency in a group home. They acknowledged that his issues, considered as a group, more than qualified him, but that was not how decisions wre made. If I could just be patient, they claimed, one day, things would change. Well, being the guy I am, I wasn't patient, and I did manage to get him into that group home. Now that he has passed away, I'm glad that I did not patiently wait for the wheels to grind in his favor. I respect every Canadian's right to sit patiently by and wait for others to make things happen on their behalf. However, if there is one lesson that my son taught me, it is that patience is not always a virtue. Larry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 27, 2008 Report Share Posted July 27, 2008 Hi Larry, I totally agree with you on the advocacy thing, but this list is not the place to discuss this. If you want to discuss this further e-mail me at ruthhogue@.... As far as the Prodigy meters go, I applaud them period for making a user friendly product and not gouging us for something we need. Ruth From: blind-diabetics [mailto:blind-diabetics ] On Behalf Of Larry Naessens Sent: Saturday, July 26, 2008 9:05 PM To: blind-diabetics Subject: Re: Pump announcement Hi Ruth. First and foremost, I have no problem with the manner in which DDI is conducting its affairs in the when it comes to grining Prodigy to Canada. In fact, I applaud the effort as it allows Canadians who wish to advance beyond 15 year old technology to do so. Where would we be without your company's efforts? Probably nowhere. My complaint, for lack of a better word, involves the lack of proactive steps taken by any Canadian blind agency for the purpose of bringing us into the 21st century when it comes to access to accessibility. CDA does not lobby on behalf of blind diabetics. CNIB, to my knowledge, does not lobby on bhalf of blind citizens. So, do we just except second rate accessibility? I guess maybe that is what you are telling me I need to do for the present. But for me that is a difficult pill to swallow. May I explain? When living ing the States, I was busy raising a son who was multipally handicapped. He was blind, hearing impaired, emotionally impaired, learning disabled and suffered from a heart condition. His goal was to live iin a group home as an adult, so that he could enjoy as much independence as possible. But both the government in the state where we lived and any agency that could have interceded on his behalf refused to do so. They claimed that individually, none of his handicaps were sufficiently severe to warrant subsidised residency in a group home. They acknowledged that his issues, considered as a group, more than qualified him, but that was not how decisions wre made. If I could just be patient, they claimed, one day, things would change. Well, being the guy I am, I wasn't patient, and I did manage to get him into that group home. Now that he has passed away, I'm glad that I did not patiently wait for the wheels to grind in his favor. I respect every Canadian's right to sit patiently by and wait for others to make things happen on their behalf. However, if there is one lesson that my son taught me, it is that patience is not always a virtue. Larry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 27, 2008 Report Share Posted July 27, 2008 I agree 100 percent on the prodigy meters. I understand that previous talking meters cost something in the neighborhood of $500. Personally I see advocacy as an appropriate topic for any list where blind people meet to discuss topics related to accessibility issues. But of course, that's just my thought on it. Thanks for your invitation to discuss the issue further in private email Larry Larry Naessens Vinyl Trans4mations A Division of Jalana Enterprises Bradford, Ontario Phone: Vinyl Trans4mations, a Burn Above the Rest At Vinyl Trans4mations, we turn old records and tapes into brand new CDs that you can listen to for a lifetime. Visit us at www.vinylguycafe.com. We welcome all of your enquiries by phone or email. Before sending us your media, please contact us for important shipping instructions. Re: Pump announcement Hi Ruth. First and foremost, I have no problem with the manner in which DDI is conducting its affairs in the when it comes to grining Prodigy to Canada. In fact, I applaud the effort as it allows Canadians who wish to advance beyond 15 year old technology to do so. Where would we be without your company's efforts? Probably nowhere. My complaint, for lack of a better word, involves the lack of proactive steps taken by any Canadian blind agency for the purpose of bringing us into the 21st century when it comes to access to accessibility. CDA does not lobby on behalf of blind diabetics. CNIB, to my knowledge, does not lobby on bhalf of blind citizens. So, do we just except second rate accessibility? I guess maybe that is what you are telling me I need to do for the present. But for me that is a difficult pill to swallow. May I explain? When living ing the States, I was busy raising a son who was multipally handicapped. He was blind, hearing impaired, emotionally impaired, learning disabled and suffered from a heart condition. His goal was to live iin a group home as an adult, so that he could enjoy as much independence as possible. But both the government in the state where we lived and any agency that could have interceded on his behalf refused to do so. They claimed that individually, none of his handicaps were sufficiently severe to warrant subsidised residency in a group home. They acknowledged that his issues, considered as a group, more than qualified him, but that was not how decisions wre made. If I could just be patient, they claimed, one day, things would change. Well, being the guy I am, I wasn't patient, and I did manage to get him into that group home. Now that he has passed away, I'm glad that I did not patiently wait for the wheels to grind in his favor. I respect every Canadian's right to sit patiently by and wait for others to make things happen on their behalf. However, if there is one lesson that my son taught me, it is that patience is not always a virtue. Larry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 10, 2008 Report Share Posted October 10, 2008 do you know which pump would be good for a totally blind person such as myself. i am going for my first class on the carb counting today and the goal is to get a pump. i just dont know which one. thanks any help would be appreciated. karen hughes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 10, 2008 Report Share Posted October 10, 2008 do you know which pump would be good for a totally blind person such as myself. i am going for my first class on the carb counting today and the goal is to get a pump. i just dont know which one. thanks any help would be appreciated. karen hughes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 10, 2008 Report Share Posted October 10, 2008 do you know which pump would be good for a totally blind person such as myself. i am going for my first class on the carb counting today and the goal is to get a pump. i just dont know which one. thanks any help would be appreciated. karen hughes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 10, 2008 Report Share Posted October 10, 2008 , I use the Mini Med 515 Paradigm. I have found it easy to use and once you learn the number of button pushes it takes to do what you need it is easy. Re: Pump announcement do you know which pump would be good for a totally blind person such as myself. i am going for my first class on the carb counting today and the goal is to get a pump. i just dont know which one. thanks any help would be appreciated. karen hughes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 10, 2008 Report Share Posted October 10, 2008 , I use the Mini Med 515 Paradigm. I have found it easy to use and once you learn the number of button pushes it takes to do what you need it is easy. Re: Pump announcement do you know which pump would be good for a totally blind person such as myself. i am going for my first class on the carb counting today and the goal is to get a pump. i just dont know which one. thanks any help would be appreciated. karen hughes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 10, 2008 Report Share Posted October 10, 2008 , I use the Mini Med 515 Paradigm. I have found it easy to use and once you learn the number of button pushes it takes to do what you need it is easy. Re: Pump announcement do you know which pump would be good for a totally blind person such as myself. i am going for my first class on the carb counting today and the goal is to get a pump. i just dont know which one. thanks any help would be appreciated. karen hughes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 10, 2008 Report Share Posted October 10, 2008 Hi , I am not totally blind, but I use the Deltec Cozmo and don't have enough vision to see the screen without a strong magnifier. I find this pump pretty accessible. It has a key beep feature that, when turned on, will beep with every key press. By memorizing the menus and other screens, I'm able to access all functions of this pump by counting beeps. I'm even able to use advanced features such as combination boluses and temporary basal rates, though this takes a lot of memorization. Jen Re: Pump announcement To: blind-diabetics > do you know which pump would be good for a totally blind person > such as myself. i am going for my first class on the carb > counting today and the goal is to get a pump. i just dont know > which one. thanks any help would be appreciated. karen hughes > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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