Amelie (33) has been living with type 1 diabetes since she was seven. For many years, she used the Accu-Chek from Roche, a system she was familiar with and which was an integral part of her daily life.
When she found out that the pump was being taken off the market and she would have to switch, she remained surprisingly calm. “I wasn’t panicking at all,” she recalls. “I thought more along the lines of: Okay, maybe now is just the right time.”
Today she uses the Kaleido, and looking back, she says that this forced change has benefited her more than she expected.
A life that refuses to conform
Amelie lives in Berlin, works as a social worker at the Charité and is always on the go. Sport, spontaneous get-togethers and being outdoors are part of her daily life.
Her diabetes is always there, but it doesn’t dictate her life. “I actually do everything I want to,” she says. Sometimes she has to react quickly, for example when her glucose levels are off – “then I eat something, wait a moment – and then I carry on.”
Her aim has always been clear: her life shouldn’t revolve around her diabetes.
Change with expectation: it has to be worth it
After Roche stopped selling her previous system, she had to start afresh. She quickly realised what mattered most to her: “If I’m going to switch, I want to really notice a difference.
Above all, the size and how it felt in everyday life were crucial. She wanted a system that adapted to her life, not the other way round.
“I just wear whatever I want”
Today, the difference is evident in the little things. She used to have to think carefully about where to put the pump: in her bag, on her belt, or in her clothes.
Today, that’s no longer an issue. “I just wear whatever I want,” she says, without having to adapt her choices to the pump.
She can really feel the difference when she’s exercising too. “Nothing’s bothering me or slipping out of place anymore.” Movement feels freer, more spontaneous, more natural.
Feel less – live more
What has surprised her most is how little she notices the pump at all.
“I sometimes actually forget that I’m wearing a pump,” she says. It felt strange at first; “I kept thinking I’d left it somewhere.”
This lack of a “hassle” makes the biggest difference to her. What used to be a constant presence now fades into the background.
Easier when it matters
She notices the difference in practical situations too, such as when travelling. Instead of having to plan lots of individual items, everything is clearly organised.
“I just packed the kit (Kaleido Top-up Kit), and that was it,” she explains. Less hassle, less uncertainty – more focus on what really matters.
More peace of mind – especially at night
Of course, diabetes is still part of her life. But overall, her daily life feels more peaceful.
“I used to set alarms to check my levels,” she says. Today, her nights are more stable, and she usually starts the day with good readings.
Above all, this gives her one thing: less pressure on her mind.
More freedom to live life at your own pace
Looking back, Amelie doesn’t see the change as a disadvantage, but as an opportunity.
Her daily life feels more flexible, more spontaneous and less dictated by others. Or, as she puts it herself:
“I simply think about it less, and that gives me freedom.”