Two months ago when Kaleido’s e-mail telling me to stop using their pump appeared out of thin air, it was quite a shock to me. At first, I thought it was a bad joke, because the message came via e-mail. The problems that happened to me at the start were all fixed and that’s exactly why I had never seen this coming. After processing my initial thoughts, my DSN called. Sadly she confirmed that the e-mail was true. I had to (temporarily) say good bye to my Kaleido.
What to do? With quite some stock and zero issues I continued using Kaleido for a little while, contrary to the safety warning and my nurses advice. But eventually I did encounter some issues, and then I thought to myself: now would be the time to stop. It took a long while for me to even consider a pump in the first place. I absolutely did not want to be attached to tubing and adjust my clothing to my medical device. So when Kaleido introduced itself it was a no-brainer for me: this would be the ideal pump.
The perfect match
Because of the separate handset I was able to place Kaleido wherever I wanted. You can swim whilst still wearing your pump, and in the summer you can hide it in your bikini bottoms. We’ve had an outside jacuzzi for 25 years and we use it almost every night. The fact I can also choose to disconnect the pump was ideal for me, because insulin doesn’t really handle that bubbly 40-degree water. I hoped to see some progress in average blood glucose values, but sadly for me that didn’t happen for me. However, I’m convinced that Kaleido is the #1 pump for me, -if it does what it’s supposed to do.
Back on pens
For me personally, no other pump compares. Other patch pumps are not easily disconnected, and that is the biggest con for me. That’s why I chose to go back on pens now that I had to go off Kaleido for a while. It feels like a setback in my diabetes management, but that’s just the way it is for now. I’m doing quite well, with better blood glucose values. It’s a pity though, to go from 10 infusion sets a month to roughly 140 injections a month. Luckily my DSN supports my choice.
As much as I’d love to go back on Kaleido as soon as possible, everything has to check out. The system itself is just perfect! I hope that it comes back, working perfectly, without the teething issues from the past so I can just move on. I think a lot of people will choose this pump again, and the hospitals will be happy to prescribe it. Kaleido is worth the wait if you ask me, even if it takes a little longer to get back on the market: as long as it comes back working perfectly!
About Marjan
Marjan is Kaleidoer since May 2018. After years of not wanting to go for a pump, Kaleido made her choose the other side – it’s the perfect pump for her. In her spare time she likes painting, walking her dogs, and taking a dip in her very own jaccuzzi.