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The MiniMed Flex Insulin Pump by Medtronic

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MiniMed Flex™ Insulin Pump/System by Medtronic (Image From & Copyright © Medtronic, 2026)

In the USA, Medtronic recently released a press release about their new insulin pump called the MiniMed Flex.

I currently use Medtronic’s MiniMed 780G insulin pump, which has been nothing short of transformational, reducing my HbA1c from 99 to 52.

You can learn more about my experiences using this pump on these blog posts:

So you’d think I would be excited by this announcement, but I’m not. Instead of being excited, I’m very concerned. I’m concerned about:

1. Smartphone Control

The new MiniMed Flex pump will be controlled by smartphone. This means if my battery dies on my smartphone and I’m out, I’ll have no way of knowing my current blood sugar, no way of delivering insulin, no way of adjusting settings for exercise and no telling my pump what I need it to do. Bluetooth could also fail on my smartphone or the pump itself.

Currently on the MiniMed 780G insulin pump, I can control the pump through use of the screen and buttons on the actual device.

2. The Update Cycle of Medtronic’s App

Historically Medtronic’s update cycle of the App has been painfully slow. Everytime I have an Android software update on my phone it can take Medtronic a month or longer to update their App.

This has meant on some occasions in the past, I have been unable to get my phone to pair with my pump, sometimes for a number of weeks. Imagine if this happened with the MiniMed Flex, it would literally be unusable until Medtronic updated their App.

3. Lack of a Screen

Lack of a screen = lack of information. Especially if the bluetooth connection or pairing to a smartphone failed for some reason. My blood sugars could be going high or low without my knowledge. This could lead to a failure or delay in me taking appropriate actions.

4. No Information about Sound / Vibration / Flashing Light Notifications

There is currently no information about the MiniMed Flex pump’s ability to deliver sound, vibration or flashing light notifications. The MiniMed 780G insulin pump does all these and to different volume, intensity and number of repeats (depending on settings). I find these are extremely useful, especially when I am asleep at night.

4. A New Algorithm

The press release mentions a new algorithm for SmartGuard. This could lead to better or worse blood sugar control for me. I know the algorithm on my current MiniMed 780G insulin pump works for me. It helps me to spend much more time in range and is proven to lower my HbA1c. I have a real fear that this new algorithm might not be as effective for me.

5. How it is Powered

There is no information currently available on how the new pump is powered. Some people have suggested a button battery, others that it could be rechargeable and others have suggested it could be powered by an AA battery, like my current pump. Rechargeable would be a nightmare and I would definitely prefer a battery that can be replaced.

But again, I would be reliant on it being connected to a smartphone (and the smartphone being operational) to know the charge of the battery.

6. Whether I’ll be Forced to Upgrade

I get my current insulin pump from my local Diabetes Centre, provided by the NHS. This is the only way to get any sort of insulin pump in the UK. Privately funded or funding through an insurance model isn’t even an option.

It is likely that my local NHS Trust has an agreement with Medtronic for the latest tech and for free upgrades. According to the press release, users of the MiniMed 780G insulin pump in the USA will get a free upgrade to the MiniMed Flex.

But what if I don’t want the free upgrade and would rather stay on the MiniMed 780G insulin pump, will that be an option?

Conclusion

I am not alone in having concerns. There is a reddit post about it here. With the information I’ve currently got available and what I’ve learned from past experiences, I would 100% choose not to upgrade at this time. I only hope that I am given that option.

Blog soon,

Antony

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Don’t Be A Bystander

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Please don’t be a Bystander. If you only do one thing, share the image above as widely as possible.

I am very aware that the timing of these events coincides with the release of certain files relating to Epstein. This is no doubt deliberate.

However my main concern right now, has to be preventing the mistreatment and murder of my fellow human beings.

Be Safe,

Antony

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What The HELL Is Going On In America?

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Reene Good – Poet

Alex Pretti – Nurse

What the HELL is going on in America? Unaccountable, armed, masked people under the guise of ICE (Immigration & Customs Enforcement), backed by the US Government, murdered the two above people.

Reene Good was a Poet. Alex Pretti was a Nurse. Both dead. Both murdered. In Alex’s case, there was plenty of video footage showing him shot multiple times in the back for trying to help a woman who was pushed to the ground by members of ICE.

Then the Government tried to brand Alex as a Home Terrorist. Officials made up all sorts of lies about him.

It’s really scary.

The USA isn’t a Democracy. Its become a Fascist Authoritarian State. One that murders its citizens. ICE people who have no respect for law and have completely dehumanising citizens.

It reminds me of Nazi Germany, prior to the second World War.

To all Americans: ICE, Donald Trump both need to go. Or next, it will be Concentration Camps.

Take Care All,

Antony

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The Story of Jonas Salk and The Polio Vaccine

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Jonas Salk, Developer of the Polio Vaccine.

Polio is a disease were symptoms can include sore throats, raised body temperature, headaches, neck stiffness, abdominal pain, permanent paralysis and in extreme cases can lead to death. It can affect anyone of any age.

Polio has largely been eradicated across the world thanks to the polio vaccine. The World Health Organization estimates a 99% drop in the rates of polio infection since the 1980s.

The man responsible for development of the polio vaccine was Jonas Salk (photo left). This is his story.

Jonas Salk started his work on the polio vaccine in 1948 in America. It would take Salk and his team 7 years of hard work before they would see success.

The common thinking in the Scientific community was to use a live strain of the polio virus to develop a vaccine, but Salk had a different idea. He decided to use a inactive and weakened version of the polio virus, convinced that it was not only safer, but more likely to support the body to develop an immunity to the polio virus.

In 1955, after successful trials in both animals and children, Salk announced to the world that he had developed a vaccine for polio.

What is inspirational about this man, is not just that he developed the polio vaccine. But that he chose not to patent it. This meant that anyone could reproduce the polio vaccine without any payment to Salk.

At the time (and still to this day) America has an corporate obsession with patenting intellectual property, so that individuals can make money from their intellectual property. If Salk had patented his polio vaccine, it would have made him several billionaire dollars.

But Salk chose not to patent the polio vaccine. Instead, Salk wanted his vaccine spread as widely as possible, for the benefit of all people. Salk went against the capitalist culture of his country and focused on maximising the good the vaccine could do for humanity. It is for this reason, that I find this man truly inspirational.

Salk became a household name, but this was not something he wanted or welcomed. Salk stated in an interview in 1980:

It’s as if I’ve been a public property ever since, having to respond to external, as well as internal, impulses. … It’s brought me enormous gratification, opened many opportunities, but at the same time placed many burdens on me. It altered my career, my relationships with colleagues; I am a public figure, no longer one of them.

After the success of the polio vaccine Salk went back to work in his virology lab. Salk later worked on a vaccine for the HIV/AIDS virus, but was sadly unsuccessful in this endeavour.

I hope you enjoyed reading this inspirational story.

Blog soon,

Antony

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