Interview with Max: How does mySugr Pump Control help?

1. Tell your diabetes story in a few sentences 

Hi. I'm Max. I'm a tech-savvy 26 year old consultant in the IT industry. I love technology and I’am a daily adopter of anything with an on/off switch.

I have been living with type 1 diabetes for 7 years now. The best thing for me is when technology, consulting and the application all work together to achieve one goal: Making life with diabetes easier and better for everyone. 

I work with people from a wide range of sectors and industries every day and the most fulfilling feeling for me is when I can help someone make their life a little bit easier. This is the ultimate goal when it comes to diabetes management. If this can be achieved it’s a beautiful thing and makes a world of difference to people with diabetes. 

2. Living an active lifestyle, what is important for you in terms of diabetes management? 

I’m a person who’s living with a condition called diabetes. Diabetes does not define me as a person. I simply have it, live with it and make the most of it every day. I would like (although it’s not always possible) to live my life like I would if I didn’t have  diabetes.

Okay, I probably wouldn’t become an astronaut professionally, but I wasn't planning to do that before my diagnosis anyway. But apart from that, I want to be able to do whatever I want, despite my diabetes.

I’m very active and play a lot of sports, during both summer and winter, in the mountains but also on and in the water, as well as almost any sport you can do without having to invest a lot of money or time. 

I’m also a volunteer emergency medical technician with the Austrian Red Cross. I don't let my diabetes stand in my way and I do everything I can to help people in need. 

As you can see, I don't want to be restricted in my life and especially in my life with diabetes. This is exactly what I expect from my diabetes devices and my diabetes therapy as well. They should support me in my daily life and remove hurdles. They should not make my life complicated.

That sums up my life quite well: when I feel like ice cream or pizza, I want to be able to eat it. Over and out.

3. What were the key motivators for you to try Pump Control?

I have been using an insulin pump with Quick Bolus function for 7 years now. I found out about Pump Control two years ago as part of my voluntary activities as an Alpha User at mySugr and have been looking forward to it ever since! I was one of the first to get it and I have to say in all honesty - it's exactly what I've been waiting for. It’s easy, fast, straightforward and very discreet to control my Accu-Chek Insight insulin pump with my own smartphone, which is under my clothes in a nice restaurant or under my ski suit in the ski cabin - just great! 

4. What problems were solved with Pump Control for you? 

Pump control solves several problems for me. On the one hand, I can discreetly and quickly deliver a bolus anytime. I can finally use the Bolus Calculator and also see the available units of insulin from the pump on my smartphone anytime. I can now, metaphorically speaking, hang on a climbing wall and give myself a bolus for the power bar I just ate in order to be able to climb the last part of the wall. Isn't that great?

5. What are your key takeaways from using Pump Control?

The biggest benefit of Pump Control is its simplicity of use. Even though I’m an IT consultant and I'm quick with learning technical things, mySugr's Pump Control really meets all the criteria to make this solution easy for anyone to use. From pairing to performing the connection with the insulin pump, to displaying all the necessary information at the palm of your hand - day after day - it just works - and I think that's just great. 

Last but not least, I can only say thank you to the whole team at Roche & mySugr - you've done a great job - keep going!