I'm in the process of updating my presentation on Connected Medical Devices for presentation at the Trenton Computer Festival on March 10th. (Slides and resources for the original presentation are available ACGNJ Presentations Page.) While examining the links, I found that the paper and slide deck for Jay Radcliffe's presentation on insulin pump security are no longer available online. I'm not completely surprised, and I remember some hullaballoo in that neither the presenter nor the pump manufacturer wished someone to make malicious use of that information. (If I recall correctly, the presenter had only "gone public" after the manufacturer dismissed his concerns.)

To everything there is a level of precision, a degree of reliability, or a standard beyond which improvement is either unachievable, or requires huge investments of time and money well beyond the benefit of that improvement. Companies may refer to this point as "zero return on investment". Most of us just call it "good enough for jazz", "good enough for government work", or simply, "good enough".

It has been said that our ideal blood glucose levels "should" never vary outside the range of 80-126, ever -- but most of us don't have CGMs, none of us have glucose measurement technology with accuracy of greater than 5% (expanding that range out to 76-132) and even if we had them, we'd need infinitesimally-small amounts of ultra-fast acting insulin to keep it there every time it budged a point or two. For most of us, a two-hour postprandial reading of 140 is "good enough". (READ MORE)

Back when I was in Junior High, I took a summer creative writing course at our local public library. One of the prompts the instructor gave us for developing a story was, "There are two types of people: those who like egg yolks, and those who do not." On the surface, it seems a ludicrous way to split up a population. But it's those egg yolks (and sticks of butter) that have been frustrating me, and that's giving me some insight into some of our fellow PWDs' daily frustrations. 

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So I’m the designated research information volunteer for the Mid-Jersey chapter of JDRF. But, “if I’m being perfectly honest,” as Simon Cowell would say, I haven’t done a very good job at it at all. I just haven’t had the time to sift through the many emails I receive regarding the many diabetes studies going on around the world that are funded by JDRF.

It’s strange. You’d think that the more clinical trials being conducted would make one more hopeful for a cure. Somehow it has an opposite effect on me. As the number of studies increase, I feel a sense of cynicism growing. Too many claims of progress. Too many potential cures. (READ MORE)

Ah! It's a new day and my fasting blood sugar comes in at a sweet 103 mg/dl. "Not too shabby," I think, maybe feeling a bit arrogant.

I go about the business of the day - exercise, hop in the shower, dry the hair, feed the cat - get in the car for work. Drive 30 of the 45 minutes it takes to get there.

And then I think - caught in a wave of abject panic, "Where is my pump?"

I do the pat down, you know the one. I pat with flat, frantic hands at my bra, my hip, my waistband. And I know then exactly where my pump is. On the shelf in the bathroom, pumping insulin into oblivion instead of into me.

"Man." I think. I also think. Alright, maybe I say aloud - a number of colorful words not suitable for a family website.

And I head back toward home, calling the office to let them know that I've been delayed. (READ MORE)