Lauren Dayotas
Type 1 Diabetes Success Story
Lauren was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D) at age 3. When she started college in 2010, she began receiving her diabetes care at UMass Memorial with Dr. David Harlan. For a decade, her A1c averaged 9%. Switching to Tandem’s Control IQ technology using the t:slim insulin pump helped almost immediately.
She had been wearing an Animas device since middle school. When that company went out of business, she switched to the Tandem pump that integrates with her Dexcom continuous glucose monitor (CGM).
Lauren worked with Dr. Harlan, nurse practitioner Nancy Sidhom, and Cheryl Barry, the UMass Memorial Diabetes Education Manager, to implement the Control IQ predictive algorithm technology. She credits it with her sudden and remarkable blood glucose control.
“I’m a big picture person,” said Lauren. “Control IQ lets me understand what’s happening with my blood sugars during various situations throughout the day.”
Lauren has always lived with a fear of low blood sugar levels, and added, “Control IQ gives me less insulin when it knows I’m going low, and that gives me peace of mind.”
The hybrid closed-loop system enables the CGM to predict blood glucose levels 30 minutes in advance and adjust insulin delivery accordingly, including the delivery of automatic correction boluses as needed.
“It shows me what’s going on at all times,” she said. I can see what’s happening when I bolus before meals, and I understand the overall picture. Before Control IQ, I was reactive, but now I take a proactive approach to my diabetes self-management because I can visualize it.”
Her care team is extremely proud of Lauren’s recent success. “They’re fabulous and down to earth,” she said. They thoroughly listen to where I am as a patient and always ask how they can better serve me, but also let me know that I’m ultimately in charge of my success.”
Lauren says they guide her towards the answers when they review the data from her insulin pump and CGM together. “We look at different scenarios, and they help me understand what happened and suggest steps to improve those situations in the future.”