13-Year-Old Oliver on Living with Type 1 Diabetes and Using the Tandem Mobi Pump

Growing Up with Type 1 Diabetes

• 💡 Oliver, diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age two, describes his experience as "completely normal" with "a little more work."
• 🧠 He manages his condition by checking blood sugar, giving insulin, and eating if he's low, finding it not difficult to pause activities for these tasks.
• 🧩 Diabetes has taught him to be tough and find ways around challenges, though he admits to occasional nervousness.

Playing Soccer with Diabetes

• ⚽ Oliver plays indoor soccer as a goalie and defender, leaving his Tandem Mobi pump on during games.
• ✅ He checks his blood sugar before and after games and relies on his CGM and pump for insulin delivery during play.
• 🎯 His mom often attends games and sometimes screams, adding to the experience.

Tandem Mobi Pump Experience

• 🚀 Oliver switched to the Tandem Mobi pump from the Omnipod and prefers it due to its wired system and better performance.
• 📈 He notes that the Mobi keeps his numbers in range more effectively and brings down highs faster than his previous pump.
• 📱 The pump is controlled via a phone app, making it easy to administer boluses for meals.

Interests and Social Life

• 🎷 Oliver plays the saxophone in band and enjoys it, believing practice leads to improvement.
• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 He has two brothers and a sister, and no one else in his family has Type 1 diabetes.
• 💬 While he shares about his diabetes with friends, their understanding varies, and he hasn't had sleepovers yet, primarily due to diabetes management concerns.

Perspective on Type 1 Diabetes

• 🏫 Many kids at his school have Type 1 diabetes, making it a familiar presence.
• ✨ He believes Type 1 diabetes is just a part of him now and doesn't feel it significantly hinders his life or makes him upset.
• 👍 Oliver's advice to other kids with Type 1 is to try and keep their numbers in range, emphasizing that it's just like being any other kid.