Timesulin Blog
Interview with Timesulin CEO John Sjölund
I couple of weeks back we met up with Gavin Griffiths for lunch in a grey and rainy London and he asked John some interesting questions about living with diabetes, where the idea for Timesulin came from and what the plans for Timesulin’s future are. Gavin created this video for a school project and I thought I’d share it with our blog visitors:
Timesulin Aims to Help You Remember Whether or Not You Took Your Insulin
Did you take your insulin? Timesulin wants to help you remember
By Shannon Dauphin
One of the most unique questions we ask is, “Did I take my shot…or not?” Many of those who are insulin-dependent have often run into the dreaded question of whether they took their insulin shot. Ironically enough, that question has become much more prevalent in the years since the insulin pen became more popular than the traditional syringe and vial. Drawing insulin up in a syringe takes much more time, and thus more attention; an insulin pen allows you to dial up the proper insulin amount and take the shot within seconds.But since insulin pens have no benchmark to remind you of how long it was since your last injection, the possibility of skipping an injection — or taking a second shot, thus giving yourself too much insulin — is a very real and constant worry.
Read the full article here: Timesulin Aims to Help You Remember Whether or Not You Took Your Insulin.
Diabetes UK Spring 2012 Catalogue
Over 300,000 Diabetes UK supporters have been opening their mailboxes to the latest issue of Balance Magazine this week. What we’re most excited about is the inclusion of the Diabetes UK Spring Catalogue, which features Timesulin on the cover (and back page) and also includes a phone number through which people with diabetes who manage their insulin intake with pens, can place their orders if they prefer not to make online orders.
A huge thank you to the team at Diabetes UK for supporting Timesulin in this way and for helping us in our mission to make life for all people living with diabetes a little bit easier!
To order your Timesulin unit through Diabetes UK’s phone line, call 0800 585 088 now.
Timesulin Fan Mail
Following the Timesulin competition we ran in Diabetes UK‘s Balance magazine’s April edition, we’ve had tremendous feedback from the winners. The Balance editorial team just forwarded a handwritten note to me via the mail, which I wanted to share with you.
Thank you for the Timesulin smart cap. To say it’s a ‘God Sent’ to use as I’m afraid there were times when I panicked and couldn’t remember if I had my injection. The relief at having the smart cap is wonderful for me and not to mention the relief for my husband also. A thousand thanks.
As a Type PLUS 1 myself (married to a Type 1), I have to admit that Timesulin has indeed provided me with much-needed respite from the worries about my husband’s diabetes care. I know it’s not my responsibility, but when he has a hypo, I worry about him tremendously.
Timesulin helps him avoid unnecessary hypos and relieves me of that worry of ‘Did he or didn’t he just take his shot’!
Thank you SO much for the thank you note – you just made my day!
Timesulin + Diabetes UK = Less Anxiety!
We are thrilled to announce that Diabetes UK has become Europe’s first diabetes charity to become a retail partner to Timesulin. With over 300,000 supporters in the UK, this partnership will allow us to offer the relief from anxiety that Timesulin offers to more people, more easily.
Visit the Timesulin page on the Diabetes UK webstore by clicking here.
We’re hiring!
TIMESULIN ECOMMERCE CHANNEL MANAGER - STOCKHOLM-BASED
DESCRIPTION & RESPONSIBILITIES:
Patients Pending Ltd is a fast-paced start-up established in 2011 to create solutions that will alleviate daily issues facing people living with chronic conditions. The company is contributing towards building a new standard of care on a global scale and Timesulin, the first product from Patients Pending, was created based on the need of one of the co-founders, John Sjölund, living with Type 1 diabetes since age four. Timesulin aims to help anyone living with insulin-dependent diabetes avoid low or high blood sugar symptoms and lead a better, safer and more balanced life by showing how long it’s been since the last insulin injection was given to avoid missed or accidental double doses. The Timesulin ‘smart cap’ fits onto major insulin pen brands and has a built-in timer to show how long it’s been since the user administered the last injection.
Timesulin is looking to expand our Stockholm office – with a global outlook.
The Ecommerce Channel Manager will report to the CEO and will be responsible for building on the success of the Timesulin.com website and ecommerce sales channel.
This includes, but is not limited to:
- Being responsible for all content and operation of the timesulin.com website
- Collecting and organizing feedback from the team and implementing it
- Interfacing with tech consultants when unable to complete the tasks in-house
- Monitoring the website for any problems and being able to fix them on a short turnaround
- Creating and executing an expansion and marketing plan to increase sales on thetimesulin.com website.
- PPC marketing
- Email marketing (Marketing and transactional)
- SEO optimization
- New markets expansion including translation
- Working to improve conversion on the ecommerce website once customers are in
- Using testing and conversion tools such as Optimizely or time-based testing and follow up
- Observing people shopping on our site and responding to customer feedback
- Copying best practices
- Expanding profile of website through managing multi-lingual and multi-currency operations
- Act as a single point of contact for online queries and own them through to resolution, utilising existing solutions to carry out great client service.
Work to improve customer service issues, which may include:
- Following up on any web-based queries
- Updating the support pages with FAQs
- Ensuring a fast turnaround on all queries received
- Managing product fulfilment from website AND distribution partner orders
Profile of Ideal Applicant:
- A go-getter who thrives in a start-up environment and is not afraid of getting his/her hands dirty
- Stockholm-based, or willing to relocate
- Proven track record in creating and executing online marketing strategies
- Experience running an ecommerce webshop
- Excellent communication skills in English, other languages in our key markets (German, Spanish, Italian, French or Swedish) a big plus
- A deep interest and some technical knowledge of web tools and development environments. A proven ability to be a quick learner on the following (and other similar):
- Google analytics package
- Drupal 7 and Ubercart
- Mailchimp
- Assistly
- Optimizely
- Solid customer-facing communications skills with strong writing ability.
If you believe that you are our ideal candidate, please submit your CV, along with a cover-letter, available start date and salary expectations [email protected], using ‘CHANNEL MANAGER – Your Name’ as the subject line.
Overview of a 44 mile run for Diabetes!
HE DID IT! Timesulin supporter Gavin Griffiths completed his 44mile run on Saturday between Hastings Pier and Brighton Pier. We stayed in touch with him during the day via Twitter, using #diathlete. He had hypos, a stomach scare, sore armpits, burning hamstrings and suffered up and down the hilly roads, but his dedication to help raise funds and awareness for diabetes – in particular for JDRF UK – kept him going.
My favourite bit was right at the end: as Gavin was recovering from his monster run, a friend commented on the fact that Gav’s hair still looked perfect. To this, Gavin calmly quipped, “I’m worth it!”
You are, Gavin, you are!
Gavin has raised over a £1000 for JDRF UK so far – show your support here!
Good luck Gavin!
In 30 minutes Timesulin ambassador Gavin Griffiths will start his epic run between Hastings Pier to Brighton Pier, with a hilly climb at Beach Head thrown in. A total of 40 miles to help raise awareness for JDRF UK.
What: Bexley-local ultra marathon runner Gavin Griffiths aims to run 40 miles – from Hastings Pier to Brighton Pier – in one day to raise awareness and funds for JDRF UK, one of the UK’s leading diabetes charities. Gavin was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2000 and will have to incorporate numerous pit stops to check his blood sugar and adjust his blood glucose levels by ingesting sugar or insulin along the hilly track.
You are invited to take photos, write and tweet about Gavin’s mission – and invite your friends to join in too!
Date: Saturday 14 April 2012
Times:
- Departure from Hastings Pier at 9:30am
- 12pm 20-minute pit stop at Eastbourne Pier
- 1pm Beachy Head
- 2pm 20-minute pit stop at Seven Sisters (before Seaford)
- 4.30pm Anticipated arrival at Brighton Pier
Follow: Gavin will be live-tweeting (via @1GavinGriffiths) during his run using the hashtag #diathlete.
Timesulin did its work today – by Riva Greenberg
Yesterday afternoon I received the following email from diabetes advocate, journalist and all-round lovely person, Riva Greenberg. I had to share it with you:
At 11:30 this morning I walked into the kitchen to see my insulin pen still on the counter. In the morning I take my pen out of a mug I keep it in to take my shot, and after my shot I put it back in the mug. It seemed odd that it would still be on the counter. It’s not like me to forget to take my shot. I thought maybe I took my shot and forgot to put my pen back into the mug. But I couldn’t know for sure, could I? UNTIL NOW, WITH TIMESULIN’S SMART CAP!!! Sure ‘nuf it showed I hadn’t taken my shot for 27 hours!
Thank you Timesulin!
This is exactly why we created Timesulin – for those moments where you just are not sure… Thank you for sharing this with us, Riva! Has your Timesulin cap saved you from an accidental double dose?
Update: Riva has also shared her experience on the Tu Diabetes Blog.
Hastings to Brighton Run Preview – by ultra marathon runner Gavin Griffiths
Timesulin supporter and our first sports ambassador Gavin Griffiths is an ultra marathon runner who has completed many long-distance runs since his diagnosis with Type 1 diabetes since January 2000. His goal? To raise awareness and funds for diabetes – and to prove that a diabetes diagnosis does not need to stop you from achieving your goals. This coming Saturday, Gavin will run 40 miles in one day from Hastings Pier to Brighton Pier. Why? He is raising funds for JDRF (and have done well on almost reaching his target already!). You can show your support by donating to Gavin’s fundraising page.
I asked him to share his thoughts on this upcoming challenge for the Timesulin blog:
Hastings to Brighton Run Preview
For some reason 40 miles in one day to me doesn’t sound that enthralling. I guess it is just the way I am, and being someone that once completed a 70 mile challenge, which was very challenging on the extremely uneven routes of the Isle of Wight, maybe I am looking at less of a challenge. That said, this one should not be at all underestimated.
I have never completed 40 miles in just one day, so it is a whole new challenge for me. I have always shown an ability to keep going, and with this one I will need that more than ever.
Keeping a close check on my diabetes levels is crucial on this challenge. Fortunately I have Timesulin caps to aid me, which has been a great benefit. I need to make sure that my insulin is right, that it has been taken and that my blood sugar levels remain controlled throughout.
Taking on an extreme amount of exercise through this day will mean I need less insulin, however, I still need insulin – I am diabetic! I’ve been tampering with my injections to try and get the best control when running, in a bid to avoid setback hypos, and I believe I have found the best way in splitting my intake of Levermir, a 24 hour working injection to secure insulin throughout the day in slow-acting bursts, to two injections a day ahead of just one intake all in one shot, which I took in the evening.
My fears were that I was having a number of hypos when I woke as it was, perhaps too much insulin all in one go in the evening as I was on 36 Levermir and roughly 14 units of Novorapid before eating dinner. I can’t afford to wake up with low blood sugar levels before taking on a 40 mile run! I decided to split my intake to 18 Levermir in the morning and then roughly 10-12 hours later another dosage of 18 in the evening. This appeared to be working better for me, however, an element of doubt still bothered me, concerning the amount I was injecting. I inject a lot, I discuss it with the Doctor and get the approval for that amount, however, I get the feeling that with the Doc it is more a case of if it ain’t that much broke don’t change it – a bad attitude I can’t help but feel, my Doc is probably as much use to me as a chocolate teapot, and being a diabetic any kind of chocolate-something is rarely much use to me as it is!
Speaking to cyclist Brian MacNamara on twitter, he mentioned to me that he also split his 24 hour intake into two dosages, however, injects a much smaller amount, I believe he said 6 or 7 units each go when he is cycling. I found this very interesting. I don’t want to make drastic changes to my insulin plan as that may upset my balance, but in ensuring I do not have any hypos before running I have decided to lower my intake into two dosages to 14, which could alter depending on results in the next few days.
In terms of running, I have some old running injury fears to one extent, but through training have really felt I have managed to overcome those fears. My personal best for running the 29 miles of Thanet I set in 2008, when nobody expected me to even complete such a distance as an only-just 17 year old kid. I ran it in 3 hours and 1 minute. I ran it three more times since that day and never managed to beat it, or come that close to it, 3 hours 15 and 20 the best marks I hit whilst training to run the Isle of Wight two years running.
Having lost my uncle Michael last year, who lived with my family in Thanet and came to support each run I ever done, (even those training runs), this was the first time I ran in Thanet without him there, so it really meant a lot to me when I completed the 29 miles in a timing of 2 hours 51 minutes. I started out slightly off my past pace but then burst into a sub-6 minute mile pace and better towards the end. I also set a timing of 2 hours 30 dead on in a 24 mile Greenwich run.
Timing is everything when it comes to running, however, with this upcoming challenge I am not looking to zoom off and set a time of any sorts, I am looking to simply finish what will be a very testing run. The slower and more contained I keep my pace the better, as I will need every ounce of energy to run over Beachy Head, which stretches up 530 feet over sea-level. Finishing is my priority and the only objective on my mind, I want to finish for diabetes and be able to say “I done 40 miles in one day now sponsor my cause” at the end of it!
I have put on a fundraising party in the build up to help bring some money in and on the night, in a hall hidden away in the middle of nowhere, I was only expecting to bring in around £300 at the best, having to pay an extra £100 to cover my costs, and when I saw such a good turnout I thought possibly I might have broken £400 here. There was a raffle on with some great prizes for grabs, which Sky News and The Marriott provided, so a big thanks to Stephen Dixon who is a Type 1 diabetic and the presenter on Sky and to John Shanley, my sister’s fiancé who works as a gym manager at the Bexleyheath Marriott Hotel. I think I made a good host on the evening, keeping people entertained and some lucky raffle winner won a signed running top… by me! So in expecting to raise around £400… I found out at the end of the night once counting all the notes, pounds and pennies up, we raised an incredible £571 for JDRF!
My run kicks off at 9:30am at Hastings Pier… I have the remainder of the day to find my way to Brighton Pier! I’m not going to quit until I get there! I’ve been pleased with the progress my sponsorship has made recently, it definitely helps and makes me more determined to go out and run, after all I am running for a reason and a cause, something close to my life and 366 million other lives; my runs have always been to inspire others, to show that, yeah I have type one diabetes but I can still go out and run further than any regular person could – but without the sponsorship I am just a bloke running, it is the help I get through raising money which counts and matters.
www.justgiving.com/Gavin-Griffiths1
GOOD LUCK GAVIN – We’ll be there to cheer you on and hope that all the Timesulin users around the UK will also show their support in some way!
Happy Easter from Timesulin!
We’ve been hard at work on some super things to help us achieve our goal of making life for all people living with diabetes a little easier and we’ll be sharing these with you over the coming weeks.
We wanted to take a moment to wish all our friends across the world a wonderful Easter break. If you are traveling, we wish you a safe arrival and return. If you, like us, plan to indulge in some serious rest and relaxation, enjoy!
Skiing with Timesulin
I’m just back from a ski trip in France and it really was the first time since I’ve started using Timesulin where I felt that I put my unit through its paces – falling, freezing and flying through 20cms of fresh powder snow on my snowboard, with my insulin pen safely tucked in my pants pockets – Timesulin cap included, of course.
I’m happy to report that both my insulin pen and Timesulin unit survived it all! One particularly memorable day was spent skiing an enormous glacier, scaling an ice wall and snowboarding with full climbing gear equipped. When we stopped for lunch on an icy patch, I had this photo taken:
Where have you used your Timesulin ‘smart cap’? Send us a photo to share on the blog!
Pharmacy Business – March 2012
Timesulin received another great write up – this time in Pharmacy Business, the UK’s leading monthly magazine for independent and community pharmacists that combines retail and clinical news to its more than 40,000 readers.
Do you own a pharmacy and are you interested in selling Timesulin direct to your community? Get in touch and learn more about our partner-friendly approach to helping all people living with diabetes lead a life that is a little easier!
Timesulin on Pinterest
I have long been a Pinterest fan (find me here) and just love the simplicity of the platform that allow me to find stuff anywhere on the internet and add it to my ‘mood boards’. It surely has allowed me to clear up much of the clutter on my desk as I can now virtually pin things as opposed to having to tear pictures out of magazines, having them lie around with the intentions of collecting it all somewhere and then, eventually get rid of these clippings, exasperated and a little frustrated with myself! Pinterest makes it so much easier – and instant.
We’ve gotten some great feedback about Timesulin on Pinterest too! It seems that people like the sleek design and the simplicity of Timesulin enough to add it to their own mood boards – and yes, I’ve added it to mine too!
If you are on Pinterest, join us and share your favourite Timesulin photo by repinning it to your moodboard. Because isn’t beautiful design more valued when it’s shared?
Are you active on Pinterest? Leave a link to your profile in the comments section so we can all follow you.
Timesulin feedback
Just received this note from a Timesulin user and wanted to share it here. Feedback like this makes all the hard work and long days completely worth it – thank you so much!
I’ve been using Timesulin for a couple of weeks now on both my pens and it is great. Wish I had had it years ago. It has given me a degree of confidence which I did not previously have, in that I never have those “Did I or didn’t I?” moments.
I used to have a solitaire peg which I moved along 4 little holes. This was OK as long as I remembered whether I had also moved the peg when I did the injection!
Timesulin is a great invention.
26 + 59 = 85 years with Diabetes!
Today, despite the tiredness of having been on my feet all day telling people about Timesulin at the Diabetes UK Professional Conference in Glasgow, I am inspired! There are many reasons for this inspiration, but my day ended on a really high note and I wanted to tell you why.
At 5pm the doors to the exhibition hall where Timesulin is sharing the news with DSN’s and Endocrinologists closed, and we were kindly requested to vacate the hall. Never ones to stop talking, Susan and I hung out just a little bit longer and, boy, am I happy we did. A lady with a sparkle in her eye and the hugest smile came wandering over and said, “I know I have to leave, but quick, tell me about this product!” We gave her a quick product overview and I’m not quite sure what sparked me into asking her if she herself was living with diabetes.
“Yes!” she said, “I’ve had it since I was eight.” When I asked her (very rude, I know!) how old she was now, she answered, “I’m 67!” This meant that she had been living with Type 1 diabetes for 59 years! She’s a veteran! (And here I was feeling good about my 26 years with diabetes…turns out I’ve got some competition!) “In fact,” she said, “Fifty-nine years TODAY! It’s my anniversary!”. Wow…
Carol Harston (that’s her name, by the way, because by now we were getting very chatty!) is a retired Diabetes Specialist Nurse and – amidst angry stares from the security guards who wanted us out of the exhibition hall – she asked me if I knew Axwell when I told her I was Swedish. “Axwell??” I figured he must be some Swedish doctor and had to admit that I sadly had no idea who he was. “No,” she giggled, “Axwell from Swedish House Mafia! I saw him when my mum and I were in Ibiza back in September!”
Susan and I pretty much collapsed in amazement! “How old is your mum?” I had to ask. Turns out Carol and her 92-year old mum had been to all the hot spots in Ibiza and gotten their photos taken with all the hot DJs. YouTube footage confirms this right at 0:52 seconds in and I just love the viewer comments about ‘granny’!
(Who ever thought we’d be able to show you Benny Benassi in Ibiza on the Timesulin blog?)
Our cutest fan…
Meet Luka. He’s four and a half and lives in Croatia. We think he’s our most delicious fan.
Join Luka and our other Timesulin fans by sending us a photo of you and your smart cap!
Diabetes Nurse Review: Helena Farrell
Irish Diabetes Nurse, Helena Farrell, has been a fan of Timesulin since she first heard about the concept back in October 2011. One of the first ones to get patients at her Diabetes Insight clinic to use Timesulin, her enthusiasm to help those living with the condition lead a better life is purely contagious! She shares her experiences using Timesulin at Diabetes Insight with us:
HELENA FARRELL, DIABETES INSIGHT (www.diabetesinsight.ie)
Throughout my sixteen years in nursing practice, adherence to medications has been a consistent problem and one which many health care professionals underestimate. This is no more so in diabetes, where I would receive panicked phone calls from clients who have forgotten to take their insulin injections and wondering what to do. Many studies have been conducted on adherence to medications/insulin in diabetes, with many citing forgetfulness as one of the primary reasons as to why this occurs.
That is why I welcome Timesulin to the market, an innovative, easy to use product that has been both needed and anticipated by both individuals with diabetes and health care professionals for some time. To say I have been impressed by both the enthusiasm and professionalism of the Timesulin team is an understatement. It is wonderful to see products and innovations for diabetes coming to the market that are designed by the very people who experience diabetes on a day to day basis. And John Sjölund, CEO and founder of Timesulin, who has Type 1 diabetes, embodies this. For me having a product in my practice, that is designed and used by someone who has Type 1 Diabetes, gives that product even more credence, and Timesulin is no exception.
Presently in my practice, I have a number of my clients using Timesulin and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive in more ways than one.
Firstly the ease of use of the Timesulin cap has been a feature that has been consistently reported back to me. For me as a health care professional, time is of the essence when educating individuals with diabetes, and Timesulin buys into this philosophy. It requires very little instruction for having such a huge benefit to my clients which is always a good thing!
Secondly, and this is the most obvious feature, fear of forgetting a dose of insulin or overlapping on doses are allayed, as it is recorded in black and white on the cap, when you took your last dose. The stress, panic and fear of not remembering or knowing you have forgotten your insulin disappears when using Timesulin, and this is vital for anyone who has to take injections several times a day, while fitting diabetes into their busy lifestyles.
Finally, this has been the feedback that has surprised me and benefitted my clients the most, is how using Timesulin has made them more aware of their daily routine. They can now clearly see when they took their last injection, and are becoming aware of how long a gap they are leaving between injections, or the opposite, how little a gap there is, especially when taking fast acting insulin injections. For many of them this has been a real eye opener and they have regulated their routine accordingly. It is early days yet, but, because of this simple change, they are reporting they have better control of their blood sugar levels because of a regular routine. For me, this has been a surprising but delightful benefit of Timesulin and has aided me in the education and support I give to my clients with diabetes. I look forward to bringing Timesulin to even more of my clients, and seeing the benefits it gives to them as it has to others.
Your first chance to WIN Timesulin!
We have partnered up with Diabetes UK to offer you the very exclusive opportunity to win one of ten Timesulin caps!
Supporting Gavin
Timesulin’s first official sports ambassador, Gavin Griffiths, is tackling the longest run of his life and raising funds to help JDRF with the work they’re doing to help those with diabetes. Now Gavin is no ordinary young man. First off, he’s lived with Type 1 since January 2000. Since his diagnosis, he’s has run more miles than the average person would do in their entire life – all to prove that diabetes does not have to stop anyone from achieving their dreams.
And Gavin has achieved many so far…he’s cofounder of the Bexley Young Diabetics Group, has received an award from Diabetes UK for fundraising activities and has completed multiple normal and ultramarathons. Gav has also been selected as a torch bearer for the Olympic flame, carrying the flame between Deal to Maidstone en-route to the Olympic stadium on 19 July.
The next big challenge on Gavin’s list, however, is running 40 miles in one day…One day! On 14 April 2012 Gavin will tackle the road between Hastings and Brighton and he is raising funds for JDRF. Read his full motivation for completing this monstrous race and then show your support by donating to his fundraising page. Timesulin will be there to help Gavin as far as we can and we’d love if you joined us!
Because when you’re a ultramarathon runner, timing truly is everything!
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