I am soon to be starting a pump. I have my appt set up in April. I am doing a lot of research on pumps. And cannot seem to make my mind up on the ping or the omni. I like the style of the ping and the features but I like the fact that their is no tubing with the omni. Can anyone shed more light on first hand experiences with these 2 and which one seems to be the best for them and why. If only the ping did not have tubing.
I am using the omnipod and I really do love it, I have been diabetic for 17 years and on the pump for 5 months. I wish I would have started the pump years ago. I never wanted to do a pump because I hated the tubing so I always avoided them. But now that I have been wearing my pod my A1C has dropped from 9.1 to 6.5 so that is a great plus for me. So pod or ping good luck with whatever you choose…
Thank you so much.
When I went to decide on the pump I narrowed it down to these two choices as well! I ended up going with the Ping because during my research on the 'pod I found that people were still having a lot of trouble with pod malfunctions. I had also been told that while the upfront cost of the pod was less then the Ping, the pod would end up costing more in the long run because each time you change your site (which would be every three days or so) you have to add a new pod. The new pods cost more then a new infusion set/cartridge. In the long run it came down to cost for me.
I figured that I would give Ping some time to perfect their product and would definitely look into what they were up to when I was able to up-grade my pump in a few years. 
I’m on my Ping now and I really like it. It’s been easy to use!
Good luck in making a choice!
And I dont know if it’s because my insurance or what but I have to pay nothing for my pdm or the pod or refills. all i pay for is my insulin. So you might check to see what you insurance will cover, and with any malfunction insulet will replace all non working pods. yeah i’ve had my share or problems but not enough to regret changing to the pod.
I love the fact we can have open discussions like this every little thing can help me make up my mind on which one to choose from. These two seem to be the best I have found so far.
I did a lot of research before I started pumping, and the Ping just fit me the best. I wore a pod and felt like I had a growth. I was just too big to be on my body, and so it limited where I felt comfortable putting it. With the ping, the site is low profile, so I have lots of options for rotation, and since I can bolus without ever touching my pump, it can hide just about anywhere.
The other thing I didn;t like about the omnipod was that the pdm had to be right next to the pod to bolus (not the ping), and the pdm display and text was very light, hard to read, and HUGE. There of course is also the scare that I would lose or forget the PDM (because I would). At least with the Ping, I can still manually bolus if I need too. Also, with my insurance the long term costs of the pods well exceeded my copay for the ping, and my sets and cartridges are covered at 100%. And last, I kept thinking that if a pod goes bad, I’ve not only lost a pod, but I’ve wasted all the insulin I put in it. Insulin is not cheap, and since the very first pod I tried failed, it left me skeptical.
Having said all the above, I know a lot of people love their Omni’s, so it’s best to try all the pumps, get insurance info and make a decision that’s right for you. Good Luck! Pumping is life changing, and wonderful!
Thank you so much very informative. You have seen both sides too.
I also was stuck between the Animas and the omnipod. I kept knocking off the sample pods when I tried them and I also hear about the malfunctioning pods. I have since heard how great omnipod is about replacing bad pods, so that is not as big of a factor as it was to me now. I never really notice the tubing with my ping. The only thing I had to change about my day to day activity and the tubing was I started having to wear nightshirts to bed so my pump was not free in the bed (chancing me snagging up the tubing). So my big worry about tubing ended up not being a big deal for me. See if your doc’s office will let you do a saline trial on the Animas. My doc’s office had a few older model pumps that they let me take home and try with saline for a couple of days. I got to try the animas and minimed this way and of course I had demo omnipods to try. I could try the tubing vs no tubing and see if it was an issue.
Thanks good idea.
I also narrowed down my selection to the Omni or the Ping. Eventually my insurance decided for me as they would not cover the Omnipod. We appealed the decision and i could have won, but i was anxious to start pumping so i got the Ping. I’m very happy. I’ve gotten used to the tubing and over all the cost (to me) is less than the Omnipod would have been if insurance had covered it. I dont know what the Omnipod has for sofware for BG results analysis, but the program that comes wiht the Ping rocks! My ENDO loves the reports i can generate for her and they clearl show trends that i can then adjust my insulin or life style to. I"m sure you’ll be happy with what ever you choose. good luck!
Thank you so much. So the pumps come with software that you can download your results on or do you purchase sepraretly?
The Ping comes with all you need, software, clips for the pump, a case for the pump, extra battery cap, cables for your meter and ping to communicate with the PC. That was part of the reason I upgraded from the 2020 to the ping. I didn’t want to have to buy the newest version of the software and the new infrared cable just because I got a PC with Vista on it. Plus I wanted to be able to bolus without touching the pump.
Oh well that sounds awesome. I am liking that idea a lot.
I am just starting on the Onmipod this week…chose it for the tubeless feature, and my CDE was excited that she will be able to download 90 days worth of data from the handheld that comes with it.
I am worried about having to always remember the PDM wherever I go. That is certainly not any easier than MDI’s. I am also concerned with not being able to move the pod around based on what I am wearing.
I figure that we can always change to another option. Whoever comes out with the first integrated GCM and pump will have me.
Cathy…perhaps this info will be of help. Test Driving Insulet’s OmniPod System http://www.diatribe.us/issue/4/test-drive.php
The aricle gives what I believe is an honest evaluation of the OmniPod. You will also find that diaTribe is an excellent and
informative site regarding all things diabetes related!! Hope that this helps.
Thank you so much I will give it a try.
Ok I have made up my mind. I have chosen the ping. I have ordered info kits on both. The very next day one touch had ping info kit fed ex to my door. With that kind of service I feel I am in better hands. Also, my ulta smart got stolen the other day. Yep that’s right, someone that it was a cell phone or a black berry or something and took it. Well even though they don’t cover thefts they are sending me another one at no charge with strips. No that’s service. Accu-chek is a great company too. To bad they did not have a great pump like the ping too.
Never having had an Omnipod i can’t speak for it. Having worn an Animas 2020 as part of the Ping system for a couple of months now, I love it. You’ll come to love yours also.
I also lost my One Touch meter. Lucky for me, i had taken one of those many address labels ADA sent me (you know, the ones with the nickel attached; not sure why they’re sending me money) and attached it to my cell phone, One Touch meter, Ping, and every other electronic thing i own. Someone found it and stuck it in the mail to me. The postmaster delivered no charge. Cool!
Well that was very nice of them. A lot of people would not even of took the time. The guy at the meter company said one time someone that his meter was a gps device. They get stolen all the time. IT is something I never thought I would have to worry about when it comes to my meter, but evidently we do. I think the ping will be nice once I figure it all out too. Since it has the carb counting thing right in the meter.