Hi! I am a newly diagnosed T1D, and my 6 months is about to come up, which means I get to go on a pump! I am a 15 year old girl and very active. The thing I am not 100% sure about the Omnipod is that it sticks to your skin. So, when you want to wear a certain outfit, it could end up being very obvious because you can’t just move it. I wear a CGM now, so I could get used to the Omnipod, but still. It’s fairly large. My sister has a Ping, so I know about it, but I’ve obviously never worn it. Is it easy to relocate it when you wear certain clothes? Does it get in the way during sports, or fall off? If anyone has something to say or anything they would like to advise me on, please share! Thanks to anyone who can help!!
This is obviously a personal decision. You should try whatever system you’re considering for at least a few weeks to see how it feels and how it can fit in to your whole life. I know you can go online and sign up for non-operating Omnipod pod so that you can stick it on and see how it feels. Talk to your doctor and see if s/he can arrange for any trials of the pumps that interest you. Once you make a choice, if you’re in the US and use insurance to finance it, you’ll likely be be committed for four years.
Even if you have to make a tentative purchase decision that provides a 30-day money back guarantee, you can treat it like a 30-day trial.
Do a trial first. It’ll give you first hand experience and will make you a better shopper. Good luck. I wore pumps for 29 years and they worked well for me. But I’m not a 15-year old female!
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You can get a sample pod (either directly from Omnipod or from your doctor) and try wearing it just to see what it feels like.
I tried the demo pod, and hated it… which surprised me, because back 10+ years ago when it was still in development, it seemed like it would be the most awesome thing ever, but the reality just… wasn’t. I’ve never really had much trouble wearing a tubed pump, and I like the ability to put it wherever it bothers me the least.
I wouldn’t limit your choices to the pod or the ping just because that’s what your sister uses. Look into Medtronic and Tandem as well - make an informed decision because you’ll be living with it for the next 4 years 
I’m not on a pump yet and don’t know if I’ll be eligible for a CGM, but I found this page and it gives a pretty good comparison of Insulin Pumps.
Insulin Pump Comparisons - Compare Insulin Pumps by Manufacturer
You can probably use it as a jumping off board.
Hi Lilly_J,
I am also quite active and was really unsure about getting the insulin pump. I’ve been diabetic for 24 years now (I’m 27) and my doctor recommended the Omnipod to me. At first I thought the exact same thing, “it’s massive!”.
I started the pump in January of this year and honestly, it is the best thing I have ever done. I was on injections before, so I am pretty biased towards the Omnipod and have never tried other pumps. My issues with the other pumps were the tubing and how inconvenient that could be. I’m sure someone else can tell you about their experience with it, but I’ll tell you about mine with the Omnipod.
Again, I’ve been doing injections since I was 3 and switching to the Omnipod was life changing. I kept telling my husband that I actually feel like a “normal” person. I wear mine on my stomach or under my arms and it is rarely visible. If I’m wearing a tight shirt, you can see a little bump on my stomach, but again, it’s only if you look. I had the same concerns about people seeing it when I wear certain things but it’s really fun to tell people about it actually. Most people (if they even ask what it is) are amazed by it. To me, it’s really a non-issue and I can’t wait for the summer so I can start wearing my swim suit and show it off
As for exercising, I forget it’s even there. The lack of tubing for me is incredible. You can set your PDM down on the side while you swim or exercise. You also noted the concern about it falling off…it doesn’t! Trust me! I was really nervous for my first couple of pump changes so I used medical tape for more security while I got used to it, but now (about 30 or so changes later), I never use tape. The adhesive is really, really strong.
My advice, is that when/if you get the Omnipod, test it out first before sticking it. Use medical tape to try out some areas of where you like it and how it looks in your clothes. I’m not sure where are you, but I got my pump in Germany and I was given the pump for 3 days to “play with” if you will, and during those 3 days, I placed the pump in a different place each day to see how it felt.
Sorry this is such a long post but I really would consider the Omnipod - it’s the best, BEST thing I have ever done for myself.
Let me know if you have any other questions
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OmniPod FTW! Many people say that it is so huge and bulky, but compare the size of a Pod to the size of other tubed insulin pumps. Yes, there is the PDM (a.k.a. “The Brick”) with which to contend, but you don’t wear the PDM! It seems that people either love or hate the OmniPod system and there is little to no middle ground. It’s all a matter of personal preference and what works out best for you as an individual…
Both are end of life products. The only current generation pump is the Medtronic 640G. The OmniPod is long over due being upgraded to the OmniPod Phoenix (Dexcom G5 CGM integration) which seems to be dragging it’s heals for release but looks fantastic when it does finally appear. Animas have their new pump due also with it’s integration to the Sensonics CGM. We are in an interesting phase for pump releases so it’s kind of a jump now and curse for 4-5 years or possibly hang fire for the new toys.
I would say that if at all possible get your hands on ALL of the pumps that your insurance will cover and actually feel them and play with them. Don’t limit yourself to a brand or style just because it’s what a family member or doctor is pushing or familiar with. When I picked a pump, I set up an appointment with the “education nurse” in my Endocrinologist’s office, and she had a sample of each option for me to actually hold, hit the buttons, tap on screens, run through the process of giving a bolus or adjusting a basal rate, and everything else. She also had literature for all of the pumps for me to take home and review. It was great, because there wasn’t any pressure to pick a particular brand, although she also had business cards for the local reps from all of the pump companies so that I could contact them with questions.
Online reviews are great, as are hearing stories about people’s experiences, but what matters most is finding the pump that will be the best fit for YOU, and that’s going to be a very personal choice.
Hi Lilly,
I have personally never used the omnipod, but as with anything else in the world, there are some people who like it and some people who don’t. This is all about personal preference. A lot of people who are active love the omnipod. Personally, tubing does not bother me. I personally love animas. I had the ping before I had the vibe. The MAJOR differences between the ping and the vibe is that the animas vibe has a continuous glucose monitor while the animas ping does not, but the ping does have a meter remote. Initially why I chose animas was because it was waterproof and has the smallest basal increments. I have been on the pump for ten years. The two main reasons I personally never wanted the omnipod was because I do not want something that bulky on my body and also because I would find it annoying not being able to bolus if you didn’t have the pdm I think it’s called with you. Plus, personally tubing does not bother me AT ALL. I think when it comes to different outfits, you kind of just get used of it and you can almost always find a place to put your pump with different outfits. They also make many different accessories and clothing now to put your pump in that can make this so much easier. This is all about personal preference and finding what works for YOU. With insulin pumps, it is not a one fits all scenario. You need to find what features would best suit your lifestyle and what you look for in a pump. For me, one of the most important things is integrated CGM which is why I love the animas vibe. I hope I could help!
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I use an Omnipod. I love it. You can put it ANYWHERE you have skin. So it’s discreet. I wear it lower back, anywhere.
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Love it too!!!
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It is super convenient.
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Love it too. Unless you wear skin tight clothes, it is just there under the clothes not visible. If you wear tighter clothes, I don’t think anyone notices a slight bulge on your arm or leg etc. No tubes. Waterproof. I forget where I put it!
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You’ll love the Omnipod. In summer you can wear it on the side of your butt cheek in a bikini (mine was in board shorts) No one will ever notice. Why would you where a long tube on your body when you could have a small pod on you! I surfed with mine and went to the gym 5 days a week. Loved the Omnipod
I think more importantly is the CGM. I use the Dexcom and absolutely love it integrated ish my iPhone. I went back to shots last year as my insurance changed and I needed a break from pumping.
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