My 23 yo daughter was just diagnosed with T1 3 weeks ago and really wants the omnipod because of the tubeless feature. I’ve been reading lots online about the pod and most of what I read is negative. I have read very little from people who like it. Are there any of you that are happy with it?
You haven’t read my blog. I love the tube-free convenience of the OmniPod. I like being able to swim, bathe & have sex without removing it. The catheter insertion is virtually painless.
It is wonderful, but a lot of the complaints are based on it not being perfect.
Hi Tracy!
Having been through the same process only a few months ago (I am 26), I can say I am VERY happy with the OmniPod. In fact, it was a forum on this site that convinced me to go with it.
Here's the best way to think about it: Out of the major players (Medtronic, OmniPod, and Ping) you can't ever make a bad decision. They are all great pumps, it just depends what draws you most.
I chose the OmniPod because of the tubeless features, and I have not regretted it one bit. The community here is great with answering questions to common issues, one such I had was the pods falling off - easily fixed by purchasing a product called skin-tac, which a sterile liquid adhesive that works wonders. I can run, swim, and do everything while wearing my pump and noone know's it's there (except for when I start beeping!).
You will often find a lot of the negative (and few positive) reviews are to do with children, however as an Adult I feel as though there is a lot more benefit and am surprised there aren't more people using it.
I've been wearing Omnipod since September of 2012 and although it has it's quirks (all pumps do) it's a fantastic lifestyle option.
I wish I could say more to convince you! If you have any questions I'd love to answer them for you as best I can.
Cheers,
Graeme
I think the pod is great. I’ve been T1 for over 35 years and on a pump since 2003. I went onto the pod nearly 6 months ago and haven’t looked back since. I’m surprised you haven’t seen many positive comments about it although I’d have thought there’s plenty of people on here who will provide positive comments!
It’s never a nice thing to be diagnosed as diabetic, but its better than not being and definitely could be worse. With anything, you will find happy people and unhappy ones. If you search around this site, you will find many people that are very happy with the Omnipod, myself being one. I’ve been on the Pod just over a year and while there have been a few issues, its been a wonderful experience overall. I’ve been diabetic for many years and have never felt better nor had such good (and steady) A1C readings.
So, it’s really good that you are reading up on options, its very important to understand the goods and bads of any decision, especially this one. But remember that sometimes when people are happy, they don’t always speak up. More often than not, when people are not happy, they do.
There’s lots of great information on this site, and wonderful people that will answer any questions you have. Good luck with your choice. In my opinion, the Omnipod is a good one.
Cheers.
I’m having a day moaning about occlusions etc; but I have to say the Omnipod is the only pump I’d currently consider for all the reasons your daughter stated. A pump is the best way of delivering insulin at the moment and for a female, the pump is small, discreet, waterproof and you can also feel a little like a non diabetic person from time to time! I’d forgotten too that hypo’s for me at least , are nothing like as severe as they were on MDI, something that is easily forgotten once on a pump. The Omnipod service is pretty good too, at least in the UK it is.
We know that a lot of times in the consumer world, those who are happy don't really speak up. Those who are angry want to be heard. It is human nature. However, there are plenty of folks out there (myself included) who do enjoy the product and who are happy with it.
Here are two other discussions on the first page right now that mention positive results. There are plenty of others as well!
http://www.tudiabetes.org/group/omnipodusers/forum/topics/experience-8-years-on-the-omnipod
http://www.tudiabetes.org/group/omnipodusers/forum/topics/thank-you-from-a-new-omnipod-user
Good luck to your daughter as she picks out the system (whether a pump of some sort, or shots) that works best for her!
Tracy,
I've posted this before, but I think it's worth repeating, especially for someone like you to hear:
I think this is one of the biggest issues that Insulet faces in growing the OmniPod customer base. Keep in mind the idea of the vocal minority - if someone is having troubles or frustrations, they are going to be the people out here seeking help, advice, or even just a place to vent. That's true regardless of what the subject is - insulin pumps, cell phones, parenting, whatever.
On the other hand, if something "just works" and you go on every day doing just fine, those people have a LOT less reason to be vocal on forums like TuDiabetes. Think about it, why would the people who have no or little trouble be out here being vocal?
So there will always seem to be a lot of voices of discontent, but I firmly believe that is the minority, by far. There are thousands of people using OmniPod, most of whom you NEVER hear from or about because we're getting along just fine.
That's not to dismiss those people who do have issues. Clearly no pump is right for everyone; no doubt OmniPod is not the right choice for every diabetic. But it sure is "right" for lots of us. It's been several years, but this is something I wrote about my own personal experience after about 18 months as a 'Podder.
http://bewarethepenguin.blogspot.com/2009/08/my-experience-with-omnipod.html
Tracy, keep researching postings. The whole process of dealing with diabetes is a PITA, and while there are a good many of us who whine occassionally about the oPod, the majority would say the good outweighs the bad, I'd guess. Good luck to your daughter. So glad you found Tu....you will both find a lot of knowledge and support here.
Everything they're saying I agree with. It is what is most important to the wearer. For me the tubeless aspect is the most important and I have not been disappointed. For others, maybe its more important that a pump can communicate with a Continuous Glucose Monitor or it calculates Insulin-On-Board a certain way.
I weighed all of the factors for all major pumps before I made my decision to go on the pod, and have not regretted it in the least. PLUS, the newer slimmer model is about to come out!
I've been very happy with it. Sure, there are some things I would like to see done better, or differently, but I would have the same gripes with a tubed pump. Heck, I think that never having to worry about the tubing getting caught on a doorknob (which happened to me FAR too many times) makes it worth it.
I am 21 and was diagnosed 2.5 years ago when I was 19. I got the Omnipod 6 months later and LOVE it. I did get the Animas because I wanted to see what a tubed pump was like and I did/do like it for certain occasions or when I want to give my arms/thighs a break (those are the two main places that I wear my Omnipod). But otherwise I've rarely had problems if at all that ever made me hate it. I have had occlusions before and things like that but in the almost 2 years I've had it I can't count much more than a handful of times it has happened.
As well as the fact that the new pump/smaller pods are now becoming available I think this is a great option! If she has more questions and wants someone to talk to (I wish I had someone!) she can definitely email me! dmschamer1@umary.edu
Good luck!
Love it! My 3 year old wears it. I love the no tube, the auto insertion, water proof, remote, and the fact that I can't actually see it on my son. And the new one is almost here which is much smaller and has a lot new features. Omnipod as a company has been very supportive too - much more than any other diabetes supply / equipment company I have dealt with. Can't wait!
I'm very happy with it. My brother is also a T1 and he has the tubing on his pump. I wear lots of dresses, so having a unit attached to a belt wouldn't be as easy for me. I also have young children so I'm very active. Not having tubing and a unit to wear around just made sense. I've been on the Omnipod for over a year now and I couldn't imagine using another type of pump. It's small, easy to put on and wear.
My daughter is 7 and been on the OmniPod for 3-4 months now and she LOVES it. She was on the Medtronic Minimed pump for 3 yrs prior to that. No complaints with the Minimed other than she was twisting the tubing and on occasion it would completely pull out when she was playing. We belong to a support group where the majority of the kids are on the OmniPod as well. A pump/pod is truly just a personal preference. All companies have a rep she can talk to and they will likely allow her to wear the pump/pod for 3 days to try it out (no insulin of course). We tried both the Minimed pump and the Pod before purchasing.
I have been using it for almost 2 years and have been very happy with it.
I've had to return about 4 pods in all that time due to failures, and I had one PDM failure that they replaced overnight.
My A1c improved from 7 to 6.2 when I started on the pod.
I hope to improve it further with things I learn on tudiabetes.
I do not consider the failures I have had to be unreasonably high...and you have to remember that conventional pumps and infusion sets are not failure-free either.
I agree with everyone on here! I've had the Omnipod for about a year and it has made everything so much easier to deal with. Any pump will make management easier, but I love how discreet the Omnipod is (most people assume the PDM is just my cell phone), that it's waterproof,tubeless, and that it has an automatic insertion. I've barely had any issues with it, and when I do, it's usually my fault because I forget to change the batteries! The only real problem I had was with a defective PDM, and they were really helpful and sent a new one over the next day. I've also had one (out of hundreds) unopened pod that started beeping for no reason, but as long as you call and send the faulty pod over, they're really good about replacing equipment. Then as far as adhesive, I know some people have a problem with it staying on, but I've never had one come off, even when exercising. I'd definitely recommend it!
I'm at 1 year and very happy with it. Perfect? No. But it has made a positive difference in my Type 1 control, and is easier to deal with at times than injections. I also could not live with a tubed device. So I went with Omnipod and loved it.
The Internet is a great place for folks to let of steam. That's why you easily find negative reviews of most anything. People are more likely to complain than to praise. The old saying is for every 10 people you please, you'll upset 1. And an upset person is 100 times more likely to post something than a person who is happy about a product.
I think Bradford and Scott W. hit the nail on the head....you will typically hear from the complainers most often. Here on TU and in the Omnipod group you will see my beautiful Avatar (the face of my dog) next to at least one thousand complaints about the pod....but also I bave stated that is is the best pump technology available in these times. The no tubing aspect is the thing that has kept me on it. And I have tried several other pumps and opptions, the Omnipod is always the winner! Good luck, and PEACE
I've been using the OmniPod for about 2.5 months now (my first pump experience) after being diagnosed in '09 with LADA/T1, and have also been very happy with it. People kept telling me I would get used to the tubes with other pumps, but ultimately the question I kept returning to was "why should I have to get used to tubes?" Since pairing the OmniPod with the new Dexcom G4 CGM, which I've been using for about 2 months now, my life has changed. I actually feel normal again for the first time since my diagnosis. I rarely even notice either the pod or CGM sensor, and my BG control is better than ever. The convenience of hopping in the shower or pool is terrific. Sure, I've accidentally knocked a couple pods out by banging into a doorway or something, but that is because of where I had them placed (on arm) and my own clumsiness. By the way, arm is my preferred placement for the pod. Highly recommend the OmniPod, but the CGM is also a big part of this. Really a shame that Dexcom and Insulet/OmniPod are no longer pursuing the integrated product, but that is another topic.
The Dexcom is fantastic. Only complaint is the adhesive (have to use waterproof tape towards the end of the 7 days). If you could put the OmniPod adhesive on the Dexcom sensor, I believe it would be close to a perfect product (for now). Best of luck to you and your daughter!