I am a OnmiPod user. I love my Pod! I have only had a few issue’s nothing major. I wanted to know overall, How do you like your OmniPod? What would you change about the OmniPod? Do you make the right desicion? What advice would you give to future OmniPod users?
I love my OmniPod…I would give it 5 stars out of 5
If I had to change something about the Pod…I would try to make the adhesive alittle stronger…sometimes the Pod comes up before the adhesive.
I know I made the right desicion for me! I love not having to have wires. I love freedom.
The OmniPod is a good system. It has it’s flaws! but I would rather have a bad pod or a PDM issue anyday than to take MDI’s. Insulet has a Good Customer Service, they are willing to help! Watch where you place your pod…lol and always carry a back up Pod with you just incase.
Cherise, great post.
I am an Omni Pod user for about the as long as you. I believe I have made the best choice for me.
When I was investigating all the pump options available I had all of the companies meet with me and let me play with their pumps. Based on those meetings I narrowed my decision down to the MiniMed 522 or the OmniPod. I tried two pods (not active but real pods) and I tried a MiniMed pump (no insulin) with a set/tubing attached. That was the clincher. I could not get comfortable with the attached tubing. Both pumps were easy to operate and setup. I like that the PDM does not need to be in contact with the pod at all times. I keep it in my “kit” and with me at all times just not on my body.
I have only had a few issues with the adhesive (edges coming loose) but no pods were ever close to coming off and I sweat a bit. I have had great success with the pods and my BG’s are great. I have only had to remove two pods early due to blood at the site which is a site not a pod issue.
My only knock on the system is the software and data it provides. The Pathfinder is a joke. It only downloads 4 days of data into a locked excel spreadsheet. Every download is a new spreadsheet not linked to the others. It would be nice to have more detailed data available for download where we can create our own reports. I still use my OneTouch Ultra2 tester due to this limitation.
Now for the good news. Insulet is coming out with a new PDM this year (supposed to be announced in August) which will address the data issue I mentioned. It will also be a little smaller and offers a color screen. It will also have a USB port for the downloads so this should be easier. I volunteered to help test the PDM and software and hopefully they will let me.
I just went on a tour of the Insulet facility and was quite impressed. This is a very upbeat and highly motivated company. I got a peek at a picture of the new PDM (looks nice) and got to hold a prototype of the next generation pod. The new pod will be about 35-40% smaller (that is significant) but will still hold 200u, otherwise it has the same shape. This won’t be out until 2009 since it needs to go through all the FDA trials and approvals. What is nice about the Omni Pod system is that when the new pods are available you won’t have to do anything. They will work with your current PDM so it is not like the other pumps where you need to pay for an upgrade. Insulet will just start shipping the new ones when you reorder. I think we may need to pay a slight fee for the PDM upgrade but I am not 100% sure on that.
All in all I am very pleased with the system with no regrets on my decision.
My daughter wants to get the omnipod. We had some issues with it but your blog has answered some of them. She cannot get the pod until August and you said the new PDM is available then. We’ve read alot of complaints about the highs (cannula coming loose) and lack of control. It is nice to hear something good about it. If you ever have any new information, please let us know.
Yeah I guess the Tubing is not a problem for most. Its just that I have 5 children
the two youngest girls are under 5 and always crawling all over daddy. I’m pretty sure any infusion set with tube attached would not last long in my world.
They are working on a smaller pod but that will not be out for a while (some time in 2009 I guess).
The new PDM is also a little smaller. I did not get to see a real one only a picture. We should see the new PDM’s this fall if everything stated is true (delays are always inevitable).
I called customer service about the new pdm and the pod design getting smaller and they had no idea about it at all. The woman was clueless but did say that they ( the people answering the phone for Insulet ) would be the last to know this information. I found this strange. I am going to call the warehouse next to ask. I don’t want to order my daughter the pod now and find out if I had waited 2 months it would be updated.
I don’t know if I would wait. We thought we would wait initially for the Dexcomm CGM to be integrated with the pod and that was last year - we’re still waiting. It’s my understanding that Insulet will replace the PDMs or allow you to upgrade for a nominal fee. Jim may know more about this. As he said in his post - when the pods get smaller, they will begin to replace the regular shipment with the new ones.
I think the PDM that we have now is fine. Yes, it would be nice for it to be smaller and in color and a sleeker design but as long as it works, its fine by me.
The thing with all these changes is that Insulet is at the mercy of the FDA for final approval on all this stuff. That could take 6 months, a year or two years or more. I don’t think I would base my decisions on what’s going to come out - I would base it on what’s out now.
I was just at Stanford’s clinic today and they are also saying that Medtronic and most of the other big pump manufacturers are moving towards tubeless products as well. I’m sure in the next 5 years, pumps are going to be very different.
I agree with Susan you may not want to wait for Insulet to make the upgrades…I talked to my Endo about the Dexcom being intergrated and he said that may happen at the end of next year…I am sure your daughter isn’t going to wait that long…lol I know I didn’t want to wait the 2 months it took for me to get the POD.
I’m with you Dawn. It really is a great product. While in theory, I love the idea of the CGM but I think it also could be too much information. The sensor also looks pretty big so I’m hoping that Dexcom will make that smaller too. Who knows.
Best to deal with what’s around now and look forward to what may be in the future! :+) I’m thinking stem cells and a cure!
Well we have to wait until August. Her pump classes are over then; and she is in the hospital now. Does the 200 units last 3 days? On average, how many units do you use a day? As I have said before, Cortney has cystic fibosis too and her carb/fat/calorie intake is huge, We are talking 3000 - 4000 calories a day. She is not restricted whatsoever. I was just wondering, how long the 200 units will actually last.
Will is only 2 years old and so he uses about 8-10 units a day - that includes his boluses and basals. I only fill the pod with 100 units and we throw away more than half of that.
The minimum that the pod holds is 80 units but I normally fill it to 100. I don’t know the max because we haven’t had to use it.
Hi there…I am new to tudiabetes and I am debating now between the omnipod and the minimed 722.
I was hoping you could answer some of my omnipod concerns. I am afraid that the insulin won’t be delivered and I’ll never know. f it starts to pull away from the skin can the canula actually be out of your skin but still deliver insulin? I’m afraid that it may pump insulin but if the canula in not actually still in the skin,I won’t know. Do you wake up i the middle of the night to test? I get very low at night and then spike up into the 200’s when I wake up. This is why I wanted the CGM so it would alert me at night b/c I sleep through the lows.
The only thing I like about the minimed is the reporting and te intergrated CGM. and they’ve been doing this for a long time.
So far I am leanig towards the omnipod but everyone else is leaning me towards the minimed becaue of all the fucntions it does. I’m nervous b/c it is newer product.
