A Pod contains a smidgen less than 200 units max. If a Pod fails (which, knock wood has occurred only about three times in almost the same number of years my daughter has used the OmniPod system), you can withdraw the remaining insulin with the same syringe used to fill Pods. Less waste than what is used to prime a tubed pump.
I agree. I just didnāt like the Pod when I demoād it being this bulky lump attached to my body. My medtronic and tSlim is much less conspicuous i just usually shove it down in my bra or clip it to the waist of my jeans/pants and its not nearly as noticeable as a lumpy pod. I also thought the pod when I demoād it was uncomfortable when sleeping, and once again, not something that you can easily adjust.
Ack! My bad, then! I started with the H-Tron+, which was waterproof, according to the specs at the time.
@rgcainmd My apologies. My information was wrong on that one. And again, Iām in no way saying the Omnipod isnāt a great pump. Was only listing the reasons why I decided it wasnāt for me.
No problemo! The OmniPod is a great pump for my daughter because it works well for her. Every PWD needs to discover the pump that works the best for them, whether it be an OmniPod, T-slim, Ping, Vibe, AccuChek, or even Medtronic.
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If you need small doses and have trouble with lows, highs and rapid changes a pump is much better and tslim has very small dosing capability and a touch screen system which is pretty easy to figure out. Soon they will have a pump that will shut off or reduce basal insulin if you drop too low while sleeping or you get distracted. The tubing is a pain, but so is having a device attached to you, you get used to it on some level after a while. The worst part for me now is stopping my crazy kitten from chewing it. I have to wear it under my nightgown or under my shirt etc. and keep an eye on things. He can be a terror who does exactly what you tell him not to do right after he has been told not do that. The next software is supposed to take into account when your last bolus was also so it wonāt just keep telling you to correct again and again.
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My first insulin pump, 8 years ago, was the Omnipod. I used it for about 2 months, and then I switched to Medtronic. For me, I had a LOT of alarms with the Omnipod. They were usually static alarms, and I tried all the tricks of the trade to prevent them. Static guard spray, laundry sheets etc. etc. While the alarm was frustrating, it was the sound of the alarm I hated. It sounded like a fire alarm, and would just screech. If the pod wasnāt having static problems, the PDM would have problems.
After two months of the constant frustration, I switched. For me, I do find the footprint of a tubed pump smaller. I can put my pump anywhere (in a sock under my scrubs, in my bra, in my pocket etc), but the actual āsiteā is small and unobtrusive.
Having gone through two pumps with Medtronic now (and will be getting a third here shortly as my warranty is almost up), I have been very happy with the product.
One thing I will tell you, no matter the bells and whistles, the look, the screen etc. Every single pump does the same thingā¦gives you basal insulin, and you bolus with it.
To me, itās like getting any new gadget. At first, itās exciting and new. Then after a week, itās old news. The same happens with me and the insulin pumps. Youāll be looking at it everyday, for many years. What ends up being important to me is not the look, or designā¦but whether it does its job well, and does it with very little issues. Reliability is a big one for me.
For me Medtronic has done that.
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Were it not for the last sentence, I would have given your post a āLikeā. Many, many āLikesā if this were possible.
No worries! I definitely meant the āfor meā thing. Itās very personal, and there isnāt a right or wrong. Just what fits your lifestyle. I am thankful for the choices, it forces all of them to continue improving their products.
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Same. Itās on my 2 year old and still isnāt ābig or bulkyā on his tiny body. āBulkyā, at least to me, āshould includeā (or did in the case of my son) wiring and the system that has to stay attached to it in a tubed pump. These things are FAR bulkier than just a pod (which again, even on a 2 year old isnāt that big IMHO.)
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The āonlyā downfall I can say about my T:slim is the touch screen. My husband has zombie fingers. He cannot use anything that has a touch screen, things donāt work. Whenever I need my CAT scan, heās the one who gets to watch my pump. I tell him Iāll turn off the volume so the beeps arenāt noticeable. But he says heāll manage. If youāre like him, you may want to forget the T:Slim. It takes him several tries before he can unlock the screen. 
I tell him Iāll leave him my stylus so he can use that on the pump! He looks at me like Iām nuts.
kitkat2, my biggest problems are Iām allergic to most adhesives and metal. So I had to find an infusion set that had an adhesive that didnāt bother me. Then at every site change my blood sugars could go up to 300, this could last for six hours and it happened at EVERY site change. I learned from another forum, if I slowly increased the fill amount in my cannula this should fix the problem. And it has.
I used Medtronic pumps for 12 years before switching to t:slim + G4 earlier this year. Iāve been happy with the t:slim and very happy with the Dexcom sensor. Itās very convenient to me that the two are integrated.
I usually wear the pump in my waistband, without the clip (which I find makes it stick out too far), with the tubing tucked in my pants. The tubing is something Iāve gotten used to, and I find that unless you leave the tubing hanging out and not tucked in, it doesnāt catch on anything.
Good luck with your decision! It is a big decision, but I agree with many of the others who say the pumps all do the same thing and they all do the job well. For me, the decision to switch to t:slim was for the discretion and sleekness of the t:slim design and the better accuracy of the Dexcom sensor.
If I may ask, what is your procedure for slowly filling your cannula? I frequently have problems when I do a change myself.
I was told to increase the amount of the recommended cannula fill .05 units units the problem stops. It took some time, but for me me and the Inset 9mm, I have the cannula fill at .65
I do this as well to prevent highs after site changes.
Sweetpee2,
I was diagnosed 3 years ago Type 1, age 51. My basal (Toujeo) was 9 units per night, and bolus was about 12 units per day give or take, so similar to your needs. My carb intake is about 120 per day. I started on the T-slim pump in June 2016, and it has been wonderful. Iām sure any pump could benefit you, but I only know the T-slim. I did do a trial through my doctorās office before making the final decision, and like others have said, I would recommend that, so that you know what itās like to have something attached to you 24/7. The beauty of the pump is being able to adjust the basal in very tiny increments, at different times of the day. I would always run low at about 4am, the Toujeo helped that (switched from Lantus), but with the pump, I can adjust the dosage down from 12am to 5am, and my lows are now gone in the middle of the night, which is wonderful, not getting woken up every night by the Dexom at 4am! Itās also super nice to have the bolus calculated for me, also in small increments. I was so sensitive to insulin, I was using a pen that would give me half units to help, but as soon as I got on the pump, and it calculated the bolus for me, my numbers have improved greatly. In the first 3 months of the pump, I went from 6.8 A1C to 6.4, and Iām hoping for more improvement at my next visit. I never did have much of an issue giving an injection out in public, just tried to be ādiscreetā, but the pump is Wonderful for those situations also. Just quickly do a finger stick, then input the numbers (carbs to be eaten and BG) into the pump and you are good to go. Good luck to you in whatever pump you choose, I hope you find it as life changing as I did.
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Well I gave you a like cause Medtronic has been a great pump for me as well. Iām still on my 511 and it works like a charm because as you said, they really all do he same thing, give you basal and boluses. The tslim might be out for me as it has no remote bolus feature. I use that exclusively.
(Just a small clarification re: the primed insulin: that is definitely not wasted either ā ultimately it goes in oneās body. Since the original poster will be new to pumps, she should know that in fact you can use a tubed pump for hours after it says itās āout of insulinā and everything that is in the tube continues to flow into your body and maintain the basal function. I certainly do that all the time.)