My Medtronic Revel has been out of warranty since early October. I’ve been delaying a new pump decision because nothing really seemed to jump out at me and say “this is the right decision”.
I actually think that my Revel is a better pump than the Animas Ping, but I am making my choice based on the future Animas/Dexcom integration. Three things finally helped me make my decision. 1) The $99 upgrade program is only guaranteed through March, so I figured I’d just vote for the future Animas/Dex pump and buy the Ping now. 2) I recently bought a Spibelt and for the first time envisioned how the Ping remote would be helpful to me. By keeping the pump in my Spibelt, I’ve at least gotten one thing out of my overburdened pockets. 3) Tandem does not have an upgrade program at this time and I’m not willing to buy that pump with no reasonable chance of upgrading to a pump integrated with CGM.
I have been a very satisfied Medtronic pumper for 8 years, but hate their CGMS. Although the Enlite sensor will be a great improvement over the current Medtronic sensors, I’ve read nothing to indicate that it will be as good or better than Dexcom.
So assuming that everything goes smoothly through insurance, I will soon have a new pink Animas Ping. I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed that I’ve made a good decision.
They work well with the ping. I tried the bra thing but I am a small person and it looks like I have a growth on my side. Rejected that. What works best is their elastic “leg thing” with a sweat band underneath for cushioning, to keep the pump on my lower leg (I wear “boot cut” jeans. I usually put my infusion set on the side of my leg, somewhere between the hip bone and buttock where there’s enough flab for it to be comfortable. Now, the Dex is the only thing in my pocket! Looking forward to getting the slimmed down version when my warranty runs out in a couple of weeks!
It's interesting to read what influenced your choice of the Animas Ping. I guess what you really want is the Vibe model with the integrated Dexcom G4 CGM. I've arrived at the same decision by a more circular route.
I've been on the Ping since 2008 and my warranty ran out in September. I was very interested in the t:slim pump but was put off by their initial no trial no money back policy. I guess they softened on that but by that time I got cold feet, worried about their ability to survive as a start-up.
So I called Insulet and was offered to start on their system for $200 providing I place an order for pods. My insurance paid for the pods but didn't consider that a pump purchase. Long story short, following a five month trial, the Omnipod didn't work out.
I called Animas today and just got the process started to get the Ping now with the $99 upgrade when the Vibe comes out. I talked with a manager at Dexcom yesterday and he seemed to think that the Vive could come out as early as January and probably within the first quarter of 2013. I've been around d-technology long enough, however, to know that its very hard to forecast when these things. In any case, like you, I'm looking at the Dex G4 integration that the Vibe will encompass.
I have a G4 system now and I was happy to learn in my phone call with the Dex manager that the Vibe pump and the current G4 receiver can both receive/display G4 sensor/transmitter data. That means that I'll be able to run my Dex G4 receiver at night, a concern that I've had about the the Vibe's ability to wake me up from under the covers. Then during the day I can just depend on the Vibe for CGM service.
I think you've made a good decision. The Ping has been a solid performer for me. The only reason I experimented with the Omnipod was to make it easier to use some new sites. I've been pumping for 25 years (most of that on Medtronic/MiniMed pumps) and I've developed absorption issues with my abdomen. I'm going to try some other infusion sets to see if I can reestablish some consistent and dependable absorption.
Thanks, Terry, for your post. My Ping has been approved by insurance, but they’re still waiting for the prescription from my endo. I’ll call tomorrow and hopefully get it resolved. I’ve been starting to second-guess myself because I’ve been reading posts from 2010 and 2011 where the new Animas pump was just around the corner… But I really do think the new Animas pump will be approved within 6 or 9 months. Hope I’m right because I am perfectly happy with my Medtronic pump.
I don’t have the courage to go with T-Slim without an upgrade option. Also I’ve seen the T-Slim and although I like a lot about it, it seems much heavier than my current pump. I know that it’s only a few ounces, but it was very noticeable.
I keep reminding myself that many people love their Animas pumps and I’ll be just fine with my decision. I figured that I could continue to use the G4 receiver in addition to the Vibe and thanks for confirming that. I haven’t started my G4 yet because Edgepark is back ordered on sensors. I hope that by mid-December I’ll be pumping with Animas and using my G4 which is currently decorating my dresser.
Hi Lathump - I was in the same boat about a year ago, and stayed with MM. But at my next decision point (2015), the Vibe will be top on my list. However, with recent changes in my insurance, it's not clear that Animas will be covered, but who knows what it will be 3 years from now.
I tested out the Ping for a couple days (but not attached to it), and found the menu paths to be awkward after being used to 15 years with MM. But I think that's something you'll get used to, and it was a bit easier on the meter remote than the Ping itself. Based on the Vibe User manual (on the UK website), the Vibe menus look much better.
I agree the Vibe is much closer to being released in US, since it was dependent on the G4 FDA approval and release.
