a year ago a close friend sent me a youtube video about Nick Jonas using omnipod. It alerted me to the fact that omnipod even existed. Last April I started using the pod & it has been a real blessing to me. I was told by my omnipod teacher that Nick’s “people” wanted big bucks from omnipod for his endorsement of their product. Lately I’ve seen some photos of him playing softball with obviously some other pump in his back pocket with tubing sticking out. Does anybody have any info as to what his current pump situation is?
He’s been seen wearing a Minimed. Maybe he switches between this and pod, I don’t know. Here’s a link to him with pump in back pocket.
He could have had a falling out with Omnipod, hard to say. I bet his endorsements are not cheap.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53448354@N08/4930750686/
This is just a guess, but… I am pretty sure his endo is Dr. Francine Kaufman, who is not only the head of the Endo Dept at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, but she is now also a big wig at Medtronic. When our daughter was a patient at CHLA, we discovered that their endos REALLY push their patients to use a Medtronic pumps. I doubt that is a coincidence.
When we told our endo (not Dr. Kaufman) that we wanted an Omnipod for our 4 yr old daughter, she told us she was not comfortable with our choice and had only prescribed one Omnipod before. That made us nervous. We knew that the Omnipod was the pump we wanted for our daughter, so we switched endos, and we are very happy with our decision on both fronts. If Nick Jonas is using a minimed pump now, I would say it may be because of his endo’s connection with Medtronic.
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It blows my mind that anybody who has used a pump without tubing could ever go back to tubing…
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I don’t know, If I wanted to pod and my doc said no, I would be finding a new doc just like you did. I don’t think celebrities take well to being told NO, plus he was on the Pod before. I think Nick was 18 in Sept, so he is probably seeing an adult endo?
I think he must have had a falling out over money with Omnipod, and perhaps he was ticked and decided not to give them any “free advertising”. Just my opinion.
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Yeah, maybe you’re right. It probably did all come down to money and sponsorship…
It just made me wonder when I heard him say in an interview how much he loves his endo (Dr. Kaufman), and how he always sees her when he is out here in LA. To say that she has major clout and influence is an understatement.
I really don’t understand how she can be the Vice President of Global Medical Affairs at Medtronic Inc and still be the chair of the pediatric endo dept. It smells funny. Those are 2 very demanding jobs and one person can’t possibly do them both at once. Let me guess which one requires very little effort on her part, (and still pays handsomely) wink wink. I don’t think the hosp should allow this, just my opinion. I don’t mind docs serving on boards but a role like this is a major conflict of interest, JMHO
Interestingly, her bio lists her as a Scientific Advisor to Insulet a few years back.
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Hmm… that IS interesting. For Insulet? Didn’t know that one…
But, yes, she IS the VP of Global Medical Affairs at Medtronic AND the head of the endo dept at the biggest Children’s Hospital in LA… Can you say conflict of interest??
While we we never her patients, we do know friends who were. She only works one day (or maybe 2) per quarter. Her office sends her patients an appointment day and time that works with HER schedule. If, God forbid, this day and time does not work with YOUR schedule, you are pretty much SOL until her designated day at CHLA next quarter. But, I suppose this is not her protocol if her patient happens to be Nick Jonas… This is why out friends who used to be her patients also switched to the same endo we currently use. (Shout out to Dr. Kevin Kaiserman, the BEST pediatric endo in LA!) 
I agree with you…what a huge conflict of interest and one that probably puts pressure on all the endos in the clinic as you said. She probably has stats on what pumps are being RX’d. It’s just wrong. Glad you found another endo that listens to YOUR needs
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Thanks! We are glad we found him, too. It is sooo important to have a good relationship with our endos, right?
I plan on dumping the Omnipod once my insurance will cover the switch. I’ll take a little tubing over numerous “Pod Error - Change Pod Now” alerts anyday. I’ve been using Omnipod for over 2 years and my diary confirms a 13% failure rate for pods. Not occlusions;pod failures for which the people at Insulet have no explanation. That, in my opinion, is completely unacceptable. I’m fed up with it and I will gladly return to tubing.
I am ending the trial of my omnipod currently and need to make up my mind on what to do… This is the first pump I tried and i love getting rid of the 6-7 shots a day…
But I have had quite a few issues with the pods already… a week or so ago I thought maybe it was just me and getting used to the pod… but now… Im not so sure…
I had a pod alarm at me while filling… , another got ripped off my back wallking too close to a wall, one I thought wasnt delivering since my sugars were > 300 so I replaced… another one, came off and left the adhesive still on my skin and left me with a >500 sugar… god knows how long that wasnt delivering insulin without any alarm… I dont know what to do…
I’ve been podding for one year as of TODAY. I’ve had a few bad pods, which were always replaced without a problem by insulet. In the beginning I accidently ripped a few off, which I laugh about now. All in all I would say I have had a 5-10% error rate which I consider acceptable for what I have received in return: no tubing/no shots= priceless IMO. I look forward to the future with the smaller pods in the pipeline. I have no regrets. john
Happy Pod-iversary!
I did. I hated the Pod and their company and am now back on my Animas ping and VERY HAPPY about it. Just saying.
I can’t understand why some people have such a different experience with the pods. I think that we have seen 1 pod error in 2 years. 13% failure rate is too high. Did your pod errors happen at all different times during the 72 hour wear time?
Agree…I’ve had 9 in 1 year, so I’ll take 1 pod error every 40 days for the freedom of tubeless but I always wonder why some have so many issues…If I take the couple out that I am convinced were caused because of the batteries I think I would only have had about 4 or 5 in a year’s time.
I also agree. I can’t remember the last time I had an error. At the beginning I did have a few but now…nothing. Works like a charm. I really think that some people just aren’t “right” for it for some reason. No reason to trash it! If it doesn’t work for you…move on!