Nine days in to pumping with my Animas Ping, I got a No Prime No Delivery alert last evening. I read several suggestions on the web about certain things that you can do to avoid them such as give the cartridge an extra push when you insert it into the pump and also to be sure that the cartridge cap is screwed tightly on. I know that these can be a problem with Animas pumps, so hopefully this was an isolated instance…
I called Tech support because I wanted them to have a record of this in case they recur. Interesting enough, this alert does not show up in the Alert History.
Had a frustrating experience with Tech Support, although once I finally got an agent she was very helpful. It took almost an hour and half to get helped after a long wait, one disconnection, and finally leaving my name and number for a call-back. I have to admit that in 8+ years with Medtronic I never had such a problem getting through to tech support. And I never had an operational problem with any of my MM pumps. All of my replacements were from cracks in the case and once for water penetration.
I like some things about the Ping and definitely dislike some other things. Since I’ve not had a great experience yet with the Dex Gen4, I’m second-guessing my decision to switch to the Ping in order to get the Vibe. But unless something terrible happens before my 30 days are up, I don’t see myself returning the Ping. I think that I’d like it better if I quit using the remote. I think it takes longer to use the remote than just pull out my pump. Also, living in Minnesota, I have cold hands in the winter and it’s much easier to get a small BG sample for the Verio than a huge drop for the Ping meter. But I’m not super impressed with the accuracy of the Verio even though it’s advertised to have increased accuracy.
Right now I just hate all my medical devices. I want a pump that works without fail. I want a CGM that is mostly accurate. And I want a BG meter that is accurate and doesn’t give me 84 followed by 126 on subsequent readings to calibrate my Dex.
But I don’t like to be grumpy and I give thanks for insurance that enables me to get these devices which normally make my Type 1 life easier and safer.
That’s one thing many years of wearing cgms has showed me is just how variable our blood glucose meters are. I’ve found some brands are worse than others but they all do this to some degree. And every time I have to change meters I’m not used to that particular brand of meter and so more operator error comes into play which will increase the variability.
And then of course there’s the actual fluctuations (verified by fingerstick) in bg’s that the cgms reveals. It astounds me sometimes just how quickly things can change.
Lathump - I don't think your expectations for your pump and CGM are unreasonable.
I, too, have had some no prime, no delivery alarms with my Ping pump. I haven't had that many but when it happens, it's irritating. I usually just disconnect, re-prime, and reconnect, all while grumbling about this needless exercise added to an already difficult to manage condition.
I just finished opening the box with my new Ping system. Like you, I made this order so that I can take advantage of the Dex CGM integration.
When I got my first Ping in 2009, I quickly grew frustrated with the meter remote scroll speed circus. I decided to drop that meter in favor of an Accu-Chek Aviva. I don't need to hide my pump under my clothing and I don't mind inputting my BG number for BG corrections doses. I saw little reason for me to keep using the Ping meter remote.
I complained about the meter remote scroll speed back in 2009 and I'm disappointed that Animas chose to live with that problem all these years. I guess they don't miss my 5600 strips/year business!
I'm sorry you've had difficulty with both the Dex G4 and your new Ping pump. I am happy with both of them and look forward to getting the Vibe when it comes out. I hope that your experience with both of these devices turns positive quickly. Tight management of T1D is never easy and just when you think you're on a roll, things turn upside down! Good luck to you.
Thanks for your reply, Terry. Everything you say makes a lot of sense. I actually like my Ping pump OK and think I’ll eventually quit using the meter/remote. I’m searching around for another free Verio because I can’t live without 2 meters. One for the upstairs bathroom drawer and another for my purse.
