Hi! I'm been on the Type 1 forum for a while and just found this one. Questions for those that started on a tubed pump, but are now using the Omnipod:
Got my Omnipod welcome kit and four boxes of pods today. Already set up the PDM to match my Animas pump settings. Haven't called for a trainer yet, but wondering if it's necessary.....the closest trainer for my area is 5-6 hours away (a "local" rep had called before we even knew my insurance would cover the pods. Looked up his area code to find out where he was). I've read the material that came with the unit and have watched the tutorial online (so much geared for someone that's never pumped....oh well). What do you all think? Should I wait or jump right in? Oh, you should also know that my doctor is only a GP (have never seen an endo) and has never worked with me setting basals or I:C rates - I've always taken care of that myself. My very first pump training was with Medtronics back in 2004 - lasted only 20 minutes (doc didn't even sit in) because I had read everything first. My next "training" was with Animas - rep forgot our appointment - I called him wondering where he was - he "trained" me over the phone because he was already headed home. Also, during the tutorial, it mentioned to pinch up the skin near the cannula for a better insertion. Do you do that? And, I've never used insulin at room temperature (I just take it out of the fridge and fill my resevoir - never had any bubble problems). Do you let it get to room temp?
Make sure you know the proper procedure for filling pods and "pinching up" at the insertion site (although many of us prefer to push the pod down or just leave it alone... I actually both pinch up around the site and push the pod down slightly) but if you feel that you've got it set right and know how to put it on I don't see any reason not to use it. Definitely make sure the insulin is at room temperature because it will cause pod alarms if it's not. Once you've opened a bottle of insulin unless you live in a really warm climate there's no real reason to refrigerate it anyway. If you really want to keep your insulin refrigerated you could fill the fill syringe a few hours before your pod change and just let that amount of the insulin adjust to room temperature before filling the pod. Also make sure you review the manual on setting alarms. Those are really the only big things you might want to know before using it.
Kim- I have used the Omnipod for 2+years and have had pretty good luck with it.
I just have a couple of comments for you:
Once you have decided where you are going to position the pod (make sure you can pinch up skin/tissue to where you estimate the canula is going to insert) then press to insert. This has been important in my usage of the pod.
Remember to make sure the canula is horizontal (slightly diagonal pointing down seems to work okay). It seems pods don't really like to work up-hill so to speak.
As far as setting your basal rate/s and your correction factors, you probably have enough experience to handle it, but the disclaimer here would be testing BG's way more frequently than you probably are currently.
Absorbtion is probably going to be different than your Animas /Medtronic days. That being said, I would still get the training when you can schedule it because sometime "Old dogs need to learn new tricks".I'm referring to me with that comment.
42 years type 1, with 2+ years with the Omnipod.
I find that I need the pod horizontal on my stomach or back but I use it vertically on my arms and thighs. As with any technology what works for some won't for others and you'll have to do some trial and error to find what's best for you.
Sounds like you can handle it. Pinch up the skin and best to have insulin at room temp. You will have to try various sites to see where it seems to work best. I started with abdomen, now I mostly use arms. Your settings may need to be tweaked as you break in the new system. Good luck. I hope you like it as much as I did when I switched from the mini-med. Keep looking for a endo who can give you a second set of eyes looking over your data and refining the settings.
Please remember that IOB is VERY different between the pod and other pumps! Be sure to check out the details! If I were in your shoes I would probably schedule the appointment, but start it first. But that might be my own need to sit through "official" training on things :) Good luck!
Well, I did it. I'm wearing my first pod. The procedure was simple enough, but my eyes aren't good enough to see if the canula is inserted properly. Since I couldn't see it, I discarded my first pod. I couldn't see the second one either, but felt it go in (as I did the first one). Sooo....I'm just going to test a lot and make sure my sugars don't soar. If they want you to see the canula through that little window, why don't they color it?? Will keep in touch. Thanks for all your help!
Honestly I don't see why the training is necessary. I didn't want to wait a couple of weeks after I received my pods so I read the manual and watched all the videos and put it on within the first few hours of getting it. I didn't have any problems with using mine. My doctor's office called a week later asking when I wanted to do the training. They were surprised when I told them I was already using the pod.
I can never see if the cannula is inserted either. If it feels like it went in, I just go with it. As far as pinching the skin up I'm not sure if it makes a difference for me, but I do it anyway.
The room temperature insulin was new to me as well. But I started keeping an open vial in my case with my PDM.
I hope things continue to work out for you, I think you will do fine.
Why not use the rep to train you? IF they are willing to make the trip to you. They know all the ins and outs of the product which is not exactly the same as a tubed pump,especially the PDM. If you have issues in the begining at least you will have a contact person to bounce things off of instead of the general Insulet customer service number. Seeing an endo isnt a bad idea if they are in your area. Good Luck.
Nope, no endo in my area. Hence the GP. When the rep left his message on my voice mail, he only said to call if I have any questions. No mention of training. I figure, since I've basically done everything myself up to this point, why change now...ha! I guess I just needed a little reassurance that other people have jumped in on their own also...
I can never contort my body into the right position to see the canula either. I figure if I can feel it, it's good. When in doubt I check my bgs more often. FWIW, I think the new pods are going to have a blue canula :)
Changed out my pod today - how long will the pod work after it beeps "expired"? I threw away a lot of insulin today. Mainly because I purposely filled the pod with more than I usually use for three days (just in case), AND - since I started using the pod, my insulin requirements decreased! What's up with that? I put it in my leg, which I've done before with my Animas infusion sets, so I don't think it was due to site location. Could it be the angled cannula? I've not used the angled sets before.
It will work for 8 hours after the official expiration time before it dies completely. The worse part is that it will keep issuing the warning beep until it dies.
It's been awhile since I started the pod, but I also checked out every video, read the manual as much as I could, etc etc, but when my trainer finally came by to train me, I actuallly did learn a lot that I either had failed to cover myself, or that simply wasn't in the manual. I found her notes extremely helpful for the first 3 months or so, but I had never used any pump of any sort prior to the pod.
Thanks for the info. I did read somewhere else (after posting my question) that it lasts for another 8 hours. How often does it beep at you during those 8 hours? I was actually on a tubed pump since 2004. I'm loving the fact I have no tubing now and nothing clipped to my pocket! Wish the pods were smaller, but I see that's coming soon. The sooner the better!
I think it beeps every hour during those 8 hours telling you that it has expired and needs to be changed. These are just a quick 2 beep thing the same as when you get a confirmation for a bolus or a reminder of an increased or decreased basal. At the end of the 8 hours it will give the continuous beep telling you to deactivate it. At this point it does stop delivering insulin so you really do have to change it (plus the beep is just major annoying!)
Make sure you won’t be sleeping too close to that final long beeeeeeep. believe it or not…if my son is sleeping on the pod and that goes off he does not hear it at all and continues to sleep. he can sleep through the four beeps too. He is 17 so he does everything mostly on his own… With little to no nagging needed from me… But he does wait till the last beeeeeep every time.
LOL... that little window to "SEE" if the canula is in place is ridiculous! If I could bend into a pretzel, I still wouldn't be able to see if it is properly placed. That is one step that just doesn't need to be there. You will find out fairly quickly if it didn't get placed properly when your next BG reading is way out of range or if you keep feeling something sticking you in the site like a dulled needle stick. Keep with it!
I went through the training with my first pump just to see how different the training was from my daughters training, two different pumps. it was all the same so when i received my omnipod i started it myself and now my endo knows that when i get a new product i start it myself and call if i have a problem, if no problem then she sees me at our next scheduled visit. same with my doctor, he said if i dont understand from the directions then call and get training or call the company. as for my insulin i have mine in my purse and when i get down to being able to fill one more pod i take one out of the fridge and carry it with me. sometimes the cold insulin will set the pod alarm off, that happened to me once and then i just take it out before i need it.
Hope this helps, God Bless and Congrats
Kat
Thanks Kat. I did end up just jumping in and started it myself shortly after my supplies arrived. I had to tweak my settings a bit, but everything's good. I have some issues with bruising, but other than that, I do like it better than my Ping. Although, I do miss being able to bolus right from the pump. It's kind of a pain to dig out the PDM just to do a simple bolus. But, oh well.
