Hi there all, we have an endo apptthis Friday and will hopefully be getting her omnipod orders, after a class the next week we should be able to go live. I am feeling a bit fuzzy on how omnipod does iob calculations?? I hear that it varies from other pumps? Is there a best day of the week to start? Kennedy is in sixth grade, I was thinking on a Friday?
I don’t know that it will really matter re: the day of the week. I think you’d be fine w/ any day (just knowing that the first few days you may need to check her more frequently to make sure you’ve got basals set appropriately, and if not, when/where to adjust them, etc). So I’d say whatever you and Kennedy (and anyone else that helps her manage her calculations/injections) are comfortable with.
Regarding the IOB, Omnipod does not count any boluses for food as IOB. For example if I bolused 2 units to eat an apple right now, if I then checked my glucose or went to enter another bolus, it would show 0 u of IOB. This is because it assumes that those 2 units I just took are “spoken for”, so to speak, by the carbs I consumed. This of course works best in a perfect world where I count my carbs correctly every time and that my I:C ratio is set correctly, I’m not any more insulin sensitive b/c of activity, etc. It does, however, show IOB if I deliver a correction bolus. For example if I was 160 and I had initially told my pump I wanted to shoot for 120 as my target value, it would give me a suggested bolus (based on my sensitvity factor) to correct for that 40 point difference. If I then checked my glucose (or entered a value) say an hour later (to eat some dessert), it would show that I had a portion of those additional units still remaining as IOB.
The other pumps may calculate ALL insulin as IOB, so any that is delivered (as a bolus, at least). So food and correction boluses would all be factored into their IOB display.
I would say (just like w/ shots) to be mindful of carb guesses w/ the way that omnipod calculates IOB. For example if you bolus for a meal that you’re not sure about (like mexican food w/ rice, beans, tortillas, etc), and then shortly thereafter you decide to bolus for a piece of dessert (like cake, etc), be mindful of not stacking insulin too much b/c of a miscalculation on the carbs for dinner. If you tested again and were higher than desired (say you’re 180 when you get ready to eat that piece of cake), if you put that number in, it will give you a suggested bolus to try and “correct” for that. Well that may be a 180 that is going to come down on its own b/c of the insulin you took for the meal…so stacking that correction bolus on top of it will actually lead to a low later. When putting in BG values, it is important to make sure you have the insulin duration set appropriately too…making sure this is accurate should also help reduce the potential for lows b/c of overbolusing.
I’m sure there are probably others on here that can explain it maybe a little better than I did (so hopefully it won’t be as wordy/confusing 
Brad, this is a GREAT explanation, especially/including the part of potentially stacking when doing 2 food boluses very close together, one for a meal and one for dessert, as you exemplified very well!
Hi Natalie, I think this article for diaTribe from Gary Scheiner will help you a lot. Gary’s a great CDE, and has lived with diabetes for a long while so he really knows his stuff.
That is an excellent explanation! Much better flow of things with that one, as well as how to work around the Omnipod’s IOB calculation if you so choose (to help prevent stacking insulin and the subsequent hypos). Thanks Bernard!
Hi,
I have some advice based off of both my sister’s expierience and my own and a lot of my friends–
I strongly reccomend that you consider a different pump with a pump you are locked in for four years with any insurance company. I have suffered a great deal of physical, emotional, and accademicaly due to the severe malfunction of the omnipod. Via the diabetes camps I have been to I have met about 30 people with the pod. I can honestly say that less than 7 of them still use it. I between me and my sister we have been through 47 PDM’s only 1 replacement was our fault. the canula insertion really hurts, it is not discreet, they say that 1 in 10 pods fails, but actually on average 7 in 10 pods fails. Most of the pods don’t alarm when they fail. My sister got denied coverage for the pod when she went into a 6 day coma of DKA. We almost lost her… she was hooked up to her minimed on august 17, 2010. since then her A1C has dropped to 6.3. she uses the integrated CGM and is living a full healthy life with very few lows and high. minimed and animas are the best. they just don’t fail like the omnipod. plus the animas ping has a wireless remote that can work up to 9.84 feet away. It looks like Kennedy does sports. So the omnipod may not be the right choice. tubing pumps are safer much more reliable and more comfortable because the is a variety of sites to choose from. I highly reccomend with all my heart that you look into a reliable safer and much more comfortable pump! Even looking at the posts almost all of them are dealing with trouble from the pod. I don’t mean to be a negative nellie but it’s the truth. For me and my sister going on the omnipod was the worst decision we ever made. Taylynne is now pumping with a minimed and I will also be switching to minimed. I have a large number of friends who lovew the animas ping.
I highly reccomend that you look into the minimed or animas very carefully before going with the omnipod. I am just spreading the word because I don’t want anyone else to suffer like we did. I called the FDA many times and they assure me they will look into it. Fidellis does not even cover the omnipod because of so many situations like ours.
stay strong,
gabby grace
Hi Gabby,
I’m sorry you’ve had such bad experiences with the Omnipod system. Of course, you have the right to change products and express you opinions, but the 23 unhappy people you’ve met and the other 20 or so that have expressed their unhappiness with the product on this site are a very small minority. There are over 1,000 members in the Omnipod users group here and over 25,000 users worldwide so far, with over 5,000 new users being added per year.
Fyi, I’ve worked as a software/electronics engineer for several years for both MiniMed (Medtronic) and Insulet, so I know their products very well. I have absolutely no connection with either company today. The OmniPod system is a far superior product, and that’s why MiniMed is designing a tubeless “patch” pump: http://dandtheguy.com/2009/06/18/medtronic-patch-pump/
Here’s some true statistical facts, from independednt researchers:
98% find it easier to live with diabetes, 96% prefer the OmniPod to their previous therapy and 95% would recommend the OmniPod System to other people.
Here’s the bad things about a tubed pump: http://www.myomnipod.com/pdf/14276-AW%20Siphon%20Effects%20Study%20Reprint%20R1%2001-10.pdf
Satisfaction among Omnipod users: http://www.myomnipod.com/pdf/Diabetes%20Care_Vol.29_2006_2175.pdf
Here’s how bad it is, when you disconnect your tubed pump to shower, etc: http://www.myomnipod.com/pdf/Diabetes%20Care_Vol.31_2008_238-239.pdf
Comparison between tubed pumps and a tubeless pump: http://www.publiscripts.com/Infusystems%20USA/issues/Infusystems%20USA%20-%20Vol.6%20No.4.pdf
These are just some of the ststistical facts. There are many more. Take care, and I wish you and your sister the very best with the MiniMed pump.
Cheers,
Gil