I just got the pump this morning and my training date isnt until wednesday... Would it be ok if I just started it up myself? Im pretty tech advanced... Im sure I can read a few pages and start this thing today....
any advice?
edit:
thanks for the advice everyone....
IM OFFICIALLY PODDING!
YES!
If you haven’t already, you should also read Pumping Insulin by Walsh and Roberts. It will answer most all of your pumping questions. Might even be available in your local library.
Cheers and good luck, Mike
There have been a few other folks w/ the same question (I didn’t look for their posts to re-post them here, but looking through the discussions on here a few pages back will probably let you find them).
Are you currently pumping now? If so, then I think yes. Read the manual, and understand all of the items (which are probably in your current pump already) that you’ll need to insert (I:C ratio, correction factor, correct if higher than x amount, if you want to turn on ‘reverse correction’ where if you’re low it will ‘subtract’ that amount from your target range, basal rates throughout the day, etc etc). If you can answer yes to most or all of those questions (especially after reading the book), then I say go for it.
My first pod didn’t get stuck on very well (didn’t get the site clean I think) and had problems w/ it staying attached. So if you use something to help infusion sets stick better already, then I’d continue to use that for now.
Congrats on the pump, and good luck with whatever you decide to do!
Got the book, havent read it yet due to school.
Ditto to what Mike said. It’s a fantastic pumping book in an easy-to-understand format…
Thanks!
Yeah Ive been pumping for like…8 years now, so setting all that up is a breeze and that is why I was asking 
I certainly could have “started it up” myself; and this was my first experience with an insulin pump. You DO need the numbers to plug in for various basal rates…IC ratios, etc. The system is extremely user friendly. I had read the owners/users manual several times and followed along with the CD prior to my training. Having said this…I’d advise that you have the training unless your provider says otherwise. You might simply find it a useful experience with the opportunity to ask questions.
The issue that I had with my training is that my provider stuck me with a $660 bill for the training in their office when I was the first OmniPod user she had trained. I use that word “trained” very losely, as the OmniPod representative was doing most of the instructions for use. I was never informed that I could have been trained by the rep alone, without the ridiculous bill. By the way…every check that I write towards that bill has “under protest” written on the memo line. They don’t like that at all (I don’t like the fact that they were deceptive in with holding that option).
It’s funny, my first pod–the one that didn’t stick–was with a trainer :-/
She was a knowledgeable CDE when it came to the medical side of things (how to adjust rates, etc etc) but not very good w/ the people skills and the actual pod process (did not have D herself)…
And I definitely agree about the area being completely dried. I think I stuck it too early after using the alcohol swab.
I’ve had a few fall off after using the dryer…
I was new to pumping, so I had training before I started. My training was from my CDE, an RN affiliated with a hospital. She was very knowledgable and gave me great advice and training. My training was covered by my insurance as diabetes self management.
I was trained on a Friday, and had a miserable weekend because my initial settings were wrong, I kept going hypo and wasn’t comfortable changing my settings myself. You already have settings and (I assume) experience with changing them from 8 years of pumping. As long as you are comfortable changing your settings if you can’t get hold of your endo, you’ll probably be OK starting without training. Tip: if you need to change a basal rate, you’ll have to suspend, change the rate and then resume.
Unlike many posters, I haven’t had trouble with pods sticking or ripping off. I wear mine above my waist band. I tried wearing a Dexcom CGM sensor below my waist band and ended up ripping the sensor off when I got undressed. You many not have this problem, but my middle name is Klutz!
The one thing that I did “wrong” (it didn’t work for me) when putting on my first few pods was to try to stretch the adhesive fabric smooth, like I do with a bandaid. I have better luck just placing the pod on my skin and pressing down the adhesive fabric. Sometimes I get a few small wrinkles, but they haven’t caused me any problems.
Good luck with your pod and post any problems you are having. Someone on here has probably had the same problem and will know how to fix it.
Brad
I’d bet you could handle it. I was born (way) before 1980 (anyone born after that just picks up the techie stuff through osmosis, I think,) and am so not savvy in that arena, and I got it in one sitting. Any questions you come up with could be answered here just by asking.
Thanks everyone, I actually got reprimanded by my CDE for starting it already…so She is making me come into the office tomorrow to start training 
His Sarah, it is very important that you stick to a very strict diet plan, a routine of physical activity for several days so that you may reduce the variables interacting and determine the correct basal rate. A correct basal rate will mantain your blood glucose level in a similar amount (post prandial) after passing the effect of a bolus (3 hrs.) and before the next meal (pre prandial). If you follow a plan without snacking a lot it will be easier to determine the basal rate, because you won’t have the mixed effect of different boluses.
thanks.
Im already on a strict diet and exercise routine, its how I’ve managed to stay complication free for almost 14 years 