I still have not done any research on what pump to purchase in April as my current pump is due to expire.
I just feel like getting a new Medtronic as I have not really had any issues during the last 8 years and two pumps.
Talk me into another brand 
I love Medtronic stuff!! I am very intrigued by the Revel as the little bells and whistles seem like they are exactly what I want!
I was going to say if you are happy with what you have, then there really is not a need to do research - then I read the “talk me into another brand!”
I like my Ping. I picked it because it is waterproof - that was something important to me,. Animas has great customer service. And I don’t think I could make a living at being a sales person!
The Ping and Revel are very similar pumps. One of the main difference being the ability to bolus from the glucometer with the Ping. If you are the type of person who likes to hide the pump away this can be an attractive feature. With the Revel you have the ability to have an integrated system if you are a CGMS’er. The only caveat to that is that it seems to be the general consensus the Dexcom CGMS is easier to use and may have slightly more accurate numbers (for some people the difference between accuracy can be huge) than the MM CGMS. If you are highly active in/around the water the waterproof feature of the Ping may be of benefit but for general “accidents” type things this makes little difference as MM will replace a pump even if it does have water damage. I think the biggest benefit of going the Animas route would be the eventual integration with Dexcom. If my warranty were up now I would continue to use my current pump until the integration between Animas and Dexcom happens. For ME Dexcom beats MM CGMS any day.
Until the Omni comes out with it’s smaller Pods and fixes some issues with their tracking of IOB for ME the other two options are better options.
Not going to do it. I’m all for lazy.
I considered switching from Medtronic to Animas when my warranty exprired but two things made me stay with Medtronic.
- Carelink. I like it. My doctor likes it. Animas has nothing comparable.
- Supplies. I still had plenty of unused insertion sets.
Terry
My last Endo appt my dr mentioned he might put me on a sensor. If that is the case then with more than 2.5 years on my MM722 I will upgrade to the Revel.
Well I guess I am the lazy one two. Untill I hear they have put out the pump that combines the continues bg monitor…I am not doing any research on another brand either. oh well…
But do let me know if you find anything interesting. lol
Tsk, tsk, Karen, you lazy thing!!
I have had MM since 1999, on my 3rd pump (722) now, and see no reason to change. I have NEVER had any problems with customer service, although I have heard that some people do. I’m used to MM, know how to operate it, used to the terminology, like the CGM, because, even though it is sometimes VERY inaccurate (other times spot on), it tells me things I want to know, like when my last bolus was, what my current basal rate is, how much insulin I have left, and what the date is all on the same screen. Today, it actually told me I was low before I realized it myself.
I hear that they are coming out with a longer-lasting, better sensor, but as with all things technical and diabetic, I’ll believe it when I see it.
I think you should call Animas, and tell them you’re considering their pump, and see if you can take it for a test drive. There might be something you like better on it, and then again, there may not, but at least you’ll have a realistic knowledge of it, and not rely on the mad ditherings of all these diabetics like me!
I tried the MM CGM and did not like it at all. I felt like I was testing my bloodsugar even more to see if the thing was accurate, and the site was way painful for me.
I am very interested in the Dexcom, thanks for the info.
Terry,
You always make me feel good about myself (lazy and all) and good point I have a ton of MM supplies that were given to me by a online friend.
My endo suggested sticking with the MM and trying the Dexcom, but not sure I want two screens to be looking at. 
Danny,
Of course I know what you are saying, you crack me up.
It was suggested I post my next question on Tudiabetes.
“I wonder if there are any stats on how many MM pumps, last beyond their warranty and for how long?My first one died pretty close to warranty expiration.” so that is why I am freaking out a bit, but I really want to try the Dexcom and have it link up with a pump.
Thanks for your input and I know I should do some calling and test driving.
I say what fix what already works. But I do love my Ping – the two biggest reasons – the remote pump control from the glucometer and that it’s water proof (the latter was a biggy for me).
With the Revel, MM has actually moved closer to the Animas pump with the availability of being able to do smaller basal/bolus increments (.05 units). Other than that the only thing that has really changed ( if you do use the sensor then another change is predictive alerts) is that they renamed some of their menu options to make it more intuitive. They did also make it so any bolus will take longer than 5 minutes to be delivered. I thought it was kind of odd they did the MIO infusion sets. Almost like they were trying to offer everything the Animas pump does. So really if you are not using the sensor there are no “bells and whistles” that MM offers that Animas does not. I believe MM is going to be put under some serious stress when the integrated Omni and Animas pump is available and I would be suprised if that did not happen by years end, at least for one of them- I think Animas is likely going to be the first.
I talked about this in another forum but ALL the pump companies are bad about what is SUPPOSED to be coming out (this is SOOOOOOO very frustrating for me!!!). I think this is in a large part due to people (namely reps) needing something to talk about.
I tell you to equate using the MM pump to AOL I don’t know… I really like the MM system (it is what I have used for most of my pump life) and really to be honest I feel the same way, which is sad
Revel is a great pump, we used it about a year until my DD got intrigued by the Omnipod. The Revel shows you your active insulin on the status screen, and allows smaller increments of delivery - .025. The rest of the Revel new features relate to the cgms.
The Omnipod is also very cool. My daughter loves being tubeless. Funny that she never complained about tubing until she went without it. We did the Omnipod Cut the Cord program last month is a great deal and also allowed us to also keep our Revel as a back up pump. We love Omnipod’s remote bolus, it has almost all the bells and whistles of the MM minus cgms integration, love their auto insertion and of course love being tubeless. It does take a little getting used to (pod must be changed every 3 days). Omnipod will let you do a free trial if your endo approves. We did a free trial before we bought. Dex/Omnipod integration may happen by end of 2012. Smaller pods may be out by the end of 2011.
Good luck in whatever you decide!
I have seen many posts regarding MM pumps that were well past their warranty expiration. Mine is at 5 years and 3 months currently. I do want the Revel but also don’t like to quit on a pump as long as it is giving me excellent service. I have no knowledge of the Ping. I have no interest in waterproof pumps–don’t swim. I do not want a remote and am not concerned about pulling my 715 off my waist band to bolus. Anytime, anywhere. Don’t want an omnipod since you cannot remove it and reattach it. And I read there are many pod failures. Don’t want to deal with those. I rarely have an insertion site failure but if I do, it is not a big deal to change the site. I tried the Dex and could deal with carrying the extra gadget to get the readings-- if they would ever get a sensor that is accurate for highs and lows.
Those who like the Ping talk most about the waterproof and remote features. But it also only holds 180 units. So I have no reason to switch from MM at this point. But Karen, you need to do your own list of Pros and Cons to see which features you can’t live without and see where it falls. I can only do my list!!
I got a new pump when my warranty expired, and now I have a spare, which is a very comforting thing if my pump fails. I may or may not get a new one next time – my warranty is up in 2012, so I have a lot of time to think about it. I do like the idea of predictive alerts for lows, but I’ve lived this long without them, so whatever! What I’m really waiting for is improved CGM sensors!
Last time I ordered a new pump I traded it in as I believe they gave me some sort of credit, hmmmm not going to do it this time, since they bill my insurance, right??
I don’t even remember being offered any credit – I actually had all 3 of my pumps, but threw away the oldest one, because I lost the battery cap, and really didn’t need it anyway.
And my insurance didn’t ask me to return the pump, either – maybe they didn’t know about any credit, either.
Try it and see what happens!