I just made the decision to get an omnipod, which is huge for me because I’m terribly indecisive. I’ve just heard a lot of good things about it, mostly from this forum. How long did it take for you all to become “pod aware?” I don’t want to knock too many pods off…and I definitely knocked the dummy pod loose. I was wearing it on my lower back and it got caught on my waistband. I hope to wear it on my arms, but I don’t have a lot of body fat, so I might not be able to.
I chose the omnipod because I was very active before I got diagnosed and I don’t know how I’ll do if I have to be tethered by wire to a pump. Sometimes I can be the type of person who will take any excuse I can get to not exercise, so I don’t want anything getting in the way!
I just wanted to ask (because I like to know what I’m in for!), what types of problems have you had with your pods or the PDA? What features of the omnipod can you not live without, and what would you like to see different about it?
Thanks for your input!
I just started the pod myself and my arms are a no go. I rip them off or the sites do not even work. Back is bad b/c it feels like I can’t lean back when I sit… I was almost going to give up and discovered my side. The sites are awsome / extra padding even though I’m very skinny and it doesn’t bother or get torn off. Good luck… I think all pumps are trial and err before you get to know what works for you.
My daughter (10) has not knocked any off- she’s been on it for 2 months now.
Would love for it to have a CGM integrated (it’s in the works I bellieve). Would love them to be smaller (also in the works).
Had one fail on her and 2 fail during the priming process. All in the first 3 days. No problems since.
She loves it.
I have been using the system since April of this year. I haven’t had a single problem with my PDA. As for the Pods, I’ve only had 2 of them fail . I had a bigger issue accidently ripping 4 or 5 of them off. I seem to have fixed that problem now as I use a strip Nexcare Durable Cloth tape (about 7 inches long) to hold each pod in place as soon as I put them on. It prevents the edges from being caught by clothing when getting dressed. Works like a charm!
Each new site is a new experience so it took a few weeks to stop knocking the pod about routinely. I still occasionally knock against the pod but I’ve taken precautions and I haven’t lost a pod to an accident in over a month. I’ve been using the pod since Sept 1st.
Congrats on the decision to go on the Pod. I chose the Pod for similar reasons especially the tethering part. As for becoming “Pod aware” I am getting better. I found out I cut doorways very close, knocked a few Pods off the arms. I really like my legs (front thigh) but have still had some removals. My belly and back are the safest places for my Pods but my least favorite.
I have had a few Pods not prime and some random “screeching alarms of death” but it hasn’t been a big deal. Most of the time I just remove the insulin and start a new Pod. Insulet is good about replacing Pods (not ones you knock off though). Never had PDM problems.
Tubeless, waterproof, and auto insertion are great features. Of course I would like to see a smaller Pod & PDM that had a bigger reservoir and could be worn longer. One change I think could be done right away is create a better food database and let you bolus from it.
You will get better “pod awareness” as you get used to wearing them and knocking them off will become a rarity. One thing I learned the hard way after pod failures back to back to back was not to inject cold insulin into a pod. I refrigerate my insulin until it’s opened, then it goes into a drawer at room temp until the vial is empty.
I use my arms exclusively and have good success with placement there. I have found that good adhesion on the initial placement is very important. I place the pod, then carefully lean against a wall for a few seconds to maximize the stick. I also recommend pinching up no matter where you place the pod, but especially on your arms so the cannula goes into skin/fat & not muscle.