So it has been around two months now that I have been on the pod. I was a new customer, and got the smaller pods but please don't hate me for that! LOL!
Some of the basics:
Occlusions: 0 Pod failures (any type): 0
Pods ripped off: 0
Pods fallen off:0
PDM errors: 3
2 stuck keys
1 Meter error (I think it was a a bad strip)
It took me and my Doctor about two weeks to dial in my basic basal programs, and get my I/C and ISF right on, and now it is pretty much routine. My goals are a bit more aggressive than most people - I shoot for 85 - 95 range at two hours after meals and my fasting numbers are in the high 70's to low 80's. I quit smoking a few months ago as well, and this has really helped me to maintain a MUCH healthier diet and not get the traditional weight gain associated with quitting.
I have found that after the first few hours of having a new pod that I forget it is even there. The system is easy for just about anyone to comprehend and use. I had my wife attend the pod training with me and regularly prompt her to set my basil and bolus to keep in practice.
Overall, I cannot really find anything bad per say about the system. The one thing that confuses me is why the PDM is built so "1980" and is far bigger and uses older technology than is available. I could easily compare the look and feel to my grand daughters v-tec cell phone. Other than that I am a satisfied Podder!
Thanks for a great post. I'm with you 100% on your opinions. The PDM definitely needs some update love. Smaller on it would be fantastic too. Touch screen might be nice, but I'd at least like to have much better buttons. I get button failures a lot on the old one. And my old fingers hate pressing them as hard as I have to some times.
Nice summary, thanks for sharing. Regarding the seeming outdated nature of the PDM, I've also wondered about it. Being a tech professional myself, I strongly suspect it's because of cost. A lot of people complain, "why can't the PDM look and feel and work like my smartphone?" Well, go look at what a smartphone costs if you don't sign the 2 year service contract. Yeah, hundreds of dollars. The PDM is around $400 last time I asked, and that's with the R&D overhead and (enormous) costs associated with FDA approval built-in.
Also, keeping the technology simple makes FDA approval easier, I suspect. More bells an whistles means more potential issues. There's a reason NASA uses what consumers consider outdated technology many times; it's because it's usually more well understood and reliable than the bleeding edge stuff.
The biggest reason NASA uses what is considered outdated technology is because it all has to go through flight-certification testing (i.e. vibration testing, rad-testing, etc.) years before actually being flown. By the time things get up to the ISS (or were flown on shuttles), they're old news. Flight certification process is supposed to be about a 3-year ordeal.
I guess in that way, getting FDA approval is a lot like NASA flight certification. Weird.
Yes!! I'm on box 2 of the new PODS and aside from a few strip errors (forgot to 'confirm' b/4 I inserted strip and sucked up blood) this is meter error 3. No other problems except for a nickel sized pink spot where the cannula inserts and some border itchiness. We are still working on setting the optimum basal/bolus rates but I am so overjoyed to be off MDI of 3-4 a day. I too, would like to silence the 2 hr BG beep as I usually test after 1 hour and it still doesn't satisfy the PDM. Also, maybe a complete rework of the PDM is being put off until they can find a way to integrate a CGM?
Devildog, I got to ask, how can you get postprandial 85-95. No problems with hypoglycemia later? What do you eat? R U type 1? I struggle with postprandial hyperglycemia, what is an issue for lots of T1. Symlin helps a bit but 85-95?
Please share
