Hi, I’m new here. I’ve been reading posts for a week or so and it seems like a great place.
I hope to be starting pump therapy soon, which means I need to pick a pump. As of right now, the oPod is the front runner. I had a question though, and hopefully you can help.
I understand that the pods are one time use only, and that if the cannula comes out, that the pod is garbage. What about the insulin inside?? Is there anyway to get that out or is the whole thing a total loss?
I had a demo pod and wore it for a day or so, and the cloth/gause stuff that it’s attached too ripped a bit around where the cannula would go. I wasn’t pumping saline or anything, but it just seemed like it was deflecting far enough from my body for it (the cannula) to have fallen out. I quess what it all boils down to is anxiety about picking the wrong pump when there’s so much money involved.
Any insight that anyone could provide would be greatly appreciated.
Hi - we use the pod for our 3.5 year old son, Will. He’s been on the OmniPod since he was 2 years old and we love it. That said, I think that with any new thing, you have to know how to use it and yes, in the beginning, you will make mistakes and go through a few before it starts working like a charm. I call this “user error” and chalk it up to experience. We don’t fill our pods up - we put in the minimum amount of insulin needed to make it work, I think it’s either 50 or 75 mm. We never use it all and just toss it after we’re done. You cannot take out insulin out of the pod unless it fails right away - remember, it heats up while on the body and it’s not a good idea to use it once it’s been in there for three days. If you want to make sure you are efficient with your insulin usage, just calculate your daily basal and the amount (ballpark) that you use for meals - times it by 3 days and you’ve got the amount you use. You can put that plus an additional amount (to be safe) in when you are priming. Regarding the adhesive, it really depends on where you are putting it and making sure it’s at a proper angle where you aren’t pulling on the pod (which can cause it to detach). We are mindful when putting it on the tricep to put it with the cannula up - the other way - cannula down, often get’s stuck on Will’s shirt and then starts to pull off. We’ve fixed this by putting a wrist band on his arm (like for tennis - he’s small so it works great for us). You could also wrap some Coban Wrap around it and it will stay for a long time.
I believe OmniPod has a 45 day money back return policy - you can ask them - give it a try for that time and then if you like it - keep it and if not, go to the traditional one.
Good luck - you’ll find all sorts of helpful info on this site.
If you have a problem with a pod you can insert the same needle you put the insulin in with and withdraw the insulin. You will not get the total you put in because of priming, but it does not have to go to waste. I agree with Susan, you need to be careful that the cannula end is up so there is less chance of catching the pod on something and pulling the cannula loose. It doesn’t take much to pull it away. I have withdrawn my insulin when I have had the cannula come out and have had no problem with potency. I do fill only with what I am going to use in 3 days plus 20 units, or so for priming. I am on my 4th month of pods I think and I have only had 1 occlusion error, however I have wasted about 5 pods due to the cannula being pulled out by accident. I think there is a learning curve and one can make better choices regarding placement after a problem. I love my pods and do not think I could go back to having tubing connected again. Good luck.
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I also if there is insulin left pull it out and put it in the new pod, I have not had a problerm. I’ve been using the pod since March and have had no occlusion errors or any errors of any kind. However I’m curious you guys are saying to attach the pod cannula up? I was told not to do that by my CDE. Just curious about that part.
But I love the omni pod and it is the only pump I’ve ever used because I always told me dr’s that I wouldn’t use a pump where I had to have tubing.
We are currently faced with the same decision regarding pump choices. The pod rep told us yesterday we could remove the insulin if the pod was in use 24 hours or less. He also said they are currently waiting on FDA approval of the new version which is 42 % smaller which might help with the detachment issue. The final positive was the following research which was news to me. http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Automated-Artificial-Pancreas-prnews-15464382.html?.v=1
The pod just looks so much easier and quicker despite the potential for some problems here and there.
Hi Greg - The way I looked at it when trying to decide on tube vs tubeless was - how will pumping insulin look in the future. Most of the pump companies are currently exploring pumping without tubes and admit it in public. Therefore, I thought, at the time, that tubeless was the way to go. You are correct on withdrawing insulin w/in 24 hours or less if you have a pod failure. I wouldn’t do it any later than that. If you are concerned about insulin usage, just put in what you use.
Another thing most people don’t talk about is what you need to carry with you. With a traditional pump, you have to have the infusion set, the pump and extra tubing. With the OmniPod, it’s all in one convenient pack. Great!! That also sold me because our child was so small and still in diapers so adding more crap to the diaper bag was out of the question for me.
If I were Susan and I was responsible for my T1DM child, I would be just like her. However… Because I’m an adult and I watch my BG’s carefully, I would never leave over 50 units of insulin in my pod and throw it away. 24 hours? I have gone WAY past that with complete success. Good thing I’m a “nobody” and am quick to say… “For ME, that’s what I do.” You do what is best for you.
Rotating the cannula up and down is part of my site rotation for my arms, and has been for the past year and a half with no problems. CDE’s are very helpful but, unless they are diabetic, and use the product themselves, talking to other users is much more educational.
Hi Linda - Great point. I think with an adult, it would be easier to tell if the insulin wasn’t working (if you took it from an old pod). With a little kid, since they can’t really articulate how they are feeling, I wouldn’t know unless I was checking him hourly. I do check him every two hours as it is and moving to an hour would drive me and also probably him crazy.
thanx for all the replies. I don’t know at this point how much the pods will cost me out of pocket, so that will still be a determining factor. That being said, I will be putting in the max amount into the pod - - I’ve quit smoking this year and my insulin usage is greater than 200 units every 3 days because of the weight I’ve put on. I need to loose some weight to get my insulin doses back down! Hopefully getting less hypos will help. Anyways, I’m starting to ramble …
Thanks that makes sense to me. We’ve never had a traditional pump and now I don’t think we ever will. I hadn’t thought through all the extra items you would have to lug around. After having worn the demo, Rachel is ready to go.
Congratulations!! I think you are going to really like the OmniPod. Check out my post OmniPod Tips & Tricks - just search for it within this site - there are lots of great tips on how to use the pump and things you should have on hand to get started.
