Hey! I have been a diabetic for ten years now and i have never liked pumps, just the idea of being attached to it 24/7 did not appeal to me. One of the big turn offs was when I was at diabetes camp when I was 9 and we went to the pool and all the kids on a pump had to check there blood sugars every 15 minutes when they where disconnected from it. Now that I am 18 and a freshman in college I am finding that it is getting hard to control my sugar with shots, due to laziness and in the rush of time. For the first time ever I am thinking about getting one. Right know I am looking at getting the OmniPod. I want to get your guys feed back on pumps and if you have had experience with the OmniPod pump? Thanks for your help! And I thought I would mention that i am new to this forum and this is my first point!
First of all, welcome to the community!!!
I have just tried out the pod for the past month, i was on medtronic before and decided to go back to medtronic. My main reason was that i always had to carry my pdm with me if i wanted to eat. As a pumper for 8 years, it was a too big change for me, from being connected with the pump and just having it with me to always trying not to forget the pdm.
However i can imagine that the pod is the right thing for you, as you are used to carry a bolus pen with you already. In my opinion the pod is more designed for people transitioning fron MDI than transitioning from another, not tubeless pump.
Overall in my opinion every pump is better than MDI, cause you just have so much more freedom, and can adjust the basal in the midst if the day.
Wishing you luck with the pod or whatever system you choose at the end!
Love, SC
I was always opposed to the idea of being attached, tubes (not an issue w/ the Omnipod...), etc. but, once I got it, it was awesome!! The whole time during the installation/ training appointment I was thinking "2 tacos or 3?" to test it out, I had 3 and the 2 hour post-parandial reading was 85 so it was very quick feedback that I liked but overall my experience with pumps has been great. I haven't swam all that much but it kills my BG so disconnecting for that has been a non-issue for me. I have a Medtronic pump and can't rave about it enough but lots of people love Omnipods too.
I don't know why the kids tested every 15 minutes (maybe it's stricter at camp due to liability?) but guidelines I got in pump training were to test every hour when the pump is disconnected. When I swim, I test every 30 minutes, but that has more to do with swimming than with the pump. (My pump is waterproof so I often swim without disconnecting.)
The pump does offer a lot more flexibility over shots, BUT it is just as much work, and actually probably even more work, as shots! If "laziness" is a factor in your control, the pump is not going to solve that. However, the pump is a great tool that offers much more flexibility in terms of fine-tuning than shots do.
I was nervous about being "connected" all the time, too, until I actually got the pump and discovered I could actually disconnect whenever I wanted. I use a pump with tubing and have never used the OmniPod, but even so the tubing has almost never been an issue. If it is an issue (like while getting dressed) I just disconnect.
I used tubed pumps for many years. I’ve been using the omnipod for about 9 months and I am very happy with it. If you are used to carrying a meter with you, it won’t be any different to carry the pdm which has a built in meter. If you go to omnipod’s website you can request a sample to wear. Good luck with your decision!
Tube vs. tubeless... Chardonnay, or Riesling... Chocolate or strawberry...
Such things are largely personal. Take my comments in that light.
I have the omnipod, going direct from MDI. This is my first pump.
I am of the type that could never tolerate being tethered. I'd end up ripping the thing out again and again accidentally. My personality is such that it would just irritate me to no end dealing with the tubing and the attached pump when changing clothes, showering, sleeping, having (ahem!) "fun", and on and on and on.
I don't think I could use a pump if the Omnipod wasn't available. I'd try, and very well could be wrong, but that's what I opine.
The pod, on the other hand, is a miracle device. I disagree that it's as much or more work than MDI. It's way way less work, and yields better results. Most of what I used to have to log and record on MDI is automatic with the pump. Covering for food is dirt-simple, the pump takes care of all the figuring... all I have to do is tell it how much I'm eating.
Pumps facilitate more detailed, complex delivery profiles than shots. Extended boluses, multi-wave, etc. Pumps facilitate more precise basal control.
All pumps are far more socially compatible than MDI. Out at dinner? You can check your "cell phone" (Omnipod PDM) at the dinnertable and give yourself some juice. No running off to the bathroom.
Because you don't have to go through all the sterile procedure stuff for each insulin delivery, a pump works so much better in a wide range of situations. Sitting on the beach with the family, ready to eat that picnic? Yeah, you can take a shot, but it's rather involved for the venue, what with alcohol wipes, disposing of the waste, etc. And sand and other grit's blowing around.
With the Omnipod... you get the idea.
The Omnipod, plus a Dexcom G4 CGM, have literally changed my life. I am much healthier, and happier, because of these two technologies.
I ♥ my Omnipod. A1c 6.2. never have had better control. And you just jump in the water. Insulin still drippin 24/7 w/o tubing! Order a sample from their website. www.myomnipod.com