Hi. I'm about to start on the Omnipod -- I have all my supplies and my training is scheduled for next week. However, 2 days after my training, I'm going on a week-long road trip to Tennessee to deliver my daughter to college. I'm wondering how much "tweaking" of basal rate, etc. happens in the first week. Is it a bad idea to start on the pod when I'm not as able to talk to my doctor or trainer? The trainer mentioned that some people just use saline in their first pod to get the feel of the whole system without the pressure of adjusting insulin doses. Did anyone do this? Would this be a better approach for my first (traveling) week? Any thoughts would be welcome!
Speaking for myself ONLY and what I would do. I would wait until I got home and back into a normal routine. For the first week I had to write down everything I ate and the carb count along with my BG readings so my doctor could adjust the basal rates. Our BG is affected not only by the carbs we eat but emotions, exercise and a change in our routine. That being said, it’s only a week and you’ll be more relaxed at home and there’s a better chance of you testing at set intervals and concentrating on what you have to do. But whatever you decide, good luck to you and your daughter on her journey to college. Enjoy!!!
Oh, and by the way, you’re going to LOVE your OMNIPOD. It doesn’t take long to get used to it.
If this is your first experience with an isulin pump, your doctor will probably have you checking your BG before and 2 hours after every meal…at bedtime…around midnight…3am and 8am. I felt like a zoombie for the first couple of weeks 'til I got a good “start” on establishing basals. The I:C ratios were a lot easier as I’m very particular about measuring/figuring carbs. I was still tweaking the numbers for a little while. My BG numbers were a little high initially…but I was eventually able to get my A1c down to 5.9.by my 3 months visit. After starting my first pod, I had a follow-up visit scheduled for my first pod change 3 days later…this would put you on the road to Tennessee. If you’re able to call in your BG readings and you’re comfortable with making the necessary adjustments to your settings perhaps your endo would have no problem with you doing so. I could have handled it had I faced your situation. I had read the OmniPod manual forward and backward and my training was a breeze!!! I never did the trial saline thing.
I think it is up to you and how you deal with your diabetes. I am assuming that this is your first pump? When I first went on the pump about ten years ago I was working day trips on a boat going 20 miles or so out to sea, though at the time that was my normal routine. I remember doing a ton of blood tests in the wheelhouse and writing everything that went into my mouth down. The most important part is keeping track and being diligent of your blood sugars and food intake. If you are driving, then maybe this isn’t the best time to be tweaking with that, for safety’s sake. If you aren’t as aware of hypo/hyper blood sugars you may want to wait. And there is a good chance you will have to re-adjust when you get back. Like Janet said other things will affect your body’s needs for basal rates. I find that no matter what I generally have to tweak my basal rates every 2-3 weeks anyway. As far as dealing with the pod outside of basals etc…- it’s a snap!
I never did the saline thing…I was one of the first “podsters” about 5 years ago, and it has been great ever since! I would wait until you are home and settled, b/c there will most certainly be some issues that need to be addressed in quick time…and its always a good idea to be around your doc when doing something 'radical" like this. I think I can confidently say that this move will be one of the best you have made in a while…I was MDI when (in 2005) I suffered a massive brain hemmorhage and had a subsequent stroke, leaving me paralized for 6 mos. so the pod was a real necessity, as I couldnt even draw insuling into a syringe any longer (my story and many others is at http://www.supportersofsurvivors.com come by, check it out, and leave a post!) Good luck, and PEACE!
Ann, I agree with the others. My daughter started on the Pod 3 ½ weeks ago (on injections before that). Before that we tried a pod with saline for a week–which I highly recommend. There is definitely lots of tweaking of basal and bolus numbers and if you were on injections you may have a slightly different profile with the pump–we did anyway. It takes a few weeks to get the basal reasonably stable. Plus there are all kinds of potential issues to deal with like pod failures (we had one in week 2), occlusions (we had one in week 2), and adhesion problems. If you haven’t done the saline trial yet, that might be the thing to do when you are on your trip instead of going “live.” We send in my daughter’s numbers every day to the Endo and for the first two weeks called him every morning (now only call every couple of days). The Doc suggested we would be on this regime for about 3-4 weeks. At 3 ½ weeks we are still adjusting the basal and do two overnight checks (12:30a and 2:30a). She loves the Pod and we are looking forward to a calmer period (and not overnight checks!). Whatever you decide to do, best of luck to you.
I was very eager to start the pod. Given my TDD with shots, my doc determined a starting basal rate for me. It seems to be right on the money. I have adjusted the basal for dawn phenomenon. For the first week or so, I didn’t need to make any adjustments. My trainer suggested that if I may any changes, I do them in 10% increments. I wasn’t also send my child to college and dealing with that kind of life disruption. I am a very happy pod user. My control has become quite good. I’m also using the Dexcom 7 Plus. With the two, I have really been able to tighten up my control. I have also been able to avoid severe lows. Those were a problem for me. There’s a great deal more flexibility with the pod than MDI. You can give doses in fractions of a unit so there less chance of over bolusing. I wish you the best in the college move and all that. If your glucose fluctuates greatly based on activity and emotion, it would probably be a good idea to wait until your return.
Severe lows have also been a problem for me. I use a Dexcom also, and that has helped a lot. Do you find that you have fewer lows with the Omnipod than with MDI?
Hello! I"m one month in and my first two weeks were extreme highs, then extreme lows as they “tweak” it. And they didn’t set expectations with me that my BS would be all over the place as they figure out the correct OmniPod settings so I didn’t feel too hot. The other thing is definitely make sure you have SOMEONE TO TALK TO. I started on a Friday and was on my own, waking up the doctor Friday night with a 275 reading. Worse case, take your own shot if its too high. But I didn’t feel too hot for a week. Now after staying all of this… I’m a month in, its going well. I seem to have leveled out and I"m enjoying the POD after getting used to the weirdness of it all. TuDiabetes has helped me a TON as I was on the fence for a while. I wish you all the luck and enjoy the ride. It’s a good step for all of us, but we definitely need the right support!
Ann- Actually, I think its the other way around for me, anyway. I think the ease of correction boluses has actually made me more likely to “over bolus” for any meal, so I have had more hypo events…which is why, also, I think some people gain weight with the pod. (having to stuff your face more often). So, It becomes more essential to test often, eat right and exercise regularly! (like Im telling you somethng you dont already know…)
I had lots of lows the first three days and I wasn’t comfortable changing my own settings. That is why I recommend not starting on a Friday unless you can get hold of your doctor or CDE easily when the office is closed.
Thank you everyone! Your comments are so helpful! I’ve decided to wait until I’m home from the college trip with time to myself before “going live” on the Omnipod, and I’ll start early in the week. I’m excited to start, but strangely feeling a bit reluctant to give up MDIs – which at the moment are working perfectly for me. I remind myself that I can always go back to them if I want.
