Hi everyone, I am resolved to go on the pump and I think I would like either the Omnipod or the Animas Ping. I would prefer not to have to dig the pump out from wherever I’m wearing it to program it, so these two seem to solve that problem.
I was chatting with my CDE yesterday and she was surprised when I mentioned I was considering Animas Ping - none of her Omnipod patients apparently have the problems with the pods that I have read about here and elsewhere. She thinks I’ll like Omnipod . . . as someone who still prefers to keep it on the down-low that I have D, I agree. BUT I think my insurance would balk at paying for extra insulin lost due to a pod failure. Animas seems to have a better reputation. Or maybe it’s that people either love the pod or hate it? I’m wearing a practice pod now, I will try on different clothes and see, but even on my back I didn’t have a problem sleeping with it on last night.
I’m a bit of a couch potato but I am trying to turn that around by walking. I also do a lot of yardwork which can get sweaty.
I don’t know, this whole research process is a pain! I keep changing my mind.
~Karen
Hi Karen,
I recently switched from a Medtronic pump to the Omnipod after 8 years.
The first thing I’d say is that either way is much better than shots in my opinion, so I don’t think you can go wrong.
As far as worrying about insurance paying for extra insulin, I wouldn’t worry about it. Usually, I ask my Dr. to write the Rx for a little bit more than I need and over time, you end up having more than you need, which helps for when you have to compensate… In addition, bottles of insulin can - rarely - go bad.
Whether you have a pump or a Pod, it’s not always easy to keep things on the down-low. Both beep from time to time and while the Pod has no cord, the PDE is bigger than a pump. So, the Omnipod is less noticeable, but only if you’re not going to need to eat or bolus while you’re out.
But all in all, it’s worth it. I’ve always said having a pump made me look more diabetic, but I feel less diabetic.
Hi Karen,
I’ve had the Ping for over a year now no problems. I’ve read the stories about pod failure, I wouldn’t let that scare you away. The only part that bothered me was the amt of space the pod takes up stuck to your side or anywhere on your person. The inset only takes up 1.5" round… tubing hasn’t been a problem for me. The remote/tester makes life so much easier. Either way you decide it’s better than MDI.
I haven’t had any problems with keeping the pod on. They can actually be a pain for me to get off even after three days. (Like, they literally hurt pulling them off sometimes)
If a pod fails, you can draw the insulin back out of it. I’ve been doing that since i started on the OmniPod, and haven’t had any problems with my insulin going bad or anything. I usually just draw the extra insulin out of the old pod anyway, then top off the syringe with insulin from the bottle. On the off chance that a pod DOES fail (i had one fail at priming) you can get about 190 of the 200 units back out.
The OmniPod works really well, and i haven’t had any problems with it. It doesn’t hurt, and you can’t see it under a regular t-shirt. It works really well on the back of my arms, and on my side too. You can also put it on the side of your arm instead of the back… really it can go just about anywhere. (some even put it on their calf)
Hope this helps 
I recently switched from a Medtronic pump to Animas. I’m happy with the Ping it works well for me. I really like being able to bolus from the remote. I don’t have any experience with Omnipod.
Keep in mind that problems tend to be more visible even though they’re probably in the minority. Most people don’t post to say all is well. I wouldn’t base your decision based on problems you’ve heard about on the internet. What works for one won’t work for another.
There will be similiar wastage of sets and insulin with a tubed pump also. Stuff happens occasionally and you lose a site before it’s time. You need extra insulin to fill the tubing and unless you want to run your reservoir down to bare bones you’ll be throwing out some insulin every time you do a set change. Your prescription for insulin should include extra to cover illness, carb bashes, site failures etc. That’s all part of pumping. My RX is written for about 20 units over my highest insulin days.
I would ask to meet with the reps from both companies to get a little more hands on time with them.
Diana
Like Marcus said, either pump is going to be awesome. All pumps have pros and cons (as you’re quickly becoming aware with your research so I think that’s why you get people who either love or hate one or the other.
I have been on the pod for just over a year and a half, and I love it. I used a MM before that for about 5 years.
I think the PDM of the pod looks like a cell phone (I have a black silicone skin on mine too, which makes it look even more like a cell phone I think…) so as far as “keeping it discreet”, most people think I’m just messing w/ a phone at the table (when I’m out to eat, for example). I think the meter remote for the Ping would be treated similarly.
I think as long as you clean your skin well (alcohol prep, IV prep, or something similar) and get the infusion set or the pod stuck on well, I don’t think you should have any major issues with either version coming off prematurely. I am very active and sweat a lot, so I use skin-tac wipes to help keep pods on…and like Stephen, sometimes they are a little hard to get off unless I shower first or use baby oil, etc.
I think your decision may come down to user interface (how you move through the buttons to bolus, make adjustments, etc). They are probably both similar, but different…so see if you can meet w/ a rep from both companies to play with a “real” one (they should both have those available) and see what you like better.
Good luck in your decision making process, and I’m sure you’ll be happy with whichever one you decide to go with
I agree with Diana about “only seeing bad news”. People usually fail to post when things are great. So you may only see the negative side of things (asking for help, etc), when in all actuality, the device is great. So take those comments with a grain of salt…
Hi Karen,
I’ve been on the Animas pump for about a year now and love it. You can give boluses from the meter which is similar to the hand helf device of the Omnipod, there are still certain functions you have to do on the pump itself but you do get used to wearing it after time and you don’t have that bulky “pod” to sleep on, also if there is a problem you can change out the cartridge or site and not waste all the insulin like in the pod, one of my concerns with the Omnipod and why I went with Animas. Check them all out if you have to and make a decision based on your lifestyle. I have been pumping since 1996 and have had 3 different brands of pumps but the Animas is one of my fav’s so far. Good luck.
Thanks everyone for your responses! I’m on day 2 of the practice pod - where it’s stuck got a bit itchy on and off throughout the day. That may be my skin reacting to the adhesive, which I’ll likely have with any infusion set. I’m waiting to hear back from the Animas rep, I chatted with the Omnipod rep on Friday, she took my insurance info and is checking to see how much would be covered.
This is a real breakthrough for me - I have been adamantly anti-pump for YEARS.
I am on medtronic pump and just love the pump. No tubing is really appealing and blood glucose remote sounds great. Do you know if OMNIPOD is available in Australia? If so cost?
Hi Wiseguy - Omnipod may be available down your way, I know that it has just become available in parts of Europe. You may want to send them an email - all their contact information is here -
http://www.myomnipod.com/about-insulet/contact-information/
Good luck!
I use the Omnipod now and am switching back to a tubed pump and will be going with Animas Ping. To make a long story short, you can read my opinions about it here.
Thanks Sarah, that post was helpful. I hope you don’t mind if I friend you here (I’m new so I don’t know if there’s some etiquette to follow).
No problem! Glad you found us!
I’m starting on an Animas One Touch Ping on Thursday. The decision process with the various pumps was really hard. I remember fretting over the choice and my doc showed me that it was 96% for Medtronic and 97% for Animas, really close. I asked for information from the four main pump companies and never actually heard anything from Omnipod. I chose the Animas because, for me, carb counting is the biggest pain in using insulin for the last six years on MDI. Animas has the calorie king data base their pump is waterproof and their customer service department has been great throughout my decision. Like others have said, any pump with be a great improvement over MDI and I think no matter which pump I chose, it would work well for me. Good luck in your research and choice. Sorry, I didn’t realize how old this post is. I’m sure by now you’ve made your choice and are doing well.
Honestly the advancement of the Ping as compared to the MM… Its like the Blackberry Vs iPhone… The iPhones moving with times Blackberry is just staying still lol MMs only thing that they have is the intergrated CGMS but honestly and i have it i cant standddd it! its just not made great design wise and the accuracy is subpar as where the Dexcom is more accurate and a lotttt easier to get in your skin… plus the Ping uses One Touch strips which i swear by and it has a food database and you can control everything from the meter which is a major plus if your like me and wear your pump on your thigh and stuff… plus its got the lowest basal and bolus and its waterproof… the omnipod is trash IMO (only in my) i dont like it nor do i like freestyle meters… i suggest the Ping highly but MM is a great company to just they have kinda went down the drain customer service wise over the years