Hi, I’m new here so let me introduce myself. I have a daughter who was diagnosed on July 12, 2007. She just turned 5 years old in October. We’re trying to push to get her on a pump ASAP and were offered the Omnipod and the Minimed pumps to choose from. I like the Omnipod because of the tubeless pumping capabilities, but I don’t know anyone who has used it on a child as young (and pretty petite for her age) as my daughter.
Are there any parents out there using the Omnipod for their kids? Is the Pod too large for their bodies? She and I both wore “dummy pods” and the cannula for the Minimed for three days and she seemed to prefer the Pod until we had to remove it and the extra adhesive was a HUGE deterrent for her.
What about the Minimed? Any problems with the tubing getting kinked or pulled out? What about insertion when the site needs to be changed? The Pod has an “automated” insertion built into it, which seemed like a bonus.
my son is eight, he has been using the animas pump for 3 years. we have had some trouble with the tubing getting caught, but he has learned to be careful. the hardest is in the bathroom. we have sewn pockets into the sides of his underwear for a place to put his pump. he never really had a problem with getting use to it. it sure makes life easier without injection.
My son is 4 and has been on the pod for 1.5 years. You should be able to make it work for your daughter. We LOVE it! A tip on removal: Remove after a warm soapy bath. It will peel off easily.
My son (now 5) has been using an Animas pump for almost two years. He has not ever gotten his tubing caught on anything. I sew pockets into the waistband of his pants and tuck the tubing in.
But, I’ve heard great things about the Omnipod too.
I too had my 6yr old daughter diagnosed on june 29, 07. We are going to start our paper work to get the mini med.
I do like the idea of the pod, but, being an active child it may get “bumped” off, then goes the insulin…and what if the “remote” was missed placed…
I too tried the mini med…there’s always going to be pros and cons on each of the pumps, the best advise i can give you is to meet with reps from each of the companies and choise what you think will work best for her now…there’s plenty of people who have tried more then one type.
I have a daughter that is on the medtronic pump and we just love it. Omnipods dont hold a lot of insulin so your daughter will end up changing it out more than often. Whats you insurance? I work in medical sales and i know that medtronic just came out with the continuous glucose monitoring systen which checks your bloog sugars every 5 minutes. My daughter has never experienced problems with the tubing and if she did medtronic has a 24 hour help line you can call and they will be happy to assit. I know a lot about this topic so feel free to ask me any questions. I say no to the omnipod!
Thanks for your input, Mike! We started Devyn on the Minimed 522 on April 29. Her A1C has dropped already! She was very resistent at first and insisted that she preferred injections, but this morning she actually admitted to preferring the pump. We’ve had a rollercoaster week with many highs, manual injections and unscheduled site changes, but even with that said, the pump has been a vast improvement over where we were just three months ago.
We’ve been using the IV-3000 to secure her Sure-T and it has worked like a charm. I don’t think 5-yr-old have the sweat issue that adults run into. The IV-3000 has even held up in the bathtub.
My 7 year old daughter just started on the minimed a weekand a half ago. So far we are havign no issues with the tubing. The only thing that ever concerned me was the fact that wearing dresses would be a challenge, but so far, it has not come up - except for nightgowns. I bought her some pump pocket shirts from kpp.com (kangaroo pump pockets) and she sleeps in those, and really like them. We haven’t had any catching issues yet. There has been a time or two that I’ve been doing something with her pump in hand and she tries to walk away!! The endo nurse prescribed for us a numbing cream that we apply then put a bandage over it and leave it for about 45 mnutes before we insert a new set - and it’s just fine. Taking the set off is no problem at all. it’s like a tough band-aid, we just peel up the edges then pull it out, no big deal at all. We have a “serter” for the set, but the nurse said she preferred doing it by hand, so we haven’t tried the serter yet. Manually is working just fine, so we haven’t even considered it yet. So far I am very pleased with the minimed.
Hi Jonna,
I am mother of Charlie who was diagnosed February this year, 7 months ago. He just turned 5 on 12th September.
I was wondering your motivation for choosing to use the pump instead of injections. I can read all the literature in the world on how pumps work, better control etc but i would love to hear it from another mother. The benefits must be substantial.
Charlie is still in a honeymoon phase and only having needles in the morning and occassionally pre dinner. It may be major factor when he needs 3-4 lots of injections per day.
It would be great to hear from you. Charlie is starting school next year and you have just been through that first school year and im sure have much wisdom.
Thanks,
Libby
Let’s see . . . where do I begin. The one-sentence answer to your question is that the overall quality of life is better for Devyn on the pump. Devyn required four to eight shots a day when we were using Lantus and Humalog by injection. With the pump, we change her infusion site every two days (and maybe every three days in the future). We’re not stuck to an eating schedule like we were. She can eat when she’s hungry. The pump tracks the active insulin in her body (we’re using the Minimed 522) so you’re less likely to give too much insulin and get a resulting low. It’s easier to travel with the pump. You still need all the usual supplies as a back-up in case of pump failure, but there is no more drawing up of syringes and giving shots in public places. It is very discrete. Devyn was on diluted insulin before the pump which I had to mix myself. With the pump, you can give very low doses of full-strength insulin accurately and therefore have better control. I have to run to a school meeting right now, but I will write more later. I could write a book! Feel free to e-mail any questions you may have. Devyn just started Kindergarten this year and I’m happy to report that it is going relatively smoothly so far.
We’re in Massachusetts. Where do you live?
What a great answer…
I live in a town called Narromine, NSW, Australia. It has about 3000 people. Dubbo is half and hour away and has all the doctors, clinics etc for Charlie.
I always feel so knowledgable and on top of it all when I am speaking to people that dont know much about Diabetes, friends family etc but when I hear how you and others on blogs such as this articulate it, I feel like a dummy. There is so much to know.
Charlies Diabetes Educator and Pediatrician say we are going so well and my son is quite amazing. His HbA1C have been 6.1 and 6.4. We are quite strict on the carb count and times of eating. Hes definatley still in the honeymoon as he is having total of 11 units of insulin a day for his 22kg weight - I think it should be more like 18+ units of insulin.
I havent really touched base with any mothers who have children with type 1. Charlie is the only child in any school or preschool in our town who has type 1 diabetes so I feel like Im always educating the teachers about it. He is at preschool 2 days a week and they are great, doing his blood sugar level re lunch and making him eat everything in his lunchbox.
You sound very positive and very intelligent. Im sure I would benefit from being in touch with you about your daughter.
Libby
Hi Jonna!
I was just wondering…did your daughter start the pump before she was out of her honeymoon? My daughter (age 8) was diagnosed 2 months ago and we were told that she can’t start the pump until shes thru her honeymoon…which can last 2 months to 2 years!! We’ve already chosen to go with the MiniMed and she’s so ready!
I started pushing my endo for the pump about 3 months after diagnosis, mainly for insurance reasons. I wanted to get it ordered before December 31 so that it would be primarily covered by insurance even if we couldn’t start Devyn on pump therapy until a few months later. It didn’t end up working out that way. We ordered the pump and by the time we were scheduled to start pumping, Devyn was just coming out of her honeymoon phase (about 9 months post-diagnosis). It made setting basal rates for the pump a little trickier, but it has all worked out in the end. The drs were eager to get her started on the pump because we were using diluted insulin (U-25) which I had to mix myself, so everyone agreed her dosing would be more accurate if she was pumping.
In retrospect, I think it was good to have to wait a while before starting the pump because it gives you time to learn the carb counting, how different foods affect the blood sugars for your child, etc. It’s also good to be very comfortable with injection therapy should the pump fail for some reason (which has not happened to us, by the way).
When we first started on the Minimed, it was sort of like being re-diagnosed all over again. There is a learning curve, but it is so worth it! Hang in there. Your time will come before you know it. I find it hard to believe we’ve been living with this for over a year now. I didn’t think it would ever become routine for us, but it has.
Good luck and let me know how things work out for you.
Our daughter is 2+ and was just diagnosed 5 weeks ago—she is definitely still on honeymoon, but she has been on a pump (OmniPod) for about 4 weeks and it is working out great. We have a great Peds Endo and he had no qualms about putting her on a pump so soon after her diagnosis. I certainly don’t want to suggest that starting a pump during honeymoon is right for everyone–definitely a decision between you, your daughter and your Endo team. I just wanted to chime in and let you know our experience and that is working for us. In fact, it was in part because of this and other blogs that we decided to try the pump on Gigi at 2 yrs old (we actually never had a discussion about whether pumping before vs. after the honeymoon was ok–we only discussed whether she was old enough as we “read” from others that 2 was too young–it’s not). I have no reason to believe that the information you received about “no pumps during honeymoon” is right or wrong for your situation (as every situation is unique)–but I have read numerous accounts of people on these blogs who were “told” things by their Endos that turned out not to be the best for them–and after questioning/challenging/getting a second opinion, they ended up better off. I’m finding out every day that while there is a great deal of science behind diabetes management, there is a fair amount of art as well–so don’t be afraid to be “creative” and push back for more information/explanation about Endo’s Orders (I would think a good Endo would welcome such interest). Btw, I’ve never understood why it’s called a “honeymoon” when it seems most folks describe this period as something less than blissful. Best wishes for you and your family. While our Gigi was put on the pump early, I have no doubt we would be thriving and making great progress on MDI too–I’m a firm believer that a positive attitude has no medical equivalent.
Jonna - our son is eight, and we, too, are trying to decide which pump is best for him. I’ve read tons here and elsewhere about the pros and cons … it’s between the Minimed, the Pod or the Animus Ping. I was beginning to wrap my head around what might work for an athletic kid, who swims all summer long, etc. He, too, got an empty Pod to wear for a few days: took a shower with it, played some tough soccer, but claimed that it bothered him when he slept. So we began leaning toward the Animus. Until this evening, when Alden (my son) and I got into one of our spontaneous wrestling matches, and all of a sudden I thought, “My god, I can’t do this if he’s wearing a pump on his waistband!” I’m a little freaked out about the whole thing, because with all the life-adjustments we’ve had to make, suddenly this became very significant in my mind. I can’t stop wrestling with my kid! I can’t stand the thought of having to have strategies for something so natural and spontaneous.
Any thoughts/advice from other parents about this? I’m new to this site, so maybe I should be posting this in another venue.
I’m far from an expert on the subject, but I will say that I had similar concerns about the pump being ripped off while playing or tumbling. We’ve been using the pump for 5 months now and we haven’t had a single incident. I don’t know anything about the Animus because it wasn’t an option for us. Devyn and I both wore the Pod for a few days and I found it comfortable to sleep with, but she had the same complaint as your son. She found it very uncomfortable at night. She hasn’t complained once about sleeping with the Minimed.
We didn’t like the first infusion set we were offered with the Minimed, so we were given the option of trying the Sure-T. It was by far more comfortable than the first option we tried. The Sure-T is literally like a thumb tack (sp?) that goes into the skin. It’s a very fine needle and once it is in, you pretty much forget it is there. Then there is sort of an anchor piece that gets stuck to the skin next to it so that it takes the stress off the needle if the tubing is tugged. We secure the needle with an additional top dressing called IV-3000. They use it in hospitals to keep IV’s intact and sanitary.
There’s another little girl down the street who wears the Minimed and is very athletic and active. I think she has only had an issue with the infusion set coming out once. She skates, dances, does karate, plays soccer . . . you name it!
As far as swimming goes, the Minimed needs to be disconnected if she’s swimming, but it hasn’t been a big deal. I just test her every hour (or as needed) and reconnect for a second to give her insulin if needed. Most of the time if she’s active and disconnected, she needs a snack, not insulin. When we’ve gone to the beach, I’ve put a plastic ziplock baggie over it to keep the sand out and then tucked it into her swimsuit.
I think you’ll find Alden’s quality of life will be greatly improved with the pump, not hindered. We still wrestle, tumble, roll around, ride bikes, scooters, etc. Good luck with whatever you choose!
I agree. I do not remember anyone specifically saying that we couldn’t start pumping until we were out of the honeymoon phase. It just happened to coincide for us.
Thanks for the advice! I felt like the CDE was repremanding me for being proactive with everything and it really sent me in a downward spiral last night. I only want the best for my daughter and I thought pushing the pump would be the best way for her. Our Endo doesnt believe in starting the pump before shes out of the honeymoon. So we have to wait! She’s in the middle of her first cold now…so with any luck…maybe we’re coming out of the honeymoon! She woke up with a 182 this morning which has been her highest morning sugar yet! fingers crossed We’re hoping to be pumping soon!
Thanks, Jonna. Alden’s endocrinologist is one who believes that kids can and should get on pumps as early as possible, and we’re thankful for that. It’s great to hear other parents’ experiences with them. Infusion sets are also one more thing to think about… I know it’s just a matter of looking and trying. I had heard that with the minimed it you have to use their infusion sets, and I glad to hear that that is not the case. Have a great weekend!
Hi Nina. Medtronic makes the Sure-T infusion set, too. They originally wanted to give us the Silhouette, but Devyn didn’t like it. I think the Sure-T is easier to insert too. Check out their website if you have time (www.minimed.com). They have some good info on it.
