Hi All, I just wanted to get some feedback on the Omnipod - the good the bad and everything between.
Or if you know of another wireless pump that is soon coming to the market, I would love to hear about that too.
Thanks so much.
There's a dedicated group for OmniPod Users: http://www.tudiabetes.org/group/omnipodusers
Take a look at the history of discussions there; this question has been asked and answered many times.
Got it. Thanks
I hear there's pros & cons to the Omnipod. If you make a mistake when changing the pod, you must scrap it & start over with a new one, thus supplies are more expensive than medtronics paradigm. I might consider the Omnipod, but Medicare will not cover it.
interesting. Thanks for the information and definitely something to take into consideration.
One of the big benefits of OmniPod is that there is virtually no opportunity to "make a mistake" when changing; you fill it, you place it on your body, you press a button on the controller and voilà, it's done. It primes itself, it inserts itself, it's about as easy as you can imagine.
that is nice to hear. Anything to make life a little easier is always nice.
I just started using the Omnipod after about 14 years of using pumps with tubing. So far, I'm liking it. You definitely sacrifice some things in order to go without tubing.
the big pluses: the lack of tubing makes it much easier to place the pump, you don't have to worry about where to put the pump itself, for me, it makes a huge difference in playing tennis--my pump would often fall off my waistband after a huge groundstroke or in the middle of a point, much easier to go swimming. In the summer, I spend ALL day at the pool. I'm not at ALL a fashionista, but I could see where lack of tubing would make putting a fabulous outfit together a little easier!
If you are really into water sports, then the pod is a pretty huge advantage, I think. Although, I always managed to make the Accucheck work for me.
the cons: bolusing is a bit more cumbersome. You have to take out the PDM (personal diabetes manager) and bolus that way, there are no buttons on the pod itself. With my old pump, everything was on the pump itself, so I could easily silence alarms/bolus. With the pod, you have to do all that on a separate device. If I'm in a meeting or with a patient, it's no longer possible to silence alarms without someone noticing.Not that big of a deal for me, but I could see if you don't have real reasons to go tubing free, it would be a nuisance. Also, while there is a window on the pod so you can see the cannula, you cannot actually see the insertion site itself. With my old pump, I could see the site getting red, and would know, "I need to rotate my site early." Not too much of a problem if you prepare your site properly, but something to consider.
Overall, I really like the pod, but that's because I'm in the water a lot and play tennis a lot. It makes those things a lot easier. But if the tubing wouldn't really bother you, then I think the advantages of omnipod wouldn't be as pronounced, and it might not be the best choice for you. Also, with the very first three pods I used, the cannula came disloged. It was largely due to poor choice/prep of site on my part, and since I've adjusted, had no problems.
Also, check with insurance. For me, the intial outlay for the pod was significantly less than the minimed pump or accucheck pump. But the montly costs are slightly more. A very nice gentleman at Edgepark had figured out all the costs for me, and calculated that at about 2 years, I'd make up the difference of the inital outlay with the pod, and then the pod would start costing more. So initially, pod cheaper, but overtime, becomes more expensive.
Hope this helps
thanks so much. you have provided a lot of very helpful information and important things to think about.
thanks again!!
Hi -
I've been using the Omnipod for 3 months now. I read alot of reviews and yes, there are a few cons (maybe more than pumps w/tubing), but I went with it for the wireless feature. I was really frustrated with it for the first couple months until I figured out what spots on my body the pod worked well (which is different for everyone). Now that I've figured that out, it's working really well and I'm real happy I chose it.
I can't believe it's the only wireless unit out there, but hope another one comes out. Competition is always good.
Jean, Thanks so much for the input. All the information is really helpful.