I agree and did find another doctor. Too bad, she was great but all I can think is that Animas - (messed up in initial posting: she insisted on A not M) - is doing some creative incentive stuff. To see what I mean - just change the battery. Why do I have to re-prime? This product could have been so much better!
Jeff
I figured that was just a typo - can’t pick on you for that because my typing has really gone downhill!
Right now, I am frustrated with the durability of the Ping. I just started pumping the end of June and they replaced my pump in Jan and the replacement just died so I am getting a 3rd pump. I am not real happy with that - something that costs over $6k should last longer than a couple months.
Thanks for the forgiveness.
I haven’t had any issues (yet) with the pump itself. It does what it is supposed to do. It just doesn’t do it in a “friendly way”. Like the scrolling speed - just a poor algorithm. And what is that BUZZZZZ when you use the remote but NOT when you simply use the pump? With the DEX, I rarely use the One-Touch communicator - only when I calibrate or think the DEX has had a bit too much to drink.
Jeff
I love your analogy of the Dex having too much too much to drink! Maybe that is my pumps problem. I hardly ever use the remote so I haven’t noticed the buzzing noise. I don’t like the scrolling though, I always go too far & have to go backto get what I want.
your like me, I’m hearing impaired tho. But prefer the vibrate over the beeps…can’t hear them at all, especially when I sleep although my boyfriend hears them and wakes me up.
You are very wise! You will love the screen on the pump, in fact you can use it as a flashlight. It is the best screen available. DexCom seems to have the best reputation for CGMS. Call a serv. rep in your area and get a free trial. Go Animas!
Hey all
Thanks for continuing to respond. I’m now back on the fence concerning the PING because of the issues listed above (Jeff, Kelly). Maybe I can get my local Animas rep to loan me a PING for a week or two before I decide? As far as the DexCom goes, I got mine last Thursday, started wearing it Friday and have had very good luck thus far (no faulty sensor, way-off numbers, etc). Woo hoo! I hope it continues to stand up to my expectations. I would like to think someone out there can build a CGMS that is reliable. Thanks again, for all of your input! It really has helped me in my decision-making.
I don’t think my experience is typical for Animas - I just have had some bad luck. If I were looking at getting a new pump today, Animas would still be my choice. They have great customer service. When they had the recall on the cartridges, they did that right away without anyone putting a gun to their head before they did it. When Minimed had their problem a couple years ago, I know several people that knew something was not right and complained several times before Minimed stepped up to the plate. Then there was also the guy in Canada that died & the coroner sent his pump to Minimed and they would not even look at it. Animas has been very helpful and concerned when I have had a problem. When I was having problems in Jan, they even brought saline for me to put in the pump to test drive it - they weren’t insisting that there wasn’t a problem.
I am still thinking that bad insulin is causing my problems. I know that Cheri had problems with insulin being thick that caused her motor to go bad. I had an insulin problem before the first pump went bad and also had an insulin problem the week before this one went bad. People that are alot more active than I am have not had these problems and something has to be causing it.
Even with my problems, I still vote for the Ping!
Hey Kelly
Can you tell me what you think caused your insulin to go bad or thicken (other than freezing or heated)? I have had bad, weak, insulin in the past but it was because of the elements. It did not affect my pump at all. How long do you wear your pump? If it’s 2-3 days I would think the insulin onboard should be okay. Not being uppity here, I’m just curious is all. I guess you could say I’m a problem solver.
I’ve got to tell you, I have had great customer service for 24 years with MiniMed. When the QuikSet QR was released I absolutely loved the new sets. I remember people complaining about it and all that time I was thinking “would you like to swap them with me?”. In the end they did recall them but I’d use 'em today if they were re-released. Just my opinion, you see.
Anyhoo, I’m glad you still like the PING. I hope Animas was kind enough to offer and fix your original pump and send it back to you? Either way, whatever pump you have should still carry the same warranty as the first. And if you’re not comfortable with a refurbished pump I’d let them know that it may be the deciding factor of whether you go with another pump or not… I would assume they’ll try and keep you happy.
Good luck!
I am not sure mine was thick but I do know it was bad. When I was having problems back in Jan, Cheri mentioned hers being thickened and causing her motor to go bad. Since I had insulin problems before both pumps took a nose dive, I am wondering if that could be the problem.
Back in Dec, I started having problems with high BS all of a sudden. I eat the exact same foods every day so I knew it was not a food issue. I changed out several sites and that did not help. I practically tripled my insulin dose & still could not get below 180. I did not think about the insulin at first because I had been using the vial a little over a week before I started having problems. One day I decided to open up a new vial of insulin & as soon as I did, my BS came back to normal.
About 10 days later, the same thing happened after I changed my site. At first, I literally had my hand on my site to pull it out & decided to open a new vial of insulin. As soon as I used the insulin from the new vial, my BS started coming back down. It seemed like the Apidra was dying out after about 10 days. I don’t use a full vial of insulin in 10 days.
Someone had landed on my blog with the search term “Apidra problems” so I Googled that to see if anyone else was having trouble. I found another blogger that was having the same thing happen – hers was also dying at about day 10.
I was trying to make sure I change them out before day 10 but last week, I had one die at 8 days.
I use the steel sets so I change my sites every 2 days. In the summer, I had a problem with the Apidra breaking down before 48 hours so I actually was changing my cartridge every day and a half.
Animas does have really good customer service. When I was having the problems with my first pump back in Jan, it was about midnight when I called the one night. The rep I talked to said she would call me the next day to check on me. It was a snow day so I really did not think she would call. She called me and I also found out it was her day off & she was sick – that is what you call customer service!
They replaced the first pump with a new pump. The replacement only lasted 2 months. They sent me a refurbished one & I really don’t want a refurbished pump – I am waiting on a supervisor to call me back about that.
This is all very interesting. When I was using the MiniMed I would notice that once in a while my blood sugar would soar into the stratosphere and no matter how much I would inject, it didn’t help/ But this only happened once in a while. When I pulled out the infusion set I always noticed that the plastic insert (cannula??) was bent over a bit and I suspect that insulin was leaking out.
With the Animas I notice this happens more often but the cannula is rarely bent. The MM had a 300 unit tank and I could keep it on for over a week. The A doesn’t last that long, often tanking out with 20-30 units left. And it contains only 200 units. I don’t think that insulin gets “thick” but it does lose effectiveness after a few weeks. If it’s clear, it’s probably OK for the most part.
So here is my completely uneducated theory. The A pumps the insulin very fast and may thereby damage the tissue sooner. It would scar up and no longer absorb the insulin properly. The MM injects VERY slowly, so the damage might be less.
Anyway, that’s my theory but it seems to fit the facts about my experiences. But then again, I have been told by many people that I am nutz, so who knows? Maybe the shadow does (anyone remember him??).
Jeff
I remember the Shadow! I do agree that the the faster insulin could damage the tissue more than the slower one. Some of mine I know was the insulin because I left the site in but changed the cartridge out with a new vial and then my BS went back to normal. I use the steel sets so mine don’t get bent, although I did have that happen once with the Insets.
I’ve been on the Ping since 2009 and I changed over from the Cozmo when they had that promotion b/c they stopped making the Cozmo. I have had ZERO problems with the pump function. The paint is chipping off in some places but I’m not one to nag on little issues like that. It doesn’t affect the insulin and my health so I didn’t really care. I’ve walked into walls (vertigo) and door frames all the time and my screen is pretty scratched up but the thing keeps ticking. :o) I LOVE their customer service. I have been on 7 different pump models and aside the Disetronic H-tron I have to say this is my favorite. I have not had an issue with my buttons or anything. I do not wear mine in water so I can’t comment on the water proof or not. I have never done that so. Good luck with your decision.
Sandy
Hello Jeff, You do know that you can set the A to slower delivery. I love how you call it A. Can I copy cat this??? :o)
My sites broke down more often with the pumps that had bigger reservoirs. Funny how we are all truly different. The A works well for me as the res is empty before my site gives out.
Sandy
The buzz and the re-prime are both safety features. Lots of folks use the remote when they have no access to the pump. The buzz allows them to know there was communication and they are getting the insulin. If you do not want the vibrate go to SETUP -> SOUND and switch the R-bolus to OFF. It wants you to re-prime because the pump has been reset and it want to know FOR SURE where that arm is. I do agree this is an annoying feature but how often does it really come up?
Unfortunately this is just a part of using technology. I am sorry you have had such a frustrating time Kelly. Seen and heard of these types of things happening with all the pump companies.
Kelly
Do you, by chance, salvage whatever insulin is left in the reservoir when you change sites? I know the pump companies used to frown on this practice because of the insulin going bad or contamination factors. Too, it could very well be the Apidra. Is this just happening to people who use it, I wonder? I use it and had terrible bG readings for 2 months even though I switched bottles of insulin, new lots, etc. Just a couple more things to think about, I guess.
Please let me know if Animas comes through for you with a new pump. I know when I called MM a couple weeks ago I was asked if I was comfortable with the decisions that were made. If I hadn’t been they would have shipped me a replacement pump. My current companion (pump) has been good to me for almost 4 years and I just didn’t want to take the chance.
I don’t try to salvage the insulin since I know it is going bad. So far, I have really only heard one other person talking about the whole vial going bad fast. When I first started pumping last summer, I did find a message board for CDEs & nurses and one CDE mentioned other Apidra users finding it died out in the cartridge after 35-45 hours. I knew then that it was not just me having that problem. I did not have problems until Dec with the whole vial dying early.
I will let you know. Someone from management is supposed to call today - hopefully they will.
Hi-
I just googled Apidra. I thought it was some new pump. Turns out it is a new insulin that I never heard of. So my comments on this were probably wrong. I know nothing about this stuff.
Jeff
I had to go look & see what you said, but it didn’t sound wrong! I have actually been using Apidra insulin for about 3 years now.