My warranty on my Medtronic Revel pump is up next month. I really think it's a crummy time to be pump shopping because there are so many things in the works for the future, but not much actually approved now.
I have used Medtronic pumps for 8 years and absolutely have no complaints except for the CGM which is a huge problem. I currently use a Dexcom along with my Revel pump. Things work fine, but I hate carrying two devices.
I have sent off for info on the Animas, but I think I will hate the extensive menu system, the need to re-prime when you change batteries, etc. But the future link with Dexcom is a huge reason to make the switch. I think that many people love their Animas pumps, but most of them have not used Minimed, so they are used to all the button pushing to get things done.
I have no interest in an Omnipod and I really don't mind tubing. I will not try the Tandem because it has to be re-charged rather than using batteries.
I think that within a year we'll see both the Animas/Dexcom Vibe combo and the new Medtronic Veo with the Enlite sensors. My plan is most likely to keep using my current pump until both the Vibe and the Veo are available. I feel strongly that the Medtronic pump is the best pump for me. But I am equally convinced that Dexcom is far superior to Medtronic CGMS technology.
The Enlite is an improvement but I am skeptical it has eliminated the gap between Medtronic and Dexcom. The Vibe is certainly a worthy option but given what you say about liking Medtronic maybe the best option for you is the upcoming Dex G4 standalone with its smaller receiver. A separate device for CGM is a pain but otoh you will hear it better at night than you would an integrated pump muffled under bed covers. This way you get the pump and the CGM you like most.
Don't forget that Animas pumps use a Lithium battery that lasts a lot longer than the Alkaline battery in a MM pump. On my Animas 2020 I change batteries every 2+ months.
I can’t get too excited about Lithium vs. Alkaline batteries. I change my pump’s battery about every 3-4 weeks. I could definitely go longer, but they’re so cheap and easy to change that I always change them when I have two bars left. I assume that a year’s worth of batteries cost me about $12 at Target. I think that a battery change is a bigger deal on the Animas because as I understand it, you have to do a full re-prime.
I'm in the same situation as you. My Animas Ping warranty runs out this month.
I used Medtronic (Mini-Med) pumps for 21 years then Animas for 3 1/2 years. I changed to an OminPod two months ago. I don't remember there being a big menu difference between the MM and Animas. I agree that the Animas requirement to do a complete rewind when just changing the battery is a pain in the tail.
I didn't like the fast scroll speed on the Animas remote. It was an overshoot undershoot circus! I benched the remote after only a few months.
I was very attracted by the t:slim claim to minimize keystrokes. They also say that they did extensive user studies before finalizing their design. Their no trial no return policy essentially lost me as a possible customer. I'll wait until they're more mature.
I thought that the Animas Ping required way too many keystrokes to get anything done. I suspect that the FDA approval process influenced this but I also think that Animas did not do nearly enough user studies. I can't imagine any diabetic with sufficient pump experience signing off on the over the top keystroke repetition.
One decision that I have made is that I will not buy any system that leaves my night-time CGM low alarms buried under the blankets.
I took delivery of an OmniPod two months ago. I took advantage of a $199 out of pocket expense for the PDM (pump remote.) This allowed me to keep my ability to buy (and have insurance pay for) another pump. I like the OmniPod; my main reason to buy it was not to avoid tubing but to allow me reach fresh tissue to get more consistent and dependable absorption. After 25 years of pumping I have a lot of scar tissue.
I'm going to wait before I buy another pump system. Like you, I'd like to take advantage of some substantial technical gains that are just over the horizon. Good luck!
I meant to add that my Dexcom CGM annual warranty runs out this month also. I've heard rumors of the more accurate Dex Gen4 sensor coming out late this year or early next year.
For that reason, I will not renew my Dex equipment until the Gen4 comes out. I have enough sensors to last me through early next year. I hope it's enough!
My Dex warranty ran out a few months ago, so I did get a new system. I figure that the new system will get out of warranty a few months after the Gen4 becomes available. I have to admit that the new system is still in the box because my old one is working just fine. Dexcom called me to encourage me to replace my system and gave me a $200 rebate. I have misplaced the receiver a few times because it falls out of my pocket, and it’s really nice to know I have a new one waiting for me to take it out of the box.
Although I have occasional bad sensors, Dexcom works really well for me most of the time.
Interesting that Dex offered you a $200 rebate. I would get a replacement system now if they agreed to a free upgrade as soon as the gen4 sensor comes out. I talked with customer service about this and they said they couldn't offer that deal. So ... I wait for the next generation to arrive.
The Dex system works really well for me most of the time, too.
I am in a similar situation, Lathump. My Medtronic 522 has been out of warranty for months, and I do not use the MM CGMs anymore: too inaccurate, too expensive. I retired in 2011, and the insurance provided by my state retirement system has a very high deductible to meet before they pay (the 80%) for pumps or pump supplies. Thus, I have to decide in the next three months before the deductible restart in 2013, what pump and/or CGM to get. I have heard nothing but great things about the Dexcom;but varied opinions on the Animas pump itself, as Terry listed. I like the integrated nature of the Medtronic system, but it is inconsistently accurate and the pump aalarms sometimes do not wake me if I am asleep. That does not matter to me as I am not hypo unaware and have Never not awakened from a nighttime low/ or high for that matter, in 43 years.. I GET really creepy, funny, weird, lucid dreams THAT AWAKEN ME in dangerous blood sugar situations. I know to get up and checkafter these dreams and my blood sugar is almost always seriously out of range,to the point where I havetotreat right away.
I want an accurate CGMS to help me with control, setting basals and other pump info more accurately, and catching the creeping up highs before they get too far out of range . I DO NOT LIKE THEM AT ALL: Highs that it will take three hours and a shot to treat, particularly if they are caused by a bad infusion set or an inaccurate carb count call. That is all I want from a CGMs, and the MM model does not do that for me.
I am leaning towards waiting for the Enlite sensors to come out, but time is NOT on my side.I have to make some sort of decision before 2013, or I will have to pay thoussnds for ANY pump/cgm combo. I guess I could do a separate Dexcom, but I cannot imagine another device to carry around. Time and out of pocket expenses are the mitigating factors for me.
I used to have and Animas and a Dex. I switched to MM because the customer service was getting bad at Animas. I also wanted one device. Also the DEX is not waterproof or even water resistant and I get splashed standing next to a swimming pool and you guessed it , it went bye bye.
There is no warrantee so I was out of luck.
I do think the glucose sensing ability is superior in the dex and it is easier to put in.
Im ok with the sensors with the MM though. Don't hold your breath for the dex-Animas combo. These things take for ever. They said it was happening with in 2 months when I bought my recent pump in January. I think it will be a possible option for my NEXT pump 4 years from now :)
I am headed to MM tomorrow to try out the new sensor and new delivery/ insertion device as it turns out. It is just a one day thing I will not be getting the actual new sensor to try, but I will get a look at it at least.
They called me out of the blue to give them input on ease of use and all that.
I also have a high deductible health plan and I am lucky that once I reach my deductible, everything is covered at 100%. I have other health issues besides diabetes, so I always reach my deductible by about May. So the timing of a pump purchase doesn't matter to me. The big deal as you know is that whatever decision I make, I will have to live with for 4 years.
I hope to meet with an Animas rep and play around with the pump to understand all the button pushing that everyone talks about. It would be a scary decision to leave Medtronic because I am 100% satisfied with my pump. I also think that the Medtronic interface with the sensors is very good. But unfortunately with the sensors, the results had very little to do with my BG and I couldn't even trust trends. So it was garbage in garbage out. I also got huge bruises freguently on insertion and sensors often hurt. I'm quite thin and I didn't have any real estate that was good for the large Medtronic sensors.
I was very happy to get the $200 rebate card, but it seems fishy to me that they can give me the rebate while my insurance paid the total cost of the system. Of course my insurance company paid contracted rates so they didn't pay full price.
I went back and forth between the Animas and MM Revel before finally going with the Revel a little over a year ago. I had had a MM in the past and that was a significant (but not the only) factor in going with the Revel.
Some things I liked about the Animas Ping:
It's waterproof
It has a remote bolus feature
The screen is more attractive and easier to read
The infusion sets are not proprietary.
You can choose from different sounds. The sounds were also a bit louder compared to the Revel.
However, when I actually got my hands on the Ping to try out, here are the things I DID NOT like about it:
The design made it uncomfortable to wear. The black cap where the tubing comes out of sticks up and made it really uncomfortable when clipped to my waistband.
The fast scrolling annoyed me to no end. I had to keep going up and back down to get where I wanted.
The menu system seemed to require far more button pushing than the Revel.
It felt a bit larger than the Revel and more boxy (i.e., harder to conceal in my bra, one place I like to keep my pump)
The pump itself was LOUD when delivering a bolus. I was surprised I could hear it so well even when underneath my clothes.
Here are things I like about Minimed/my Revel
The pump is durable and incredibly reliable.
It has the integrated CGM. Not CGMing it at the moment, but may do so again when their new sensors come out. For now, I'm just doing lots of finger sticks.
Menu system is easy to use.
Carelink. I LOVE Carelink.
Uses regular batteries, which are easy and simply to change (I did not know you had to re-prime with the Ping when changing batteries. That's annoying).
MM has been making pumps for a LONG time. That means something to me.
Wide range of infusion sets to choose from (even if they are proprietary).
Quietly delivers bolus.
Excellent customer service.
I also reviewed the consumer complaint information submitted to the FDA and there seemed to be more complaints for Animas pumps, despite the fact that there are far more Minimed pumps on the market. Also, I have known a few folks with Pings who just dropped them and the pump died. My Revel has been dropped several times and works like a champ.
In the end, the reliability and durability of the Revel won out for me. I do a lot of backpacking and camping and I need a pump that is not going to quit on me in the middle of nowhere. This is where the Revel wins, hands down.
I would NOT consider the new t:slim at this point, mainly because the company is so new and the pump itself is so new. When it comes to pumping a hormone into my body 24/7 that, in the wrong dose, could kill me, I want something tried & true. I have flirted with the idea of trying the Ping, but for now, I'm really happy with my revel and see no reason to switch.
The waterproofyness aspect is the one thing that bothers me. That said, I have found ways to waterproof my pump if I really need to (using an Aquapak).
THANKS all, for SO much info. My busted pancreas, I looked at the Animas website. The Ping does look big and boxy with a hard reservoir /connecter/ cylinder thingy jutting out. Looks like an "ouch" in the making . I, too, like to "hide" my pump in my bra when wearing dresses and sometimes, skirts. Your comparisons of the pumps,and their pros and cons were right on time. I am quite comfortable with my MM 522 and accustomed to how to maneuver thrugh its windows and all of its functions. I think that the too quick scrolling and having to go back would annoy me to no end on the Ping. I intially disliked my non-smart touch screen cell-phone for the very same reason. Too much back and forth, like a ping-pong game on a miniature table.. And at 57, I am NOt a techological wizard with flying fingers, nor do I desire to be. The simplest, q<strong>uickest access to desired screens is best for me.
I think I will , like you did, go with the Revel ;and hope that the Enlite sensors will be out by the end of the year. I could order the current sensors now, as I have not a one left,at the 80% coverage. This would be in order to avoid my paying for ALL of the cost if I wait until the Enlite sensors come out, which MAY be next year. I would be paying the full price ( 100%) if I order after 12/31/2012, as opposed to 20% if I order them now. But I cannot see ordering the MM current sensors at even 20% of their cost, since they DO NOT WORK FOR ME.
Yeah, I have honestly been very happy with my Revel. It works and works almost flawlessly. Any issues I've had have been user error on my part and even those have been few and far between. When I tried the ping and put it down my bra, it just stuck out way more than my the Revel did. I put my Revel down my bra all the time and it's barely noticeable.
I am very adept with technology, but when it comes to pumping, I want my pump to WORK. Period. I want it to reliably deliver insulin and not die on me in the middle of nowhere. Around the time I was looking for a pump, there were two different people (I think on this listserv) who reported dropping their Pings, resulting in their deaths. A pump should be able to take a simple drop.
Again, I just also found the Minimed Menu much more intuitive. Perhaps that's because I've been using it for some time, but it's simple and quick. When I'm bolusing in a restaurant, I want my bolus to be simple and quick. Even with the remote bolus feature on the Ping, I felt like there were too many steps you had to go through to bolus.
I see in your post above, Brunetta, you clicked on bold; can you somehow unclick that? Not sure why it's affecting everybody's posts.
Btw, I don't know if you're interested in Animas, but if you (or anyone else) is interested, they give a discount for low income. I get 30% off my pump and supplies (after the 80% of insurance).
