Questions and feedback from non Omnipod users-please share your experience

You always have the choice of removing any remaining insulin in the pod.

Thanks for the tip Shelby!

iā€™ve been using metronic for 14+ yrs now. i am on my 3rd pump.the paradigm. i am coming up on my warranty and am investigating other types/brands of pumps. i have loved my MM. it is easy to use; attach, disconnect, read the screen, the adhesive stays put for days and is actually a bit difficult to peel off. i have had, over the many years, less than 5 problems w/ it, and when i have had to call tech support, they answer the phone almost immediately, and you can talk to a real live person instead of an automated system. they will replace any product of theirs that are defective w/out making a big deal over it.

i change my site every 3 days, but i donā€™t necessarily change the reservoir so that i donā€™t waste any last drop of insulin. i have recently stopped over-loading the reservoir b/c i am now on the dexcom cgm and i need to rotate (generally from side to side, and i try to coordinate my changes) i have found that when i change my infusion site frequently, my insulin absorption is infinitely better. also, i donā€™t tend to scar from frequent rotations. and my rotations donā€™t have to be that far apart from one to the other. i hope this answers your questions. good luck and stay tuned in.

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my insulin (novolog) co-pay (2 vials) is $200/month. i get samples from my endo at every visit. he stocks me up w/ the novolog as well as the lantis, which i would use if my pump broke. i get samples from every one of my doctors. co-pays are outrageously prohibitive.

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thanks for the tip Daisy!

I think I posted before, but have a new comment :slight_smile: I was on the Asante Snap and, despite the tubing, liked that system very much. When they went out of business, I switched to the Omnipod. I admit that I liked the options it gave me, such as more convenient arm sites because of the lack of tubing, but even with that, I have been less happy with it than the Snap. I am currently trying the Animas Vibe, which connects to the Dexcom CGM (which Iā€™ve already been using).
For me, the cost after insurance will actually be a little more, because I will have two copays (one for sets, one for cartridges) instead of one. For this trial, I bought supplies out of pocket and, yes, that cost less than I would pay for Pods.

To be honest - and itā€™s only the second day of my trial - the Vibe made me feel almost LIBERATED. Despite the tubing, I feel less encumbered. We forget how much those Pods weight - the weight of an infusion set is inconsequential. Also, the Vibe is a lot smaller - and sturdier - than the Omnipod PDM. Itā€™s also waterproof, though I have et to find out if that will make a difference for me.

With the Snap, I did not find the tubing got in the way of my somewhat active life. I only had two ā€œencountersā€ with doorknobs, and they did not end badly. I picked up a waist pack to hold the pump when I work out - took only a little effort to be comfortable with that, and it works well for me. Otherwise, itā€™s on my belt or stashed in a pocket and out of my way.

Hope that helps. Good luck!

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thanks for all the tips guys. I do love the freedom omnipod gives me but the option to have both cgm and pump together is very attractive. Also, I do occasionally forget my PDM behind so it would be nice to not have to worry about this anymore. still debatingā€¦

i get my insulin from my endo. i get as many samples of novolog that i can fit into my purse. if i run out for any oddball reason, my pharmacy co-pay is $200 for 2 vials. (i am on Medicare) (they wonā€™t contribute much $$ for insulin, but they do pay for my pump and pump supplies in full.)

i only fill up my reservoir w/ enough insulin to last me 2 days. i donā€™t want to waste a drop. its too darn precious. and, by that measure, i do in fact rotate my site every other day. iā€™ve gotten too many scars from leaving it in for longer. also, my insulin absorption sucks after 3-4 days. if it were up to me as far as the pump goes, when i find a ā€œgoodā€ site, i would leave it in there for a month or more. i HATE taking out the darn thing and having to find another comfortable spot.

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free insulin from your endo is a really nice perk! I hear you about rotating your sites as well but I hardly have absorption/scar issues despite leaving them in for the full 80 hours. thanks for sharing your experience.

@Arshag, FWIW I think the concern about rotating and changing sites is a long-term, running a marathon concept. Sometimes the damage is unseen because it builds over such a long time. Then, itā€™s a short-term problem.

i find that if i keep my canula/site in too long, my absorption starts to get bonky. also, i do get those little scar-like bumps when i donā€™t rotate frequently.

not to say that i enjoy changing sites, b/c i HATE it. that first minute of sticking that introducer needle into my abdomen is rather painful. but once it is in, and i can feel that iā€™ve gotten a ā€œgoodā€ spot, i am relieved and ready to go. and, i donā€™t think about my next change of sites until it comes 'round.

also, one other perk of frequent changing, is that the sticky tape holding down the infusion stays on completely. i really have to pull at it to remove it.

the free samples of insulin is one of the reasons i see my endo so frequently!! and, one of the other reasons i change my sites so often, is that i spare myself some insulin. i donā€™t want to have 1/2 a vial left before the month is up. often what i will do if my insulin is running out from the reservoir is that i put in a new introducer/site needle and continue using the ā€œoldā€ reservoir. this allows me to truly get the last drop of insulin before i refill my pump.

good idea, unfortunately this canā€™t be done with the omnipod. Once you pull the pod out its trash!

is there a reason that you chose to be on the POD? i have a friend who is on it and she likes it quite a bit, and, if i am not mistaken, she leaves hers in until the last possible moment she needs to replace hers. i am on the medtronic minimed pump. i like that i can pull all the features apart from one another. i know that some would find this annoying, but i feel more in control w/ it this way.

also, your endo doesnā€™t have samples of pods in his/her office that you can scavenge?

love the pod. Canā€™t imagine switching to a different system but i find it interesting to hear others experience with the device(Omnipod or not). I too run the pod till the very end of its life(80 hours). The alarms can get annoying during the last 8 hours of its life but Iā€™ll save where I can!

Hey Romona here. Iā€™m new to this Web site, and you may have switched already. My Omni pods is cord less and water resistant, cordless, you can shower in it, even swim in it and I love it. I just hate my high deductible, (and my insurance).