This is my first post, but I've been lurking these forums since I was diagnosed (8/28/13). I'm a type 1, and I'm 19 years old. I've been on MDI flexpens, Novolog and Levemir. My first A1C was 11.5%, and my last A1C test was 5.7% (12/23). So I'm seeing some awesome improvement!
Anyways, I have the Omnipod but have to go to training, and I'm really nervous about it. I'm not sure if there is a general FAQ thread about the Omnipod, but I'm just mostly afraid of overnight lows. I've only had a few, and I'm generally pretty good about correcting them when I get them. But how common are overnight lows with a pump? How does that work exactly?
Thanks ya'll.
Congrats on the great A1C improvement! I've been on the Omnipod for almost a year now, but I've been using various tubed pumps for nearly 14 years. With a pump, instead of using long acting insulin like Levemir, you'll set up basal rates, which gives you the amount of short acting insulin each hour to keep your blood sugar steady. A diabetes educator or endocrinologist will use your levemir dose to estimate your basal rates. You'll likely need to tweak them based on your results. But once you get it dialed in, you shouldn't have any trouble. It's been so long since I switched from MDI to a pump that I don't remember how that process went, but they might start out conservatively at first to avoid lows. As far as bolusing, if you do carb counting now, it's very simple to make the switch to a pump. You'll just enter the amount of carbs you are consuming, and the pump will calculate based on your insulin:carb ratio, and also suggest a correction as needed.
There is an omnipod group here: http://www.tudiabetes.org/group/omnipodusers
You'll get lots of great tips there. Feel free to ask as many questions as you need!
Good luck, I'm sure you'll do great.
I don’t use the omnipod myself, but I hope you have great luck with it.
PS Excellent a1c! Congrats on all the hard work 
Hi there, I just wanted to say good luck and have a bit of patience at first. Your diabetes or pump educator will help with settings but they tend to be conservative at first so generally speaking you may run a bit higher at first until they get things dialed in. to be honest you need to worry more about unexplained highs than lows with pumping due to the occasional to rare failures. My son has been using the omnipod for 3 years now and is doing great, he is 15. I feel the newer generation of pods is more reliable we used to struggle a lot with highs after pod changes much better now with the newer ones. In 5 years my son has only had like 2 early evening lows and there were valid reasons for these, he always has a snack with some fat and protein and if he is super active that day we give him less insulin for the snack. So once you get going please let us know if you have questions. I give you lots of credit for taking responsibility for yourself being diag at this age can be really tough for some, but it sounds like you are taking the bull by the horns good for you! Many blessings, Amy
The best thing about having a pump imho, in general, is your ability to have basal programs custom made to your specific needs. That's just something that is very difficult to do with long acting insulin on MDI.
Once you get dialed in, whether it's overnight, or during times of high activity, or low activity, or shifts in the Earth's magnetic field, or gremlin mating season, you can change your basal program to accomodate. Just like any other pump, the Omnipod will allow you to have that degree of control.
Whether that means you're going to have more overnight lows or less overnight lows while you are on a pump compared to MDI depends on how well you can program your basal. I program my overnight basal a bit on the aggressive side. My target is 90-100, but I also will not hesitate to wake up at the witching hour to check my BG if necessary, and, I did some extensive basal testing with the help of a CGM when I first went on the pod.
Congratulations and best of luck!