Starting to Research Pumps

Diabetes Technology Insulin Pumps
#1

My 12 year old daughter’s endo has cleared her to transition to a pump. She was diagnosed on Sept 30, 2009. We have been invited to a meeting in early February which will be hosted by the reps of various manufacturers. I am beginning the process of getting as much information about pumps that I can gather over the next couple of weeks. My daughter is very musical and she performs publicly at least once a week. We have been told that the Omnipod is not a good choice since it does not have a vibrate only alarm. Not sure if that is true or not, but it would be problematic if an audible alarm went off during performances.

Thanks for sharing any thoughts or information with me.

#2

You can turn off all non-essential alarms. The alarm is also not very loud.

#3

Thanks for the reply. Good idea regarding wearing a sample set. What is a Sure-T?

#4

Thanks. I have been doing a lot of searches on pumps but had not focused on sets. I will certainly expand my research.

#5

While the omnipod does not currently have a vibrate function, I wouldn’t rule it out (at least in my opinion). All non-essential alarms can be disabled, leaving you with only the expiratory/low reservoir alarm. With simple foresight concerning a performance, you could re-set this item (basically to have it go off ‘now’, at the time of your adjustment, rather than potentially at some point in the near future).
That being said, I agree you should demo as much as you can. Different strokes for different folks–that is, each pump has pros and cons and you will likely find that your daughter may like one over another for various reasons (either user-interface related, the way insulin on board is calculated, the way it looks(some have skins and case options like a cell phone, etc), all the way down to the type of infusion set (and potentially infusion set self-serter) that you prefer).
I used various MM for about 5 years and am now podding. I like both for different reasons, but for my lifestyle I much prefer the tubeless and waterproof feature of the pods.
Good luck to you and your daughter as you begin the researching of pumps! And to second Dave’s suggestion, pick up a copy of Pumping Insulin…it’s really helpful and has lots of insight into getting better control on diabetes.

#6

Thanks for taking the time to reply. I will be going immediately to Amazon and order the book.

#7

Hello – I’m on the Omnipod and chose it because I’m a swimmer and it’s the only pump you can swim with. Also, I"m a total clutz so I figure that I would rip out the tubing with a traditional pump. I konw there are many moms/ kids on the Omnipod forum/group here, you could ask some of them. I think the Omnipod would “look the coolest” technilogically for a 12 year old versus “catheder-like” to a young pre-teen/teen. Seems silly to us, but teens are so much more sensitive to that kind of thing and worrying about what others will think.
I set the alarms to silent before a meeting/performance and she could check herself before performing and do the same. There are several students at my school who I am trying to talk into getting the Omnipod for the same reasons. Good luck with your research and making this tough decision.