My endocrinologist has been encouraging me to get a pump. I'm injecting about a dozen times a day, and use a Dexcom CGM. I'm passionate about running and sports, so I have some concerns about the tubes in the Medtronix Minimed, but I've also read blogs from many of you that love your MM and don't have issues with tubes. The Omnipod has mixed reviews, mostly favorable for the tubeless feature. I need to make a decision in the next 2 weeks, any recommendations? (PS - I'm ready to lose the belly bruises from the shots!)
I have an Animas Ping - similar to the MM - and I like having the ability to remove my pump as needed. The pods stay attached no matter what. The tubing also allows site changes separate from reservoir refills so the two don’t always have to coincide, which allows for less waste. Lastly, on that same note, if there is a problem with a site, the site can be replaced without having to refill any cartridges or waste any supplies. I don’t know about the MM, but my Ping also has a remote that allows me to bolus without removing the pump from my pocket, which is one of the things omnipod usually lists as a selling point.
I don’t do many sports, but one thing you’ll want to consider is the fact that sweat weakens adhesives. The area of skin that needs to stick is a lot less with a tubed pump than with a pod but I don’t know how much this really matters.
Getting a pump was really liberating for me, almost 9 years ago. You’re going to love it either way!
I have a minimed, and I love it. I have also read several reviews about the omni pod,because I too was interedted in the “wire less” part of it. I read alot of complaints however about it not being accurate and coming out of the skin easily with out the wearer knowing it and in turn causing high glucose levels.As Clumsy Chemist mentioned the seperate tubing does allow for less waste because if you need to change your site ,but not the insulin you can, or if your like me and have to pay everything out of pocket you try not to throw away insulin if possible.Also similarly to the Ping, the minimed also has a remote control. They also have meters that go with them that send your glucose level to your pump and calculates how much insulin to do, and you can enter how ever many carbs you are eating and it helps calculate the insulin for that too. I am not too famililiar with the other brands of pumps, but I would suggest going to the websites of the pump companies you are interested in and make a list of pro’s and con’s to see what you like best.My pump is one of the best things diabetes related to ever happen to me.You are gonna love it! Good Luck. 
I am an animas user and would not give up my pump for the world. I am very active and the tubing has never been a problem. In fact it has saved my pump from hitting the ground a few times (more shocking than painful). When I run, or do any strenuous exercise, I have to remove or suspend the pump, as any insulin sends me crashing low. With that said, I have way fewer lows on the pump and can prepare for exercise by lowering my basil rate ahead of time. It just takes a bit of time to get used to the tubing and wearing the device.
hi running man! i too enjoy running (more like jogging, let’s be serious, but whatever 
and absolutely LOVE my omniPod! it makes running with a pump easy (and IMHO easier than running with a tubed pump). i lived with a MM pump for less than a year (i thank God i only had it for that long, but you will definitely hear from others who like their MM) and had a hard time deciding where to clip it… i could never find a comfortable spot! anywho, i absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE my oPod (because there’s nothing to clip anywhere) and cannot imagine my life without it!
but regardless of which pump company you decide to go with, i am glad you’re looking into pump therapy in the first place i think you’ll love pumping as much as i (and other TuD’ers) do!
~a.willie
I really like my minimed and woudl stick with it.
rick philips
ClumsyChemist, Crystal, Graeme, and awillie - Thanks for the feedback. I’m still fairly new to all this, I’ve only been a diabetic for less than a year (pancreatic cancer survivor!). The diabetes is a small price to pay for living through the cancer surgery and having clean PET scans. I like the Dexcom CGM (had it for 2 months now), and I’m looking forward to getting a pump. Hopefully I’ve have better control and less high/low swings that I still get with the shots. I picked up the DVDs and brochures on the Omnipod, Animas Ping and Minimed at the doc’s office, and looking at pros and cons. The tube systems seem to offer more flexibility with insulin reservoir refills, and Omnipod offers the freedom of just one unit with no tubes. If I go with the Minimed, it sounds like I can get rid of the Dexcom CGM and only have one handheld meter/monitor. Time to dig in and check out all the details from the brochures and web sites. Thanks again for your thoughts - Bob
Why is tubeless so important?
You are connected either way. (Well, no - because if you disconnect from the pod there is no reconnecting.) The tubes on the pump mean you are not going to lose the silly thing like you will lose the Omnipod’s “PDM” device. Why not have that delivery device attached to you?
I have been on the pump for more than 10 years and I am very active, and the kinks or snags or disconnects that Omnipod happily tells you that you can avoid by using their product has never been an issue for me.
Either the MM or the OP will work fine and they deliver identical results. But this “tubeless” feature is an unnecessary component, mostly marketing.
I’ve never had a “traditional” insulin pump… but I LOVE my OmniPod…
I love the things OmniPod lets me do. I didn’t let MDI slow me down much, but the OmniPod really is amazing. I love lowering my basal when I hike, and being able to predict lows from exercise or a stiff drink and still go to bed. I love being able to waterski without eating pounds of sugar when I get back to the boat. I love being able to bolus sitting in my seat on the airplaine, or at the farmers market or with my fingers covered in cotton candy at the the zoo. I love being able to grab my PDM and go on a snowmobile ride without worrying about freezing my insulin. I love being able to learn how to kiteboard without having to take off my wetsuit so I can bolus for lunch. I love raising my basal a little so I can enjoy long, multi-course dinners without dealing with an out-of-control high BG later. I love not having to disconnect my pump when I go swimming, so I can still get at least some of my basal.
I love, love, love my OmniPod.
I heard this recently on BBC (about something else, but I think it applies here…and probably to ANY insulin pump…) "It’s like a 2 year old child. It’s a pain, it farts in bed, it picks it’s nose, it wakes you up in the middle of the night, but if someone tried to take it away from me… I’d kill 'em"
It’s not all flowers and sunshine, but for me, even though Diabetes might not be on the forefront of my mind, I know I’ve got the tools to have good control.
One item to consider is insurance coverage. A lot plans anymore will cover the more traditional “tubed” pumps, but I’ve heard that some plans only cover the omnipod for the first year or so.
That being said, I love my Minimed, and it easily survived basketball season for me this last winter,
Actually, I’ve worn a demo pod before just to see how it felt, and it came off within about 2 days when i was taking off my shirt, whereas my infusion sets will normally stay in as long as I leave them in.
One other thing I don’t like about the omnipod is that it basically prohibits you from doing anything it hot environments for prolonged periods of time, such as hot tubs or saunas, whereas with traditional pumps you can either disconnect or get a frio pump case.
On the side, I also liked that I only live 15 minutes away from Medtronic’s world headquarters.
I switched from Minimed to the Omnipod about six weeks ago and am still trying to decide which is better (either are better than shots in my opinion). For running, I very much prefer the Omnipod… lots of running shorts don’t have adequate pockets for a Minimed pump. Also, because I’m also on the Dex, I was tired of my belly feeling like a pin cushion, too, and you can easily wear the Pod on your arm.
THAT BEING SAID, I’m losing way more Pods than infusion sets… they do come off easier, though I think some of that is the learning curve I’m going through. But still, I’d probably accidentally rip off an infusion set six times per year and it seems like I’m doing that to a Pod like once every week or two.
In my case, though, it was process of elimination… I love my Dex and had no interest in the Minimed CGM. Omnipod is working hard to release a single receiver that talks to the Dex in the next year or so. As a runner, a single receiver is important to me, so that’s why I went down this road. Good luck!
I was on the Minimed 522 for 2 years before switching to the Omnipod, and I highly recommend going for the Omnipod. Once you get a tubed pump, you think “tubing is no big deal”, until you switch to a tube-less pump. I really am astonished at what a difference it’s made in my life. Also, I haven’t had many problems with the pods at all. I have had 2 or 3 fail on priming (so I could remove the insulin no problem) and had an occlusion during my first month on it and I recently ripped off part of a pod, but the other 2 attachment sites stayed attached so I didn’t lose the pod. I love this thing and won’t be going back to tubed pumps ever again. Also, Insulet is working on getting the Omnipod PDA/Dexcom receiver integration.
Oh, one huge thing I always forget about when suggesting pumps to people - I suffered from serious bubble issues in my tubing. I would get multiple inch bubbles in my tubing and not know it - which then caused me to go high b/c I was getting essentially air delivery. Omnipod makes that point moot, which I love love love.
Of course everyone likes what they have, pump or pod, and can now justify the decision they made.
Kimberly writes that she has had many problems with the pod but then lists several examples of serious problems she has had. Bubbles in the pump tubing is a complaint people have made but usually without foundation, and after the fact. There are always unexplained highs with diabetes. How do you know afterward that it was caused by no insulin delivery from a bubble in the tubing? A bubble might be 0.2 of a unit, which might affect your basal rate and cause a slight bump in the bg level in 2 hours. If it is more than a 0.2 unit bubble, the problem is user error while priming, not a failure of the equipment. A high bg could be caused by inaccurate carb-counting, stress, hormones, or any number of things. It’s easier to blame a piece of equipment.
So maybe Omnipod removes the tubing and the possibility of bubbles. But what happens when your Omnipod battery runs out? You bump into a doorway and rip it off? Or you misplace the PDM? Then you have a bigger problem than possible bubbles in pump tubing.
Ok, I didn’t really intend to bash on Omnipod. My real point is that the tubeless feature of Omnipod is marketing hype, that we are excited about it because we live in a world where everything is wireless, and removing a cable or cord feels like progress. As a consumer we should look critically at what a company claims is a special feature that makes it far superior. Just like when you stand in the store aisle, looking at toothbrushes. They are all going to give you the same result, but each looks a little different. When one brand claims it made a technological breakthrough and is superior to the competitors because it has a flexible handle, you have to wonder - do I need it, was there a problem with the previous models, does it make any difference, does it create a new set of problems, and does it justify a price difference? The answers are probably all “No.” But will it harm you to use it? No.
So sorry to highjack your comments thread running man, but I need to refute the crap that Greg is spewing in his comment. I had a horrible problem with bubbles in the Minimed tubing - and yes, maybe it was user error in priming but holy smokes if it happens all the time no matter how I try to prevent it, I think it’s more than just “user error”, seems to me to be bad engineering - which resulted in highs b/c I didn’t always remember to prime the bubbles out when I saw them. Therefore, no tubing = much better pump for me. Don’t understand why he feels the need to judge me on that.
And I actually pulled out many more infusion sets than I have pulled off pods. I also had multiple infusion sets that came out horribly bent, which would explain high numbers I was seeing, but I never got a no delivery alarm on my Minimed when I should have. So for me, problems with Minimed > problems (so far) with Omnipod.
Greg - these are my actual personal experiences with both pumps that running man was asking about. The tubing issue makes a HUGE difference to me. Have you ever tried to wear a dress with a tubed pump? It’s not an easy thing to do. The tubeless component of Omnipod may be “marketing hype” to you, but to me it has pretty much changed my post-diagnosis life.
Have you ever tried to wear a dress with a tubed pump? It’s not an easy thing to do.
You are right, I haven’t. Nor have I tried sticking a fist-shaped lump on the back of my arm while wearing a dress. That sounds way easier.
Hey Bob! Saying congratulations to a pancreatic cancer survivor doesn’t begin to do justice to what you’ve gone through. I’m in awe.
I just sent off the paperwork for an Omnipod. My endo had suggested the Animas, which is the other pump I had thought about, but I chose the Ominpod for a couple of reasons. First, since my insurance will only pay 80% of the cost, the up front amount for the Animas would have really put a dent in my budget. I understand that, in the long run, the Omnipod costs more but I can handle the monthly cost a lot easier than the initial outlay. Second, I’m a gym rat more than a runner and I just have no desire to have an object clipped to my workout gear as I’m sorting through racks of weights and dumbbells. I understand that a traditional pump can be unclipped, but it just seems like one more routine to add to a day already full of routines. I really liked the idea of a tubeless pump that I can stick on and forget about, for the most part. I already have a Dexcom, so I’ve been working through the “make the adhesive pad stick” learning curve.
Now, all that being said, I did try the dummy pod and it lasted a grand total of 5 hours before I accidently ripped it off. That just told me that I have to be a bit more conscious of the pod before I get totally comfortable with having it styuck to me 24 hours a day.
Good luck! In the end, I don’t think it’s possible to make a bad choice compared to MDI. =)
FHS, Greg, Kimberly, Marcus, Jeremy, Maia, Rick, awillie, Graeme, Crystal, and ClumsyChemist - thanks for taking the time to weigh-in.
Between my product research, internet research, and tudiabetes.org blog comments (across all the groups too), I’m seeing consistent comments on the pros and cons of the major competitor products. Now I’m in the process of evaluating my insurance coverage to see if there’s a significant difference in the out-of-pocket costs. I see the endocrinologist on the 5th of Aug to order the pump. As everyone has said - it will be a great step to start pump thereapy. I’ll let everyone know my final pick after the money questions get answered.
PS - tomorrow will be my first 10K race since the pancreaticoduodenectomy (cancer surgery) and the follow-on diabetes diagnosis last year. I’m blessed beyond measure to be able to fully participate again. The Dexcom CGM will be helpful, hopefully I’ll be up and running with a pump for the September races!
PS: FHS, this might sound weird, but I’ve had tremendous success with getting my Dexcom CGM to stick and stay on for a full week (including snorkeling in the coral reefs). It might sound strange, but I use my electric shaver and shave the spot on my stomach before each application to make sure there’s no hair at all. Then use the alcohol pad to sterilize the spot and let it dry for about 3 minutes for applying the sensor. I go about 5" on each side of my belly button, and rotate each week. It works for me, I hope that helps. Bob
Have a great race Bob!
Thanks for the tips! I’m almost a month in with the Dexcom, so I’ll be inserting my 4th sensor tomorrow. It has gotten a bit better with each insertion. It would have been nice to have thought about shaving the spot before putting the sensor on. I’m not looking forward to replacing this one. =)
Fred
Are you able to try one or the other or both before deciding? David uses minimed’s paradigm 722 and had issues with the tubing in the beginning. A lot of pump delivery errors as he would wrap the tubing too tightly in a lump and then tighten the belt on his jeans. As a kid, he didn’t want people asking him about his pump, so covered it as much as possible. He soon realized that the only way for it to work well, was to make sure that the tubing was not restricted and is now completely used to the tubing being loose. It would be nice if they offered a shorter length than 23" though for the group that wear their pumps on their boxers, or jeans, shorts or whatever and need only a short length of tubing to connect efficiently.
Cheryl
I have been using an Animas Ping with good results. I us my stomach fat for the insertion and waist band for the pump in a handcuff case. I am retired public safety, if you are pondering. The ping is great with its food database. My lawyer daughter alerted me to some negative legal issues with MM. If you have to have imaging tests (CAT, MRI, etc) and have just attached a POD, it is gone because it must be removed and cannot be re-attached.
The Ping is the only other choice. BTW, congratulations about the Dexcom. I tried MM’s CGM and hand 5 of 5 sensors fail on startup because they filled with blood.