So this is the first time I have ever joined an online anything! But we have a 3 year old on a Ping and with the news of Animas shutting down I needed a place to connect with other parents feeling as hung out to dry as we are. Granted there is time to figure this out but I feel like there are no good options out there. If someone can produce me a pump with a remote (if you have a toddler on pump you know why this is a must) that isn’t an Omnipod (lots of wasted insulin for our little guy and if the pdm is lost or broken there is no way to dose him other than a pen) then I would love to know about it. I know Medtronic has a remote for their newer pumps but I have heard nothing good about that company and also hear their CGM is no where near as good as our Dexcom. That leaves Tandem with their fancy touchscreens and Dexcom compatibility…but no remote! Come on Tandem! I am hoping someone has some experience with these other pumps on their kiddos and can throw some ideas and possibly some reassurance our way. Our little guy’s pump is under warranty until 2020.
I am with you (although my daughter is 13). We just got her on the Ping on August 29th which means that she has until 2021 on the warranty. I am beside myself because we got the Ping for her to easily bolus in dresses (without altering them with pockets) and we are too far past the 30 day return window. Her dad and I are not comfortable with the Medtronic 630g option as they are only FDA approved for 16 and up (I know that there are lots under 16 using it but it’s a personal issue of ours). Also her endo is not a fan of Medtronic so we would rather go with Tandem (missing the remote option though), but because our warranty expires after September 30 2019 they said all we can do is take it up with insurance. Omnipod is trying to work with us, but given it is mostly out of pocket and we need 2 day site changes due to insulin requirements that is our last option. I feel hung out to dry by Animas because we just went with them not even 2 months ago and their solution with Medtronic doesn’t work with us. Honestly I just want the pump we chose and paid for to have the warranty that we were told it would have, I just want them to be responsible to those they sold products to.
I’m sorry you are going through this 
But we will go through it together!
I feel for you! We just started pumping last week with TslimX2 and love it but I can definitely see where a remote would be convenient. I think it’s a rough deal for anyone who has gotten used to the remote. My cousin has had the animas ping for 4 years for her daughter but chose to upgrade to the vibe over the summer and hates not having the convenience of the remote…especially searching through blankets to find the pump and correct a night high. Her daughter is 10. Now she has to figure out which pump to go to next. I imagine she might go Omnipod if she can because she stayed with Animas for the waterproof feature and she misses the remote.
I love the remote, however my biggest issue is that we are under warranty until 2021 and insurance is unwilling to budge on that which then puts us into either OOP or Medtronic and I do honestly feel like Animas was very dishonest selling us this pump and then 6 weeks later discontinuing and therefore forcing us into a bad situation. In August we would have went with Tandem had we known, now we are just trying to make the best decision for our daughter…How is your cousin handling the warranty situation if she just upgraded this summer to the Vibe?
There is some waste on the omnipod for someone that young, but how do the other pumps handle it? Is there not a minimum fill amount on the Animas pump? Or on any pump?
I think a reasonable case could be made that the PDM not being attached to a 3 year old is less likely to be broken than a pump which is attached. 
I think the omnipod is a good choice for someone his age. If you would like, I can put you in touch with the parents of a 3 year old boy who has been using omnipod for over a year now.
His animas pump is super durable but we have had instances where his meter remote was separated from him and we dosed based on dexcom and carbs via the actual pump. I do think that this is a rare possibility. We would just have to be extra diligent. But as far as the insulin goes…we load 45 units into his ping. He is right around 10 units TDD. If I remember correctly I think the Omnipod rep said that you have to load a minimum of 80 units…but a whole year and a lot of sleep deprivation might be skewing that number! Omnipod is not completely out of the question. It’s just different and honestly was not impressed by the rep in our area.
I kind of feel like my toddler right now…“why?! I don’t want to change! It’s not fair! :(
”
Yes, the minimum fill amount is 85 units on the omnipod.
On the other hand, you don’t necessarily need to change. The infusion sets will still be available for a while. And you can also stock up on them. As long as the pump is working, you can keep using it.
3 years from now, a lot will change - both in terms of pumps that are available and how much insulin he is using. So have you just considered sticking with it for a few years?
Exactly. This was why we stayed an extra 2 years on the Ping past our warranty. For the life of me, I was never able to figure WHY Animas would remove the remote feature from the Vibe? It was basically the same pump. It was their technology. What possible reason could they have for not including the remote? That complete failure of understanding killed the Thought of an upgrade to Animas. Other companies - I could sort of understand they don’t have it, they don’t understand whatever. But Animas HAD THE REMOTE with the Ping and then they DROPPED it for the Vibe? Crazy.
Anyway - in terms of waterproof, I find it very frustrating that Tandem refuses to highlight this as pretty much ALL the Animas customers are saying the same thing. (Perhaps I exaggerate but I hear this over and over again.) But the fact is that the Tandem t:slim X2 is certified for 3 feet of water for 30 minutes. On top of that, I called the Tandem Customer Service who assured me the Tandem t:slim X2 is FULLY COVERED under the warranty in the event of water damage. Period. They will NOT be asking if it was four feet under water for 40 minutes. Simply covered for water damage.
As FYI, after 6 years on the Animas Ping, we have switched to the Tandem t:slim X2 with the Dexcom G5. Yes - you have to dig through the blankets to get the pump. Yes - this is aggrivating after being used to the Animas Ping remote. No - nobody who did not use the remote and does not have children will ever understand the issue. It is what it is. No remote. We got used to it and like our Tandem X2 and Dexcom G5.
I agree with @Eric2. I would at least consider the possibility of riding out the current pump. Especially if you are not really pleased with the choices you have in front of you.
I have a feeling that might be the final decision…wait it out. One thing I found comfort in was that even with all the craziness that T1D brouhht into our world, I thought, at least we have reliable, consistent equipment…and then. WAM!
I want my son to be able to have a pump that he feels comfortable with and that will be around for awhile as he learns to handle T1D on his own. I wish somebody would have just bought them out. I am seriously grieving the inevitable loss of this product. But I’m just gonna have to get out my big girl straw and suck it up. Thank you everyone for your replies. I will keep checking back for any updates on the pump transition .
I think she will ride it out for as long as she can. Another factor in her staying with Animas was…her stockpile of Ping supplies would work with the Vibe. She unknowingly prepared for the storm. If forced…she’ll probably go Omni but I am not sure. Her daughter is the deciding factor. She’s 10 and was diagnosed at 18 months so she manages on her own for the most part.
Be sure to stock up on the Animas battery caps and cartridge covers. I would buy 20 set. Just 'cause I like to go overboard on things. plus they are cheap. And that is something the distributors might not have.
I think distributors are going to have shelves and shelves of cartridges and infusion sets.
I agree that it is so unfair to put people in this situation when they knew what was happening within the company.
But I agree here with others, stock up on supplies and ride that pump for as long as you can. I don’t think I have ever gotten a new pump when my warranty ran out. I was with MiniMed/Medtronic for 25 years and had only 3 pumps with them. Been with Tandem now for 3 years and am due a new one this December but I will wait and see what happens on the artificial pancreas front. There are a few companies out there that are getting very close.
So I would say, keep using it. It will probably work very well for years and who knows what might be on the market when you can get a new one. Just get those hard to find supplies as one person stated. Good luck and wow the joys of technology, right!?
Because they had to use the radio transmitter/receiver to communicate with the Dexcom G4 and apparently the hardware was unable to handle communication with two separate devices. Are you in the USA? The new Dana pump is fully controllable using an Android phone, but only certified in Europe so far.
As a CEO, I would consider that an excuse. Clearly we have the technology. They did not have the will.
Man, I know I am new to all of this T1D stuff and especially pumps, but I just wish I could be as confident as you guys are about riding out the current pump. The Medtronic rep put the fear of God in me when they said that we have the choice to not change to the 630g, but that after September 2019 we would be on our own if something happens. No warranty, likely no insurance coverage for a new pump and no ability to then choose to go with the 630g. For us that would be two years of unknown. I know that a lot of you have kept a pump well after warranty, but I have also read of many who have had their pumps replaced many times during their warranty so…really I am scared and I haven’t known diabetes for long (although the past 8 months have felt like a lifetime), we researched pumps for months to make sure we were giving her something for the next four years that was best for her and I just was so blindsided.
Having a pump replaced under warranty does not mean the pump HAD to be replaced. It means it was ELIGIBLE to be replaced. The one does not NECESSARILY indicate the other.
We replaced an Animas Ping replaced under warranty because the screen was dim. That allowed a warranty exchange. Certainly we could have (and would have) continued running that if there was no warranty in effect. But as there was a warranty - why not exchange it?
So, if considering how many pumps were exchanged, if it was me, I would ask the reason the pump was exchanged under warranty.
I have a very strong and visceral reaction to anybody that tries to sell me something based on fear.
Take a few steps back and just take the time to allow the emotional impact of the current events (which clearly suck big time - no getting around that) to fade so you can logically and intellectually evaluate ALL of your options. There really is no rush to make an immediate decision.
Anybody trying to force you into a quick decision (almost certainly) does not have your family’s best interest as their motivation.
I have to share something about the Tandem (G4 I’m not sure if it’s the same on X2) that it’s a PITA to lock the device. For a young child that can be dangerous if you forget or become neglectful in locking it after every single time you need to Bolus or change a temp basal.
Good to know! I was planning on removing his pump for swimming but it’d be great if we didn’t have to.
Tandem Customer Support does say to take it off while swimming. But if it doesn’t physically get in his way and if it is certified to 3 feet of water and if the Warranty will replace due to water damage - then why bother? Do what is the most comfortable for you both.
When we used to spend time on the beach, we would remove the Animas Ping simply for comfort. Every two hrs we would reconnect and bolus for 2 hrs worth of basal.
But really whatever you find most comfortable should work.
Just a suggestion, and this really depends on your child…we remove the pump for swimming because our son tends to be low while exercising in general. So to be safer we take his pump off so he is getting zero insulin. Then we reconnect when necessary to bolus. It just eliminates the potential low that may come from the extra activity+basal insulin. Sometimes he still drops but less drastically it seems.