I'm a relatively new autoimmune diabetic (type 1 or LADA, not sure which), and my honeymoon is ending. Today the endo says he sees me as a good candidate for an insulin pump in the future and recommended that I start looking into different pumps and which I might be interested in trying. He has no particular biases that he's willing to share, and for the sake of argument, we should pretend that my insurance won't be a b*tch about it.
So, from all you experienced pumpers, I'd like to know what you're using and how and why you chose it (if not for insurance purposes). Also any comments you have as to what you think is important to consider would be astoundingly helpful.
As to me and my lifestyle, I tend to work too much, but when I can I lift weights or go climbing. I used to cycle a lot and I pretend I'm going to start doing that again, too. I rarely eat or sleep on a regular schedule. My diet is generally quite good and low in carbs, but I've been known to self-soothe with ice cream.
I looked through some old threads for some discussions like this one, but I also figured it might be worth bringing up again as things are changing so rapidly. Any advise would be phenomenal, so thank you all in advance.
I am not a pumper yet but have looked into the diff pumps available in my province. To me they all are pretty similar with some minor pros for each. You need to look at how big of a reservoir you may need, whether or not you care for tubing or no tubing or if you want something waterproof.
For myself I am accident prone. lol if it might happen or may happen..it usually happens to me. So for this reason I've already chosen the animas ping for when I can get a pump in the future. What did I like about this pump?
1. Its remote is also your glucose monitor so it kinda cuts down on the amt of stuff you need to carry..a bit lol 2. You can use the remote OR the pump directly to bolus or change basals etc from. So even if you lose or misplace the remote/meter than you can still use your pump.
3. Its waterproof! again..accident prone ...I have dropped stuff in water before so knowing if I go in water with my pump its safe is a huge weight lifted of my shoulders.
4. I really like the color screen on the pump. Just seems that it would be easier to read things off of rather than a b/w screen.
5.Customer service has been great they replied very fast when I inquired about their pump and offered to set up a meeting to show me the pump and insets etc.
6. not that it really matters but if I'm also going to be wearing something 24/7 almost than I would like it to be a wee bit fashionable and the ping comes in an array of colors
I know I'm not a pumper yet but hopes this helps a bit!
Oh and I also cycle its great...hope you can get back into it :)
I want to start looking into a new pump also. I've had Animas Ping 3-4 years. It had to be replaced after 2 years bc the buttons wouldn't push. I chose it because of the all-in-one infusion set (Medtronic didn't have them yet, and I hated using the torture device they called Sofserter). What I like about it (and other pumps may have these features too, I haven't researched lately):
0.05 increments
Can change basal to 0 instead of using Suspend and hearing an alarm every few minutes. What I don't like about it:
The clip broke several times and I had to re-buy it.
The paint chips off very easily.
The film covering the screen peels off.
You must rewind the pump when you change the battery (weird).
The worst thing is it does not work well when the reservoir gets below 25 units of insulin (need to check if other Ping users have this problem or it's just my pump).
Also you have to do more button presses than with the Medtronic (but I'm used to this now).
I'm very interested to see what others say about their pumps. Good luck to you with whichever brand you choose.
p.s. I started checking into OmniPod but saw too much negative feedback for my comfort level.
My T1 daughter has the medtronic mini med. I like the features and the customer service is great. I have great insurance so that wasn't a consideration for me. So far we have not had any problems with it. The clip did break twice but they replaced it within 24 hours at no cost to us. The only thing is that it does have a tube but my duaghter just tucks it into her underwear and she is fine with it. I chose this in the beginning because it said it was pediatric friendly and it seemed easy to use. (computer idiot here so that was VERY important to me)
I have been using OmniPod for about 18 months, I'd say. I chose it because it is:
tubeless waterproof (not the PDM but the pod)
auto-insert cannula
I rarely wear clothes with a waistband to work and I just could not imagine how I was going to attach a tubed pump, so the OmniPod was a surprisingly pleasant surprise.
The pods are programed to "expire" at 72 hours so they will beep to let you know that time is approaching. At 80 hours, insulin delivery stops altogether and the pod beeps a solid beep until you deactivate it with the PDM. I don't require loads of insulin (about 20 units daily) so I do allow my pods to be attached for the entire 80 hours of life.
I like that I can normally hide the pod under clothing, but if I cannot, I use a Band for Life that both covers the pod and helps keep it securely in place for exercise, etc.
Should you encounter a pod that doesn't prime correctly or incurs an error of another kind (I had a few into which I simply could not inject insulin), you will lose the insulin unless you can learn how to extract it from the reservoir. OmniPod will replace pods that error during priming and may replace pods that encounter an occlusion but I've not had one of those in a year or so and I just don't remember.
Customer service has always been great to deal with.
It is fabulously easy to read/hear about the problems others have faced with OmniPod. Just remember that those who are unhappy tend to be the loudest and most expert at spreading the word. There are a great number of us who wouldn't dream of switching.
I would encourage you to test-drive a few. You'll find a good fit!
I tried minimed and omnipod when I started the pump 1 1/2 yrs ago. Omnipod was significantly better in my opinion for several reasons: 1) I had a lot of pain with the infusion site for minimed and tore it off after my first trial day. I cant even tell the pod is on my skin, and barely feel it go in. Also, judging by what others say, scarring seems to be more prevalent with tubed pump infusion sites. You cant even tell on my skin that I wear a pump after 1 1/2 yrs.
2) Ease of operation. No priming the tubing, the pump does it all for you. Just have to make sure you get the air bubbles out of the syringe before filling the pod.
3) Tubeless! I know people say you get used to it, but after trying both the tubing was a huge hassle for me. And you never have to take it off for showers, etc.
4) Customer support has been great for me. If I have a pod error(maybe 5 total over the past year), they send a replacement right away and were able to answer all of my questions to this point.
One negative is there is always the possibility of losing the controller since it isn't attached to you. I did this on vacation once and it wasn't a good situation. But its a small negative compared to the positives imo. Just be sure to have backup syringes on hand. There is a good amount of negative feedback for the pod, but I don't know why personally. Ive had nothing but good luck with it.
I chose Omnipod for many of the reasons already mentioned. I really hated the idea of tubing so I stuck with MDI until the new smaller pods came out and have been very happy with it. I carry an insulin pen with me as a back-up but haven't had a reason to use it. Yet. I started almost 3 months ago. :)
I have been a type I diabetic for almost 39 years pumping the last 14 of them. Your reasons for choosing one pump over another are probably going to be pretty personal. I have had 3 different pumps, each with there own pros and cons. Up until last week I was using the Animas ping. Last week my son was diagnosed with type I as well and I’m giving my pump to him cause we can’t afford to buy another one. I like the Animas because it is waterproof, small size(comfortable if you keep in your pocket), the screen is colored and easy to read. The cartridge only holds 200 units compared to other pumps which means more cartridge changes. The ping meter is also a remote with calorie king database. I am going back to my old Cozmo pump but that is not available anymore or I would suggest that one. I am a Mtn biker, hiker, camper, and worked for years as an urban paramedic and tactical paramedic. Each held up well but the Animas waterproofing rating is the best in the industry.
I personally like my Medtronic Revel (723). I like the features on it, the bolus wizard is easy to use and the infusion set i use (quick-set) is easy to use and apply. But as stated before, every pump has differences. and you may eventually try a couple before you find the one you like. My Endo has Medtronic staff in house so it was easy to get a demonstration from them. this link Pump Comparison has a good comparison of the different pumps, but its a lot of numbers to look at. Im sure each company would LOVE to send you information reguarding their pumps if you call or email. :)~
I have a Medtronic Revel 523. I like it cause it gives you flexibility in the size of the reservoir. I don't mind the tubing. I usually clip it to my bra and 99% of the time I think it's less noticeable than the Omnipod I demo'd was. You get used to the tubing, and really it's not that big of a deal. A pump is attached to you one way or another tubed or no tubing is it not??? The Medtronic pump is very user friendly too, which if technical gadgets make you a little nervous is a plus. That wasn't a big added bonus for me, but for many it would be. They have many different infusion sets to choose from. And customer service has always been very good.
I imagine my second choice in a pump would be the Animas Ping. It is comprable to the Medtronic, and the advantages it has that the Medtronic doesn't is the meter/remote and its waterproof.
OmniPod hands down. Hand held controller is great. No tubing, no taking it off in the shower. I don't know what the negative feedback could be. Customer service is great.
Thanks again to everyone who is replying to this thread. I'm probably not going to start pumping for awhile yet (I only just started bolusing this week!), so whatever people have to comment on continues to be helpful. I saw my diabetes nurse earlier this week and she showed me different infusion sets and hand controllers and being able to handle everything was incredibly useful. Does anyone have anything to say about adhesives?
I've used ReliaMed Protective Barrier Wipes and haven't really had a problem with my Animas Inset sticking, just rarely when I've been in a hot shower too long right after changing my set (like the adhesive needs to cure or something). In that case, I've used a Skin Tac wipe to keep the set from coming off. Skin Tac does come in a bottle too if you prefer (you could use a q-tip to apply), but I didn't find that to be any less messy than the wipes.
