woo. okay, so i want a pump. i am totally torn between the onmipod and the ping. i tested out a demo omnipod and liked it but i am afraid of losing the pdm. and also the pod is kinda chunky, but i only wear t-shirts so no one noticed it. (: i held a ping, put it in my pocket, stuffed the tubing away, and all that. i like that it has a remote but being able to control it from the pump itself makes me feel a lot better because i tend to lose things quite frequently. :) sooooo, i need help. i really cannot decide which one i want.. or need. does anyone want to help out a teenage girl who can't make up her mind? :) any input at all would be greatly appreciated.
gillian, i gotta know if it hurts or not, like when the cannula thing goes in? it looks like it goes pretty fast, but have you had any problems with it being too painful? also, i've heard that sometimes the pods don't work. what are some difficulties you've had with omnipod?
I'm on the pod and I really like it. You can conceal under your clothes fairly well and it is easy to use. The cannula automatically inserts and it doesn't hurt much. And once it is on, it doesn't hurt at all. I too was deciding between the Ping and Omnipod, and I am glad I chose the Omnipod because I don't think I would like tubes. It is a tough decision, but try a demo pod and see how it feels.
I'm a ping supporter. Great customer service, great product. I hope you get the feedback you are looking for, if not use the search bar and look for similar threads that ask this question. The tube isn't an issue for me, plus I've never seen a thread on here titled "having trouble with my ping", if you search omnipod, you will see those threads?
Just so you know, I've only had the ping, so I haven't experienced other options.
I like the Medtronic pump because it is almost fully self contained. It reads its CGM and if you don't have your blood glucose meter, you can input data from any meter manually. I know soon that Ping will have similar technology with the Dexcom. But until they do, they are lacking on the CGM and pump working together. This disease makes life confusing enough. I like that with my pump they make it just a bit easier to manage my diabetes.
I have talked with reps from the Ping company and they explained, quite honestly, to my surprise, that all pumps are very good and do a great job at what hey are designed to do. You really can't go wrong with any of them.
Oh, and as far as inserting the canula, it is easier and much less painful than taking four shots a day. Once it is in, you only notice it when it gets tugged on or bumped. I will feel it, but, really there is no pain.
I'm having the same problem as you and am deciding between the omnipod and animas ping. I wore the minimed pump for the past four years and was not impressed at all. Since i've only had the minimed pump, I don't have a lot of advice, but I do know that with all of the pump companies, there is a return policy of around 30 days so you can try them out. I'm on the omnipod right now and am planning to return it and try the ping next...its a little complicated but I think its definitely helpful to actually wear the two pumps for a month to get a better idea of whats a better fit for you
Just sayin', I think Ping would work better for a lot of girls than omnipod. I opted for a Ping and love that I can hide it away if I put on a tight shirt. (The two most "hidden" spots I've figured out are clipped under the front of my bra, and tucked inside my waistband. Otherwise, I just stick it in my pocket.)
The omnipod wouldn't work for me, because I like being able to move the "bulge" of the pump wherever I want it for the outfit I'm wearing. Once the omnipod is on, it's stuck in that spot until it expires.
Another little tip, it's easy to sort of cheat on how long you have an infusion site for Ping. Like if I'm "supposed" to change it on Wednesday night but am exhausted and have enough insulin in the pump for overnight, I can just wait and change it Thursday morning. With omnipod, it's TIMED. You'll get an alarm and the pod will STOP when you reach the "deadline" to change your pod. (At least, that's how I understand it.)
That said, I think omnipod is an AWESOME idea in so many ways, and I'd totally wear it if it were smaller and offered a little more flexibility in the face of my own laziness.
Elizabeth's response echoes a lot of what I wanted to say about the Ping. :) I love mine! I feel that, for me, it's a more flexible option. I can put the pump almost anywhere in my outfit, to hide it (or not), and most importantly - I can disconnect it. This is super important when I'm running, or showering, or going through an airport x-ray. Just a thought. :) Both are great pumps; it's just a matter of what features are most important to you.
I did a demo omnipod and I HATED it! Especially in the summer when wearing a swimsuit its the most noticeable thing ever. Not to mention, its impossible to move it around even if you want to change where the pump lays. Not to mention, my demo filled with water and made a highly disturbing high squealed ring, (not sure if that has anything to do with it or if it was just a bad pod). I got a minimed and love it. The biggest thing for me was finding my tubing that wouldn't kink and help by sugars. I use the Mio's now which dont bend and are quick, painless and easy to use. As for the tubing, it usually stays in my pocket quite nicely. Every now and then I get caught on a door handle or two (ouch!) but for the most part, love my minimed! Between your two choices, though, I would go with the Ping
Sarah has the ping and absolutely loves it. Like other have said, you can move it around wherever you want. She usually just keeps it clipped to her jeans, but she's worn it on a leotard also. It's very easy to use and we haven't had any problems.
I was on the Animas Ping, it worked veryy well. i recently got off it because i was taking advantage of a pump, but its perfect for a teenage girl, and most importantly its water proof :) if you have any details or want to know anything else let me know/