I know probably all of you have read, heard, expereniced different things yet please help. I am having a really hard time choosing which pump for my 9 yr old. The ping has a few features that i like and are child friendly yet the minimed has the background, which she is getting older and needs something that is going to help her now as well as long term. I am not worried about the whole CGM right now as insurance will not pay for that anyways. As far as consealing her pump, while i like the idea of the meter with the Ping to do all the stuff, i sort of feel it is important for her to be able to get use to the pump functions itself as well as she is not concerned with others seeing it. Right now she is on MDIs and still up and down. I know puberty is coming soon as well which is another reason why i would like her to get on a pump now. I have been looking into both and to add to my confusion over choice, JDRF (which has the research and we support)- is going to be partnering up with Ping, whereas Minimed has the background in pumps and in process of their own artificial pancreas. Do i go with research background or years experience with pumps? Any comments, suggestions, please and thank you as i really appreciate it. I want to finish the paperwork for whichever pump with the next two weeks. God Bless.
I was on the Ping for a few months, and despite not staying with the pump, I liked the Ping itself. I had other issues that lead me to get rid of it.
The features were a BIG bonus for me and from what I've heard of parents with kids on pumps..the wireless remote is amazing to have. I met a 2year old a few weeks back, and his mom LOVES not having to hold him down so she can give him insulin and the small doses it does.
As she grows up and gets into her teen years, I really think the remote would be a bonus. Teen years are awkward enough without dealing with diabetes.
My customer service experience with Animas vs Medtronic (I was looking into their CGM) is like night and day. Animas was AMAZING the whole step of the way, even past the point I called and asked to send it back...on Christmas Eve! Hopefully Dexcom will be paired with the Ping in the next year or two. I've heard they don't have a CGM, and Dexcom isn't in Canada yet because it works on the same radio as our weather balloons.
Medtronic Canada on the other hand was horrible...I'd been contacting them since AUGUST and only JUST got the correct information, and had the sales rep in my area contact me...two weeks ago!
In the end, bring her into the discussion and see which ones she likes best. Speak with both reps and try a saline trial on both.
I am a 22 year old who was diagnosed at age 3. I just went on the pump exactly 2 weeks ago after 19 years of doing MDI, and had the same dilemma as you do. I spent about 2 months researching it, and ended up making a pro- con list. I chose the One Touch Ping and absolutely love it... it was the best decision I have ever made. Here are the reasons I am in love with my Ping: 1. It is waterproof, which makes everything a lot easier (ie- you don't have to think about it if you get caught in the rain, you can wear it in theme parks on water rides, and you can shower/ go swimming with it on). 2. The infusion set is virtually painless- doesn't even feel like a shot. 3. The animas hot line includes the most helpful and patient people who truly care- they not only solve your problem, but they call you back a few hours later to make sure that everything is running okay. And finally, the biggest part for me, due to the fact that I was really nervous about the transition to the pump (I don't live with my parents) was the fact that you get a whole support team when you go on the pump- I had a wonderful trainer who taught me to count carbs, I had a person who taught me how to put the pump in, and best of all, I have what is called a "blood glucose team"- the nicest lady who calls me or emails me every day and is working to make sure my basal and bolus rates are just right. The ping at first appears a little more complicated than the minimed, but after a few days, it really is user friendly.
Also, I really liked the idea of bolusing from the meter too. It has been absolutely wonderful... it's not super obvious to every other person every time I eat something that I have to bolus.
Finally, last 2 things to consider: Johnson and Johnson is also conducting research. They are in the midst of developing a blood test for cancer. And finally, the ping website really, genuinely does a wonderful job of making the pump cool. Their advertising definitely sold me... so if she's worrying about being self conscious, I'd recommend the ping any day :)
If you are worried about which pump is going to do a better job, stop worrying. Both companies make great pumps. I think most people will tell you it's just a matter of picking which pump has the features you will use the most. Cross off "I want the most reliable and accurate pump available" from your list because they both do that. My 8 year old is using the Animas Ping and has been for almost a year now. We chose it because of the remote meter. It is SO nice to be able to dose her from her meter and not have to get her pump out every time. My daughter doesn't take her remote meter to school so when she is there, she has to use her pump to enter in her bg and her carbs. Using either the meter or her pump to dose with, she flys through the screens like it's a DS game and has no problem using either method. I usually have to slow her down so I can double check! Animas also guarantees that their pump is water proof. I don't let my daughter swim with her pump but, it's nice to know that if some day she "accidently" gets thrown in a pool or something, that the pump should be ok and if it's not, Animas will replace it. I don't know too much about the Medtronic pump's features, other than what I learned at our pre-pump class. I have heard good things about it from those who use it. From what I hear, Medtronic has a great feature which lets you upload all your data to your endo. Good luck with your decision. You really can't make a bad decision with either pump.
The Pings seem like great pumps. Think their biggest advantage is the food database that helps you look up carb counts. Biggest disadvantage are the batteries... the really need the expensive lithium ones and all the bells and whistles of the Ping eat up a lot of battery power. I've used the Minimed for 8 years and it's been a good experience. Great customer service and the pump uses about one regular AAA battery a month.
To make your decision even harder (sorry!), the MinMed does have a remote to give boluses. It costs an extra $100 but is priceless for the times the pump is tucked under clothes. The remote can't change basal rates or do square wave boluses.
I agree with BlessedMom - both pumps are very reliable and have been around a long time. I think once you get started with one there is very little chance you will think you have picked the wrong one. We picked the Ping for our son because we wanted the smaller basal increments (it can go 0.025 units), the waterproof (little boys just get unexpectedly wet!), and the meter/remote.
There is not much difference in the pump screens vs. the meter screens. So if she learns to do one, she can very easily switch to using the other. It is very handy to not have to haul the pump out everytime my son has to bolus.
Thanks to Jenna for saying the minimed meter remote can't change basal rates - the Ping can't change basals on the meter either, (Annoying) but you can do Combo boluses from the meter.
Oh and jenna - I find the lithium batteries in the Ping pump last 6-8 weeks. You can use regular if you want, just won't last nearly as long. It is worth it it to me to buy the more expensive batteries to not be changing them so often.
Good to know. I had a co-worker who hated her Ping because she felt like battery was used up quickly. And I've seen others post that Pings use a lot of battery power. But maybe they weren't using lithium.
when I had the ping, it was recommend I use lithium batteries so I don't worry about carrying extra ones around. I think it's worth the money to put lithium batteries in either pump personally. I only changed my batteries twice in the 3 months I had the ping.
Good to know. I had a co-worker who hated her Ping because she felt like battery was used up quickly. And I've seen others post that Pings use a lot of battery power. But maybe they weren't using lithium.
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Another mom told me that if you "LOCK" the pump - so that the buttons don't get pressed accidentally, that the Ping uses up more battery power. I don't usually lock my son's pump, so I can't really say. It didn't really make a lot of sense to me as to why that would be, but could be a reason your friend thought it used up a lot?
In my opinion you can't go wrong with either one. I've used two Medtronic pumps and the Animas Ping. I was very pleased with both. I switched from the Ping back to Medtronic last July. I didn't have any pump issues or customer service issues w/the Ping, none whatsoever. My decision was based primarily on CGMS integration with the pump, so Medtronic was my choice. I also like Medtronic's CareLink reports which I think are outstanding: easy to use, easy to upload your pump, and very meaningful. I also like that Medtronic doesn't depend on third-party suppliers for their CGMS and CareLink software; this eliminates finger-pointer among vendors when something doesn't work. I do know that Medtronic uses a 3rd-party manufacturer for its meter but that's a minor deal for me. The one thing I did like about Animas is their large, easy-to-ready screen display; I also like the look of their pump; it's very durable and nice-looking. In my opinion, both Medtronic and Animas offer outstanding customer service. Again, the reason I switched to Medtronic was due to its experience and integration with CGMS and the fact that it's not reliant upon a third-party such as DexCom for it. If you're not interested in CGMS at the moment, you can't go wrong with Animas or with Medtronic for that matter; you don't have to use the optional CGMS if you go with Medtronic.
I noticed that you're interested in the pump for your 9-year old daughter. Have you considered trying the Omnipod? I did a trial usage with the Omnipod and did like their solution: large, easy-to-read PDM, and easy-to-insert pods. There's also no tubing to fool with. For self-conscious young girls, Omnipod could be something you might consider. Like Animas, it's also going to team-up with DexCom for future CGMS integration but who know when that will be. I'm 57 years old and didn't think the Omnipod was something for me, but I do think it'd be great for small children and parents who want something simple but reliable for their children; they, too, have excellent customer service.
I don't think I've helped you much but the one thing I do know for sure: the best decision you've already made is to go with a pump for your daughter. You just need to think which pump will be best for her. I wish you much success in this important decision. Keith
Oh and jenna - I find the lithium batteries in the Ping pump last 6-8 weeks. You can use regular if you want, just won't last nearly as long. It is worth it it to me to buy the more expensive batteries to not be changing them so often.
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We've found this as well. We sometimes use Lithium, but even a regular battery seems to last at least 2-3 weeks, and I change them well before they run out of juice. However, there's a place on the pump where you tell it what sort of battery you're using, and if you leave it on lithium when you have an alkaline battery in there, it will tell you it's running out much earlier. No idea why, but I noticed this because my husband always forgets to change this when we use alkaline.
I thank you all for your thoughts and opinions. I appreciate the feedback and YES!! all of you did help alot. Thank you all and i will keep you updated as we go. God Bless.
I think all the pros and cons of both pumps are well documented here. One more thing that might help.....Contact both companys and they will let you wear thier pump for a couple of days with saline solution in it. This way it lets you get used to the features and controls of both before you make your final decision. We did this back in Nov. for my 4 y/o son. We ended up going with Medtronic for a few unconventional reasons. 1. My boy liked the blue of the minimed better. (go figure) 2. We were more comfortable with the minimed rep. (She regularly attends our support group and is active in our local JDRF) 3. We liked the idea of the CGM integration. (We ended up going with Dexcom anyway, so that didn't really matter.)
I wish you the best of luck and I am sure you will be happy no matter what decision you make.