My son got his approval for the pump yesterday from the endo and we have been going back and forth between Pod and Ping. Got the Demo kit today and the pod is much smaller than I expected.
My son's biggest worry is that he will forget/ lose / break etc the programming unit. I have that fear too. Well we will see what three days is like. Lots of places to put it - does anyone have a place that is really comfortable for them??
My 10-year-old daughter just started on the OmniPod on Monday. She did her saline trial on her thigh and her tummy. She put her first Pod with insulin on the back of her arm and has now changed the site to her thigh. She feels like they have all been comfortable spots -- depends more on clothing preferences than anything else I think. Others have suggested the hip/back too -- where you can pinch the "fat" there.
She is in LOVE with it! Her PDM just stays in her "diabetes bag" just like her test kit did before -- and glucose tabs, and ketostix, and glucagon, etc. I think it's really the same concept. Doubt he'll have trouble with it. And... I dropped it the other day on the floor and it was perfectly fine. You can also order rubberized "skins" if you call Insulet -- information at www.myomnipod.com
Good luck!! Let me know how it goes and if you have any other questions.
Oh -- one more thing -- she is drawing on hers with permanent marker before she puts them on. I plan to take photos of all of her drawings and make a collage someday. Kind of a fun thing to do since there isn't much fun about diabetes otherwise... :)
What a great idea decorating the pods - if you think of the possibilities of friends in school putting their names and dates on them kind of like writing on a cast. We have artists on this site - a tribute to overcoming diabetes using decorated pods would look great in an art gallery - just thinking.
What about the PDM - any worries about leaving it somewhere etc? That is the part that worries me since my 14 year old would have control of it. What does she do with it when she is in school. Does it stay in the nurses office??
I got the omnipod my senior year in high school, 1 year after being diagnosed. Therefoe I have had the pod for about a year and I absoutely love it. I keep the PDM with my testing supplies in my bag. As far as school went in high school I left the PDM in my locker so that could have easy access in case I had to test really quickly between classes. As far as where I put the actual pod I rotate between my stomach and hip/back. I have talked to some people that put it on their arms. I have also heard of people putting it on their thighs but I have found that if I wear jeans its really uncomfortable. I have also dropped the PDM many times, usually when I'm low : ), and nothing has happened to it yet. Knock on wood. : )
Good Luck!!
Maya keeps hers in the nurse's office right now, but I have high hopes of her keeping it in her backpack down the road. We were working toward allowing her to test in the classroom when we decided to move to the pump and thought it was wise to still have nurse supervision. The PDM is really just like a glucose monitor though -- with the bonus of being able to bolus from the same device. If you think about the pumps with tubing, their pump is on their person all the time and they keep their testing kit somewhere else... similar concept... easier if you ask me.
The PDM only needs to be within 2 feet of the pod when they actually send the bolus information. After that... it can be put away and be far away if they want.
Hope this helps!
We just ordered our demo kit yesterday. I love all the info. I can't wait to see how my daughter will like it.
Kim