My 7 year old son (going on 13), uses the Medtronic pump currently but I am loving the information about the Omni pod and no tubing, self insertion, etc. I just don't know about the size of the Pod and I would worry it would come off. If you have tried the Omni Pod on your child I would love to hear some pro's vs. con's.
My son is 8 and was just diagnosed in Feb so we are not on a pump yet. We did try the free trial pod to test the feel and weight of it and my son loved it. I couldn't get him to take it off! When the time is right I am going to try for the Omni Pod. I just read another post about the Ping vs the Pod. They may have more info even though they are adults. I have no idea what a Ping is. lol
We also have a couple of boys (younger than Ty) in our support group who have the Pod and love it. Said it has made their life much easier.
Oh... the glue was not easy to get off of Ty so I don't believe it would easily fall off.
Good luck, if you decide to use it please let me know how you like it!
We have gone to pump info class and learned about the three pump companies and their pumps. we very much like the Omnipod. Our daughter is five and does dance and gymnastics and is very very active like most five year olds. This next week we are going to pump prep class to see them in action. We are pretty much sold on the Omnipod. It is tubeless water proof, and they can bathe and swim in it. there is nothing a five year old girl has to wear around her waist(dresses ans such) because since she is only five, we would mostly be in control of the PDA at all times. So, if it were to be on her back she would hardly know it was there. She tried the trial pod and loved it. She is very excited to get one. She has had diabetes for two years and she is ready. We are also interested in the CGM which is now has a seperate hanheld control, but will soon be integrated in the Omnipod PDA. The same goes for the Animas Ping.
Susan
I know a few adults who really love the omnipod. It's cool to have site, pump, cartridge "all in one." These are the features that attracted us to try out a demo. We thought it would be bulky on Cassie's arm (she was 12 at the time) but it wasn't that bad. Unfortunately when we removed it, the canula, which is larger than what we used on her Cozmo pump, HURT like the devil. Cassie couldn't bear to go through that pain again. Maybe it just happened to be a bad/tender spot, but frankly, we as parents don't want to subject her to any more trauma than we absolutely have to.
My son has had the omnipod since he was 3 he is now 5. Its great because I have the PDM and he can not bolus himself... when he gets older Ill let him have control. He wrestles and swims and plays like his other brother.. its come off a few times but thats expected. Skin tac helps on tummys and backs.. the great thing about omnipod is that you can wear it on the back of your arm.. other pumps you can not. I love it and my son loves it. I highly reccommend it to anyone. I use UniSolve to get it off since its super sticky..
Good luck on your decisions.
Alison
Thanks Alison, that was very helpful. I was curious about how well the pump stays on. My son is 7 and he is very active, loves to wrestle, etc. I am worried that it would keep getting ripped off. It sounds though that it sticks to the body pretty good. I also love the fact that you can put it on different sites because his poor butt and sides are getting really beat up. Do you have any pictures of it his arm that you could share with me? If not no big deal, I was wondering how it looks on the back of the arm. I also love the fact that you can swim with it on and no tubing.
Thanks,
Tom
My 9 yr old son was diagnosed in November 2008. He is going to be getting on a pump and has chosen the OmniPod. He was able to wear a trial OnmiPod for 3 days while he went to school, played soccer and swam. We never had a problem with it, and living in Southern California it is great that its water proof. You can contact OmniPod for a trial pump. This way you can also make sure there is no skin allergy or irritation to the adhesive.
Our 4 year old daughter has been using the Omnipod for over a year now, and we love it. She is tiny, and the size of the pod is no problem. If you contact the company, they'll send you a sample of the pod so you can see what it's like. For the most part, we've had no problems with it coming off. Sometimes an edge of the adhesive might lift up, but a little tape takes care of it. We also use IV prep to make it "stickier". We love the automatic insertion - she doesn't sit still for much, and I can't imagine using a traditional infusion set with her. The fact that there are no tubes or other attachments is great for an active child. It doesn't seem to faze her at all. As a matter of fact, she's proud to show off her pump. It really doesn't get in her way at all. Another great thing is that it is watertight, so she can swim and bathe without interrupting her insulin. She was in and out of the pool all last summer, and there was never a problem. Customer service is great, and they just came out with a new PDM (the handheld remote) that has new features, and they sent us the new one for free. The glucometer is built right into that, so all you have to carry around is the one device. If you have any other questions, I'd be happy to answer them.
To mollys mom:
Thank you so much for your reply. Our daughter is 5 and we are on our way to getting the Omnipod. We are to the point just before pump assessment. I have had a few second thoughts about the Omnipod. It is only because I want to make the right decision for her in picking the right pump. You have helped me realize that this is the pump for her, and I feel very reassured after reading your post. Thanks!!!!
Susan
[quote user="Mollys Mom"]
Our 4 year old daughter has been using the Omnipod for over a year now, and we love it. She is tiny, and the size of the pod is no problem. If you contact the company, they'll send you a sample of the pod so you can see what it's like. For the most part, we've had no problems with it coming off. Sometimes an edge of the adhesive might lift up, but a little tape takes care of it. We also use IV prep to make it "stickier". We love the automatic insertion - she doesn't sit still for much, and I can't imagine using a traditional infusion set with her. The fact that there are no tubes or other attachments is great for an active child. It doesn't seem to faze her at all. As a matter of fact, she's proud to show off her pump. It really doesn't get in her way at all. Another great thing is that it is watertight, so she can swim and bathe without interrupting her insulin. She was in and out of the pool all last summer, and there was never a problem. Customer service is great, and they just came out with a new PDM (the handheld remote) that has new features, and they sent us the new one for free. The glucometer is built right into that, so all you have to carry around is the one device. If you have any other questions, I'd be happy to answer them.
[/quote]
Where do you store the device? I have a 7 year old son that goes to school and I was wondering where do you have to keep the device, is there a distance from the pod? I have ordered the trial pod, I cant wait to get it. My son hates the tubing and its always getting kinked and air bubbles. So I would love to try something new.
Thanks for your reply in advance
the pod only has to be near the device when you are delivering a bolus or checking the status. So you can keep the pdm in the nurses office during school which is alot better than the pumps with the tubing
If you dont mind me asking how did you get the upgrade for free they were telling me it would be $149
Really? Thats great! I have been having a hard time with Kullin trying to mess with his pump himself, like turn off alarms and such.
Do you just carry it in your purse during non school days?
If we are out of the house they have small backpacks that they take care of themselves they know not to forget it because it is there lifeline. If we are somewhere they cant have them i keep them in my purse.
Thanks. I cant wait to get the trial so I can see if he likes it.
Thanks again
Brandi
Hey Tom - So sorry about not answering.. I havent been on email for quite some time.. just started a job - that is consuming. Anyhoo have you decided on a pump? If you would still like some pictures let me know.
Alison
My daughter, who is 13 has had the Omnipod for 1 year and loves it. She loves that there is no tubing, which helps her to feel free. It has been a change for the better, we had the cozmo for 3 years. I will say because of her lack of body fat, we are using the arms more, but she really doesn't mind, she is not one to where long sleeves, and does not mind the looks and questions that she gets from people, she loves to talk about it. We have had a few bad pods, but for the most part, I will say that it is the best thing to come along since diagnosis.
My daughter is five and we have been using the Omnipod for about two weeks. We really love it. We went from injections for two years to the Omnipod system. My daughter is 50 lbs and it works well for her. You can hardly see it under clothing. We have had a couple of pods come loose from the backing but that is expected I would think with a very active 5 yo. We also love that there is nothing for her to carry around her body, no tubing. The pods are only going to decrease in size. They will soon be half the size they are now. Motorolla is working with the co. and have made the pods better and smaller. Our CDE says that some of the reps that are T1 are already wearing them!!!
Susan
Our son was just diagnosed in May, so it will be a while before we can get him on a pump. I was originally not comfortable with the idea, but seeing that the OmniPod has a remote control, that I can keep control of it, well that would make a huge difference.
Just curious, how often does the pump location need to be changed, and how easy/comfortable is the insertion and removal?
Mo
The pods have to be changed out at least every three days. My daughter says that when the catheter inserts it is no more painful than an insulin injection. It does make a pretty loud click noise when it inserts. She dislikes the noise more than the stick. Removal requires unisolve or something like it to loosen the adhesive. Comes off pretty easily if it has been on a couple of days. We give our daughter a bath to loosen the pod and it comes off really easily then.
Susan