Hello everyone...I have a Dr appt. this thuresday and i am deciding wheather i should get the omimod (pod) or the pump..? I am very active and play soccer a lot in the summer. I will also be swimming on the hot days, and i am not sure if you have to take it off everytime you go swimming or not. Please help me on whitch one to get or give me facts on each so it helps my decison. Thank you veryyy much =]]]
Lauren =)
Hi Lauren:
I've been wearing the OmniPod for 3 years and I love it. I chose it because I couldn't stand the tubing that the other pumps had. It allows you (I think) to be a lot free-er, as far as clothing etc. goes. You never have to worry about wear to put it...in a pocket, bra, garter, etc. Everything's wireless. The insulin goes right into the "pod." And the PDM is wireless and can be carried in your pocketbook, your pocket, backpack, or even clipped onto your belt.
The part that I love the most is that no one ever knows what I'm doing when I'm bolusing. It just lookes like I'm checking a phone or something, because it's not attached to me by tubes.
And I wear it in the shower, swimming, etc. It's totally waterproof.
If you're going to be playing soccer, the OmniPod might be a better choice because you'll never have to worry about where to put your pump (in your bra?). You'll have your pod on, and you can just leave the PDM on the sidelines.
Kristen
Lauren,
I have an 11 yr. old son on the medtronic pump and he plays soccer with it on! There has never been any problem with him wearing it during his games, and he is very physical! He just keeps it in a little pump pak around his waist and it seems to be very well protected. I know of somebody on the Omni Pod and they are actually switching over to an Animas pump as they are not happy. Good Luck with your decision, either way I believe you will be happier than having to give shots everyday!
Lauren,
I have been using the Minimed Pump for almost a year now. I have really enjoyed it and not really run into many problems with the sports that I play. Granted I play ultimate frisbee not soccer but it is still relatively the same thing. While there are many advantages to both pumps it can really be hard to make a choice.
One of the reasons I chose the Minimed pump over the Omnipod was the fact that it had the built in CGM feature and it was small and compact. I mean I had fears of getting caught and such but it is really hard to pull out and after a day or two the fear of getting caught on something. The other things I had heard about the Omnipod when I was looking at it was the issues with the pods coming loose and also the size. I was running a retreat with a kid that had the pod and halfway through her father needed to come by as she had knocked the pod loose. The father told me it was something that she ran into from time to time and was frustrated by. I know the other pod users have mentioned it happens from time to time and also PDM issues, but that is infrequent.
Pump issues are the fact that yes there is tubing and yes you need to worry about placement and fear that the tubing can be pulled out and such. Not to mention for girls I know the placement is more of an issue than for guys especially depending upon what you weare. I mean I love my pump and am glad I have it. Personally I have not run into many issues and am so happy to have it.
Lauren,
I, too, had a really tough time deciding which pump to try. I went with the Omnipod and I absolutely love it still. The Insulet corp is great with their customer service and dealing with any issues that may arise. The people there are incredibly knowledgeable. I work out a lot and am moving around most of the time and have had no issues with the Omnipod or its adhesive. It stays on extremely well. What are your biggest worries? The only thing I've really had to worry about at all is my own clumsiness at times. Regardless, most pumps give you a trial period to check them out. The pump I would reccommend if you don't go with the Omnipod is the One Touch Ping. That looks pretty good , too.
About the Omni Pod...find out how much insulin it holds? I believe it may be less than the minimed pumps, not sure. How much insulin do you use in 2-3 days? How long does the Pod stay on before changing? These questions may affect your decision. Good luck. One more thing, I am sure they have a 30 day return policy, make sure just in case. Good luck.
Hi, Im Blaine. I have been on the Animas pump since last christmas...
I have not heard anything about the other one but for the pump I took mine off during soccer and basketball and softball cuz I too didnt know what to do with it.. the tubing can get pretty annoying with it and for me i just clip mine to my jeans.. but i wish you luck on whatever you doo..
as far as swimming i took mine off just becuz it would move around toooooo much. but you are able to swim with it .
The Omnipod holds 200 units of insulin and gets changes every two to three days depending on your doctor's instructions and your individual needs.
The OmniPod holds 200 units, and I change mine every 3 days (which is when it "expires"). It doesn't let you keep it on for longer than that. I only use about 125 units every 3 days (except when I was pregnant), so it's more than ample for my needs.
Also, mine has never fallen off, in the 3 years that I've been wearing it. I know some people mentioned that as a concern.
You might want to consider testing a few different models, or at least one of each type (tubed, and wireless), and see which type would better fit your lifestyle. I tested a Minimed before settling on the OmniPod.
The OmniPod sounds like a good choice for your current activity level. It's pretty cool. I Googled it last week. I saw a few videos on You Tube (how it works and such). I liked it. Good Luck! =)
Amy,
Thank you very much. I am still half and half on whitch one to get..its a hard decison and its very stressful for me. I have the appt. tomorrow and i still dont no. The only thing i worry about with the omnipod is that it is so big and i couldnt wear tighter shirts and such..with the other one its the tubing and that getting in my way. I willl check out the one touch ping. Thankss =]
Lauren =)
Thank you everyone who replied. I am still torn on which one. My family wants me to get the minimed, the only reasons its keeping me from saying yes right away is because the tubbing and stuff. Also the omnipod i feel like it might bug me since it is so big...I have no idea what i am going to do but hopefully i make the right desition.
Lauren =)
My niece has the pump.. I think the Omnipod requires a remote control-like device that is used to program the pump.. I think. But yes, I believe the pump is totally water-proof. The benefit of the pump vs/ Omnipod is that it can stay attached to your body and you don't have to worry about keeping up with more than one device to manage your sugars. But of course ask your doctor. For now, it seems the pump is the most convenient way to manage your glucose levels more tightly.
Lauren,
My 4 year old daughter has had the omnipod for over a year and we love it. She is very active and it never causes problems. You can swim with it without any worries. We've never used another pump, but we can't imagine anything other than the omnipod.
Another thing - the omnipod is coming out with a CGM as part of the pod as well.
Lauren,
You should definitely try the Omnipod or the other for the allowed trial period. I even wore my Omnipod for the JDRF ball last weekend, and I saw others wearing pumps as well. Most people attatched the "conventional" pumps to the backs of their gowns. I noticed the little bulge of my Omnipod more than anyone else. As for the weight or size of the pod, it's really not that bad or any kind of burden. I was a little afraid of how it would be before I tried it, too.
The Omnipod has a built in Freestyle meter, so you carry the PDA instead of a meter. Also, you only need the PDA to program a Bolus. Once the pod is started, it doesn't need the PDA to deliver its Basals. The Omnipod is completely waterproof and they are supposed to be coming out with a pod that is 40% smaller than the current one (in the next 6 months) according to my rep.
If you visit Omniopd.com you can click on Demo Pod and they will send you a demo that you can actually wear and see if you like it. They send it out very quickly. That's what I did. I get my Omnipod on June 1st. And, I did have a minimed pump, but I didn't like being tethered to something all the time.
Just something to think about. Ultimately it doesn't matter what pump you decide on.... all pumps will help you manage your blood sugars better....and that's what we all want :)
Lindagayle
You should get teh omnipod, i have it and love it!@!!!!!
Hi Lauren, I am the mother of a boy that was diaganosed at 16 months and has worn the Animas pump since 20 months. Needless to say, we have experienced an "active" lifestyle with the pump through his everyday growth and endless energy. They are extremely durable and fairly easy to hide. He is tiny still at the age of 4 1/2 and most people do not even know he is wearing it until I pull it out and bolus him. I take it off of him usually when he swims or plays ball. I just plug it in quickly and give him a bolus and them remove it if he is playing a long time. That way he catches up with his needed basal. I am close with his endocrine team and frequently hear about what is being delevoped in the world of insulin therapy. We are shopping for his new pump he is eligible for next summer already.
Things you need to consider are 1. How well the set stays in (our sons has only been pulled out 2 times and it is very flat and small. 2. If you can bolus by radio frequency (to be more discreet) 3. If you can get a CGM to go along with it (this is super helpful especailly if you are newly diagnosed) 4. If you can get glucose meters to go along with it (meaning it "talks to your pump through RF)
I heard that Minimed has the pump,CGM and meter that all talk to each other coming out soon if not already. This would be helpful to avoid having to put in all the data yourself which gets very old.
Whatever you chose, I am sure you will bond with it. They are all pretty good choices these days and getting better by the second so you only have to live with your choice for 4 years until your insurance will pay for your next one which I am sure will be even more intuitive. Take care and God Bless!
My son, who is 8, has been wearing the OmniPod for 2 years now. As I am sure it is with other pumps there have been a few issues but mostly minor. We dropped the PDM once and it died. We have lost a few because of continuous exposure to water (on this topic I have to admit that it seems like the pods have a different adhesive since we haven't had water problems in a long time). He has ripped a few off just being a boy. There have been a few other failures as well but every issue was addressed quickly by Insulet almost always replacing the pod unless it was our fault, of course.
Overall we are very pleased with the performance and convenience of the pods and the responsiveness from Insulet the relatively few times we have needed them.
As for the size, he's a lean 8 year old boy and the size is of no real issue. I can't imagine him running around with tubes but I'm sure there are a ton of little boys who do it just fine.
The PDM itself, the controller, really could be better. It could be better constructed and it could have had better software. I could have used a few more "slots" for programming his basal/bolus/correction data but it suffices. I would have liked a more robust programmable food database but that's why I have an iPhone now. :)