Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by acidrock23 on October 15, 2011 at 8:59pm

I loathed the idea of being attached to something too but within about 1/2 hour of getting out of the training class, I'd eaten 3 tacos and felt great and hit like 85 post-parandial and was like "woah". I don't notice it most of the time. It's like night and day. All the analogies I can think of are wierd, like BMW vs. Chevy or Veuve Cliquot vs. Freixnet or whatever but it's really been a great tool for me. One thing that's not in a lot of the "marketing" that I like is that it keeps track of what I do a lot better, in terms of logging stuff. I have only "logged" once, in order to get the pump in the first place, since like 1984 when I was dx'ed, after I got over the initial flurry of logging and I was in high school then and sort of oblivious. The reports from my pump (MiniMed 722, the older model...) are useful and informative and really easy to get downloaded.

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Permalink Reply by marty on October 15, 2011 at 10:30pm

I am on the OmniPod and love not being tied to a tubed pump. It is great for my very active lifestyle. However, let me qualify that statement by saying that this is my first pump and I don't have any idea what a tubed pump would be like.
Like with all pumps, you have much better control if you choose to stay on top of your diabetes and watch your diet and exercise regularly. The Pod has been a life changer for me.
marty

ps
As with everything in life, I have good days and bad days and days where I want to throw my Pod away and return to MDI.

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Permalink Reply by jrtpup on October 16, 2011 at 5:07am

I love my Ping, it's been life-changing in many ways. I agree with ar - one of it's best features is the logging. I still eat very low carb, but when I choose to I can splurge. My treat when I leave the endo's office is a decadent chocolate croissant at a nearby shop. I don't have to put a lot of thought into it - the pump calculates the bolus for me based on the # of carbs I input, my I:C ratio at the time, and how much insulin I have left on board. Push a few buttons, enter some data and you're done.

I was concerned about the idea of being tethered to something too. Within a week it became a no-brainer. I can wear whatever I want and have somewhere to put the pump where it and the tubing are invisible if I want.

There is a learning curve, but well worth it! Oh, and my Ping is pink ;)

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Permalink Reply by Cora on October 16, 2011 at 9:24am

I was really worried about being "attached" too, but find it not any more inconvenient than wearing glasses. Except your pump doesn't fog up when you come in from the cold. lol The control is fantastic, the freedom wonderful. One shot every 3 days instead of multiple jabs per day. Heaven! I was very insulin sensitive, so the tiny doses were a blessing. I didn't have to feed my insulin. I had a minimed and the tubing didn't bother me after the first day or two. I wore it in the side band of my bra under my arm. I'd simply reach in or under and pull it out when needed, although there was a remote too.

Don't get me wrong, it is work, but the side bennies are wonderful. You can sleep in and not worry about a shot, you can eat at odd hours, and you can treat yourself occasionally too without too much consequence. I think if you were to contact the companies (Medtronic, animas, omnipod) you could speak to a rep and see which one you think will give you the best service, That's what it boils down to - because the pumps are very similar in their function.

Cora

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Permalink Reply by acidrock23 on October 16, 2011 at 11:33am

Re fogging, I've had a couple of times where the LCD display on my MM Paradigm 722 seemed to "fade" when I ran outside when it was cold out, like 7 degrees? I don't do that all that often but like running outside in the winter and it did come up.

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Permalink Reply by Cora on October 17, 2011 at 4:15pm

It was a joke. I actually never had a problem with fogging as I wore it close to my body and it stayed warm.

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Permalink Reply by acidrock23 on October 17, 2011 at 4:19pm

LOL, I know, I just figured I'd toss it out there a I don't want anyone to think their pump is entirely indestructable!

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Permalink Reply by Ellfell on October 16, 2011 at 11:14am

Hi Sarah. I am in the same spot as you. I am interested in going on the pump to get all the great benefits, but I was also uneasy about being attached to something all the time. I contacted a representative at Medtronic and I am trying out a Minimed Paradigm for a few days (with saline - no insulin). I believe that all the pump companies would let you try out their pump before you purchased it. Medtronic lets you return the pump after 3 months, so if you don't like it, you can just give it back. I would suggest that you try one out and that may help you decide.

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Permalink Reply by MyBustedPancreas on October 16, 2011 at 11:35am

I was really worried about being "attached" to something when I first started pumping, but the benefits of pumping (for me) outweigh the tubing and connectivity issues. A few things to keep in mind:

1. You can stop using the pump at any time. It's not permanent. You can even take pump vacations! I do this from time to time if I want to wear something that isn't "pump friendly." That's the great part about the pump.

2. The pump makes a lot of things regarding diabetes more simple (calculating insulin dosages, correcting mild highs, etc), but it does require a different kind of maintenance. You have to change sites, keep an eye out for infections, ensure that you're testing frequently, etc. When you're on the pump, you do not have any long-acting insulin in your system, so if the pump fails, you better recognize it fast.

3. There is an adjustment period. It took me about 5 months to work out my basal rates. You have to be committed to tracking your data and making minor adjustments. It can be frustrating at times. But the freedom is, for me, totally worth it.

4. The pump gives you A LOT more flexibility about what you eat and when you eat. I STILL LOVE being able to sleep in on a Saturday morning. Priceless. And something I could never do on MDI.

5. I love how I can discretely bolus at a table in a restaurant and no one even notices. I eat out a lot and I love how I can be out with coworkers, bolus, and no one bats an eye. Can't do that with MDI. I hated having to run off to the bathroom.

6. I love how I can eat more or less and quickly change my insulin delivery to account for that. I am a picky eater and I have never been good about guessing ahead of time how much I was going to eat. On MDI, this led to a lot of highs and lows.

7. My A1C came down on the pump and for most people, that is the story. Yes, some do better on MDI, but it seems the vast majority do better on the pump.

8. I use the Minimed Revel. I've been very happy with their customer support. I initially was concerned about the tubing, but honestly I have not found it to be an issue. I tuck it away and barely notice it anymore. I don't have too much trouble concealing the pump under my clothes, although I did have to stop wearing some dresses because they didn't have a good pump stashing place. I am a petite woman and the sample pod I tried was nearly IMPOSSIBLE to conceal under my clothes. My Revel is REALLY easy to conceal and I love the fact that no one even notices that I'm wearing it.

9. I love how my pump does pretty much all the math for me.

10. I love how, while on the pump, I do a far better job of keeping track of my data. I am a horrible logger and was never able to consistently log my numbers when on MDI, which drove my endo NUTS. Minimed has a wonderful system where you upload all your data from your pump to Carelink. This website will then generate reports with all sorts of critical information. Honestly, these reports have revealed some patterns that I wasn't aware of and has really helped me get better control overall. It also means that I don't have to stop what I'm doing to write something down in a log book. My pump records everything, every reading from my meter, every insulin dose, etc. I LOVE IT!!!!

The pumps are not perfect and they certainly don't "automate" diabetes. But they do have a lot of benefits, benefits that (for me) have outweighed the whole tubing/being connected issue. I am very active and the pump has made my life so much easier.

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Permalink Reply by jrtpup on October 16, 2011 at 12:17pm

Have you tried the 'thigh thing'? If you google it, there are a bunch of different ones. I find it perfect for dresses. Mine has a garter to attach to my underwear so there's no way it can slip off. Sometimes I just tuck the pump into my underwear ;)

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Permalink Reply by nel on October 16, 2011 at 12:17pm

I wish you live in my community ...my Pump Nurse is organizing an evening event in November at a local hotel with the pump companies Reps : Animas, Medtronic and OmniPod in attendance .
I am a Medtronic pumper since 2001 ...at that time Lantus and Levemir NOT available in Canada.I went from Bad to Much Better .
I trialed OmniPod this past summer , lilely the 3 days not enough learning experience for me . I posted a picture on my page ...my view : Medtronic 's CareLink program is THUMBS UP :)

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