Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Amy on December 22, 2009 at 10:34am

I have the Omnipod and LOVE it...check out the Omnipod forum for more info. There are many different pumps to choose from. Be sure the check them all out and choose the best one for you.
Amy

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Permalink Reply by Sadie Mae on December 22, 2009 at 10:47am

thank you very much! :)

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Permalink Reply by Maddy on December 22, 2009 at 10:40am

Its a completley natural thing to be afraid sadie :D
but no i wasn't.
I don't have the omnipod but from what i hear its wonderful
I have a minimed 722 & its my best friend lol (well not really but you get the point)
I love it.
i was a little nervous before i got it but when it came in the mail it was all turned to excitement.
I hope you find the one you like. look around for a while and then decide.
good luck hun!!!
Madz

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Permalink Reply by Sadie Mae on December 22, 2009 at 10:46am

thank you
i've been in tears honestly over this many times...
i've benn very scared

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Permalink Reply by Steven Ercolani on December 22, 2009 at 10:50am

I recently went on the pump (Animas 2020) and have to say that I love it. I was nervous at first because I didn't really know what it would be like to be "connected" to a device all the time (I don't even have a cell phone), but pretty quickly got over it. I also had a big concern that kept me from getting a pump for years because I do a lot of paddling, and I thought between the water exposure and the core movements that I would have problems with it.

Before the pump, I experienced frequent lows and highs from correcting the lows. But now that I'm pumping, my levels have really balanced out. I still get the occasional low, and a bit more frequently a high; but that because I do something like make a mistake counting the carbs. It was a lot of work leading up to the pump to get my basal rates and IOC (insulin to carb ratios) worked out. Even after I started pumping, it's almost like my insulin requirements were different. My total daily dose dropped about 10 units.

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Permalink Reply by Sadie Mae on December 22, 2009 at 10:55am

+ the kind of clothes i wear ,very fitted shirts, it would be kinda noticable, right?

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Permalink Reply by Shannon on December 22, 2009 at 11:03am

I was worried about that when I first considered getting a pump - in fact, it's what made me resist for so long.

Eventually, I went with a Minimed 722, which I used for several years. It was never a problem with my clothes (other than finding places to put the pump). I did find the tubing annoying after a while.

I started on the Omnipod almost two weeks ago, and it's far better than the tubed pumps. Yes, the pod is a little large and more visible than an infusion set, but unless you point it out to someone, most people don't even notice it (I use my arms). I LOVE not being tethered to a pump anymore.

Don't be scared. Going on a pump was the greatest decision I've ever made. It truly changed my life.

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Permalink Reply by Kelly Rawlings on December 22, 2009 at 11:08am

Yes, it is a little tricky to maintain a fashionable silhouette from all angles, but there are some clever placements that help. You can wear it lots of places: thighs, lower back, hips, in addition to arms and abdomen.

Important: Rotate as much as you can. It's easy to get stuck on one area that is easy to insert and gives good absorption and looks OK with clothing, but don't wear out the welcome!

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Permalink Reply by Marps on December 22, 2009 at 11:30am

Sadie

You can wear the pump in your bra.
I had the Minimed 722 (MM 722).

I had mine with the slim clip.
I also got the remote.

You clilp the pump in the holder, then put the pump, face against your cleavage, clip on the outside of the bra. Wearing it this way makes it difficult to wear really low cut tops, but you can still atleast wear fitted tops. Wearing it there, nestled in your cleavage, will keep your silhouette looking "normal" because the pump (throught the shirt) ends up looking like just a part of your chest.

If you're gonna wear a low cut shirt, I used to clip my pump face against my skin of my hip. I have a hollow spot against my hip bone where I'd put the pump, clipped to my underwear band. I could wear it like that with jeans and / or even skirts. If you get "sturdy" underwear (haha) meaning ones with a thick waistband (not necessarily full bottom if that's an issue) then the pump will stay up there pretty securely.

I wore my pump for 2.5 years and NO ONE knew what it was or even noticed.

Don't worry about that. :)

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Permalink Reply by Bernard on December 22, 2009 at 10:58am

Sadie, it's like any new gadget it takes time to get used to it. But you will learn how to use it, and then you'll find your d-life is a lot easier. I've been using pumps for over 12 years and you couldn't take it away from me.

I hear good things about the omnipod. Have fun, this is just a part of the adventure. BTW, I think without my pump exercising would be almost impossible. With it, there's really nothing that I cannot do including triathlons, sky diving, international travel and many other things.

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Permalink Reply by Kelly Rawlings on December 22, 2009 at 11:05am

It's normal to be scared and apprehensive.
But keep in mind that if pumping turns out to be not for you, you're not necessarily stuck doing it forever.

I've pumped for about 8 years and as long as my insurance holds out, would never, ever, ever go back to MDI.
At first, I was leery of being tethered.
That turned out to be no big deal (can unhook for short periods as needed and I always have insulin with me--well, as long as I have a full cartridge, good infusion site, and batteries ;-)--so I have much more flexibility in meal timing, food choices, exercise timing and duration, etc. Plus it is a big help to be able to program/use temp basal rates (although requires lots of testing and several-times-a-year adjustments) with dawn phenom and adjusting to monthly hormones.

It's not automatic. I actually test more and adjust more than I ever did on MDI. But that's not a bad thing in terms of improving control.

It took me about 20 years with diabetes to get sorta kinda skilled at managing it

with MDI. It took me about 5 years to get sorta kinda skilled at managing it with a pump. My next venture: getting a cgm. Diabetes is definitely a journey, not a destination. But I can honestly say that through the years, each new tool, device has helped me improve care without adversely affecting my quality of life or my abilities to do what I want.

I hope you and I (and the rest of the diabetes community) enjoy continued technological and treatment advances over the years and that more and more people have access to those things and training. Oh, and cures would be nice ('cause one cure isn't going to help all types of diabetes). But I'm so busy with the managing my diabetes, I don't spare much thought for a cure.

Best wishes as you embark on the pump journey. Let us know how it goes!!

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