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Permalink Reply by Katsz on January 11, 2010 at 6:42am

I have been really researching pumps because my son will be able to have one soon. His first choice is the Omnipod because he wants to be w/out tubes. But if he couldn't have that, I would pick the Animus Ping because my neice who was just diagnosed 3 months before my son has it and it is great. She likes that you can bolus from the meter or the pump. It makes things easier than having to grab the pump from under your clothing or from a pocket.
Maybe you can help me? He has been wearing his second demo pod. The first we placed totally wrong. This second one is on its third day and seems to be doing better. The edges are slightly pealing but not enough to disloge a canula ...if there was one. I have been reading up on adheasives to help if this happens. Did you need to do that? I was also told that the Onmipods reliability has gotten better than it was. I feel as long as he has extras around that it should be ok. Can you help by telling me what your problems/loves of it were?? Thanks.

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Permalink Reply by Dalice on January 11, 2010 at 10:22am

To answer your questions: I chose the Omnipod because it was discrete both to wear and to use. My loyalty to the brand also came from early positive experiences with the company and reps who really made themselves available to help me. The crack in this loyalty came last week when a pod malfunctioned and I was told the company would not replace it because I'd had it on more than 24 hours! I was shocked that they would not stand by their product for the full 3 days the pods are meant to be used. Reliability has improved over the years, although pods malfunctioning during setup is still not entirely uncommon. While that's an annoyance, they always send a free replacement so it never bothered me too much. Pods malfunctioning while you are wearing them is MUCH less common --I think this was the 3rd time its happened to me in 3 years --but I realize this could be a more serious concern with a child as young as yours. I used to have pods loosen or start to peel off, but ironically this was when I was using the prep wipes. Someone recommended I stop using them and now I just clean the area with alcohol and don't have that problem. All the best to you and your son!

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Permalink Reply by Katsz on January 11, 2010 at 3:15pm

Thank you! His second demo pod went well. I think I will let him get the Omnipod when the time comes.

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Permalink Reply by Xanthasun on January 11, 2010 at 7:26am

There's a lot of suggestions in the pump forum and most pumps have a user group. Posting there or just reading through the threads can give you a better feel for what's out there.
Medingo is supposed to be starting its customer service trial in select cities period soon with its solo pump.
Some of the pumps are supposed to be coming out w/ integrated cgm/pumps in the next year..so that's also something to keep in mind.

As for the "wired/tubed" aspect... The tubes come in different lengths...so going with a shorter one makes it less likely to hang out and get caught on stuff. Depending on the type of activity and length, it's also possible to just disconnect/suspend for the time period.

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Permalink Reply by Katsz on January 11, 2010 at 7:35am

I have been researching the CGM integration too. Wish they had it where you didn't also still have to do the finger prick. I know that will happen in his life time...I am sure. Thank you I will go check out pump forum. I think this will be a wealth of information and support for me and my son. So glad I found it.

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Permalink Reply by Dalice on January 11, 2010 at 10:27am

Some of the pumps are supposed to be coming out w/ integrated cgm/pumps in the next year
These new advances sound exciting. Unfortunately my insurance won't even touch the Omnipod yet, much less look at these newer ones lol. But I will check out the pump forum, thanks for the suggestion!

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Permalink Reply by June English on January 12, 2010 at 3:55am

There is also a remote available for purchase for the MiniMed Paradigm series pumps. Do you pay out of pocket for your pump, or do you have insurance that pays for it? They say the OmniPod cost is spread out over time, while the traditional pumps cost $6,000 initially. I had bad luck with the OmniPod system. It worked well for maybe 6 months, then all hell broke loose. I get much better and steadier BG's with my MiniMed pump.

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Permalink Reply by Dalice on January 12, 2010 at 10:01am

Thanks for your feedback June... I've re posted my question in the Pump forum and would love to hear if the Paradigm remote works well?

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Permalink Reply by S Woodward on January 12, 2010 at 8:55pm

The Paradigm remote works fine if you put the pump on vibrate. It's kind of like doing a bolus in the dark with the pump. It does wear down the batteries a little faster, but that's manageable.

I have only used it a few times because it is another thing to deal with. The remote has the bolus and escape button and function is the same as the two buttons on the pump.

It is pretty basic and does make it very convenient if you want to stash the pump. I use it when I need to hide the pump or put it in a waterproof case for kayaking.

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