[Funnygrl]

Can't wait to hear what you think of it!

Why'd ya stop using CGMS?

[notme]

Talked to my endo today about all of the pumps. He is a MiniMed fan, but gave me some things to think about when I order my next pump.

Is it true that OmniPod does not calculate IOB? I had not heard this.

[Nifr]

Originally Posted by notme

Is it true that OmniPod does not calculate IOB? I had not heard this.

It does calculate IOB.

[notme]

Thanks Jennifer. I will let him know next time I see him that he is wrong.

[jeggeman31]

Well I got approved for the Pod, but found out it is out of network for UHC, so I won't be giving up free pump stuff to use the Pod. It would have been nice to try this, but I would rather pay nothing, than however much it would be to use my out of network benefits.

[Robert Lewis]

I am a Type 1 diabetic who was diagnosed in 1995 when I was 25 years old. I have been a needle and Novolog/NPH user for the past 12 years.

My A1C's have never been particularly good (high 7's and low
8's), and I have never been a very good patient until a recent change in doctors. My new primary care doctor insisted that I go to an Endocrinologist in order to gain control of my diabetes. The endocrinologist suggested that I was a good candidate for a pump, using the logic that I could stick myself once every three days to insert the canula or I could stick myself 5 times a day for the rest of my life without the automated assistance that a pump brings.

I looked over the materials for the Minimed and the Omnipod pumps and decided to give the omnipod a try. I really like the "no wires" aspect of the omnipod and the fact that it is extremely discreet (I am not ashamed of the fact that I am a diabetic, but I figure that it is no one else's business that I have it). I was also excited by the fact that the device (each pod) is waterproof.

I started pumping for the first time in late April / early May of this year with mixed results at first. It took a while to figure out the proper ratios, but gradually, I came to enjoy the freedom that the omnipod represented for me. The first problem occurred when the PDM stopped working one Friday night. I called into Insulet and we tried to reset it a couple of times, but ultimately they had to send me a new device. Unfortunately, the shipping time was such that it took four days for the new PDM to reach me. That meant that I was back to shots while waiting on the pony express to get here - this was my biggest fear about going on a pump - what would happen to me if the pump stopped working?!?!

Once the replacement PDM arrived, I was able to set it up again without too much trouble and continue as before. The next problem that I faced was a bad batch of pods ... I probably had 4 out of 10 fail to fill when I was charging a replacement. Naturally, Insulet replaced the defective units for me, but it still shook my faith.

The last straw for me was when pods started to fall off of me before they were supposed to be removed. I lost the first one when I took my kids swimming at the local pool and had a second one fall off when I was mowing the lawn. I called the local rep and did some online research to see what I could do to prevent this from happening again. I followed the Insulet rep's recommendation and tried IV Prep -- it did not work for me. Then I tried ostomy glue, which worked a little better, but did not seem to do what I needed it to do.

After 3 more pods fell off of my body before they were due to be changed, I gave up and went back to shots. Unfortunately, I do not have nearly the control that I had while I was on the Omnipod. I just went back to the endocrinologist who wants to put me on the mini-med pump, but I doubt that Insurance will approve that since they just approved the omnipod. Because it has cooled off now, and I am not sweating as much, I have gone back to the omnipod, for the short-term anyway.

Has anyone else experienced anything like this?

Thanks,

Bob
Type 1 Diabetic
38 Years Old
13 years and counting

[mageerobin]

I'm wearing a Demopod now and have been approved by insurance. The rep told me that the Insulet company will contact me in the next two days. So hopefully if I can get trained next week, I'll be pumping by next Friday.

I've been a diabetic for 32 years and am finally going to begin pumping. It's an easy decision when you begin thinking about getting old and you want to live longer and keep your health and toes and stuff.

[Nifr]

Originally Posted by Robert Lewis

The next problem that I faced was a bad batch of pods ... I probably had 4 out of 10 fail to fill when I was charging a replacement. Naturally, Insulet replaced the defective units for me, but it still shook my faith.

Bob - Sorry to hear about the problems you've experienced with Omnipod. I haven't had a faulty PDM or trouble with pods sticking for 3 days, but I have had many issues with failed pods. And, like you, it shakes my faith.

I haven't had as many (failed pods) in the past 2-3 months as I did in the first 2-3 months, but it is troubling. My husband is a design engineer who designs things that aren't necessary to keep people alive and he is baffled by the fact that I've had so many failed pods. I think if it were him doing this, he would have given up long ago.

Unlike you, I'm not convinced that I have better control with the pod compared to MDI. I work towards it every day but it's a daily struggle. Like I said in another post, I'm not in a spot where I feel like shouting my undying love for the Pod from the rooftops.

Wow, as I write this out, it really makes me wonder why I continue with it. I want it to work, I really do. And there are many conveniences and good features. So for now, I'm hanging in there. Thanks for sharing your experience, it's enlightening to know I'm not the only one with problems. Good luck on you pumping adventure.

Jennifer

[jeggeman31]

For anyone who may be told by their insurance company that the Insulet company is out of network, they just contracted with Edgepark to pick up their out of network customers. That is the only way I decided to go with the pod, as I was not going to pay the out of network price.

Insulet took care of contacting Edgepark, giving them all the info for me.

I just wish the Insulet company would let other companies distribute the pods, so I can go back to the company I was using that does not balance bill.

[lorilei]

has anyone else heard of this? still need 2 sites but 1 manager...

"Obviously, Insulet Corp. and Abbott Diabetes Care are in bed together: the integration of Abbott's FreeStyle glucose meter into the OmniPod"

[KimberlyType1]

I have been pumping with a Cozmo for almost four years and it is time for a new pump. I am very interetsed in the Omnipod, the thought of having no tubing makes me want to dance. Does anyone have an Omnipod covered by Harvard Pilgrim? Also I am looking for forms to order a pump, or start the process of seeing what is covered. But I can not seem to find anything on their web site. I would like to do most of the work myself and just fax it to my doctor I have an endo that you have to wait 6 months to get an appointment with and I would like to get an order started before my next appointment. Any info would be great.

[jeggeman31]

go on their website and order a free demo pod, it will prompt you to have the info you put in for the pod filled in on the paperwork and print them out. I did the faxing myself as well