I have the Omnipod and want a different pump so that I can try different infusion sets (angled vs strait, steel vs. plastic) to see if I can use more canvas (currently only (overuse) my stomach). JUST MY EXPERIENCE, but I find that my arms hurt the entire time I use them, I went into DKA the one and only time I tried using my lower back, and every time I’ve used my legs I’ve knocked the pod off (pull down my pants too quickly to use the washroom, rip off pod. Hit a doorway, rip off pod, close car door, nick the pod and rip it off). Just my experience, but yeah.
Anyhow, I REALLY want to “loop” or whatever. I have a CGM, but I’m not a techy, nor rich. I’m waiting for Omnipod to come out with a closed loop system (in Canada) or for my warranty to be up so I can try a different style pump. I’m concerned because my sugars are really bad the last 2 months or so like BAD…DKA 1x, another time in hospital for blood sugars over 30, etc. I can’t get my normal somewhat control and I think looping might really help me, because I essentially sugar surfed for a few days when I took time off work after the ICU and watched my CGM and adjusted as needed. It was A LOT of manual work, but I got some control. Now that I’m back at work I can’t manage that much attention to my CGM.
Any tips or suggestions are welcome, otherwise I guess this is just my rant…
I really don’t have any advice for you @PP777 . I was really interested in pumping, in particular the OmniPod. Yours isn’t the first I heard of Pods getting knocked off which put me off. I was already a bit negative about other pumps because of external unit and tubing. I just imagine I would get that hung up on something.
Anyway, maybe some with good experience will respond to your post.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the tubing proves just as likely to “rip out” sites vs “knock off” pods. However, it is worth it to me to try, because of the different set options I mentioned above.
@PP777 & @CarlosLuis in the last 4 years I can count on one hand how many tubes sites I have ripped out by accident. Does it happen, yes. I we time.you develop a Spidey sense to protect your tubing similar to the Spidey sense you develop to protect your Dexcom sensors. I imagine the same would also be true for anyone wearing Omnipods.
I am doing very well with pens so far. My last HbA1c was 5.2% and my time in range (>70mg/do to <145mg/do) is 99.1% with an average glucose of 106mg/dl. I was considering a pump when I first started MDI in January. My BG would drop rapidly after 15 minutes of exercise. I finally figured out a formula that works for me.
On long bike rides I drop basal about 40%, have my regular breakfast and bolus. At the start of the ride I eat a Kind nut bar (9g carb). BG will elevate near 140 and drop a bit staying fairly steady. I have a custom made glucose solution that I can take a measured sip of 4g if Dexcom shows a sharp downward trend. Usually after 2+ hours my BG is between 90 to 110mg/dL.
On my daily shorter rides I have been experimenting a bit, taking the full basal dose. This morning I rode 50 minutes starting at 104mg/dl which dropped in 40 minutes to 76mg/dl. Consumed 4g glucose and finished the ride at 79 which rose to 103mg/dl.
I don’t want to brag on getting a handle on MDI and exercise for me, because whenever I think I’ve got it down pat, I get a comeupance.
Anyway, I am very active, doing hard work with and around animals. I just think spider sense is not going to protect tubes and pumps from curious goat teeth, or cats for that matter. It’s hard enough to keep my receiver from getting snatched off my belt.
@PP777 I’ve been using pods and Dexcom for a long time and encourage you not to overthink the risk of ripping it off. I have done it but rarely, maybe once every 6 months. I play ice hockey 3 times a week with the pod on my upper arm and have no worries at all. And when I am home I am always bumping doorways etc but learned pretty quickly which spots to not place a pod. It is feasible to put tape over the pod to help hold it on, just in case.
Upper chest.
Lower back (PITA because I can’t see it when I put it on.)
Back of the upper arm.
The latter unwillingly; it (the pod) is easy to knock off and, because it is non-visible, it is difficult to apply a patch to protect it (i.e. an adhesive over-patch.) Yes, it hurts too; I suspect it is because I don’t have much fat there and the canula prods the muscle.
From time to time I’ve been tempted to try tubing, but the idea of having a tube floating around me is unappealing and then the thing on the end of it is yet another box to take care of - the phone I use for the CGM is enough of a problem.
I did try legs. Yep; wardrobe malfunction, very expensive wardrobe malfunction (though probably less so for you as you are in Canada.) I don’t have a Spidey sense, but fortunately I only have three doorways I go through regularly and I know exactly where they are.
Yep, I’m waiting for Insulet to get their looping act together, that’s why I swapped from Google to Apple phones, but so far it is just vapourware.
Using the kit aggressively is what I know works. So long as I avoid long-acting carbs (fats+protein) I can actually bolus for sugar; it’s easy to do by adjusting after the event. It does mean I hit a high after the ice cream, but then if I overcorrect the CGM warns me way ahead of any low and I can apply correctional ice cream.
I can understand that this is not ideal, what I can’t understand is why anything else takes so much work, is that ideal?
I don’t actually want to be a diabetic, in fact, I’m not a diabetic; I have a perfectly functional pancreas, currently stuck to the back of my upper left arm. I choose not to pay that much attention to my pancreas because the software is **** and I don’t want to spend my life fixing it.
@CarlosLuis looks like you have a system that works well for you - congrats! My pump generally either lives in a front pocket or in a T1 Tactical clip clipped anywhere except on a belt (I could explain why at the risk of the guys in white suits and a one way trip to a padded room). This works for me. Maybe not for others. The goal is to find what works for you, and at the moment it seems like you have found that. I’m not sure your numbers would be any better on a pump, and the only possible advantage would be fewer needle pricks. The drawbacks would be higher costs. With your control, the case might be made to continue with your current regimen especially if it’s working for you.
Yeah, it seems like one method of achieving control is just as laborious as the next. I guess it comes down to what suits the individual/what one can stick to. I’m still searching…
you can build the “Loop” app on your iphone if you buy a separate little mini-computer called a RileyLink. It’s a DIY form of looping that works quite well for a lot of people.
for what it’s worth, I’ve heard a rumor that the closed loop Omnipod system (Horizon 5) is going to be approved in the US in a few months. Not sure about Canada. They have a different timetable.
But given all your site issues, I’d look into Tslim.
I started pumping with a Medtronic 630, then a 670, and now I have a t:slim X2. I have always used my abdomen for the infusion set. With the Medtronic, I used my upper thighs for the Enlite sensor but with the t:slim X2, the Dexcom G6 uses the right side of my abdomen and the infusion sets the left side. I rotate through 4 areas for the G6 and about 8 areas for the infusion set.
I wear the pump on my right side in a leather pouch so the tubing crosses my abdomen. I tried the pump on the left but it sometimes lost signal with the G6 transmitter. However, at night, I wear the pump in a belt with pockets and it starts on the left (and wanders around. I’m a restless sleeper).
I’ve ripped out maybe one infusion set and one CGM sensor in years of use so I don’t worry (or even think) about it. I have dropped the pump a few times so it is hanging by the infusion set, but that has never dislodged it. I do exercise everyday, going for a walk with the dog.
