# Using an OMNI pod but expected a Dash omni pod



## mark king

Hello I am a 75 yo type 1 diabetic presently on multi doses of fast and slow acting insulin.  I have recently been discussing pumps with my Senior Diabetic Nurse [SDN] who had described my options.  I said I did not want to have pumps with tubes all over the place at which she mentioned the omnipod, this sounded ideal for me. 
We then discussed the Dash as it was soon to be released in the uk.
However when I went for its fitting it wasn't the Dash as she had indicated but the earlier version which the training 2 ladies had brought.. 

      The DASH system, which received a CE mark in September 2019, is the only insulin pump certified to DTSec and ISO 27001 standards for cyber and information security and safety.
When I expressed some disappointment that it wasn't the Dash they didn't give a very plausible explanation. 
It could be political or post code lottery again, but I hope not.


LATE NEWS ----- LATE NEWS ----- LATE NEWS
Just Had my SDN ring me to say they have made arrangements to upgrade me to the Dash omnipod, can not wait.
Best


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## grovesy

In some areas there are very limited choices of pumps.


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## everydayupsanddowns

Yes I know at least one person in the UK using the dash, and it looks very smart. The handset looks just like a smartphone (it’s a specially adapted Android phone I think)

Hope you get on well with it @mark king -switching to a pump can be a big adjustment, but it is great once you’ve put in some early effort to get things started, and then begin to fine tune and adjust.

Some take to a pump almost instantly, but for me, mine came into its own after 6-12 monthes when I’d had enough experimentation time with the new options


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## stephknits

Hi, best of luck with your new pump from a fellow powder!  If you have any questions, do ask


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## stephknits

Sorry that should read 'podder', not powder!


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## mark king

Well I must say apart from the "old school style *PDM* [*P*ersonal *D*iabetes *M*anager]" the pump itself has worked very well keeping my control excellently.
Time in target 63%
HbA1c 9.4% av [_not sure of this figure as I would expect it to be lower better based on the time in target?  Maybe this will change when I have worn it for longer and not just 3 weeks]_

I'm well pleased except for a couple of points :>
1]  Having to refill then fit a new pod every 3 days is a bit of a chore.  This would have been too much trouble if I was still working and not retired as I am now.
2]  Just don't like the press button PDM but the Samsung touch screen smartphone style PDM is promised to be available to me very soon.

All in all it's going well.
Best


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## everydayupsanddowns

Glad it is working out well for you @mark king 

Hope you continue to make progress adapting to the differences and possibilities (eg tbr and extended/dual wave boluses). I think it took me the best part of a year to feel like I had fully explored and experimented with the options to know what worked for me. And I’ve been revising and improving ever since!


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## mark king

Hello all.
I've got to say I'm well impressed with the pod delivery system my last check is showing 86% in target which is fantastic as previously when doing the pen injections I never got any better than 40%.
*A WARNING !!!*
By mistake I tried to pull the pod off from the opposite end to the cannular - - -  - ouch!
Two things happened, 1/  it pushed the canular deeper into my tum,  2/  the adhesive was so stuck on it grazed my skin.
These two things caused me to get an infected site at the canular point, not nice.
Lessons learnt for 1/  only remove the pod from the canular end no danger of pushing the canular in deeper and for 2/  get some adhesive release spray it works a treat.
I also wear the Freestyle Libre sensor and I have never had any issues with taking that sensor off.  I can only assume that the pod adhesive is very much stronger and my skin gave way before the adhesive parted.

Still podding along and very happy with my control.


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## stephknits

Glad you have improved control and are happy with your pods.  If you do get irritated skin due to pods removing pods you can get spray stuff to help lift them.  Hope your pod change times have lessened and it's not so much of a faff for you.


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## christine.h

everydayupsanddowns said:


> Yes I know at least one person in the UK using the dash, and it looks very smart. The handset looks just like a smartphone (it’s a specially adapted Android phone I think)
> 
> Hope you get on well with it @mark king -switching to a pump can be a big adjustment, but it is great once you’ve put in some early effort to get things started, and then begin to fine tune and adjust.
> 
> Some take to a pump almost instantly, but for me, mine came into its own after 6-12 monthes when I’d had enough experimentation time with the new options


I have the old omnipod it is excellent


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## mark king

Hello all.
By the last week of July I will have done a zoom meeting with my DN and the people from Omnipod to teach me and walk me through the DASH version.  
Yippee I will be upgrading from the standard Omnipod to the Dash version.
I have a box load of items arriving this week to include the Manuals, guides, pods and the [phone-like] PDM with a touch screen.  I've Done the test set up for the zoom meeting, don't I look smart on camera , checked that there is nothing embarrassing in the back ground shot and I'm good to go.

Has anybody done this zoom training if so do you have any advice to offer, thanks.

Best


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## SB2015

Welcome to the forum @mark king 

Glad to hear that you have been able to get a pump.  As others have said it is a bit of work at the start to get basal rates fine tuned to your needs.  I really like the flexibility it has given me, and along with the Libre I feel that I have a good understanding of what is going on day to day.

I look forward to hearing more about how you get on.


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## Pumper_Sue

SB2015 said:


> Welcome to the forum @mark king
> 
> Glad to hear that you have been able to get a pump.  As others have said it is a bit of work at the start to get basal rates fine tuned to your needs.  I really like the flexibility it has given me, and along with the Libre I feel that I have a good understanding of what is going on day to day.
> 
> I look forward to hearing more about how you get on.


Mark is already a pumper just upgrading to a newer system


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## stephknits

I don't get the upgrade til my pump is due for renewal, so another year for me with the PDM.  My daughter who is newly diagnosed and I have done lots of remote meetings and have largely got used to them.  It will be interesting to hear how different the dash is, as compared to the old system.


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## everydayupsanddowns

Glad to hear that you will be able to switch over @mark king

I had a chance to look at the Omnipod Dash at ATTD (a big diabetes conference I managed to get invited to) and it looked very smart.

Hope you get on well with it - let us know how you get on, once you’ve switched over


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## mark king

stephknits said:


> ……..It will be interesting to hear how different the dash is, as compared to the old system.


Hello Steph.
From doing the read up about it and some online research I can say the following.
The principle is the same the big difference is to the PDM it is a touch screen device based on a Samsung mobile.  There are some minor differences to the pod like it is easier to see the pink flag when primed and some other minor tweaks.
The onscreen adjustments follow the old PDM setups but again with some minor tweaks added to make it clearer to follow.
I'm not expecting there to be anything major but once I have it and done the training [27/07/20] I'll report back here.

Best


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## mark king

I've now received my DASH PDM "starter kit" for the differences listed see following and I will update further after I've done the training on the 27th July if there is anything else to add.
*What are the main differences between the new Omnipod DASH™ System and the current Omnipod® System?  *

The Omnipod DASH™ PDM has a modern, touch-screen interface that is lightweight, simple, colourful and intuitive.
The design of the new interface has been led by user-experience to optimise navigation and displays.
The Omnipod DASH™ System features connectivity using Bluetooth® wireless technology.
The Omnipod DASH™ PDM is smartphone-like technology where Users can easily enter manual BG readings from any BGM they chose to use.
There are some added features (such as being able to program a zero basal rate, set fractional insulin to carb ratios and track Pod site-locations) with the new Omnipod DASH™ System. 
Best


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## everydayupsanddowns

Exciting times Mark!

Look forward to hearing how the training and switchover go


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## stephknits

mark king said:


> I've now received my DASH PDM "starter kit" for the differences listed see following and I will update further after I've done the training on the 27th July if there is anything else to add.
> *What are the main differences between the new Omnipod DASH™ System and the current Omnipod® System?  *
> 
> The Omnipod DASH™ PDM has a modern, touch-screen interface that is lightweight, simple, colourful and intuitive.
> The design of the new interface has been led by user-experience to optimise navigation and displays.
> The Omnipod DASH™ System features connectivity using Bluetooth® wireless technology.
> The Omnipod DASH™ PDM is smartphone-like technology where Users can easily enter manual BG readings from any BGM they chose to use.
> There are some added features (such as being able to program a zero basal rate, set fractional insulin to carb ratios and track Pod site-locations) with the new Omnipod DASH™ System.
> Best


Thanks for this, will be great to hear how you get on


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## trophywench

... and if you now fly anywhere, you'll need to turn the Bluetooth off, same as us lot with Roche Combo and Insight pumps have always and still have to, back to the mental arithmetic for a few hours occasionally.


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## mark king

Ok all good, I've got my DASH pump working after doing my ZOOM learning online with my DSN and the DASH pump trainer from the supplier.
It is now actively working and I have used it to calculate my Bolus tea time dose, pretty cool, with easy to see displays and touch screen operations.

Best


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## everydayupsanddowns

Hope your switchover goes smoothly


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## mark king

Reply to Jenny's recent post in this topic >>>


trophywench said:


> ... and if you now fly anywhere, you'll need to turn the Bluetooth off, same as us lot with Roche Combo and Insight pumps have always and still have to, back to the mental arithmetic for a few hours occasionally.


Jenny the DASH manual says the following,


It seems that it doesn't turn off the Bluetooth to the pump so all should work flawlessly, maybe yours is different.
It does beg the question what is it that happens when you turn it off if it isn't turning off the Bluetooth.
I think it may be reducing the signal strength of the Bluetooth signal but NOT actually turning it off, I'll go and do some Googling.

Best


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## trophywench

Interesting Mark!


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## Alf

mark king said:


> Hello I am a 75 yo type 1 diabetic presently on multi doses of fast and slow acting insulin.  I have recently been discussing pumps with my Senior Diabetic Nurse [SDN] who had described my options.  I said I did not want to have pumps with tubes all over the place at which she mentioned the omnipod, this sounded ideal for me.
> We then discussed the Dash as it was soon to be released in the uk.
> However when I went for its fitting it wasn't the Dash as she had indicated but the earlier version which the training 2 ladies had brought..
> 
> The DASH system, which received a CE mark in September 2019, is the only insulin pump certified to DTSec and ISO 27001 standards for cyber and information security and safety.
> When I expressed some disappointment that it wasn't the Dash they didn't give a very plausible explanation.
> It could be political or post code lottery again, but I hope not.
> 
> 
> LATE NEWS ----- LATE NEWS ----- LATE NEWS
> Just Had my SDN ring me to say they have made arrangements to upgrade me to the Dash omnipod, can not wait.
> Best


I´ve been wondering how you are getting along with the Dash. II`ve been using the Omnipod for many years now and also use/d the Solo. From my experience with solo I`m not so sure about a touch screen The Solo PDM sometimes takes ages to boot and is not always responive. THe standard Omnipod PDM used to sometimes have problems connecting with the pods, but this hasn`t happened in last couple years. I am only thinking of pusuing an update because the dash supposedly has holes in the cannulas and possibly diffuses insulin quicker.
I should be grateful for yours comments. Regards, Alf


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## everydayupsanddowns

I’d be interested too!


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## m1dnc

I received my Dash welcome pack on Friday, and my virtual training session has been scheduled for the 29th, so your comments will also interest me.


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## helli

trophywench said:


> ... and if you now fly anywhere, you'll need to turn the Bluetooth off, same as us lot with Roche Combo and Insight pumps have always and still have to, back to the mental arithmetic for a few hours occasionally.


This is not the advice I have received. Bluetooth is short range and does not impact the plane control systems. 
It is common to see people using Bluetooth headphones on a flight, for example.


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## trophywench

Well why do the handsets have 'Flight Mode' on them then?


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## everydayupsanddowns

trophywench said:


> Well why do the handsets have 'Flight Mode' on them then?



This is always what i have wondered.

Part of me suspects it is the same insoluble issue as security screening... the guards in the gate may tell you it’s completely safe, and they may well have seen lots of people go through various scanners with different tech and apparently no ill effects...

But the device keeps me alive... and frying it on the outbound flight would be a royal pita.

And the device manufacturers can‘t realistically spend the cash to diligently check every different type of scanner in all the world’s airports  (and then recheck with every new or updated piece of scanning equipment).

So just saying ‘no’ is far easier.

Likewise many fairly well qualified people may say there is almost no chance bluetooth will affect a plane‘s instrumentation... but the guidance continues! And when you are 30,000ft above the ocean...


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## mark king

Time for an update on my Dash Omnipod workings.
First a late reply to Alf's question above.  The Dash system is very quick to wake up when prompted; the touch screen is as instant as your phone screen works;  The Canula holes I've not heard about but the graphs show my reactions to pumping in and food input.
I still need to get my background dosage tweaked to be more symptomatic.  I have instances where I'll need to snack before a meal or I may be a little High after a meal dose.  
This is not a difficult thing to do, just a little at a time is what my DN suggests, alter 10% of any figure. 
It is a little bit like trying to roll a ball bearing over a mirror and stop it dead centre, the smaller the changes the quicker the centring action becomes.  
Then wait and see how things are after a few days and re-tweak if necessary.

I've just been a little lazy in getting around to doing this tweaking finding it easier to snack or let the next meal time calculation take care of the adjustment.
Works for me as I'm in my range 70%+ of the time.
My biggest issue is I drop while sleeping so I need to tweak my night time background doses a little.  Presently I just have a small snack before bed time which sees me be between 5 -10 of a morning on awakening.

BUT ALL IN ALL THE OMNIPOD DASH SYSTEM IS A WOWZA BIT OF KIT.

PS,.....and get yourselves a can of Brava adhesive spray remover *





						Brava Adhesive Remover Spray, 50 ml: Amazon.co.uk: Health & Personal Care
					

Brava Adhesive Remover Spray, 50 ml: Amazon.co.uk: Health & Personal Care



					www.amazon.co.uk
				



* to get the pump unstuck oh and I prefer to remove it from the canular end after imbedding it further into my leg when pulling it off from the other end causing a short bleed.

Regards


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## trophywench

Oh PS - when tweaking basal, don't forget that if you want to see a difference in BG at X o'clock, then the basal change needs to be made from c. 2 hours before that.  And yes to the 10% - but that's a max so I've found that 5% is enough sometimes.


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## m1dnc

I'm now about 4 months in from changing to Omnipod from 8+ years of tubed pumping, and I must say that I much prefer tubeless. I've found that putting the pod on the back of my arm seems to give the most consistent delivery for me, and between changeovers I've found that I mostly forget where I've put the little blighter.

The only thing that I wish for is integration with the Dexcom, but I think that is coming sometime this year with Omnipod Horizon. I hope that a switchover will not entail a new funding application. By comparison with tubed pumps, the Omnipod does not involve a large upfront capital cost.


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## helli

m1dnc said:


> I'm now about 4 months in from changing to Omnipod from 8+ years of tubed pumping, and I must say that I much prefer tubeless. I've found that putting the pod on the back of my arm seems to give the most consistent delivery for me, and between changeovers I've found that I mostly forget where I've put the little blighter.
> 
> The only thing that I wish for is integration with the Dexcom, but I think that is coming sometime this year with Omnipod Horizon. I hope that a switchover will not entail a new funding application. By comparison with tubed pumps, the Omnipod does not involve a large upfront capital cost.


I too find the patch pump more convenient than my old tubey one. It is much more discrete and I don't have to worry about what to latch it on to.
Unfortunately, it requires a larger flat, fatty area to attach the whole pump to rather than just a cannula. I am slim so do not have as many sites as I would like. My arms are not usable because, as a climber, they don't have enough fat on them.

The initial outlay for OmniPod is less than for a tubed pump but with the cost of the pods, it works out more expensive. This is why it is not available from my CCG.
I have been lucky enough to use the Medtrum which is a cheaper patch pump. It's not perfect but much more convenient than my tubey pump. I especially like the phone app which means I don't have to carry around (or potentially lose) a PDM.


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## m1dnc

helli said:


> The initial outlay for OmniPod is less than for a tubed pump but with the cost of the pods, it works out more expensive.


My DSN told me that over the 4-year cycle for pump replacement, the total costs for Omnipod is about the same as tubey pumps when you add up the capital cost and ongoing costs for cannulae and reservoirs.


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