# Pump choices?



## Type1pumping (Sep 13, 2021)

Hi Everyone - I am new to the forum but diabetic for over 20 years - I am at the end of my second pump and need to get the next one. I have had Roche Aviva combo and now insight and have freestyle libre 2's 
my GCM is offering TSlim, Metronic 640G, Roche pod and omnipod, also the last of the Insight with phone connectivity instead of the clunky handset - which apparently you can enter manual readings from sensors. - no guarantee of funding for dexcom. 

So here is where I am up to... today as I have an old Insight you cannot manually enter bg's from the libre results - actually I have found this is good as I can get up to a 20% variance up/down from the finger prick. not good either way. I like the roche canula's never tried any other. So I like the libre for the alarm's up/down but not good in trust as a closed loop/auto system. 
Question : has anyone tested the dexcom v finger prick is it a similar variance or more accurate the the libre?

So to pumps : I like the idea of either the Tslim with tube - a lot of USA forums complain of auto mode and many many alarms that you cannot silence - seems to be a litigation avoidance issue - anyone experienced this or are you all manual? 
Or the Omnipod as the roche pod seems to be an old pump company bought by roche around 10 years ago and not really developed or enhanced - any comments on this welcome just reading forums  
I ruled out the metronic model as it seems EOL in USA already so time is coming to the end.maybe they will offer the 780? 

Questions on omnipod - how much insulin can it hold and how easy is it to fill as I do like the pre-filled cartridges of the insight? I have ordered a sample pod to see how big it is I used to be reluctant about more things sticking to me prior to the libre but if I have a canula/libre and I swap for canula pod the count is the same  

I am sure I have some other questions later but on the start of the decision process.

Thanks 

Jon


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## Inka (Sep 13, 2021)

Welcome @Type1pumping  Would you be self-funding the Dexcom? (Funding is very hard to get) If you could explain a little more about your plans/hopes that would help. @everydayupsanddowns has the T Slim and self-funds Dexcom, I think. Or are you saying you want to loop with Libre 2?

I’ve had a pump for many years and when I choose any new type, I always look at the pump websites, Youtube videos, reviews, etc, then make a list of Pros and Cons, and, most importantly, my priorities. We all have different things that are important to us. Anything that can help you narrow down your pump options is good eg tubed or patch, size of reservoir, etc etc I’d also look at the cannulas, and at the customer service.


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## everydayupsanddowns (Sep 13, 2021)

Welcome to the forum @Type1pumping 

I’ve separated your post into its own thread so that it doesnt get muddled with the older thread.

I’ve been on the Tandem tSlim for a little over a year, and have been self-funding the Dexcom G6 during that time for as low a cost as I can manage (restarting each sensor once, and buying the transmitters outright).

The G6 is pretty much my favourite sensor of all the ones I’ve tried. It’s not perfect, but it’s pretty close. Great tracking against fingersticks for me, such that I am generally confident to bolus from the readings. Factory calibrated *but* if I want to calibrate to pull it slightly back into line - I can. Sensor glucose only updates every 5 minutes, which feels an eternity when recovering from lows. And like all CGM there’s the ‘interstitial lag’. But on the whole I like it a lot.

Control IQ is excellent at gently steering BGs when things are relatively stable. Especially over night. It’s not ‘set it and forget it’… certainly for me and my diabetes‘ current foibles I still need to keep a fairly close eye on things, but the results are better. 80-95% time in range is much more my norm now, when it would have been 70-85%.

Haven’t had an HbA1c since switching (thanks Covid!) so I don’t know how it translates to that, but overall I am very happy with the switch I made. There are niggles and frustrations, obviously… but I have very few alarms, and certainly not ones I can’t cancel. Apart from a TBR weirdness, but that only applies when not using Control IQ!

I wrote a post about my initial impressions after 5 months or so here:









						Hype or Hope? Dexcom, Tandem tSlim review and 2020 round-up
					

Tandem tSlim x2 and Dexcom G6 - A review of my first 6 months, plus some thoughts rounding up 2020.




					www.everydayupsanddowns.co.uk


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## everydayupsanddowns (Sep 13, 2021)

Oh… I forgot to say, Tandem have an app that allows you to browse the tSlim menus on your smartphone as if it were a tSlim. I found that quite helpful to get my head around the style and layout of the user interface.


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## SB2015 (Sep 15, 2021)

Type1pumping said:


> maybe they will offer the 780?


Welcome to the forum.
When I was looking at the pump choices, and considered a Medtronic, I was told that the 780 behaved the same as 670 with a few Improvements, and that if I wanted a Medtronic I could have the 780 whether I was going to use sensors or not.

 I now have the 780 and self fund the Medtronic sensors.  We did not have the option of the t-slim at that time, so I did not consider that.  It works very well for me.  Any questions ask away.


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## stephknits (Sep 15, 2021)

I have been using omnipod for 4.5 yrs and find it easy to fill, but have never had anything different so can't compare.  Pod change takes me about three minutes.  I only use the minimum amount of insulin in it, so am not sure of max, but seem to remember it takes less than some others.  I barely notice it once stuck on and often forget where it is.  
If I had funding for a dexcom, I would probably choose t slim.


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## m1dnc (Sep 17, 2021)

I converted to Omnipod Dash last year, and generally prefer being tubeless now. I've had a couple of pod failures recently, which is a bit of a bore when it happens in the middle of the night.

The max size of the insulin reservoir is 200 units, but I only fill with enough to last for the three day pod lifetime. It only takes a few minutes to make a pod change, very similar to the time it takes to do a cannula change with a tubed pump.


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## LauraHQ (Sep 17, 2021)

SB2015 said:


> Welcome to the forum.
> When I was looking at the pump choices, and considered a Medtronic, I was told that the 780 behaved the same as 670 with a few Improvements, and that if I wanted a Medtronic I could have the 780 whether I was going to use sensors or not.
> 
> I now have the 780 and self fund the Medtronic sensors.  We did not have the option of the t-slim at that time, so I did not consider that.  It works very well for me.  Any questions ask away.


Hello

I am also now needing to think about a new pump and I was thinking of self funding although I can’t find any information on it! How much does it cost per month to self fund the Medtronic sensors?


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## helli (Sep 17, 2021)

LauraHQ said:


> Hello
> 
> I am also now needing to think about a new pump and I was thinking of self funding although I can’t find any information on it! How much does it cost per month to self fund the Medtronic sensors?


This page tells you about the Guardian CGM: https://www.medtronic-diabetes.co.uk/continuous-glucose-monitoring/self-funding


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## SB2015 (Sep 17, 2021)

LauraHQ said:


> Hello
> 
> I am also now needing to think about a new pump and I was thinking of self funding although I can’t find any information on it! How much does it cost per month to self fund the Medtronic sensors?


If you commit to a contract for the year it works out at about £39 per sensor.  There is also the cost of the transmitter, which is guaranteed for one year but from my understanding will go for longer.
Now  that I have got it working for me, which took a while, I wouldn’t want to go back out of the closed loop system.


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## Type1pumping (Sep 18, 2021)

Inka said:


> Welcome @Type1pumping  Would you be self-funding the Dexcom? (Funding is very hard to get) If you could explain a little more about your plans/hopes that would help. @everydayupsanddowns has the T Slim and self-funds Dexcom, I think. Or are you saying you want to loop with Libre 2?
> 
> I’ve had a pump for many years and when I choose any new type, I always look at the pump websites, Youtube videos, reviews, etc, then make a list of Pros and Cons, and, most importantly, my priorities. We all have different things that are important to us. Anything that can help you narrow down your pump options is good eg tubed or patch, size of reservoir, etc etc I’d also look at the cannulas, and at the customer service.


Hi inka
Many thanks I got a sample omnipod dash pleasantly surprised by size and I talked about deacon funding I have no chance but they are happy to fund freestyle 2 
A pod question not sure if Gscm is funding dash and omnipod or just omnipod but it seems old omnipod has big monitor abs strips built in omnipod dash does not is this right?


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## m1dnc (Sep 19, 2021)

Your CCG should fund Dash - mine does. You're right - the handset for the Dash does not incorporate a meter. You have to input your current BG at the same time as your carb count for the handset to calculate your bolus. You can, of course also just put in your BG for a correction bolus.

I use a Dexcom G6 for CGM and I am confident enough in the readings from that to use with the Dash handset. That was not the case when I used a Libre (first generation) - I would only rely on fingerstick BG readings for bolus calculation.


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## Type1pumping (Sep 19, 2021)

Thanks Everyone - I am seriously leaning towards the Dash - I will confirm with my CGM that it is the dash and not the first generation - So I guess I need to find a small BG monitor as I hate carrying all the associated stuff around with me - any recommends ironically the tandem one looks small. My CGM Diabetic nurse told me the Tslim is 'just' a basic pump  looking at the APP it does not appear to be so. over the weekend I have been gardening seriously and keep tugging my cannular which is also what is leaning me towards the Dash. I have flipped off my libre 2's a couple of times but they have always replaced them no questions.


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## Pumper_Sue (Sep 20, 2021)

Type1pumping said:


> ver the weekend I have been gardening seriously and keep tugging my cannular which is also what is leaning me towards the Dash.


A simple tip is to make sure you put a bit of tape on your tubing near the cannula so any tug is taken up by the tape rather than yanking out your cannula


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## Type1pumping (Sep 23, 2021)

good idea thanks


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## Ceefdee (Oct 1, 2021)

I have been using omnipods for about 3 years now and am pretty active including gardening, playing with grandchildren etc. Have never pulled off my pod and adhesive is now exceptionally good. 

Interestingly, I had a couple of pods at the end of a pack a couple of months ago which just didn't adhere from the start. Possibly the pack got overheated somewhere in transit?

Omnipod replaced both immediately - always incredibly helpful if I ever have issues which is rarely. 

Enjoy making your choices.


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## VICTOR HILL (Oct 10, 2021)

I  HAVE LOOKED at the Swedish      pump   pre filled     vial     NOVARAPID       STEEL NEEDLES       360 rotates     to 
simple   tech and set     up   
MY LIFE           YPSOPUMP      VIC


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