# Omnipod Experiences



## Kratos31 (Mar 6, 2019)

Hi

I am hoping to move onto a pump this year (around summer once DIANE course completed)

Been doing some reading and I like the idea of an Omnipid. Ive never been keen on the idea of pumps before due to the tubes etc.

Just looking for some info from people who have used it and see what their thoughts on it are. Any disadvantages vs traditional pumps etc.

Cheers


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## HOBIE (Mar 6, 2019)

Its a good job we are all different I would not like a big white disk on my body. Good luck


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## Northerner (Mar 6, 2019)

@stephknits is our biggest enthusiast, hopefully she will spot this


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## Lucy Honeychurch (Mar 6, 2019)

@Sprogladite is also on the omnipod.
Beware that pump funding is a post code lottery depending on what your CCG will fund. When you go on your pre-pump course they will show you what's available. When I went on mine 3 attendees had the option of the Omnipod, but the rest of us didn't.


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## stephknits (Mar 6, 2019)

Hi, as Northerner says, I have the Omnipod.  I'm afraid I can't tell you how it is compared to others, as it's my first pump.  I too was drawn to it because it is tubeless.  Positive points for it for me are:
It's tubeless nature means I have a lot more freedom on where I can stick it I don't have to think about what I am wearing.
You keep it on in the shower / bath / swimming pool which is fab cos you don't have to think about it.
In the summer months I quite like to pump my pod and wearing with pride. 
I like the way it automatically inserts the cannula for you.
Negative - if you forget your  PDM (the control devise and bs meter) then you can't manually adjust anything on the actual pod - so you can't set a temporary basal, do a bolus etc.


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## stephknits (Mar 6, 2019)

Am happy to answer any questions you may have about it - fire away!


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## Sprogladite (Mar 6, 2019)

I'm like @stephknits in that I can't compare to traditional pumps as the omnipod is my first pump too; but I LOVE it.  The biggest draw for me was also the lack of tubes - particularly as I horse ride quite a lot and the thought of falling off and having tubes caught on tack or by a horse's hooves scares me! (not that I fall off a lot, but...it's always possible lol).
I really like the huge degree of flexibility in terms of where you can place it - the facebook groups are good for showing some spots which aren't "authorised" placements but which seem to work well (your DSN won't tell you about these spots as Omni haven't recommended them).
It's not overly huge or too bulky but did take some getting used to for me.  
The only slight annoyance I've found is that when it's going to malfunction and start "screaming" (which I was very disappointed by when I first heard - was much quieter than I'd been anticipating lol) at the most inconvenient of times.  However this has only happened to me a couple of times in 8 months and it's taught me to take backup pens of novorapid wherever I go.
Unlike Steph, I'm not a big fan of the automatic insertion and I think I'd prefer to do that myself - but it is definitely better than the multiple injections and once every three days is bearable  
I also like that if the mood takes you, you can decorate the pod with nail polish - again, facebook groups are fab for inspiration and lets you put your own stamp on it.
I've never used it myself but Omnipod will also loan you a "holiday" PDM if you go away on trips and if you DO lose your PDM, they are apparently very good about getting a replacement one out to you ASAP (I've seen people get replacements within 6 hours).
Also, you can recycle your used pods which pleases the inner environmentalist in me


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## Kratos31 (Mar 6, 2019)

thanks for the info, I was going to ask about if you could get multiple PDMs as you would be in trouble if it broke - particularly if travelling. I should get referred in late June for a pump, so will see how long the process takes. My Hba1c was 5.1 on Monday so my control is good, just looking to see if not doing injections cheers me up as much as not doing finger pricks after getting the libre. I also know you can do fancy patterns of bolus doses which could combat some tricky foods etc.


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## HOBIE (Mar 6, 2019)

The Libre is a good gadget. Well done


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## trophywench (Mar 7, 2019)

Well - don't all pump manufacturers courier replacements to you if you're left in the lurch by an equipment failure ?  Roche do - cos my first Combo piston seized up.  Always been pleased I wasn't in deepest France (to this day there are places without a mobile phone signal) or indeed Goa, the Caribbean, USA or Australia at the time!


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## toffee (Mar 23, 2019)

Hello all

I'm looking at these omnipod things and thinking I'd love to try them, not a clue how they work though apart from reading about them from a Google search.
I work shifts, earlies lates and nights, and before I was diagnosed and felt like crap loved to run...want to get back to where I was.
Currently injecting 16 units x Lantus every morning and then NovoRapid before scoff, about to start managing my insulin against my excercise for the first time...a bit worried but hope I'm going to be good with all the advice on here


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## everydayupsanddowns (Mar 23, 2019)

toffee said:


> Hello all
> 
> I'm looking at these omnipod things and thinking I'd love to try them, not a clue how they work though apart from reading about them from a Google search.
> I work shifts, earlies lates and nights, and before I was diagnosed and felt like crap loved to run...want to get back to where I was.
> Currently injecting 16 units x Lantus every morning and then NovoRapid before scoff, about to start managing my insulin against my excercise for the first time...a bit worried but hope I'm going to be good with all the advice on here



Two resources that you might find helpful...

One is INPUT, a charity, now part of JDRF, which specialises in helping people access diabetes technology. Take a look at www.inputdiabetes.org.uk 

The other is the NICE criteria for insulin pump funding in the UK, which is TA151 https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ta151

In general terms pumps are suitable if you continue to have difficulty with hypoglcaemia (it worries you, you need to think about it a lot and use various workarounds in your life to avoid it).  The other route is if your HbA1c is above 69 (8.5%) no matter how hard you try.

The official wording is:

Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII or 'insulin pump') therapy is recommended as a treatment option for adults and children 12 years and older with type 1 diabetes mellitus provided that:


attempts to achieve target haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels with multiple daily injections (MDIs) result in the person experiencing disabling hypoglycaemia. For the purpose of this guidance, disabling hypoglycaemia is defined as the repeated and unpredictable occurrence of hypoglycaemia that results in persistent anxiety about recurrence and is associated with a significant adverse effect on quality of life 

or


HbA1c levels have remained high (that is, at 8.5% [69 mmol/mol] or above) on MDI therapy (including, if appropriate, the use of long-acting insulin analogues) despite a high level of care.


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## Mebo11 (Mar 27, 2019)

Kratos31 said:


> Hi
> 
> I am hoping to move onto a pump this year (around summer once DIANE course completed)
> 
> ...



Hello to everybody from a new recruit to D UK

For people pondering Omnipod one can contact Omnipod and they will send you a Demo kit ie an actual Omnipod ( minus cannula & cartridges ) for one to wear to see if they like the feel of a patch pump system. It is awesome !!! how technology has moved on when compared to 35 years ago I carried a glass syringe with a needle the size and bluntness of a drainpipe suspended in methylated spirit in a blue plastic case !
However it is still a postcode lottery ref whether your hospital authority promote Omnipod....mine only promote Roch/Accu Chek or Medtronic...I am changing on April 3 2019 from Insight pump to Medtronic 640g plus plus plus Freestyle Libre sensors which I firmly believe  will have a HUGE impact to my diabetes control and lifestyle...and then when I buy Miaomiao bingo !!!!!

Keep on pumping  !


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