In no particular order:
A. The Omnipod and I had a fairly good weekend, other than the fact that I chose a bad location for my Pod change and switched it hours later; something I chalk up to experience. Final Pod-servations:
1) The nature of the Pod and the amazing painlessness of it has one negative side effect. It's less obvious when you've got a bad insertion and it isn't working. I don't think this is a big deal, though, as I expect to get better at placing it.
2) The more comprehensive menus and frequent beeping actually create a slightly different relationship than that which I had with my Medtronic pump. By always reminding me what's on board and asking about my BG whenever I bolus, the Omnipod works harder to be a partner. In contrast, the pump acts more like a tool. You do the thinking, it does the pumping. Period. 90% of the time, I love this. But sometimes it kind of seems like a nag. However, there's no denying: I'm running better blood sugars on the Pod and this is coming from someone who runs good blood sugars most of the time, anyway.
3) The adhesive of the Omnipod is superior to Medtronic by far, and probably a tiny bit better than that of the Dex, though it's hard to say as I've worn my Dex for up to two weeks, and the Pod comes off at three days.
B. I'm easing into training for marathon #5, currently planned to be the Steamtown Marathon in October. Hopefully, this will be the time I qualify for the Boston Marathon.
All total, I ran four times last week, including 12 miles yesterday in 85 degree weather with a ton of humidity. The heat drove down the pace and the whole thing was a slog around 8:55 per mile. I started with a blood sugar of 213 and finished at 137, sipping Hammer-Gel the entire way. All in all, it was a suck-fest and I'm looking forward to just a few more hot runs, at which point my body will accept the fact that it can run in this weather.
C. With the Omnipod transition complete, it's time for me to stop reading so many diabetic blogs and forums (aside from those of diabetic athletes). While they provide unbelievable insight during times of question and answer, I've never been comfortable with blogs that just focus on how high or low a blood sugar is, how much it sucks when an infusion site bleeds, how people don't understand diabetes, etc. etc. ad. infinitum. While I don't criticize those views, I don't understand them and feel that - too often - they take a negative tone and waste too much energy on external factors or the past: last night's blood sugar or the person at the mall that said something stupid about diabetes. While these are very real frustrations, they are not your blood sugar right now and they are not the thoughts in your head; things which you have the ultimate power to control.
My diabetic disclaimer: C. is a direct statement to blogs or forum posts written by diabetics and not necessarily by parents of diabetics. I don't know what it's like to have a diabetic child and wouldn't begin to predict how I'd feel or write if I did.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Friday, June 11, 2010
Omnipod Day 2
Second day on the Omnipod after 8 years on the Medtronic. Less observations, but a few:
1. Did a 6 mile run over lunch with the Omnipod on my arm. Felt a little jiggle and was preoccupied for about 30 yards. That was it.
2. I wish the Omnipod had an easy bolus button like the Medtronic pump. To get to bolus you need to first go past a status screen. It's a small thing, but when you've had this disease a long time, you usually know your status (BG, last bolus) and don't need to be reminded of it.
3. I'm a little worried about how loud the alarm will be when it's time to change the Pod. There is an 8 hour window to change it, but there is an hourly alarm during that window. That strikes me as being a bit naggy.
4. I love wearing this thing on my arm. Though I still have the Dex on my belly, it's really nice not to have the pump there. Very cool.
5. I've gotten a few comments from parents with kids on the Omnipod and I appreciate them a lot. As a parent with kids who don't have diabetes, my wife and I often discuss if or how we'd treat them differently than I. In fact, it was a huge reason I went on the Dex. We both agreed that if our kids had diabetes, we wouldn't think twice about putting them on the Dex, so why debate it for me?
As far as the pump goes, I think the Omnipod is probably a superior choice for kids for two reasons: the lack of cord and the smaller cannula. While Pod people rip off pods, pump people get cords caught from time to time, too. I'm not certain either is clearly superior, but the feeling of not having a corded device on you is definitely better in my opinion. In addition, the needle/cannula on the Omnipod is definitely less painful. As an adult, I don't really care -- my lancets are usually months old. But I could see it making a big difference with kids. The idea that you affix the Pod BEFORE you insert the needle would mean less squirming, in my opinion.
So that's that. After two days, I'm getting used to the Omnipod and would say I like it a little better than a corded pump. It's not overwhelmingly superior and IF Animas brings out Dex integration before Omnipod, I'll be tempted to go to them, but secretly I'm hoping Insulet wins the race. And I have zero regrets about not going on Medtronic's REVEL system. It's just time Medtronic and I saw other people.
1. Did a 6 mile run over lunch with the Omnipod on my arm. Felt a little jiggle and was preoccupied for about 30 yards. That was it.
2. I wish the Omnipod had an easy bolus button like the Medtronic pump. To get to bolus you need to first go past a status screen. It's a small thing, but when you've had this disease a long time, you usually know your status (BG, last bolus) and don't need to be reminded of it.
3. I'm a little worried about how loud the alarm will be when it's time to change the Pod. There is an 8 hour window to change it, but there is an hourly alarm during that window. That strikes me as being a bit naggy.
4. I love wearing this thing on my arm. Though I still have the Dex on my belly, it's really nice not to have the pump there. Very cool.
5. I've gotten a few comments from parents with kids on the Omnipod and I appreciate them a lot. As a parent with kids who don't have diabetes, my wife and I often discuss if or how we'd treat them differently than I. In fact, it was a huge reason I went on the Dex. We both agreed that if our kids had diabetes, we wouldn't think twice about putting them on the Dex, so why debate it for me?
As far as the pump goes, I think the Omnipod is probably a superior choice for kids for two reasons: the lack of cord and the smaller cannula. While Pod people rip off pods, pump people get cords caught from time to time, too. I'm not certain either is clearly superior, but the feeling of not having a corded device on you is definitely better in my opinion. In addition, the needle/cannula on the Omnipod is definitely less painful. As an adult, I don't really care -- my lancets are usually months old. But I could see it making a big difference with kids. The idea that you affix the Pod BEFORE you insert the needle would mean less squirming, in my opinion.
So that's that. After two days, I'm getting used to the Omnipod and would say I like it a little better than a corded pump. It's not overwhelmingly superior and IF Animas brings out Dex integration before Omnipod, I'll be tempted to go to them, but secretly I'm hoping Insulet wins the race. And I have zero regrets about not going on Medtronic's REVEL system. It's just time Medtronic and I saw other people.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
On the Omnipod
After waiting for a few weeks for paperwork to be sorted, filed and what-not, my Omnipod arrived yesterday. Because I am the way I am, I put it on last night without any training.
Incidentally, that's probably not something I'd recommend, as my faulty style resulted in an occlusion and waking up with a blood sugar of 300. But I digress... one fresh pod and several hours of detox later, I'm 93 and the living is easy.
So here's what I think about the Omnipod, after being on it 1 day and being on the Medtronic pump for 8 years:
1) Taking my pants off is more fun. With the pump, you're either unclipping or being careful you don't end up yanking the cord off. No such problem with the Pod, since there is no cord.
2) Having the Pod on my arm is nice. One of the main reason I did this was to give my belly a break and I like that a lot.
3) There is less trash. Others have written about how much trash is involved with a typical pump change. With the pump, things are simpler and cleaner.
4) I kind of like the built in math, after all. As someone who tends to handle simple rapid math, very easily, I never used the bolus corrector on the Medtronic pump, but programmed it all into the Omnipod and I have to admit, I like easily knowing how what's left on board affects my next bolus. I'm a little wary of relying on the device so much, only because I do fear my dependence on the Dex has resulted in a little less bg awareness, but for now, I like having more data.
5) I will be glad when the next gen Omnipod is out, The forthcoming Pod is smaller. While this is on my arm, I don't notice it, but I'm not certain I'll like it on my belly. It still feels a little lumpy.
6) I like having a meter built into the receiver. It's convenient and keeps more data integrated. I like that.
7) That being said, I do wish the receiver were a little smaller. As it is, it's a bit larger than the Medtronic pump. That's the tradeoff: the receiver IS larger but A. you don't need it with you when you're not eating and B. there's no cord.
As mentioned, I went on the Omnipod via the $300 Cut the Cord Promotion. I paid this money out of pocket from my Flexible Spending Account. This way, I was able to maintain my out-of-warranty position with insurance, which means they'll pay 100% of the next device I get, which will be either the forthcoming Omnipod or Animas - whichever of the two has Dexcom integration first. Unless, I just decide I like cordless pumping better, in which case I could see myself waiting a bit longer.
Incidentally, that's probably not something I'd recommend, as my faulty style resulted in an occlusion and waking up with a blood sugar of 300. But I digress... one fresh pod and several hours of detox later, I'm 93 and the living is easy.
So here's what I think about the Omnipod, after being on it 1 day and being on the Medtronic pump for 8 years:
1) Taking my pants off is more fun. With the pump, you're either unclipping or being careful you don't end up yanking the cord off. No such problem with the Pod, since there is no cord.
2) Having the Pod on my arm is nice. One of the main reason I did this was to give my belly a break and I like that a lot.
3) There is less trash. Others have written about how much trash is involved with a typical pump change. With the pump, things are simpler and cleaner.
4) I kind of like the built in math, after all. As someone who tends to handle simple rapid math, very easily, I never used the bolus corrector on the Medtronic pump, but programmed it all into the Omnipod and I have to admit, I like easily knowing how what's left on board affects my next bolus. I'm a little wary of relying on the device so much, only because I do fear my dependence on the Dex has resulted in a little less bg awareness, but for now, I like having more data.
5) I will be glad when the next gen Omnipod is out, The forthcoming Pod is smaller. While this is on my arm, I don't notice it, but I'm not certain I'll like it on my belly. It still feels a little lumpy.
6) I like having a meter built into the receiver. It's convenient and keeps more data integrated. I like that.
7) That being said, I do wish the receiver were a little smaller. As it is, it's a bit larger than the Medtronic pump. That's the tradeoff: the receiver IS larger but A. you don't need it with you when you're not eating and B. there's no cord.
As mentioned, I went on the Omnipod via the $300 Cut the Cord Promotion. I paid this money out of pocket from my Flexible Spending Account. This way, I was able to maintain my out-of-warranty position with insurance, which means they'll pay 100% of the next device I get, which will be either the forthcoming Omnipod or Animas - whichever of the two has Dexcom integration first. Unless, I just decide I like cordless pumping better, in which case I could see myself waiting a bit longer.
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