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Three days, or until the insulin is all used up - that is how long an OmniPod is to be worn for. Before pumping, I was unsure if the scheduled three day replacement interval was going to be a nuisance. I even pondered the idea of trying to sneak in an extra day on the pods- so long as there was enough insulin stowed away in them. Well, that notion, along with a little of my patience, consistently scurries away when I near the end of a pod cycle, and the three day itch sets in.
A submerged piece of tubing, along with semi-sticky adhesive and active flows of insulin is enough to occasionally agitate my pump site. Rest assured though, at the end of three days wearing this tool, I am keen to the idea of ripping it off. I liken it to wearing a cast. Although I have not experienced it first hand from a cast, the unquenchable itch of a paper-mache prison seems to relate at times to that of wearing a pump. Those last few hours before I change my site is when the bulk of the irritation begins. I fidgetingly fantasize of sliding a coat hanger under the adhesive and giving it a once over with some gusto!
The feeling of being able to pull off the pod and free my commandeered skin is like heaven. And that notion of wearing the pod into overtime has flown out the window. At the stroke of 72 hours, and at timed intervals before and after, the pod sends out a reminder set of beeps to replace the pod. (beep, beep, beep), (beep, beep, beep) goes the pod. I turn on the PDM “(beep, beep, beep), (beep, beep, beep)" goes the PDM and Pod Expiration Advisory- "Change Pod Now" pulls up on the screen. If the pod was not changed, it would continue the set of beeps in fifteen minute intervals during the last hour of its life. If it is continually ignored after that, the dreaded hazard alarm starts. This is a solid stream of high pitched wailing that comes from the pod, daring to be ignored by anyone!
In all, the reminders and replacement schedule is designed to keep infusion sites from getting over stressed and to ensure that plenty of insulin is always on hand. In a slightly bustling room, the reminder alerts can hardly be heard and under a stack of bed sheets, the pod's beeping can be completely muted, making the actual annoyance of the reminders very minimal for me. It is more likely that the physiological cues will start to pop up first. The itch sets in, the boluses are a little more noticeable and my desire to find a coat hanger is suddenly a pressing need.
I am pending the approval from my insurance company to receive the omnipod. Your blog caught my interest; I always hear good things about the omnipod, not the things people don't like about it. What are the things you don't like about the omnipod? Today I was wondering if I chose the right pump. I had a omnipod attached to me; I liked it but I did not have the cannula inserted. Can you feel the cannula moving and is the pod irrating to have attached to your skin?
There is so much to be said about the OmniPod and pumping in general. A book could be written... and so many have. Regardless of which pump company you choose, there is likely to be good and bad in them all.
Overall, I know I made the right decision for me. The auto insertion of the cannula is amazingly pain free. Once it is in, it cannot be felt at all. At only 6.5 mm under the skin, it is more likely to pull out accidentally than be felt moving around.
Take your pumping experience one day at a time and pop back here to see my experiences or ask any questions you'd like. Thanks for stopping by!
Hello - My son is preparing to make the switch from injections to pump and we first chose the omnipod. His pediactric endocrinologist shared with us that this is the first generation of this pump and its being run by the PDA is an issue for many people. If the PDA is lost or broken for any reason, you can't use the pod. I spoke directly to the manufacturer and supplier of the omnipod on just this point, as my son has lost enough parts of testing kits that I am concerned about his always having the PDA. They said I could buy a backup upfront, quoting cost of $300.00. Still our pediatrician said that he has patients who have been on pumps prior and moved to omnipod and are now trying to move back from it but cannot do so through insurance. I was told that most insurances cover one pump with its supplies every five years, so you do want to be sure you are getting the one that works best for you. Do your homework and take your time.
Pumping is a commitment, no doubt about that. And the whole insurance labyrinth brings even one more element into the game. Age plays a part in this decision as much as any other factor. Even though the wireless feature of the OmniPod is very attractive, if it is likely that the PDM will be lost or misplaced, it may not be the way to go.
Best of luck with your decision. Kuddos for looking at pumping from all the angles. Whatever route you go, the extra time spent discussing it will pay off and you can be confident you made the right decision, as I am.
I have been using the OmniPod for over a year now, and I love it. I don't relly have anything bad to say about it. I don't have a repeating itch problem as Scott described. I do notice my site gets itchy if I do not apply the pod well and water gets under the adhesive. But I just apply to pod carefully and rub the adhesive down thoroughly when I put a new one on so this won't happen.
I have never had a problem with or lost my PDM (the handheld controller), and I have had it over a year now. I suppose if you are afraid of losing the PDM, the a pump that's tethered to you 24/7 will solve that problem :) But I chose the OmniPod for the freedom it allows you to have. No tubes, nothing tethered to you, and I can keep my insulin delivery going while swimming, snorkeling, etc. since it's water tight. I also love that I can put it on the back of my arm and forget I am wearing it since I don't see it in the mirror.
Regarding the replacement cost, in my mind, having the OmniPod gives me the comfort and freedom I wanted, so I figure $300 if I lose it is a small price to pay for the lifestyle I can have. But choosing a pump is a personal decision and people have all different priorities and budgets.
i have b een on byetta for six months and never had the fortune of losing any weight. in fact at the beginning it made more hungry. the only affect was a matilic taste in my mouth. why haven't i lost any weight with this medicine. it's controling my diabetis quite well.
I too have been on the OmniPod for a little over a year now. I completely understand where Scott is coming from with the itch except it sounds like mine is worse. The pod was great for the first 8 months or so and then I started to develop an itch/inflamation of my skin where ever I wore the pod. Some places worse than other. I have tried a number of different possible remedies (bards wipes, tegaderm sheets, etc - iv prep seems to make my skin itch too) with little or no luck.
I just saw my endo and she suggested that I switch to a different pump, which I am in the process of now. I've just started so I haven't hit any road blocks yet. But I also didn't know about the 5 year thing. The pod was my first pump and the pump part worked great, it's ease of use and the untethered are what sold me on it and my a1c went from 7.8 to 6.5.
Unfortunately the itch starts about 8-10 hours after I put it on and gets very bad the next day, by the 3rd day it has subsided but my skin is very red and raw by then. I am now changing my pods every 2 days instead of 3 which is reducing the skin irritation but not getting rid of it entirely. Once the pod is off, the spot looks like a bad sunburn on me and in the next few days begins to peel and itch just like a sunburn.
The one other downside that I have come across is that the pods seem to be sensitive to static electricity. I have had a number of pods fail way before they were set to expire, due to static discharge. Insulet Corp is great in that you call them up and they will send out replacement pods and have you send back the defective one's but you do lose the remaining insulin that you've loaded in the pod.
If I didn't have the issue with the skin, I could live with them failing more during the winter months due to low humidity and dry heat but the skin thing has gotten to the point of it not being worth it for me anymore. Hopefully future versions will have more options for adhesives, etc.
Congrats on your improved A1c!
The skin irritation you have sounds unpleasant indeed and much worse than mine. More options for adhesives and cannula length/insertion angles would make the OmniPod that much more user friendly. As a first generation pump, there is definitely room for imrpovement. Hopefully the future holds more options for OmniPod pumpers and offers you relief from skin irritation!
rgsnow,
It sounds like you were having an allergic reaction to the adhesive rather than having a problem with the pod itself.
Before switching to another pump, you should be asking what type of adhesive the Omnipod uses and make sure whichever pump you are going to doesn't use the same adhesive or else you the problem is going to keep coming back.
I have been using the OmniPod for 10 months now and love it. I have not had any problems with the adhesive. Customer support has been great.
Mike,
Yes you are correct, the pod itself works great, my problem is an allergic reaction to the adhesive/dressing part which is not selectable for the Omnipod, yet. I have been looking at the Animas line of pumps which uses a universal Luer Lock method of connecting infusion sets so it is open to multiple types/brands of infusion sets. Hopefully letting me choose which one is right for me. Also the contact footprint for some of the infusion sets is much smaller than the Omnipod base so I have more locations to put the infusion set and smaller irritation spots to deal with till I find the correct infusion set.
The material on the base of the Omnipod is called Hypafix (I believe) and it is also found on some brands of sterile dressings and surgical tapes too. I really don't want to switch to another pump but it has gotten to the point where the bad is outweighing the good. I am sure future pumps of this design will take this problem into consideration.
I started wearing my pods in Jan '07 and did not develop the allergy till Sept/Oct '07. I have also read of others having the same issue, they are fine for a while and then their skin starts to develop an allergy over time.
Glad to hear that you are not experiencing this.
I have been on pumps for 14 years now and thought the pod was cute when I first saw it. After I learned that the canula and adhesive are not selectable, I backed away. I have allergic reactions to various adhesives and plastics. When I had my MiniMed pumps, I had to use the bent needle set because the canulas made swollen, red, itchy mounds within a few hours of inserting them. (There weren't so many brands out then.) When I got my Animas pump a couple years ago, I tested their Inset infusion sets and I didn't have any reaction to the canula or adhesive. When I upgrade in a few more years, whatever brand of pump I use will have to allow the freedom of infusion sets/canulas, which puts MiniMed/Medtronic and OmniPod out of contention.
Thank goodness we can afford the luxury of options. Someone recently said about diabetics, "we are like snowflakes", and it couldn't be more true. Each person has slightly different needs/techniques/principles for managing the disease. Finding what works best individually, before a commitment is made, is essential for optimal results.