Well, it's Friday today. Again.
Some things are so reliable aren't they?
Like Fridays arriving every 7 days.
And weekends flying by at the speed of light.
And Monday's lasting twice as long as Saturdays.
Winter giving way to spring.
The sun rising in the East.
Insulin pump site changes.
Not my best segue ever but it's kind of a nice image.
I have spent this week going back and forth between desperately wanting to stick with my Medtronic pump to desperately wanting a waterproof pump, to seriously considering making the leap to Animas, to hating the idea of Omnipod to loving the idea of Omnipod.
I'm sitting on the couch typing this. I have my freshly refilled Medtronic pump attached to the waistband of my comfy pants. I have my fake Omnipod pod attached to my lower back.
I'm remembering the doubt and the hopes I felt five years ago when I was first making the switch from needles to the pump. I'm feeling different doubts and hopes this time around but the intensity is the same. Can I live with the size of the pods? Can I live with changing my pump every three days? Can I live with another five years of tubes and clipping the pump to my belt? Can I really leave consider leaving my beloved Medtronic?
Right now, my thinking is that Omnipod is my favourite option with Animas at a close second. Medtronic is third, mostly because of the waterproof issue but partly because I like the idea of no tubes.
Once I know about my insurance options for Omnipod, I will know whether I'm deciding between three options or two (Animas and Medtronic). In the meantime, I have one more question to ask. Medtronic told me last year at the Global Heroes weekend that they had a waterproof pump coming out and that it would be in Canada. I will be emailing the lady who told me that to find out when. If it's in the next few months, Medtronic is back in the game. If it's not until 2014, I don't think I want to spend another triathlon season untethered nor do I want to spend another 9 months of thrice weekly swimming sessions untethered.
Fridays arrive every 7 days.
Mondays arrive much too quickly.
Spring follows winter.
And every five years, I agonize about insulin pumps.
Everything is right in the world.
Showing posts with label Omnipod. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Omnipod. Show all posts
Friday, April 19, 2013
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Podding While Pulling Buckets
Wednesday morning at the pool was interesting to say the least.
I showed up with my real insulin pump (as per usual) as well as my fake insulin pod attached to my arm. I felt very Robocopish.
I unhooked the real pump and headed to the pool with my fake pod firmly attached to my arm. I proudly showed it to Christine and told her that I wanted to see if it could withstand my active lifestyle. She looked doubtful but I told her that it was absolutely waterproof and quite firmly attached. Not that it was a big deal if it filled with water and fell off (since it's just a trial pod anyway) but I'd rather know now if it's going to hold up. Christine liked the idea that you could bolus with the PDM because, as she put it, "you can be in Lake Ontario and we can adjust your insulin for you from the boat". (apparently she has great plans for me...)
We hopped in the pool and discovered pretty quickly that we were in for a tough workout. Not tough in terms of distance but tough in terms of power.
We warmed up for 600m (swim, pull and kick for 200m each) and then did 8x25m sprints. Christine wanted us to swim all out. No holding back. She gave lots of rest in between each one but was quite adamant that had what it takes to push ourselves to swim 25m in 17 seconds. So we tried and we tried hard. The first few were 22, 21 and then 20 seconds. Then 18. Then 18 again. Then 17! Not 17.0 seconds but 17 point something which was enough to make her pretty excited.
Next, she handed us some buckets. Everyone got a strap that attaches around their waist. Tied to the strap was a stretch cord and tied to the stretch cord were two buckets. The kind that little kids take to the beach to make castles. Designed to add a lot of drag and make any kind of swimming really hard. Think running through quicksand or cycling up a hill into a nasty headwind.
Everyone got two buckets...but me.
I was handed a contraption that had three buckets attached to it, not two.
Seriously!?!
"Céline" Christine announced "is the most consistent swimmer I have ever known. She reaches a pace and then swims it consistently over and over again. The only way to help her get faster is to force her off that plateau. So she's swimming with three buckets today because I want her to be able to swim 100m in 1:35 in the next few weeks".
Fabulous.
We strapped ourselves in and prepared to repeat our 8x25m sprints. Ever tried sprinting as fast as you can while tied to something that holds you back? Go ahead and try it. I'll wait here...
Fun eh?
Everyone else did their 25m sprints in about 24-25 seconds. I did mine in 27-28 seconds. I have no idea how much extra drag one bucket adds but I was pretty proud to have kept up as much as I did.
After that, we swam 200m with buckets.
Then 4x50m sprints without them. (which I managed to do in 42-44 seconds each for those of you who care about times).
Then 200m with buckets.
Then 5x25m sprints without buckets (all in 18-19 seconds).
Then a cool down.
That was a lot of arm flailing and a great workout. It was also a pretty good test of my Omnipod pod. Guess how it held up?
Well, the adhesive was awesome and held up beautifully. Despite all the drag on the pod in the water, the adhesive didn't budge. The pod, on the other hand, didn't fare so well. If you can picture it - the adhesive is stuck to my skin and then the pod is stuck to the adhesive. The part where the pod is glued to the adhesive ripped and the pod was half detached and kinda dangling there by the end of the workout.
Not good.
I had to take it off when I got home because it would not have survived the day. So my first pod lasted 12 hours. Granted, I put it on my arm and went swimming with it but still. I would like to have the option to wear it on my arm, particularly in the winter, so this was a very reasonable test. Yes, I could tape it. Yes, I could wear an arm band in the pool to hold it in place but that just makes things more complicated and the Omnipod is already proving to be more complicated than I want it to be.
When I got home I removed the first pod and I put the second pod on - on my back just above where my pants sit. I wore it all day yesterday and, despite hours of sitting, driving and more sitting, I hardly noticed it. I like it there and was again reminded of how nice it would be to wear a pump without tubes. The big test will be Friday morning in the pool. It will sit above my bathing suit and, again, be exposed to the water.
Let's see how holds up then.
I showed up with my real insulin pump (as per usual) as well as my fake insulin pod attached to my arm. I felt very Robocopish.
I unhooked the real pump and headed to the pool with my fake pod firmly attached to my arm. I proudly showed it to Christine and told her that I wanted to see if it could withstand my active lifestyle. She looked doubtful but I told her that it was absolutely waterproof and quite firmly attached. Not that it was a big deal if it filled with water and fell off (since it's just a trial pod anyway) but I'd rather know now if it's going to hold up. Christine liked the idea that you could bolus with the PDM because, as she put it, "you can be in Lake Ontario and we can adjust your insulin for you from the boat". (apparently she has great plans for me...)
We hopped in the pool and discovered pretty quickly that we were in for a tough workout. Not tough in terms of distance but tough in terms of power.
We warmed up for 600m (swim, pull and kick for 200m each) and then did 8x25m sprints. Christine wanted us to swim all out. No holding back. She gave lots of rest in between each one but was quite adamant that had what it takes to push ourselves to swim 25m in 17 seconds. So we tried and we tried hard. The first few were 22, 21 and then 20 seconds. Then 18. Then 18 again. Then 17! Not 17.0 seconds but 17 point something which was enough to make her pretty excited.
Next, she handed us some buckets. Everyone got a strap that attaches around their waist. Tied to the strap was a stretch cord and tied to the stretch cord were two buckets. The kind that little kids take to the beach to make castles. Designed to add a lot of drag and make any kind of swimming really hard. Think running through quicksand or cycling up a hill into a nasty headwind.
Everyone got two buckets...but me.
I was handed a contraption that had three buckets attached to it, not two.
Seriously!?!
"Céline" Christine announced "is the most consistent swimmer I have ever known. She reaches a pace and then swims it consistently over and over again. The only way to help her get faster is to force her off that plateau. So she's swimming with three buckets today because I want her to be able to swim 100m in 1:35 in the next few weeks".
Fabulous.
We strapped ourselves in and prepared to repeat our 8x25m sprints. Ever tried sprinting as fast as you can while tied to something that holds you back? Go ahead and try it. I'll wait here...
Fun eh?
Everyone else did their 25m sprints in about 24-25 seconds. I did mine in 27-28 seconds. I have no idea how much extra drag one bucket adds but I was pretty proud to have kept up as much as I did.
After that, we swam 200m with buckets.
Then 4x50m sprints without them. (which I managed to do in 42-44 seconds each for those of you who care about times).
Then 200m with buckets.
Then 5x25m sprints without buckets (all in 18-19 seconds).
Then a cool down.
That was a lot of arm flailing and a great workout. It was also a pretty good test of my Omnipod pod. Guess how it held up?
Well, the adhesive was awesome and held up beautifully. Despite all the drag on the pod in the water, the adhesive didn't budge. The pod, on the other hand, didn't fare so well. If you can picture it - the adhesive is stuck to my skin and then the pod is stuck to the adhesive. The part where the pod is glued to the adhesive ripped and the pod was half detached and kinda dangling there by the end of the workout.
Not good.
I had to take it off when I got home because it would not have survived the day. So my first pod lasted 12 hours. Granted, I put it on my arm and went swimming with it but still. I would like to have the option to wear it on my arm, particularly in the winter, so this was a very reasonable test. Yes, I could tape it. Yes, I could wear an arm band in the pool to hold it in place but that just makes things more complicated and the Omnipod is already proving to be more complicated than I want it to be.
When I got home I removed the first pod and I put the second pod on - on my back just above where my pants sit. I wore it all day yesterday and, despite hours of sitting, driving and more sitting, I hardly noticed it. I like it there and was again reminded of how nice it would be to wear a pump without tubes. The big test will be Friday morning in the pool. It will sit above my bathing suit and, again, be exposed to the water.
Let's see how holds up then.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Omnipod Thoughts
Well, I met with two ladies from Omnipod yesterday in my quest to decide which insulin pump I want to go with. I must confess that I went into the meeting with two reservations which I tried very hard to push aside. I am trying to be as open-minded as possible during this research process. Animas surprised me in ways I hadn't expected and I wanted to give Omnipod the chance to do the same thing.
Omnipod is a completely different insulin pump setup than Medtronic or Animas. There are no tubes. At all. Nothing to clip on to your belt or tuck into your bra. Nothing to snag on doorknobs.
There are the pods and there is a PDM (Personal Diabetes Manager). The PDM looks kinda like a chunky iPhone. It is the brains of the operation and is what you use to control the pod and insulin delivery. It also acts as a glucometre if you choose to use it that way. There weren't really any features on it that the other two companies don't have (temp basals, insulin on board etc).
The pods stick directly to your skin (the back of your arm, your lower back, stomach or thigh). Once you have it firmly stuck in place, you use the PDM as a controller. At your command, it quickly (but not painlessly I'm sure) inserts and withdraws the needle, leaving behind the cannula. You use the PDM to bolus, to change temp basals etc. Without the PDM, your pod will continue to provide your regularly scheduled basal insulin but is otherwise uncontrollable.
Here is what I learned:
The reservoir in the pod takes 200ml of insulin. So do the Animas ones. My Medtronic pump takes 300ml. I use every last drop of insulin before I change my sites. At approximately 45 units of insulin per day, I can get six days out of a Medtronic reservoir. I would get 4ish out of Animas and, in theory, the same out of Omnipod. The problem with Omnipod is that the pods stop working after 72 hours (plus an eight hour grace period during which time the pod beeps every hour, then every fifteen minutes, then constantly until you change it). They explained that this is an added safety measure to ensure pump users change their pump sites as recommended but, since I rarely, if ever, have problems going a full six days, I am not a big fan of being told I have to change the site every three.
Especially when each pod costs $30.00.
I live in Ontario and I get $2400 per year from the Assistive Devices Program (ADP) for pump supplies. If every single one of my Omnipod pods last the full three days and none need to be removed early or are accidentally ripped out from walking too close to a doorway, I will pay $3600 per year in pods. Subtract the $2400 I get from ADP and that's an extra $100 per month out of pocket. Add to that the cost I pay for insulin and test strips and I would be paying over $200 a month out of pocket. Omnipod did offer to contact my insurance company to find out if the costs not covered by ADP could be picked up by them. I will take them up on this offer because, at the end of the day, the cost would be a deal breaker for me.
Those are my two biggest concerns about Omnipod.
The size of the pods is a little disconcerting after being used to the size of infusion sites. They kindly left me with two pods (sans needle) to try. I've attached one to the back of my left arm and will wear it there for the next three days. It will have two swims in the pool and three sleeps. Once that one is removed, I'm going to try the second one on my thigh (I think) or my lower back. I just want to see if I can live with it.
I have to be honest. The thought of no more tubing and no more wearing the pump on my belt is appealing. But not if I hate the size of the pods. So I'm giving myself a full six days to see how well they fit into my lifestyle.
The other thing I'm not super fond of is the PDM. Having to think about, and carry, a separate device will be annoying at times. My Medtronic pump is easy in that I clip it on in the morning and go. It comes along for runs and bike rides and follows me into meetings and medical appointments. If I go with Omnipod, I will need to carry the PDM with me. Not a big deal most of the time but a big deal on long runs when I'm already carrying so much. A big deal during races too. It's nice to have a waterproof pump for the swim portion of a triathlon but it's not particularly helpful if the controller is tucked away in the transition zone because it isn't waterproof. As Doug said, I'm trading the convenience I had during runs for the convenience of a waterproof pump during swims.
I think I'm sounding much more critical of Omnipod than I was of Animas. I don't mean too. There are a lot of really appealing things about Omnipod and it is a serious contender for my ultimate affections. It is a very different way of managing diabetes and I think I just need to wrap my head around the differences. Just like how I had to come to terms with the pros and cons of pumping after years of injections.
Omnipod pros:
- no tubing
- no pump to clip on my belt
- completely waterproof and can be worn swimming for hours
- must less limiting to my wardrobe (i.e. I can actually wear a dress every once in a while)
- if worn in the right place (which I have yet to figure out for myself), it will be pretty unobtrusive
Omnipod cons:
- must change pod every three days even if you don't need to (I am an adult. If my diabetes management works for me, don't presume to tell me to do otherwise).
- the cost of pods (if my insurance doesn't pick up the difference)
- having to carry the PDM around
**I have yet to decide if the size of the pod is a pro or a con. I'll let you know.
Now that Step One (pump research) is done, it's time for Step Two.
Step Two - find out if my insurance will cover the costs. If yes, I'm deciding between three pump options. If no, I'm deciding between two.
Step Three - make an appointment at the Diabetes Centre to have the paperwork filled out to apply for a new pump.
Omnipod is a completely different insulin pump setup than Medtronic or Animas. There are no tubes. At all. Nothing to clip on to your belt or tuck into your bra. Nothing to snag on doorknobs.
There are the pods and there is a PDM (Personal Diabetes Manager). The PDM looks kinda like a chunky iPhone. It is the brains of the operation and is what you use to control the pod and insulin delivery. It also acts as a glucometre if you choose to use it that way. There weren't really any features on it that the other two companies don't have (temp basals, insulin on board etc).
The pods stick directly to your skin (the back of your arm, your lower back, stomach or thigh). Once you have it firmly stuck in place, you use the PDM as a controller. At your command, it quickly (but not painlessly I'm sure) inserts and withdraws the needle, leaving behind the cannula. You use the PDM to bolus, to change temp basals etc. Without the PDM, your pod will continue to provide your regularly scheduled basal insulin but is otherwise uncontrollable.
Here is what I learned:
The reservoir in the pod takes 200ml of insulin. So do the Animas ones. My Medtronic pump takes 300ml. I use every last drop of insulin before I change my sites. At approximately 45 units of insulin per day, I can get six days out of a Medtronic reservoir. I would get 4ish out of Animas and, in theory, the same out of Omnipod. The problem with Omnipod is that the pods stop working after 72 hours (plus an eight hour grace period during which time the pod beeps every hour, then every fifteen minutes, then constantly until you change it). They explained that this is an added safety measure to ensure pump users change their pump sites as recommended but, since I rarely, if ever, have problems going a full six days, I am not a big fan of being told I have to change the site every three.
Especially when each pod costs $30.00.
I live in Ontario and I get $2400 per year from the Assistive Devices Program (ADP) for pump supplies. If every single one of my Omnipod pods last the full three days and none need to be removed early or are accidentally ripped out from walking too close to a doorway, I will pay $3600 per year in pods. Subtract the $2400 I get from ADP and that's an extra $100 per month out of pocket. Add to that the cost I pay for insulin and test strips and I would be paying over $200 a month out of pocket. Omnipod did offer to contact my insurance company to find out if the costs not covered by ADP could be picked up by them. I will take them up on this offer because, at the end of the day, the cost would be a deal breaker for me.
Those are my two biggest concerns about Omnipod.
The size of the pods is a little disconcerting after being used to the size of infusion sites. They kindly left me with two pods (sans needle) to try. I've attached one to the back of my left arm and will wear it there for the next three days. It will have two swims in the pool and three sleeps. Once that one is removed, I'm going to try the second one on my thigh (I think) or my lower back. I just want to see if I can live with it.
I have to be honest. The thought of no more tubing and no more wearing the pump on my belt is appealing. But not if I hate the size of the pods. So I'm giving myself a full six days to see how well they fit into my lifestyle.
Here is what the pod looks like attached to the back of my arm.
The other thing I'm not super fond of is the PDM. Having to think about, and carry, a separate device will be annoying at times. My Medtronic pump is easy in that I clip it on in the morning and go. It comes along for runs and bike rides and follows me into meetings and medical appointments. If I go with Omnipod, I will need to carry the PDM with me. Not a big deal most of the time but a big deal on long runs when I'm already carrying so much. A big deal during races too. It's nice to have a waterproof pump for the swim portion of a triathlon but it's not particularly helpful if the controller is tucked away in the transition zone because it isn't waterproof. As Doug said, I'm trading the convenience I had during runs for the convenience of a waterproof pump during swims.
I think I'm sounding much more critical of Omnipod than I was of Animas. I don't mean too. There are a lot of really appealing things about Omnipod and it is a serious contender for my ultimate affections. It is a very different way of managing diabetes and I think I just need to wrap my head around the differences. Just like how I had to come to terms with the pros and cons of pumping after years of injections.
Omnipod pros:
- no tubing
- no pump to clip on my belt
- completely waterproof and can be worn swimming for hours
- must less limiting to my wardrobe (i.e. I can actually wear a dress every once in a while)
- if worn in the right place (which I have yet to figure out for myself), it will be pretty unobtrusive
Omnipod cons:
- must change pod every three days even if you don't need to (I am an adult. If my diabetes management works for me, don't presume to tell me to do otherwise).
- the cost of pods (if my insurance doesn't pick up the difference)
- having to carry the PDM around
**I have yet to decide if the size of the pod is a pro or a con. I'll let you know.
Now that Step One (pump research) is done, it's time for Step Two.
Step Two - find out if my insurance will cover the costs. If yes, I'm deciding between three pump options. If no, I'm deciding between two.
Step Three - make an appointment at the Diabetes Centre to have the paperwork filled out to apply for a new pump.
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