OmniPod

After going back to the Cozmo after trying the OmniPod for a bit and the Animas, I realized how much I truly liked the OmniPod. I really really like not being attached by tubing to a device. It works for me. I am thinking, at least for now, I will be sticking with the OmniPod. Who knows what the future will bring for pumping for me, but for the time being, I am loving the freedoms that the OmniPod affords.

More to come later, after my craziness of a new semester of nursing school calms down some.

Solo

I got the Solo micropump demo packet in the mail today. I tore into that package like a little kid on Christmas morning! I am very impressed with the Solo pump thus far. The demo packet includes written information (not super specific sadly about the functions, etc.) and a demo cradle and pump module. For those of you not very familiar with the Solo patch insulin pump by Medingo, check it out here -----> www.solo4you.com .

This adds another delay into my pump decision. After going back on the Cozmo after a couple OmniPods that I had to pull because of leaking with the cannula still in place, I realized how much I truly liked having a tubeless pump. So where do I go now? I am debating between either sticking with the Cozmo as long as I can until the Solo comes out in my area of the country, or getting the Minimed now and revisiting the idea of the Solo after 4 years with Minimed, or if I get new insurance sooner, as soon as I would be able to get a new pump. My concerns are this: Going with a first generation pump, what if there are kinks still not worked out? I would think kinks are inevitable with a new product that is attached to you and working 24/7/365. Is this a reason to either not go with the Solo or hold off, or can I assume the customer service will be adequate enough to be able ot handle anything that may be thrown at them?

This decision process is not getting much easier!
What do you all think of the Solo? Leave a comment!

The Battle of Minimed vs. Animas

Here are my thoughts thus far. I still have yet to make a pump decision and want to decide soon.

MINIMED

• I prefer the Minimed menus to the Animas ones. I find them personally easier to navigate.
• Animas only holds 200u at a time in the reservoir. Minimed can hold either 176 or 300 (with the 7XX models).
• I don't like that with Animas, you have to rewind and re-prime every time you change the battery.
• I like that with Minimed, when you calculate a bolus using carbs, BG, etc. that the result is auto-populated into the recommended amount that you can then tweak rather than having to scroll up to the recommended number like you have to do with Animas.

ANIMAS

• You have more tweaking abilities with the Animas because of the ability to do 0.025 u / hr. basal rates.
• Minimed, you are restricted on which sites you can use (only theirs - unless you want to risk voiding the pump warranty by using the luer-lock adapted ones). Animas, you can use any luer lock pump site.
• I prefer the Dexcom to the Minimed CGMS, and Animas will eventually be integrating with the Dexcom.

Well... so far it looks like Minimed's in the lead by ONE positive aspect. If I'm forgetting anything major that I need to think about with my decision between the 2, please leave me a note in the comments as a friendly reminder. Thanks!

Pump Trials (and Tribulations)

I fought constant lows basically from the first hour on the pod. I'm not sure what caused them, other than that I was able to figure out it was a Cozmo vs. Pod thing since I had the same EXACT settings on the pod as I did on the Cozmo. Pain in the butt! When I finally figured out the right amount of basal for the pod (85% my usual Cozmo basals) the pod had about expired. I'm now a bit afraid of the pod, and kind of turned off of it because of all the lows and a couple days of trying to figure out what caused them, what to change, etc. (and one night, dropping from 94 with food on board and less insulin to cover said food, to 29 in ONE HOUR!). I am now using the Animas with insulin, and my blood sugars have not been over 168, or under 78 since I started that (again with my Cozmo basals). I am liking the Animas a lot more than I thought I would. I have this gut feeling that I will end up with a tubed pump again as my decision, but I still REALLY like the thought of a tubeless pump and just having the PDM. Maybe when the Medingo Solo comes out, I'll go for that. In the meantime though, still trying to figure out what to do NOW about pumping. I'm thinking I'll do either Minimed or Animas, and I have the OmniPod stuff already, so I can always use that if I want a break from being tied to something, or if I have a wedding or event to go to where I'll be wearing a dress. I'm liking that I can now have options if I go with a different pump from the OmniPod, but also, if I DO go with the OmniPod, I already have a month of supplies too.

Double Barreled Pumping

Off I go... long story about the Animas trial. Vicki is my Animas lady. She was supposed to be at my house at 5:00pm. I hadn't heard from her at 5:35, so I e-mailed her asking if she really did mean this week, or if she meant to say next week for the trial. While waiting for her response (since I was SO SURE she wasn't coming tonight) I started a pod in me. Then, I got an e-mail saying she was 10 miles away! Oops! Maybe I shouldn't have started the pod just then. I also saw I had a voicemail from her from 5:00 saying she was stuck in traffic. Oops again! In my house, there are areas where one minute you'll have perfect cell reception, and the next minute, NOTHING! Apparently she called during one of those NOTHING times.

So fast forward to about 6:25 or so when Vicki shows up. MAJOR TRAFFIC!!! Anyway, I had to explain to her why my Cozmo pump was sitting on the kitchen table (for settings of course) and why I had a pod on (to try their product of course). We ended up setting me up with saline in the Animas, then when this pod expires, I'll switch to insulin in the Animas and actually try it out for real. I get to ahve the Animas loaner pump for a week give or take.

Right now though... Double Barelled Pumping! WOO!

No worries... I will report back with my super scientific results of the findings when I'm all done.

It's HERE!!!

The OmniPod arrived, and like a little kid, I have it completely set up and ready to go, but not on me yet. I also have the Animas lady coming tomorrow for their pump trial. It's raining pumps!

OmniPod Woes

My pod should be here tomorrow. I am like a little kid waiting for Christmas. I was very excited to hook myself up, get all the settings in, and off I go podding. Until... dun dun dun... I got a call today from an OmniPod clinical specialist (or some title like that). She said we have to set up a time for the pump start. I tried to resist and beg to be able to just start it on my own and just call her of there were problems. I attempted to blow past her incredible mind powers to make me do a formal pump start. I have been pumping for 9 years now, have done a Minimed upgrade on my own, and a Cozmo start on my own. Why couldn't I handle the Pod start on my own? I just wanted to get going with this already. And being on pens now instead of my Cozmo since I am just about out of pump supplies for the Cozmo (read: 2 sites left), I really was yearning to be back pumping (this after only what... 2 or 3 days using pens?!). So... now, my pod will be here tomorrow, and I have to resist the temptation to start on my own... until a week from Wednesday!! How cruel it is! I'm confident I'd be able to figure it all out on my own, but I'm wondering if there's some kind of liability issue with people doing self-pump-starts with the OmniPod system. Sadness... I have to wait over a week! I'm impatient!!

CWD's Friends for Life Conference

I just wanted to add a brief post (we'll see if I accomplish the "brief" part) about the Friends for Life Conference I attended in July. I wasn't quite sure how it would be going into it, if I would really like attending something where diabetes was THE focus. I went alone, and worried I would feel alone the whole time there.

I got into Orlando and took a Disney bus to the hotel. I checked in, but they said my room wasn't ready yet. So... I decided to wander around for a while and also check in for the conference. I did feel alone at this point. After I checked in though, I felt a little less so.

The bulk of the conference was built of sessions during the day, banquets, parks, and other fun in the evenings. I attended many sessions during the conference that truly affected me. Joe Solowieczyk is am inspiration to anyone with type 1 diabetes, and their families. I also was able to meet and have a very nice conversation with Nicole Johnson, Miss America 1999 (type 1 since 1993). I met some very inspirational people, and even met Kerri Morrone-Sparling from Six Until Me. I had been reading her blog for... 2 years or so, and I finally got to meet the person behind the humor, kindness, and intelligence. She is every bit in person like she is online. Genuine, funny, smart...

After 5 days, the day to leave came. I went home, and was sad to leave. I didn't know what it would be like going into the conference. It was AMAZING! I spent basically the next 2 days after coming home from the conference in tears. Tears of relief, happiness, tears of anger about what everyone at the conference, including me has to go through every single day. I learned a lot at the conference and met many wonderful people who I hope will become as the title of the conference says, Friends for Life.

At home, I always checked my blood sugar under the table at restaurants, always had my pump in my pants pocket. I never had thought I had a problem with my diabetes, or a need to hide it until I went to the conference. I saw everyone checking their blood sugars wherever, whenever, out in the open, and I saw pumps clipped on anything that would stand still. I realized that maybe I was a bit ashamed of my diabetes after all. Now that I am home from the conference, I wear pump sites on my arms with tank tops, I clip my pump anywhere, showing it off, and I check my blood sugar on top of the table at restaurants. FFL made me a stronger, more outgoing diabetic. I am so thankful I was able to have this wonderful experience, and I would encourage anyone with any connection to diabetes to attend if they are able. It is a life changing experience, and I know it sounds sappy, but it truly changed who I am.

Bad D accessories week.

This week, I have inadvertently pulled 3 pump sites before they were due to be pulled. The most recent, and I'm sure some of you have been there, and sorry if this is TMI... I had my site on my thigh. I had to use the restroom. I pulled my shorts down apparently a bit too vigorously pulling my site. It was a gusher and by the time I could grab a kleenex, was dripping down my leg onto the floor... so fun!

So until my Omnipod stuff comes Monday or Tuesday, I am giving in and doing a few days of Lantus and Humalog pens. Just too many problems lately, needing a brief break.