Insulin pumps for my 15 year old

[Swirly girls]

My daughter was just diagnosed with T1. We know its a little soon for a pump just yet, but, we have discussed it with her Endocronologist for down the road a few months.
My daughter is 15. I've just begun learning about the different possibilities she has. What I have read about the omni pod I like so far. It's wireless, so I imagine there are pros and cons just as there are with Medtronic and other various pumps.
I'd like feedback, advice on these pumps, and why you like, or why you don't like.
I'm also curios about the prices for the different pumps and supplies. We have great insurance, and make a good , so cost really is a non issue.

 

[jbmom1b2g]

SO sorry to hear about your DD's diagnosis. The best thing to do is look at all the pumps and get your hands on them. I was pretty set on the Omni pod Then I saw the size and so did my DD. They are going to a much smaller size in a few months so that may be good. We Chose the one touch ping and we love it. I have read about a few people who have had problems with the Medtronic. Again the best way to do it is research and see what best fits your needs

 

[chrissy92972]

My son is 10 years old and was diagnosed at age of 5 1/2. He has the Minimed 523( Revel) we just got this pump a few months ago. He had the Minimed 522 but the warranty was up. The only reason why we kept with
Minimed is because he also has a CGM and we purchased the MySentry out of pocket back in June.

He does have two sites one for the insulin and one for the CGM. Having a CGM is a love hate relationship, but he basically wears it 24/7. Minimed is the only pump so far that the cgm is integrated, so he has one device attached to his hip. In the future hopefully there will be other options.

We also have very good insurance, but it does not cover everything, there will possibly be copays or deductibles to be met or your insurance may only deal with certain companies for the pump and supplies.

Good Luck with your decision.

Chrissy

 

[ttintagel]

I switched to the Omnipod about eighteen months ago after 12 years with different MiniMed models, and I really like it. I love not having to disconnect to shower or swim, and not having to worry about kinks in the tubing. (Boy, did my old cat love to chew on that tubing if I left it hanging out!)

 

[buffettgirl]

we've been pumping since 2006 (or 7? i can't remember). We use the MM revel now. As someone else said, get your hands on them and play with them.

As for a 15 year old girl, I suspect the pods will be something she likes (and they'll be smaller in a few months) as it seems like not having a tube would be a big benefit. The drawbacks to a pod though is that you still have to remember to carry that large PDM otherwise your pod is useless. And that pod is hard to hide under tight clothing where a regular infusion set is fairly flush to the body.

There are drawbacks to every pump and plusses to every pump. It's sort of like a purse - what works for me might not work for you. In the end, they're all good insulin delivery devices.

We also CGM and used the integrated minimed cgm up until last month when we switched to the dexcom g4. OMG - life changing how much better it is.

You should check out the ChildrenWithDiabetes forums
Any question you have, you will get an answer to.

 

[luvsvacations]

Can anone tell me the benefits of a pump?? Does it automatically give you what you need?? Thanks

 

[CKCruising]

I (40+ male) have used the One Touch Ping for over 3 years now with no issues. Being from Canada, the Omnipod was not an option. Basically had to choose between the One Touch and the MM. Both of the reps sat down with me and reviewed their product. I choose the OT because it was waterproof. Mine has been to 5 different water parks, 1 cruise, 3 Disney vacations, and spent summers with me in the pool. Note that it isn't really 100% waterproof...I am on my 3rd pump (replaced under warranty).
I also liked the idea of the easy readability of the screen. It is easy to read in everywhere but direct sunlight. I'm not sure about the MM in the sunlight.

 

[bopper]

Can anone tell me the benefits of a pump?? Does it automatically give you what you need?? Thanks

Not really, but it does mimic the body closer than giving your self 2 shots of insulin a day. You have a basal (continuous, low dose) of insulin that is always coming. When you eat, you calculate how many carbs you have eaten and then based on your personal rate, give yourself a bolus (one at a time extra amount) of insulin to "cover" the carbs.

There is no pump/monitor that automatically detects your blood sugar and then gives you the appropriate amount of insulin. THe best now is a Continuous Blood Glucose monitor that tells you what you blood sugar is all the time and alarms at highs or lows that is semi integrated into the pump...you still have to tell the pump what to do.

 

[luvsvacations]

Thank you for explaining - I have done a little reading but this helps

 

[buffettgirl]

one of my friends says it's not like a crockpot where you 'set it and forget it.' You're still in charge. Depending on how you 'do' insulin right now it might seem strange (or not). Where a typical schedule for shots would be lantus/levemir once (or twice) a day for your basal insulin and a short acting at meals and as needed for high your pump only uses one insulin - the short acting novolog/humalog/apidra and it works in two ways: it delivers a continuous stream of insulin in pre programmed (by you and the doctor) amounts every few minutes and then you 'bolus' at meals by programming the pump with your individual insulin needs. but the pump will do the calculations for you ; Instead of this:
1u for 25 carbs and he's eating 32g so he needs 1.28units, round down /up to 1.0/1.5 and BG is now 250 so BG minus target of 120 divided by correction factor of 75 gives you an extra 1.7u add to the 1.28 gives you 2.98, do a shot for 3u.
You have this:
enter BG 250
enter carbs 32
pump says "3u ? hit ok to deliver"

Now if you're doing something like set carbs/set amounts on a sliding scale it may see a bit weird because you're not doing this math already but you'd be taught what your personal settings are.

The nicest part, especially for kids, is the variable basals. You have an extremely busy active day, you just turn down basals at night. Sick he they're high? turn them up. Puberty?? run for the hills. hahaah.

 

[luvsvacations]

Thanks again - been interesting reading. My son is 24 and we found out the end of Oct. It is nice to have some idea what this is if/when the topic comes up. Right now he gives himself 3-4 injection of the fast acting and then a long acting at night.

 

[CKCruising]

Thanks again - been interesting reading. My son is 24 and we found out the end of Oct. It is nice to have some idea what this is if/when the topic comes up. Right now he gives himself 3-4 injection of the fast acting and then a long acting at night.

In his case, the long acting would be replaced by a basal rate (a small shot of long acting every minute or two). This allows him to set a different rate based on time of day rather than just go with the profile of the long acting...It won't give you a consistant dose for 24 hours. The after meal bolus from the pump would probably be pretty close to his fast acting shots now.

When I started insulin 30 years ago, I had one shot/day (beef and pork )and had to basically eat the same foods (food groups) every day. Then I went to two shots a day with the same eating restrictions. It was about 15 years ago, I went to pens and 5 or 6 shots a day. I started counting carbs rather than the food groups. Three years ago, I went to the pump and wouldn't give it up for the world.

 

[hobie]

My DD 14 was diagnosed in 2009. 3 days after getting out of Children's hospital we headed to WDW for a 2 week, planned, vacation. We chose to have her use the basal bolus protecol so that she would be ready to start pumping asap. A friend, who has a 4 year old with type 1, recommended the OmniPod. It seemed like a no brainer for DD since she was very active in all types of physical sports. She started using the OmniPod 4 months after diagnosis and has never had a problem or had to go back to taking 4-6 shots daily. No disconnecting to shower or swim. No dangling tubes or heavy PDM hanging on her during basketball, soccer or lax.

She did participate in a clinical trial 2+ years ago for the smaller POD. It was a bit smaller and will be very welcomed by all teenage girls once it has been approved.

She has used a CGM in the past but doesn't feel the need to use it all the time. At somepoint, Insulet is hoping to integrate the CGM into the OmniPod system.

 

[buffettgirl]

My DD 14 was diagnosed in 2009. 3 days after getting out of Children's hospital we headed to WDW for a 2 week, planned, vacation. We chose to have her use the basal bolus protecol so that she would be ready to start pumping asap. A friend, who has a 4 year old with type 1, recommended the OmniPod. It seemed like a no brainer for DD since she was very active in all types of physical sports. She started using the OmniPod 4 months after diagnosis and has never had a problem or had to go back to taking 4-6 shots daily. No disconnecting to shower or swim. No dangling tubes or heavy PDM hanging on her during basketball, soccer or lax.

She did participate in a clinical trial 2+ years ago for the smaller POD. It was a bit smaller and will be very welcomed by all teenage girls once it has been approved.

She has used a CGM in the past but doesn't feel the need to use it all the time. At somepoint, Insulet is hoping to integrate the CGM into the OmniPod system.

Smaller pods will be shipping in March I believe. They're ready to go.

 

[Chickenlady]

Smaller pods will be shipping in March I believe. They're ready to go.

Will the new smaller pods hold the same amount of insulin?

 

[buffettgirl]

Will the new smaller pods hold the same amount of insulin?

apparently yes. They supposedly have an inflatable bladder in them rather than what they have now, so it can hold the same amount of insulin in a smaller spot.

 

[Chickenlady]

apparently yes. They supposedly have an inflatable bladder in them rather than what they have now, so it can hold the same amount of insulin in a smaller spot.

Yippeeee! Not that I mind a bulge under my clothes, but on my arms I'm forever running into door frames and such and pulling them partially off. If they were a little smaller, I'd prob. miss the door frame. Can't wait.

 

[michelleh1]

We have the One Touch Ping and love it! It's so nice to be able to bolus off of the pump itself, if dd doesn't want to grab her meter (or if she forgets it! it's happened a few times). I did look into the Omnipod, but you had to put so much insulin in it, and dd just doesn't use that much every 3 days. I didn't want to waste the insulin or mix old with new just to fill the pod. We've also occasionally hit bad spots with the pump site that we need to remove and start over, and I can only imagine how much more that would be with the pods. We did a trial with the One Touch before committing. Don't be afraid to do trials to help you decide which one would work best for you.

 

[zurgswife]

Pumps like anything else diabetes related YDMV (Your Diabetes May Vary).... The best advice for pumps is to contact reps and get your hands on them and play with them. Omnipods are either love or dislike..... my kids (2 T1 teens) totally hate Omnipods other T1s love them. My kids have been on Animas pumps since 2004/2005 respectively.

TSlim is the newest on the market and really a favorite of the teens as it is very ipod like.

Also, there is a great Diabetes Convention every summer in Orlando. This year it is actually at the Coronado. It is a great experience for all kids/teens to be around hundreds of other T1s. At this conference you are also able to test the pumps with a saline start. It is great real time experience for the pumps. If you'd like more info just send me a message. We have been attending every summer since about 2007 when we first found out about the conference.

 

[ttintagel]

Yippeeee! Not that I mind a bulge under my clothes, but on my arms I'm forever running into door frames and such and pulling them partially off. If they were a little smaller, I'd prob. miss the door frame. Can't wait.

OMG I have exactly the same trouble! And when they're on my abdomen, they're usually at the exact height of the doorknob and I occasionally catch on them, too!

I wonder if I'll get the smaller ones automatically or if I'll need a new prescription. I'm seeing my endo next week, so I can ask then.