Dexcom and Omnipod costs

Penfold_Dad

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Hi all

I am looking to research all options including the self funding of treatment. In my head the perfect treatment for my 5 year old newly diagnosed daughter would be to have a CGM and and a tubeless pump. Has anyone done the research to look into annual costs of either if self funding.

If the answer to the above is yes do you have the broken down amounts for both? I'm also looking at the option of part funding as we have the potential option of the animas vibe and dexcom CGM fully funded. I would hope if they stump up this amount we could find the rest between the family as a whole.

Any help with this would be hugely appreciated
 

azure

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Hi :)

So you could get a pump funded for your daughter, but not the Omnipod - have I got that right? Is that because your hospital doesn't support the Omnipod?
 

TorqPenderloin

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I would consider a pump the best tool for good control, but I'd consider the Dexcom CGM more of a safety device.

I'm not a parent so it's easy for me to say this (and I'm on MDI) but if I ever have a kid with diabetes, I'd have them on a CGM as soon as possible. The peace of mind is incredible knowing you can just look at your phone (or Apple Watch) and see what her blood sugar is at all times.
 

Penfold_Dad

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Hi :)

So you could get a pump funded for your daughter, but not the Omnipod - have I got that right? Is that because your hospital doesn't support the Omnipod?
Yes that's right, they are very keen on her being on a pump and we have also requested a CGM due to her having no hypo awareness and their solution is an animas vibe as it can do everything (although this isn't confirmed yet). I'm very sad about her having anything with a tube and want to cover all bases an options before deciding.
 
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azure

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I agree a pump is an excellent option, especially for a child :)

Have you had a chance to handle any pumps to get a feel for them? I have an Animas Vibe and love it. It's a robust little pump and has been problem-free so far. Just to reassure you it's not a rubbishy option.

Would your daughter's team support you self-funding? Practical support, I mean.
 

tim2000s

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I would consider a pump the best tool for good control, but I'd consider the Dexcom CGM more of a safety device.

I'm not a parent so it's easy for me to say this (and I'm on MDI) but if I ever have a kid with diabetes, I'd have them on a CGM as soon as possible. The peace of mind is incredible knowing you can just look at your phone (or Apple Watch) and see what her blood sugar is at all times.
In real terms, you don't need a pump for excellent control if you have a CGM. You can subscribe to sugar surfing successfully on MDI, which I did for a while and ended up with a great Hba1C as a result. What you don't have, and it's especially important in kids, is the level of granularity in dosing that a pump gives. No insulin pen yet effectively does 0.1u doses from the word go, and for children this is critical, which is why pumps are considered a no brainer for kids.
 
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Penfold_Dad

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The other thing a pump ensures is no leakage. We have very few completely successful injections
 

azure

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For me the thing about pumps that will beat anything else is the ability to fine tune basal. No reservoir of long acting sitting there releasing itself in amounts beyond my control, no Dawn Phenomenon or vicious nocturnal hypos.

I think that once you get your daughter's rates right, you should see a good improvement with a pump.
 

noblehead

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Yes that's right, they are very keen on her being on a pump and we have also requested a CGM due to her having no hypo awareness and their solution is an animas vibe as it can do everything (although this isn't confirmed yet). I'm very sad about her having anything with a tube and want to cover all bases an options before deciding.

The Dexcom can be used alongside the Omnipod Pump:

http://www.myomnipod.com/cgm.php

Another alternative is the Libre, there was a news report on the forum two days ago saying that the NHS is considering funding the Libre for use in children.

Just picking up on your daughters hypo unawareness, is it a case where she just doesn't recognise the symptoms, for someone who has only been diagnosed 3 months it seems unusual to have lost them in such a short space of time.
 

CarbsRok

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Yes that's right, they are very keen on her being on a pump and we have also requested a CGM due to her having no hypo awareness and their solution is an animas vibe as it can do everything (although this isn't confirmed yet). I'm very sad about her having anything with a tube and want to cover all bases an options before deciding.
Having a tube is no problem at all, so do not worry about it.
I have the Vibe and it's a lovely little pump. A lot less equipment is attached as the receiver is already in the pump. If you have been offered the vibe then accept it would be my advice.
 

Penfold_Dad

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What advice has her diabetes team given?
They haven't given any advice really. They has us on 4 units of lantus each night and when we were dropping over 10mmols during sleep they blamed hormones. I had to research basal testing to figure out what she actually needed. What advice can you have other than test a lot?
 

noblehead

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They haven't given any advice really. They has us on 4 units of lantus each night and when we were dropping over 10mmols during sleep they blamed hormones. I had to research basal testing to figure out what she actually needed. What advice can you have other than test a lot?

That would be it, to test a lot more if she doesn't recognise the hypo symptoms as hypo's or is hypo unaware. The CGM will take a lot of the worry and stress away from you all.
 

Mrs Vimes

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I teach a kid who used the animas vibe (without cgm) and is now on omnipod. The advantage with omnipod is the lack of tubes- he's a footy player so very active. But it's not as precise as the animas because it's a throw away piece of kit. (That's what the animas rep told me - possibly biased.)
(I answered on the grit page about my love for the animas and the cgm)
 

CarbsRok

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I teach a kid who used the animas vibe (without cgm) and is now on omnipod. The advantage with omnipod is the lack of tubes- he's a footy player so very active. But it's not as precise as the animas because it's a throw away piece of kit. (That's what the animas rep told me - possibly biased.)
(I answered on the grit page about my love for the animas and the cgm)
Lol the pod is a glorified cannula with a few bells and whistles on it thus after 3 days it's chucked out same as the cannula's for any pump, so yep the Animas rep is being a tad norty in that dept.

Having the pod though means a handset to carry around plus the dexcom receiver if people want both. With the vibe you just need the pump and it's all in one so to speak.
 
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noblehead

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Having the pod though means a handset to carry around plus the dexcom receiver if people want both. With the vibe you just need the pump and it's all in one so to speak.

The PDM doesn't have to be carried around all the time @CarbsRok, the Pod is programmed to deliver your basal insulin and doesn't need to be in range of the PDM, you only need the PDM to bolus or to check your bg if using it as a bg meter, if there a problems like a blocked cannula/pod failure the alarm sounds on both the PDM and Pod.
 
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Mrs Vimes

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Not actually knocking the omnipod @CarbsRok . Door knobs are my nemesis. So are little kids with rucksacks. The number I've had to stop because I ended up attached walking down the corridor.
Love my animas but could do without the tube.