Pump for active water sports participant?

[Petey]

Hi all,

I'm a 34 yr old T1 (for 25 years), but due to a persistant decline in control will likely be moving from MDI to pump therapy in the near future. I am highly active in water sports and have been kitesurfing and surfing for over a decade, adding stand up paddle boarding to the mix a few years ago.

As well as participating, I'm also a race director on the national kitesurfing circuit and spend long periods in the sea wearing a wetsuit. Long distance paddles can also see me on the water for upwards of four hours, so disconnecting from the pump simply isn't an option.

I'd be grateful for any feedback from other watersports pump users, particularly those who are active surfers, windsurfers, kitesurfers etc. My current shortlist of candidate pumps (and rationale for each) is:

1. Omnipod
Self contained, waterproof, no tubing to kink or dislodge under thick winter suits (5/4/3) and you throw it away after three days, so longevity is less of an issue. Wireless control also means the control unit can be stashed in an aquapac to allow adjustments without getting out of suit.

2. Dana Diabecare R
Water proof (unsure to what extent), very compact so potentially easier to fit under a suit than other conventional pumps, and as with the Omnipod, remote control.

3. Animas 20/20
Proven to be water proof (but unsure about resistance to seawater over time). Reasonably compact but not quite small enough, and the lack of wireless control means this is definitely the last resort.

Any thoughts, tips and experiences would be gratefully received.

Cheers... Pete.

 

[jopar]

Hi pete

I would give the manufacutuer a phone they will be able to give you a lot more info about sea water etc..

All pumps have an IP marking, my spirit is IPX8, which means that it's protected against the effects of temporary immersion in water under standarised condiditions (up to 60 minutes and 2.5 meters) but most manufacturers wont' guranttee waterproofness due to risk of user error, not securing battery caps etc...

Remote control won't be waterproof this well be something you need to think about..

However you can get waterproof casing (google for American pump suppliers) that a lot use to protect their pumps..

But dependant how long you want to spend in the water, you can disconnect the pump for a while, you will need to work out, whether you need to bolus your basal to cover before, or perhaps take a correction when you finished, but at the 2 hour point, you would need to bolus or inject missing basal to continual..

 

[Petey]

For those who might be interested, I had a trial on the Omnipod last week with a saline filled pod.

Omnipod system - three day trial with saline-charged pod

I am thoroughly impressed with the system as a whole. The PDM (controller) is relatively intuitive - albeit a little clunky in design - and I had a reasonable grasp of it within a couple of hours tinkering. Setting up custom basal programmes is a breeze, with four programmes available and each allowing up to 24 segments to be set. The bolus functionality seems comprehensive, although a common food item library would be welcome, or at least the option to download one from a desktop client. While you can set your own favourite meals/carbs, it's a slow and somewhat tedious process given the lack of input options. I can't comment on the integrated glucometer as being a demo unit I wasn't allowed to use the blood port. It's a regular Abbott Freestyle system though, so should offer reliable performance.

As for the pod, it's a bit of a marvel! Smaller in real life than you might think and barely noticeable once it's been on for a few hours. I wore it on the back of my arm as I felt this would be the location most likely to annoy when trying to sleep. While I'll admit to struggling to sleep the first two nights, by the third I was out like a light; partly due to exhaustion I'm sure, but more due to having become accustomed to it. It also stayed put while showering and even got clouted on door frames a couple of times with no ill effect. Nor did it interfere when donning/doffing my wetsuits. While I didn't get on the water while wearing it, I'm confident it will perform perfectly during extended paddle runs or kitesurf sessions.

And what about the insertion process?
It's quite a revelation; so fast that if not for the "snap' it makes when firing, I'd probably have missed it. In fact, I jumped more from the noise than from any sensation - it really was painless. I've no doubt you'd encounter the odd painful insertion over prolonged use, but I suspect this would give most (if not all) regular infusion set insertions a run for their money in terms of comfort, speed and lack of stress.

Overall I'm very, very impressed. All I need now is for my local PCT to get off their laggard backsides and progress the funding approval. If anyone's got questions about my limited experience of the system I'll answer as best I can.

Pete.

 

[Chas C]

There is a new pump coming onto the market with a slimmer pod than the Omnipod - look up the http://www.cellnovo.com/Pages/CellnovoSystem/Pump.aspx. Not sure when its going to be released but I'd guess they'd be keen for people to try it.

I use an AccuCheck Combo inside a Aqua Pac case when I go white water and sea kayaking then carry the meter in a dry bag. http://store.aquapac.net/insulin-pump-case-158a-29.html.