Omnipod insulin pump

[carak1987]

Hi guys. I'm getting my omnipod insulin pump tomorrow. I've been watching loads of videos about it and I'm extremely excited . My question is, What would people advise with any dos and don't's in my first week or couple weeks. No matter how much I watch the videos, I am garenteed to come out my education course with my pump and forget everything. I do intend to take a notebook in with me.

 

[noblehead]

That's a great idea taking a notebook along

All I would say is don't come away from the appointment until your confident you can use the pump, but even if you do forget something the Omnipod pump manual is self-explanatory and you can always ring your pump DSN up and ask for advice (or ring the Ypsomed Customer Care-line), don't stress about it as I'm sure all will be fine.

 

[Mrsass]

Hi guys. I'm getting my omnipod insulin pump tomorrow. I've been watching loads of videos about it and I'm extremely excited . My question is, What would people advise with any dos and don't's in my first week or couple weeks. No matter how much I watch the videos, I am garenteed to come out my education course with my pump and forget everything. I do intend to take a notebook in with me.

Hi I don't have an omnipod but I do have a pump & taking a notepad is a very good idea as you do get a lot of info thrown at you, I didn't and had an utter meltdown when it came to doing my first set change as I completely forgot everything!! Lol

 

[himtoo]

Hi @carak1987
great news on you getting Omnipod !!
Yay !! Today is pump day !!

my best advice is be prepared for it to take a while for all the settings on the pump to be matched to you as an individual.
your DSN should be in fairly constant communication over the next 4-6 weeks
( mine rang me twice a week for the first 4 weeks and suggested adjustments to basal rates and , the other factors that get set on the PDM )

Can I suggest you buy the book Pumping Insulin By John Walsh too ( if you haven't already )

and finally -- be kind to yourself if everything isn't exactly how you feel it should be numbers wise-- this is a brand new experience for you and you can only learn in real time ( so lots of BG testing )

( been on my omnipod for 10 months and I love it )

 

[carak1987]

Hi @carak1987
great news on you getting Omnipod !!
Yay !! Today is pump day !!

my best advice is be prepared for it to take a while for all the settings on the pump to be matched to you as an individual.
your DSN should be in fairly constant communication over the next 4-6 weeks
( mine rang me twice a week for the first 4 weeks and suggested adjustments to basal rates and , the other factors that get set on the PDM )

Can I suggest you buy the book Pumping Insulin By John Walsh too ( if you haven't already )

and finally -- be kind to yourself if everything isn't exactly how you feel it should be numbers wise-- this is a brand new experience for you and you can only learn in real time ( so lots of BG testing )

( been on my omnipod for 10 months and I love

Ahhh it's pump day!!! Thankyou I'm glad someone who is on the omnipod has replied. I'm so very excited but very nervous. I freak out now when I become uncontrolled for one reason or another so I'm to stay calm and just make sure I'm in touch with my Dsn as much as I can. It's more the injecting I'm on it for. My body is bruised to high heaven (poor me lol)

 

[himtoo]

Hi @carak1987
If you are bruising really a lot -- then another couple of tips -- if you can
get hold of Cavilon barrier film spray -- you spray this on to where you are attaching the pod ( and it helps protect the skin from developing a reaction to the adhesive )
I get mine on prescription

also - some sort of product to assist in removal of pod at changeover time. ( i am very sensitive to the sensation )

I use either Zoff --adhesive remover wipes or Opus healthcare - Lift link here http://www.opus-healthcare.co.uk/liftplus.htm

 

[carak1987]

Hi @carak1987
If you are bruising really a lot -- then another couple of tips -- if you can
get hold of Cavilon barrier film spray -- you spray this on to where you are attaching the pod ( and it helps protect the skin from developing a reaction to the adhesive )
I get mine on prescription

also - some sort of product to assist in removal of pod at changeover time. ( i am very sensitive to the sensation )

I use either Zoff --adhesive remover wipes or Opus healthcare - Lift link here http://www.opus-healthcare.co.uk/liftplus.htm

I don't use the pod yet so don't know if I bruise with it. It's the injecting I bruise with. But I also suffer with hyperlipotremia (how ever it's spelt) in my tummy too lol I'm thinking of putting the pod on my arm. Where do you put yours. I know it's individual to the person. But it look less of a hindrance there. I sleep in funny angles lol

 

[himtoo]

so far my favourite places are on my upper arm , quite high up on my stomach ( just below rib cage ) , and at the very top of my backside .
I rotate between these mainly ( some lower stomach too ) but I didn't care for upper leg personally as absorption did not seem as good.

we are all different though - and you can only figure out best places for yourself in real time - so keep the faith and patience

and do keep posting here --always some of us about if you have questions !!

 

[noblehead]

and at the very top of my backside .

How do you find it there Paul, is it not uncomfortable when sitting.

I use my arms, stomach and sides for the pods, like you the legs don't seem to work due to poor absorption.

 

[himtoo]

How do you find it there Paul, is it not uncomfortable when sitting.

I use my arms, stomach and sides for the pods, like you the legs don't seem to work due to poor absorption.

i probably didn't describe the placement very well -- so it is more like around at the back at around top of hips

hope this helps

 

[carak1987]

Does anyone get a dull achy pain when the pump delivers the insulin? I think I need to change mine this morning. My pump isn't correcting my bms I woke up with a 15.8 bms which was higher than when I went to bed. I might wait the next couple hours out though as I've just done a bolus for breakfast with a correction dose. I'm wondering if it's due to the fact I may have residual scaring from my contraception implant.

 

[himtoo]

morning @carak1987
in my 10 months on the pod - I have experienced this sensation a couple of times
and it has coincided with rising BG's

have a feel of the adhesive near the cannula -- any moisture ?
or can you stick your nose next to the pod and smell the medicine type smell

if yes to either of those --- definite pod change

 

[carak1987]

morning @carak1987
in my 10 months on the pod - I have experienced this sensation a couple of times
and it has coincided with rising BG's

have a feel of the adhesive near the cannula -- any moisture ?
or can you stick your nose next to the pod and smell the medicine type smell

if yes to either of those --- definite pod change

No the adhesive is dry and no horrid smell of insulin. I feel the insulin going into my arm. Whether I'm not correcting enough or using enough bolus. I dunno. Maybe it's a case of changing my setting with the Dsn's as I know I'm counting my carbs correct. Maybe it's the ratio

 

[himtoo]

to be honest -- it is such early days that it will definitely be something in the settings
and this will be the cause of some frustration over the next few weeks --

realistically you need 2-3 days of BG readings before starting to make changes and then a further couple of days to see what effect the change had on your BG's -- all of this info is recorded and between you and your DSN -- starting to look for patterns that assist in tweaking settings --

to get ALL my settings to a desired optimum took about 4-6 weeks for me

 

[carak1987]

to be honest -- it is such early days that it will definitely be something in the settings
and this will be the cause of some frustration over the next few weeks --

realistically you need 2-3 days of BG readings before starting to make changes and then a further couple of days to see what effect the change had on your BG's -- all of this info is recorded and between you and your DSN -- starting to look for patterns that assist in tweaking settings --

to get ALL my settings to a desired optimum took about 4-6 weeks for me

Yeah, I thought that. It's just frustrating ha ha I hate being uncontrolled. I'm due to have my hba1c done again soon I want to see it lower lol

 

[himtoo]

Yeah, I thought that. It's just frustrating ha ha I hate being uncontrolled. I'm due to have my hba1c done again soon I want to see it lower lol

haha -- before i went on a pump my HbA1c's have been "perfect" for a number of years ( well perfect in my opinion)
between 39-42 for the last few years
but my latest 1 -- after 6 months on the pump -- has shot up to 49 -- i was not so happy -- the consultant was literally doing cartwheels round the room -- he thinks i run too low
i must admit to much less hypos now -- so perhaps he has a point

 

[noblehead]

Does anyone get a dull achy pain when the pump delivers the insulin? I think I need to change mine this morning. My pump isn't correcting my bms I woke up with a 15.8 bms which was higher than when I went to bed. I might wait the next couple hours out though as I've just done a bolus for breakfast with a correction dose. I'm wondering if it's due to the fact I may have residual scaring from my contraception implant.

I would just change the Pod now, high bg levels together with the pain means that something isn't quite right.

 

[carak1987]

I would just change the Pod now, high bg levels together with the pain means that something isn't quite right.

It's slowly coming down its 13.2 now lol I'm a worrier which you have probably guessed. But it's never territory for me lol

 

[noblehead]

It's slowly coming down its 13.2 now lol I'm a worrier which you have probably guessed. But it's never territory for me lol

We all worry about high bg levels, when I started on the pump my DSN said to change the Pod if there was ever a issue and bg levels were rising.

 

[himtoo]

It's slowly coming down its 13.2 now lol I'm a worrier which you have probably guessed. But it's never territory for me lol

good it is coming down -- it is hard to be patient though