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Omnipod

kimlouise1502_

Active Member
Messages
27
Location
blackwood
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Please can anyone help. I have been a t1 for 38 years and having a meltdown. I do 4
Injections every day and and I carb count I do finger bloods at least 6 a day. I can't say I'm not happy but I'm struggling big time. I would like to know how I could see about a omnipod and whether it would be suitable for me. I have a few lumps in my thighs and stomach from the injections and I need to try something else. I know many people will say well you are a diabetic so you have to do injections but I'm not in the right mind set at the moment. I'm off with depression from work and not sure what else I can try. Please any advice will be helpful xx
 
Hi @kimlouise1502_
sorry to hear you are struggling at the moment

I am on an omnipod and it is fab !!
I would suggest speaking with the lovely people at Input -- link here http://www.inputdiabetes.org.uk/

they can help with getting access to pumping.
I would also get an appointment with your DSN ( diabetic nurse) to discuss just how much you are struggling.

getting a pump is hard work ( lots of testing and very accurate carb counting ) but it does remove the actual injecting from daily routine.

there are lots of great people on here too -- that will totally understand how you can be not at your tip top best ( diabetes is a drain on our emotional well being )

do keep responding here too - also sending a big hug too [[[[[hug]]]]]
 
Thanks Paul

I do carb counting anyway and lots of blood testing, fingers get sore after a while lol. I have an appointment with my diabetic dietician on Tuesday so I just phoned and ask about the omnipod and the lady I spoken too said she will leave a message for dietician and then she will know about it before my appointment. I will let you know what happens. I did look at the omnipod to see what it involves and you can fill in with novarapid insulin is this correct? but obviously I will still have to an injection for my lantus yes ? Sending big hugs back to you. It's nice to have someone who understands how it can knock you down x
 
Just spoke to another dietician and she said there are stage to take and it could take up to 6 months. I don't have an issue with that after 38 years what's another 6 months. Anyway it could be something for me as I'm the diabetic and if it helps for a better life then she said that it should be some for the consultants to consider.
 

Hello

My DSN talked to me about an insulin pump for years. I'm not sure why I had such preconceived ideas and reluctance to get one but I eventually said yes (18 months ago).

The omnipod is great and it has changed my life. There is work to do and you still need to test but not injecting is such a blessing and it sounds like you need a rest from injections. I refill every 3 days but it's so much better than injecting numerous times a day.

What's even better is it's so less obvious than I thought. No ones ever noticed it and you couldn't see it in my wedding dress! I exercise a lot and it doesn't get in the way.

Hope that helps
 
hi @kimlouise1502_
good news you have an appointment next Tuesday !!
omnipod can take either novorapid ( what I use ) or actrapid , or novolog.

when you are on a pump you don't take a long acting insulin ( like Lantus ) the novorapid does both the long acting and the short acting job with the 1 insulin.

I would suggest you get the book "Pumping Insulin" by John Walsh -- really great book - explains lots and lots !!


the dietician is correct in that there are some hoops to jump through -- but each CCG is different -- some are very quick ( 4-8 weeks ) and others like mine -- took me 13 months.

that is the best attitude to have -- that you have been doing this for 38 years -- so a few extra months will soon pass .
 
I have only been diagnosed for 1 year, and have been on an omnipod for almost 2 weeks. Mine was sorted very quickly, in about 2 months i think. They sorted it very quickly as i am almost 18 and will be moving from paediatric to adults next year, and it would be a lot harder to get the pump then. I really like the omnipod already - even if it is a lot or hard work at the moment!
 
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I have been on the omnipod for 9 months, I love it. It is hard work at the start but so worth it not only not having to do injections but feeling the best a have felt for year Good Luck
 
There's some great advice and words of support in her already.
I just wanted to add one comment:
I notice you are injecting at the moment so I assume you have no experience of pumping but only asking about the Omnipod. Being non-tube, this certainly has some advantage. However, I would suggest you don't discount other pumps. The only choice I had was to carry on injecting or take the Animas Vibe. I am glad I went for the pump even though I hate the look of it: any pump provides a lot more control than injecting.
If you are able to choose, do some reading up on all pump options. If you have no choice, don't be disheartened if you don't get the OmniPod.
 
Hi I started on the omnipod 2mths ago and I absolutely love it don't know why I didn't do it years ago. Yes there is a bit more work involved in regards to bolus and basal requirements but not a huge amount I found it quite easy and straight away I was adjusting my own requirements it's so nice not to have to do injections and like you I was getting lumpy areas and I think the insulin is being absorbed better as my hba1c has gone from 71 to 60 and continues to go down which is brilliant it's a fantastic piece of kit and the fact it's tubeless is what swayed me to the omnipod, good luck it will be well worth the wait
 
When I was first being taken seriously about getting a pump, I was convinced I wanted an Omnipod! In the end I was offered a tubed pump (an Accuchek Insight) as that was what was recommended by my team. That was what I ended up with. I'm delighted with it.

With hindsight I'm glad I've got a tubed pump (one with a hosepipe, is how I see it) because it's nice to be able to take it off for some activities. But I think that ANY pump would for me have been WAAAAAY better than NO pump! My Insight is my first pump and I love it perhaps just because it is a pump, not necessarily because of what brand/type it is.

 
Hi there
Try not to feel down, i can totally sympathise .... after being on MDI for about 18 months i spoke with my consultant explaining i was having really bad DP and also a fair few hypose over night and was getting really down with the situation resulting in me having trouble sleeping and needing to ensure that i woke every moring at 4 am to inject which was affecting my quality of life.... my consultant referred me and 2 weeks later got an appointment with the pump clinic who offered me an animas vibe..... couldnt be happier it took a couple of weeks to fine tune my basal but what helped was i also asked for a trial of a freestyle libre whch showed trends over an 8 hour period which was fantastic!!! now been pumpung for approx 6 months and levels are fantastic!!! Im now self funding Dexcom G4 sensors which i love.... beauty of pumping along side a CGM is that based on the readings from the dexcom sensor I i can discretly administer a small dose (as little as .05 units) as and when need be!! aswell as set temporary basal rates, combi boluses etc etc.... Hope you manage to to get on a pump... they are a life changer ....and would really recomend a trial of a libre initially when establishing your basal requirements...really helped me out and showed a great insight to my BS's especially over night!!
 
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