Timing of OmniPod changes

LittleSue

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My dear old "purple friend" - Medtronic Veo - has served me well, but today I switched to the Omnipod. Overall impressions are good, but I'm concerned about the timing of Pod replacements. Maybe I misunderstood, hope so!

As I understand it, each pod lasts 72 hrs, but there's a 5 hour grace period, so absolute maximum pod life is 77 hours. Ok so far.
Apparently at the 72-hr stage a siren goes off, which can only be silenced by sticking a paperclip in the reset hole on the back/bottom of the pod.

What concerns me is on a workday I'd be starting a new pod at 6am but if that was a Thursday, the next change would be due at 6am on Sunday, when I prefer to be asleep. It seems I (and boyfriend if present) will be woken by the siren at 6am and have to fiddle with a paperclip to silence it. How practical is that, without accidentally pulling the pod out, when you've just been so rudely awakened?

Am I worrying about nothing? The pump nurse was more interested in the fact you can't forget to change the pod and how loud the siren is. For example, can I set a reminder for 10 hours prior, silence that on the PDM and sleep in til 8am undisturbed?

Thanks
 

noblehead

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There's an 8 hour grace period with changing the Pods @LittleSue, you only use the paper-clip when the Pod is faulty and the alarm won't shut off, besides you'd have to remove the Pod to carry this out and once the Pod is removed they can't be stuck back on again.

Personally I wouldn't change mine so early in the morning, why don't you just wait until 10am on Thursday and change it then, that way the alarm won't sound on Sunday morning and ruin your sleep.
 

Alzibiff

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What concerns me is on a workday I'd be starting a new pod at 6am but if that was a Thursday, the next change would be due at 6am on Sunday, when I prefer to be asleep.

You CAN change it earlier than 6am on Sunday if that would be more convenient - there is nothing to stop you being in control of the Omnipod rather than the other way round :)

I generally change mine just before my evening meal and I am generally at home for that ... and not asleep! I always do a mental check on when the next change will be too, just in case I happen to be going out on that day/evening and will adjust my change time accordingly. OK - you may lose some use out of a pod by changing it in advance of its 72 hour lifespan but as said, who or what is running the show? On occasions, I will eat into the 8 hour 'grace' period too so it can be swings and roundabouts when it comes to making maximum use out of a box of pods.

Alan
 

misswhiplash

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It will beep at you periodically after the 72 hours, but no alarms - don't panic! I often don't change till the 8 hours are nearly up, but equally have no qualms about changing early if it's more convenient!
 

Chas C

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As others have said, don't let the pump rule your life. Change when it's convenient for you but at a time that fits inside the 72hours + grace period.
 

LittleSue

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647
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You CAN change it earlier than 6am on Sunday if that would be more convenient - there is nothing to stop you being in control of the Omnipod rather than the other way round :)

I generally change mine just before my evening meal and I am generally at home for that ... and not asleep! I always do a mental check on when the next change will be too, just in case I happen to be going out on that day/evening and will adjust my change time accordingly. OK - you may lose some use out of a pod by changing it in advance of its 72 hour lifespan but as said, who or what is running the show? On occasions, I will eat into the 8 hour 'grace' period too so it can be swings and roundabouts when it comes to making maximum use out of a box of pods.

Alan

That is exactly what I want to do :) and have been doing with the Veo.

Used to do pre-breakfast changes, but wanted a break from that. Having said that, my bg is more predictable in the morning than evening, I think morning chages best as long as I'm in control of the timing. Overall I think changing pods will be quicker than Veo sets, but maybe not until I've done a few. Until then I'm in no rush to get up earlier to avoid time pressure on a work morning!

Thanks for confiming I can do as I wanted.
 

LittleSue

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It will beep at you periodically after the 72 hours, but no alarms - don't panic! I often don't change till the 8 hours are nearly up, but equally have no qualms about changing early if it's more convenient!

Thanks for confirming this. The idea of rigid 72 hrs didn't seem to fit the supposed "flexibility" of pump therapy!