What pump should i go for need some Help?

Hello Daf

I started with a Combo mid June and am fairly happy with it. For me as a woman I wanted a pump that could work from a remote that doubled as a bg meter as well, so apart from the Spirit Combo the only other pump to consider was the Dana. I chose Accu Chek because it is a well known company and also quite a lot of other members of this forum are also using the Spirit Combo so if I get stuck and need a bit of help, I can always drop a message to someone. Accu Chek are also good and usually respond with the help you may need within a few hours.

Compared to other pumps the Spirit is slightly heavier due to it being powered by 2 AA batteries instead of just 1 AAA but as I put my pump inside a wired bra cup I really don't notice it at all. The Flexlink infusion sets are very good too and are really easy to put in with the Link Assist. The drawback to the pump is filling the cartridge as it tends to fill with insulin very quickly and sometimes air bubbles appear but I've now figured out what to do and that is to fill the cartridges with insulin straight from the fridge. The cold insulin allows the cartridge to fill more slowly so you have more control on how much you need to draw up. I just leave the filled cartridge get to room temperature for about 2hrs before putting it in the pump.

I have had the pleasure of being able to use the Inset II infusion set from Animas but the Flexlink has to win by a long way.

Whatever pump you decide to pick try and get one that uses a luer connection on its cartridges then if you decide on Animas but dont like the Insets, you can always ask your pump dsn to get you some sets from another company. As long as your PCT has an account, it shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Daf said:

Thanks iHS, some very good points in there, may i ask why you didnt go for the dana?

Someone just PM'ed me and gave me a link to the Dana site, of all the time i have spent looking for a pump i never came across it, i have to choose my pump next month and the hospital said i will have alot to choose from, maybe they will have the Dana there too so i can look and play with it, i wil get around 2/3 hours looking and asking questions about each pump.

I have spoken to a fella that has one too at my dafne meet and he swears by it, his HBA1c has dropped by 1.2 since september 2009 to now :shock:

You say your "Fairly" pleased, whats niggling you about the pump? I have my iphone on my belt and weight is no problem for me and, i am lucky to have retired at such an early age, so i can fiddle about with it all day long to my hearts content.

Thanks for your time i do appreciate it :wink:

Daf

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Hello Daf

If the Cellnovo had been available, I would have loved to have had a look at it. That pump has been the dream of its inventor for a few years and has been a long time in the making (the company behind it used to be based in Sth Wales - Starbridge Systems and I think was originally called Starlet patch pump). However, all the patch pumps will only work with their own type of infusion set so if you cannot get on with them, you might be disappointed. By the way, the Omnipod to be distributed by Ypsomedical launches in the UK end of July so you should be able to see that one before you make your decision on whether you would like a patch pump or not. The Omnipod has a neat remote.

The Dana pump is Korean and all the consumables for it have to be imported from Far East to the UK. The small remote will only work with Dana teststrips and are not paid for by your gp budget. Your PCT would have to pay for them. It was because of this that my pump dsn was dubious as to whether my PCT would be willing to fund the strips and also when I looked online for other forums using the Dana, there were only a few people posting messages so I thought better of it.

It is early days for me using the Combo so that's why I said that I'm fairly happy. At the moment, I'm just using its basic features and doing loads of bg tests and learning from trial and error.

The best place is get latest info is to look website INPUT me. If you live within travelling to the London area there is a meet up in a London pub every 3 months (next one is July I think). You will be able to meet up with other pump users all with different pumps so can ask loads of questions.

Good Luck

hi! I have been on the Animas 2020 since May 17th and I am very pleased with it. Very easy to use, the screens are very clear and uncluttered; filling the reservoir is very simple and I use the ezCarb function when bolusing which makes mealtimes very easy. The support I have received from Animas has been first class and for me this was a very important factor in my choice. As for the infusion sets. I started on Inset II which is the 90 degree cannula but I had problems with insertion and a high level of wastage. I have now moved onto Inset 30 which, as the name suggests, is where the cannula is at an angle. The huge plus with this is that you can see that the cannula is under the skin and there is a clear patch in the tape for you to check it so I'm much happier and satisfied the insulin is getting in.

As I'm an NHS patient I had a choice of three, the Animas, Acu-chek and Metronic. London Medical do a comparison report which is worth looking at. Although the Animas does not have a remote feature I'm not entirely convinced that is as useful as it may appear to be. I stow mine by its clip on the elastic between my bra cups and just lift it out to do whatever I need with it. Another reason for selecting the Animas 2020 was the facility of builidng an onboard food list. To date I have not bothered to set one up and do not feel the need at the moment; so beware that what may appear a winning feature may turn out to be red herring. At the end of the day I'm sure the choice you make will be the right one. You will become familiar with it and adapt to its peculiarities whatever they are. I also use the software which I have downloaded to my pc and periodically I suspend and upload my pump history to it. I also add then my meter readings and it automically adds them to the reports! Please ask about any other issues otherwise all the best.