omnipod or bust

I had never even considered using an insulin pump until last year. The idea of being plugged in to something that looked like a pager just did not appeal to me (who has a pager these days??). I also hadn't read anything about what better control can be achieved with a pump; in fact, I hadn't read much about Diabetes since I was diagnosed in 1996. I would look at the Diabetes Forecast magazines my Mom had subscribed to, but wasn't interested in the instruction manual style books I had seen.

At some point last year, I stumbled upon Diabetes blogs. I think I learned more in that one day than I had from all of my Endocrinologist appointments combined. I also found lots of praise for pumps- which I just figured barely anyone used. Despite all the good reviews, I was still turned off by the idea of trying to finagle a tube and a pump into pockets and bras and whatnot.

When I switched to a new Endo this summer, he mentioned rather casually that he could set me up with a pump if I wanted. He gave me 2 big promotional folders: Insulet's Omnipod and Meditronic's Minimed Paradigm. He mentioned that most of his female patients around my age chose the Omnipod. He also snuck in that little nugget about how if I ever decide to make some babies, the pump would be a big helper. Both product packets he gave me had stylish graphics and pictures of happy pumpers inside. After reading the info, and looking at blogs like Amy T's, I decided it was Omnipod or bust. No strings for me.

A big factor in this decision was my new Diabetes team- the Endo, Dietician, and Nurse (CDE). He made it clear that we would all have to work together to get me ready to pump. I met with the Dietician and fine-tune my carb counting, and then with the wonderful CDE to analyze my existing correction factors and insulin to carb ratios. Luckily the transition from Lantus and about 7 Humalog injections per day would be fairly simple. I did have to do some homework with logging meals and blood sugars, but it wasn't too bad.

Now that the ball was rolling, I was supposed to be on the pump by October. After submitting the paperwork and a C-Peptide test to the insurance company (surprise! I don't make insulin!), I was nervous to see what they would offer in terms of coverage. The Omnipod is not cheap; no pumps are- and I'm still not making big bucks at my first 'real job'. I got the call from a very cheery Omnipod Rep in August telling me that my insurance would be covering 80% of everything! Score one for the patient!

After several training appointments with my fantastic CDE (who loves the Omnipod and has trained a lot of people on it already), it was pump time! In late October, I took my last shot of Lantus on a Sunday morning (and woke up to do so at 8:00 AM for the last time!). At 7:30 AM Monday morning I went in and put on my first pod. I was a little nervous about the cannula insertion, but it felt just like a fingerprick. I marveled as the pod delivered my brand new basal rates, silently perched on my tummy. My Mom and I went to breakfast to celebrate and it was the most surreal experience: I took out the PDM (controller) and tested my blood sugar in the built in meter. With a few buttons, the PDM had factored in my morning insulin:carb ratio and correction factor and began to deliver a bolus. I could have cried, I was so happy!

It felt odd to change my pre-meal rituals. I was accustomed to a little jab of pain and math homework with each carb i chose to eat. Instead now I only have the little clicking sound of a bolus.

Three months in, my HbA1c has dropped from 7.0 to 6.1% (a record low for me). While I would prefer to have neither a pod nor shots, the pod has been amazing. My cosmetic concerns have pretty much disappeared- no one has noticed the pod or even stared at it. Everyone who I have shown it to thinks it's pretty cool, especially my boyfriend, who has been the best throughout this transition. He looks at the pod and is thankful that it is making me healthier, saving me from the pain of shots (and math), and allowing me to sleep in on the weekends or workout without going low. I'm still experimenting with different spots to put it (arms, thighs, shoulder) and playing with temporary basals and extended boluses. I am still totally enamored with the pod, and I'm open to any questions you can think up =)