Pump Shopping…no, I don’t mean shoes….
Several readers have recently asked me how I like the OmniPod, and I it’s also a question I get frequently when I do any educational public speaking in the diabetes community. It’s a relatively new device, so it makes sense that people would have a lot of questions about it.
Personally, I love the OmniPod – but that’s relative to my other options. I was on MDI for almost 16 years before going on the pump. What pushed me over the edge was simple: injection fatigue. I was taking up to 12 injections a day to maintain good control while on shots. I had a split dose of Lantus, at least 3 injections of Novolog, plus 3 shots of Symlin, and that was without any corrective doses! I was a human pincushion, and somewhere in between drawing up yet another dose and some wise-ass joking “hey there, no more heroin at the dinner table, hehe” I just said: enough. That’s when I started checking out pumps.
What’s funny about my pump-shopping experience is that I never once consulted my doctor. I went straight to the blogs, my friends on pumps, and believe it or not, the local sales reps for the companies I was interested in.
I had some big concerns about pumps in general, one of them being the fact that I live in San Diego and spend as much time as possible at the beach. In fact, this issue was one that had prevented me for years from going on a pump. How am I going to rock my new bikini with that clunky device hanging off of me? And while I don’t mind answering questions about diabetes, I was concerned that a pump might force me to be public with my diabetes during those moments when I would rather not talk about. And, let’s get real for a minute here, I had concerns about what a guy would think during intimate moments (ah come on, you’ve though about it too). Little did I know that would end up being the least of my concerns and actually serving as a phenomenal dating filter.
One great thing about the pump companies is that they will let you try them before purchasing – which is good cuz they ain’t cheap! I am extremely lucky that my insurance covers 90% of my pump costs, but at $6,000 a pop, a new pump was going to be expensive no matter what. And since most insurance companies will only pay for a new device every four years (are you kidding me? There are updates every four months! Ahhhh AMERICAN HEALTHCARE BLECH), I had to be sure I was investing in the right device.
I started with a traditional insulin pump from one of the big companies, and quite frankly, I hated that thing. For starters, I never knew where to put it (I’m sorry, clipping it to my bra is not a “discreet location,” try reaching down your shirt to bolus during a business meeting when the VP brings in bagels as a surprise. Talk about awkward). Also, it always had to be clipped to something – meaning if you wanted to spend the evening in, AHEM, limited pajamas, you still have to find a place to clip it or place it. Not cute. And finally, my biggest issue with the big pump company was their customer service. Their reps were pushy and salesy, and you had to call about 17 numbers just to talk to a real person. And when I decided not to keep their pump in the end? They said I had to call a SALES MANAGER to get the return authorized. Yep, that’s right, they had me, a patient, call a rep to return that thing. And let me tell ya, when that guy laid into me about all the available technology their company had and what a mistake I was making and blah blah blah sales pitch blah blah, I ripped him a new one. The first question I asked him was if he had ever worn a pump. And when he answered “no,” I gave him a sincere lesson in Diabetes 101. When I was done, he apologized for having been so pushy, and said that OmniPod had been killing his market share. Guess what dude? I don’t care. This is life support for me, and it has to fit my lifestyle.
In contrast, my experience with OmniPod was comfortable. The rep was education-oriented, and basically he said to me: look, you owe it to yourself to try everything out there, and if you don’t like it, you don’t have to buy it. He had a point. I consulted a friend of mine who was switching to the OmniPod after sever years on a traditional pump, and she let me know there were pros and cons. Having no tubing was great she said, but it’s harder to hide on the beach than simply unhooking for an hour or so. It hides well under clothes for discreet dosing, but there’s nowhere to hide it when out of your clothes. I weighed the pros and cons of each option, including sticking with MDI. I read all the blog posts and internet conversations I could find on the pumps. I wore the reps out with questions ranging from “does it tell you how much insulin you have on board?” to “can you wear this thing scuba diving?”
But most importantly, I tried two systems. I wore each one on my body and watched how they played out in real life. I wore them to kickboxing, to my sister’s wedding, running, at the beach, sleeping – you name it, I tried it before committing. If you’re thinking about a pump, just remember – its your body and you should do what you are comfortable with. So try ‘em out! Pumps are a big investment, and they may not be for everyone. You have to be in a place in your life where that is the best diabetes management solution for you.
I’m interested to know from the readers – how did you choose your pump? Leave a comment or email me and let me know!
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I got my pump my first year in college and I wasn’t really given options other than the minimed. This was before the Paradigm w/ CGM, but I have since gotten the new one. I went to TCOYD for the first time this past year and was excited to look through the vendors selling pumps. I had the exact opposite encounter with OmniPod as you. The sales rep totally dismissed my questions and even went so far as to stop in the middle of my question and turned her back on me to talk to an older couple. Now I’m 27, but people often times think that I’m younger (sometimes A LOT younger). But did they really think i was just a kid asking silly questions and I wasn’t imporant enough to have them answered? I have a job that provides me with insurance so I could easily get their product. It was really off-turning.
I do find it interesting that you like the omnipod. It seemed pretty bulky to me (like an egg cut in half), but do understand why you wouldn’t like the Paradigm being attached to you (especially during sleeping). As a single mid-20s girl myself I’ve learned to get around it and detach it when necessary and am able to sleep w/o having it clipped to an article of clothing, so it works for me. I am always keeping my eye on new devices, but you’re right the 4-year thing really gets in the way.
Cheers.