Out with the old, in with the new. That is what I thought when I decided to switch insulin pumps. I didn't do so haphazardly. I agonized for days over the thought of dealing with a new medical device company that I hadn't had any experience with, having to order all new supplies, using a different glucometer along with a pump, dealing with a different insulin on board (IOB) feature, and basically trading in my trusty right hand man that I had used for 8 years for something new. Then I decided to cut the cord. Literally.
Since my old Medtronic pump was out of warranty and had been acting a little goofy during every priming session, I decided to order the Omnipod. I was excited about the thought of not having a 23 inches of tubing connecting me to my insulin pump and instead just sticking a pod with an insulin reservoir directly on my body and controlling it with a wireless device. Got it in the mail, scheduled a training session, bought a cute new carrying case, and BAM. Pod on. It was glorious, as in I didn't have to clip anything to my underwear to stay alive while I was wearing a sundress. The pod just stuck on my lower back discreetly and I could bolus from my wireless remote now tucked into a hot pink "skin". It was awesome until it wasn't.
Over the course of the next two weeks I had some bad pod mojo going on. I experienced 3 pod alarms causing a terrible high pitched screaming noise that could not be quieted by the remote. I had to put the pods in the freezer to wear down the batteries and I just remembered I forgot to tell my mother in law about one of those... Then 2 pods leaked and needed to be ripped off and changed immediately! All of these pod problems resulted in stubborn high blood sugars, some worse than others. Not to mention all of the insulin that I lost! Some I was able to suck back out of the pods, but most was not retrievable! Those precious life saving and expensive units wasted! With each malfunction my mood was increasingly more foul and I was stuck in the land of hyperglycemia for hours with nausea, headache, exhaustion, and even ketones. A recipe for disaster.
I am still supposed to meet with the trainer again to replace a box of pods and swap out my PDM which is the remote control. I am hoping this fixes whatever the problems are, though I am not too hopeful about the leaking issue being resolved. In the past I had issues using short length needles for injections and because the cannula length on these pods is shorter than my Medtronic ones this may be contributing to my problems. I am praying that this situation sorts itself out and I can keep the Omnipod.
Aside from my new pump and related issues, my diabetes seems to be cooperating. Last endo visit was good. Both my endo and CDE were happy with my control in general and tweaked a bolus rate to try to avoid some highs. Foot exam was good. No signs of nerve damage or vascular problems. The only bad news was that my thyroid has gone kaput after my pregnancy. Apparently it wanted to join my pancreas in the lazy endocrine gland section. Seems to be my thang. Starting some thyroid hormone ASAP. Hopefully my energy levels improve, along with my metabolism! Oh, how I wish I was breastfeeding again. It was a great calorie burner.**
**Since writing this post, I have returned the Omnipod system and gone back to my trusted Medtronic pump. I am glad I tried the Omnipod but unfortunately it just was not reliable enough for me to use as my primary pump. The waterproof feature would have been great for summer activities and the freedom of not having tubing to worry about was great. But blood sugar control is too important to mess around.
