6 AWESOME Things About Omnipods!
Good afternoon! If you didn't know, I starting using an Omnipod insulin pump last Wednesday!
Don't know what an insulin pump is? Don't worry, I didn't know what they were when I was first diagnosed either. If you click here, you will find my very detailed post about what an insulin pump is and how it works!
Moving on; having an Omnipod has been great! This post is to highlight my favourite things about it so far.
1. The Insertion
Inserting the Omnipod is really rather simple. You press a couple of buttons and BAM! the cannula is inserted, and you don't even feel it go in.
2. The Peace of Mind
I'm sure that I'm not the only one who has sat in a chair for hours on end trying to calculate an insulin dose while my food sits on the table getting cold. When so many things effect insulin dosing, how can you not spend a long time deciding on a final number?
But with an Omnipod, all you have to do is type your blood sugar number and how many carbs you're eating into the PDM (personal diabetes manager), and it does all of the calculations for you! How great is that?
3. No More MDI (multiple daily injections)
MDI was really annoying and hard for me to do before I got my Omnipod. I was doing up to 5 needles a day, and it sucked being a pin-cushion!
Let's do a little math.
5 needles a day times 7 days a week times 52 weeks a year is.... ummm...
it is a question for my calculator.
Just joking, it is about 1820 needles a year!
WOW! It's hard to believe that we endure that much. However, when you have an Omnipod, instead of 5 needles every day, the total is 1 needle every 3 days.
Let's do the math on that one!
2 needles a week times 52 weeks a year is...
104 needles a year!
WOW!!!!!! That is a difference of 1716 needles a year! What a life-changer!
4. The Sensor
Although the Omnipod isn't as small as the Medtronic sensor, it is fairly small and lightweight. I almost completely forget that I am wearing it most of the time!
5. You Can Still Get Wet!
The Omnipod sensor is waterproof so you can still swim and shower while you are wearing it. That is wonderful because you would be rather smelly if you didn't take showers :)
6. The PDM and Sensor Are Separate
This is a MAJOR pro of the Omnipod!
The PDM connects to the sensor using some sort of blue-tooth/wifi/data electronic-thingy that I don't understand and gives insulin doses through messages.
The sensor has a vial of insulin in it already. It reads those messages and sends that amount of insulin from the vial through the cannula.
This means that the PDM and sensor do not need to be connected with tubing.
However, that is not the case with other brands of insulin pumps. Take Medtronic for example. The Medtronic's PDM contains the vial of insulin instead of the sensor.
This means that when the PDM needs to give insulin, it flows from the PDM through a small tube that connects to the sensor and it goes through the cannula.
There is nothing wrong with tubing, I just prefer a tubeless pump. I think that it's easier to move around freely without tubes.
Also, if the tubing gets caught on a doorknob or something, you could potentially rip out your sensor. I have a feeling that I wouldn't enjoy that!
But with an Omnipod, all you have to do is type your blood sugar number and how many carbs you're eating into the PDM (personal diabetes manager), and it does all of the calculations for you! How great is that?
3. No More MDI (multiple daily injections)
MDI was really annoying and hard for me to do before I got my Omnipod. I was doing up to 5 needles a day, and it sucked being a pin-cushion!
Let's do a little math.
5 needles a day times 7 days a week times 52 weeks a year is.... ummm...
it is a question for my calculator.
Just joking, it is about 1820 needles a year!
WOW! It's hard to believe that we endure that much. However, when you have an Omnipod, instead of 5 needles every day, the total is 1 needle every 3 days.
Let's do the math on that one!
2 needles a week times 52 weeks a year is...
104 needles a year!
WOW!!!!!! That is a difference of 1716 needles a year! What a life-changer!
4. The Sensor
Although the Omnipod isn't as small as the Medtronic sensor, it is fairly small and lightweight. I almost completely forget that I am wearing it most of the time!
5. You Can Still Get Wet!
The Omnipod sensor is waterproof so you can still swim and shower while you are wearing it. That is wonderful because you would be rather smelly if you didn't take showers :)
6. The PDM and Sensor Are Separate
This is a MAJOR pro of the Omnipod!
The PDM connects to the sensor using some sort of blue-tooth/wifi/data electronic-thingy that I don't understand and gives insulin doses through messages.
The sensor has a vial of insulin in it already. It reads those messages and sends that amount of insulin from the vial through the cannula.
This means that the PDM and sensor do not need to be connected with tubing.
However, that is not the case with other brands of insulin pumps. Take Medtronic for example. The Medtronic's PDM contains the vial of insulin instead of the sensor.
This means that when the PDM needs to give insulin, it flows from the PDM through a small tube that connects to the sensor and it goes through the cannula.
There is nothing wrong with tubing, I just prefer a tubeless pump. I think that it's easier to move around freely without tubes.
Also, if the tubing gets caught on a doorknob or something, you could potentially rip out your sensor. I have a feeling that I wouldn't enjoy that!
That is my Omnipod bag. It carries my PDM, Freestyle Lite test strips and my lancet (because the PDM also doubles as a blood glucose meter!?!), an extra sensor (they are called "pods" with Omnipod), alcohol wipes, a syringe, and an extra vial of insulin.
Yes, there is a lot of extra stuff to carry around, but having the Omnipod is totally worth it. It has made my life so much easier in many ways and I am so grateful to have it!!!
Thanks for reading this post of That Stupid Pancreas!
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Today's question of the day is...
Are you excited for Christmas break? What do you plan to do? I for one CAN'T WAIT for Christmas, and I plan to hang out with family and friends and go sledding/skating if it ever snows!
Comment your answer down below!!!
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