Pump Upgrade

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Alexafam

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Hi, I am due a pump upgrade and am currently using Omnipod which is the only pump i have had. I find that i am struggling with sites for this and have been offered the Medtronic 780g, Tandem tslim or stick with Omnipod. Looking for opinions? Think i may take bad with tethered but would have more sites to choose from.
 
I much prefer tubed pumps @Alexafam As you say, there are more sites and also I like being able to move my pump around according to what I’m wearing. I have a Dana i pump which is fantastic but not on your list, so of the ones on your list I’d probably go with the T Slim.

Read around the internet and watch reviews on YouTube. Also, make a list of pros, cons and what’s important to you, eg reservoir size, variety of cannula types, etc. The right pump is the one that’s right for you as an individual 🙂
 
Is upgrade to Omnipod 5 or Dash?

I use alternative sites for pod placement, current one is on chest which works just fine & has done for many a year when using AS.

If tubed pump is going to give you more options then it's no brainer really if current sites are getting overused, poor sites lead to poor absorption & there's nowt worse for managing bg levels.
 
Alexafam said:
Hi, I am due a pump upgrade and am currently using Omnipod which is the only pump i have had. I find that i am struggling with sites for this and have been offered the Medtronic 780g, Tandem tslim or stick with Omnipod. Looking for opinions? Think i may take bad with tethered but would have more sites to choose from.
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Welcome to the forum @Alexafam

I have only used tubed pumps (AccuChek Combo and now Medtronic 780) so can’t comment on patch pumps. I like the tubed pumps as I can site my cannula anywhere I want and put the pump where I want depending on what I am wearing: a third boob in the centre of my bra, tucked in the side of my bra, in a pocket, …. I wear a sensor in my upper arm and tend to leave the abdomen for my cannulas.

It is great that they have offered you three options that will loop. I have been using the closed loop system with my 780 for over three years now, and plan to stick with it at my next changeover. I thought that the Libre was a game changer, but this has transformed my life. It still has its hiccoughs but for most of the time keeps me with a TIR of >90%, with a lot less effort from me.

Happy to answer any questions that you have.
 
Sounds like you’ve got some good options to choose from.

I’m another who prefers the site availability of a tubed pump (the sites are really low profile so there’s no worry about sitting / leaning / lying on them).

Before starting I was a bit worried about having something attached 24/7 but I quickly became used to it and in practical terms it’s only very very rarely a nuisance.

You do have to tuck the tubing in though, or those pesky doorhandles will reach out and grab your pump as you pass :rofl: 😱
 
everydayupsanddowns said:
the sites are really low profile so there’s no worry about sitting / leaning / lying on them
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There are definitely more site options available for a cannula than a patch pump.
However, I advise taking care when placing it around the waist (or anywhere else where you place a "strap"). The pressure of a belt on a cannula can cause problems.
When I had a tubed pump, women's waistband heights were variable - high, low, mid-range, ultra high, ... So, I had to consider which troos I would be wearing for the next 3 days when I attached my cannula.
Hopefully, fashion has (temporarily) settled on an in vogue waistband height for this season.
 
LOL @helli - my main prob is that the 'low waisted' trousers, if I place them with the crotch at my crotch level and therefore comfy - the low waist level is my actual waist - so they gradually sink so I need to constantly pull em up every time I stand up or walk a few steps. Drives me nuts!
 
I put my cannulas on my thighs so even the lowest of waistbands won’t reach them :rofl: Seriously now, I never found an issue when I used my tummy for sites as I generally avoided the waistband area. Once I had a waistband that pushed against my site, but I just put a different pair of trousers on and it was fine.
 
everydayupsanddowns said:
Sounds like you’ve got some good options to choose from.

I’m another who prefers the site availability of a tubed pump (the sites are really low profile so there’s no worry about sitting / leaning / lying on them).

Before starting I was a bit worried about having something attached 24/7 but I quickly became used to it and in practical terms it’s only very very rarely a nuisance.

You do have to tuck the tubing in though, or those pesky doorhandles will reach out and grab your pump as you pass :rofl: 😱
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Hi,

Have you used Ominopod at any point? Would really like an opinion from someone who has used both or used more than one type of pump? DSN wont give an opinion on different pumps so a bit tricky.
 
Inka said:
I much prefer tubed pumps @Alexafam As you say, there are more sites and also I like being able to move my pump around according to what I’m wearing. I have a Dana i pump which is fantastic but not on your list, so of the ones on your list I’d probably go with the T Slim.

Read around the internet and watch reviews on YouTube. Also, make a list of pros, cons and what’s important to you, eg reservoir size, variety of cannula types, etc. The right pump is the one that’s right for you as an individual 🙂
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Hi, Have you used any other pump apart from the Dana i? Very hard to get a comparison from anyone if they have only used one type, myself included.
 
Alexafam said:
Hi, Have you used any other pump apart from the Dana i? Very hard to get a comparison from anyone if they have only used one type, myself included.
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@Alexafam Yes, I’ve used 4 different pumps. No, actually 5 but I hated one so much I gave it back after a week so I don’t really count that one.
 
Yes, here they are @Alexafam

Disetronic D Tron and
Accu-Chek D Tron (they took over Disetronic)
Accu-Chek Insight
Animas Vibe
Dana RS
Plus my current pump which is the Dana i

I have a soft spot for the D Tron but they stopped making it years ago and it would look dated now. The Insight was awful so I gave that back. The Vibe was very good. The Dana RS is my absolute favourite and the Dana i is a very close second. Why? Because it’s beautifully designed and engineered, tough, has a variety of cannulas including rotating ones, has never had a single issue, can be looped, holds 300 units, can be controlled very simply by an app on my rather ancient phone, and everything about it is quality, even the case it came in and the accessories. It’s so well thought out.
 
Alexafam said:
Thanks for that.🙂
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You’re welcome 🙂 I know none of them are the ones you’ve been offered, but, as I said above, out of your choices I’d probably go with the T Slim. The Medtronic is one my clinic offers but I don’t like the design of it, have read about cracks developing in the case, and not so great customer service. So that’s why I went for the T Slim from your options. If you can handle the pumps or even watch them being handled on YouTube that might be helpful.

Good luck with your choice 🙂
 
Inka said:
The Medtronic is one my clinic offers but I don’t like the design of it, have read about cracks developing in the case, and not so great customer service
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I am using the 780 by Medtronic.
I have had cracks develop where I have dropped my pump on a hard floor. One I didn’t spot before I took my pump for a swim!! I drowned it -I always take it off now for a swim.
I have had excellent customer service, especially from their pump tech team. Absolutely no complaint there. They have the patience of a saint with all my questions.
It is a bit of a clunky design, but as I had a Combo before, and mine is tucked away out of sight, it doesn’t bother me.
 
My pump is in a Hid-in belt @SB2015 and I control it from my phone but I do obviously take it out to change the set and insulin and sometimes I just take it out to look at it :D It’s personal taste but I don’t like the ‘upright’ design of the Medtronic pumps or that circular bit.

Talking of durability, my first few pumps (the D Trons up above in my list) were unbelievably robust. I once managed to somehow flip mine out of its clip on my jeans belt as I was running across a road and it bounced on the tarmac twice before I picked it up. I was fully expecting it to be smashed but there literally wasn’t a mark on it! The customer service team told me they used to joke about dropping D Trons off a high building as they were so tough :rofl:
 
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