mommybee Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 We are finally going to be getting my 13 year old a pump and I am scared to death on which one to pick. I'm looking for all the info I can get. Which pump did you pick and why? What are some tips and tricks I must know. Things like that. If you can help, please share...I'm a bit confused. This is like starting over again. I am so excited for him and want to be able to know all I can. TIA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer3141 Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 I have no advice but I wanted to give you a :grouphug: for having to do this for your son. Jen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joanne Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 I have no advice but I wanted to give you a for having to do this for your son. :iagree::iagree: I have a dd with an autoimmune that requires, among other meds, shots. I know how it feels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs. Readsalot Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 I have no personal experience with diabeties, except it was the group we raised money for when I was in Alpha Gamma Delta in college. We did learn a bit about it then but they have made many advancement since then. Here is a link to a you tube(at the end of the message) of the youngest Jonas brother and they discuss the fact that he has diabeties. He wears a pump and it is shown and they talk about it a little. Your son might find it interesting to watch also. I is alway good to know others are dealing with the same things. I think it helps to not feel so alone. I have an autoimmune disorder(Sjogren's) so I can relate a bit. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfwR-ZrI3qE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommybee Posted August 20, 2008 Author Share Posted August 20, 2008 I have no personal experience with diabeties, except it was the group we raised money for when I was in Alpha Gamma Delta in college. We did learn a bit about it then but they have made many advancement since then. Here is a link to a you tube(at the end of the message) of the youngest Jonas brother and they discuss the fact that he has diabeties. He wears a pump and it is shown and they talk about it a little. Your son might find it interesting to watch also. I is alway good to know others are dealing with the same things. I think it helps to not feel so alone. I have an autoimmune disorder(Sjogren's) so I can relate a bit.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfwR-ZrI3qE Thanks for the link...we just watched it and it was really nice for my son to see some one like him dealing with these issues. My son likes to perform in plays and we always have so much to deal with trying to keep his numbers in line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Atl Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 Here's a great like with lots of info and stories from kids. http://www.insulin-pumpers.org/pkids.shtml Great article on the major brands as well as a ton of info. http://www.childrenwithdiabetes.com/pumps/ Fi has been pumping with the Deltec Cozmo for four years. We chose the Cozmo because it's super easy to program, had great basel and bolus rates for little ones, and wonderful support (folks there 24/7). It's bigger then the MiniMed, which teens tend to like for it's size. Fi's meter (freestyle Flash) is attached to the back of the pump, as they "talk" to each other. The MiniMed also "talks" with a compatible meter (I think the One Touch?). I think the most importing things to look for are great training and support, how easy is it for your child to use, and what your insurance will cover. Pumping is more expensive! Hope this helps! :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldilocks Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 my ds has a pump. I'm nursing baby so I'll come back to tell you about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommybee Posted August 20, 2008 Author Share Posted August 20, 2008 Here's a great like with lots of info and stories from kids.http://www.insulin-pumpers.org/pkids.shtml Great article on the major brands as well as a ton of info. http://www.childrenwithdiabetes.com/pumps/ Fi has been pumping with the Deltec Cozmo for four years. We chose the Cozmo because it's super easy to program, had great basel and bolus rates for little ones, and wonderful support (folks there 24/7). It's bigger then the MiniMed, which teens tend to like for it's size. Fi's meter (freestyle Flash) is attached to the back of the pump, as they "talk" to each other. The MiniMed also "talks" with a compatible meter (I think the One Touch?). I think the most importing things to look for are great training and support, how easy is it for your child to use, and what your insurance will cover. Pumping is more expensive! Hope this helps! :grouphug: Jenny when you say more expensive...how much more stuff do you need for the pump and has your insurance ever hassled you to get supplies? So far all of his other supplies have been covered well and we are getting the right amount, but I am worried about switching and having to pay for so much more stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommybee Posted August 20, 2008 Author Share Posted August 20, 2008 my ds has a pump. I'm nursing baby so I'll come back to tell you about it. No prob...I'll be off to work soon so won't be checking until later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Atl Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 Jenny when you say more expensive...how much more stuff do you need for the pump and has your insurance ever hassled you to get supplies? So far all of his other supplies have been covered well and we are getting the right amount, but I am worried about switching and having to pay for so much more stuff. Depends on your insurance, call and ask! With the pump you will needs monthly supplies of insulin (of course), insulin cartridges, infusion sets, and some use a wipe that is like alcohol and glue all in one. We have found we don't need these and just clean the area before inserting the site. It's the infusion sets that can add up. ~$100 to $200 for a box of 10. The usual site change schedule is every three days. We pay a bit because our dect is so high $3,000 out-of-pocket. I'm really hoping that insurance will agree to cover the continuous monitor that has come out. It tests blood sugars every few minutes. It's a dream of mine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldilocks Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 My son Noah has used the MiniMed pump for just over a year. I chose that pump because my mom (also T1) has a MiniMed and was getting the updated version at the same time. I was somewhat familiar with her pump (saw her use it) and liked that she would be able to answer my questions and she could care for Noah easily. For these reasons, I didn't even look at any other options. I am happy that we chose the MiniMed. I don't know much about other pumps, so I'm not sure if what I am going to say is unique to MM or not. First, there are a variety of infusion sets to choose from. Right now we use one that is a plastic cannula that goes straight in, but there are other options like one where the needle doesn't come out, and one that goes in at a 45 degree angle. We've had some issues lately with the plastic cannula getting bent and not delivering the insulin so we may change to one of the other infusion sets. Having these options is nice. I like that we are linked to the One Touch meter. Saves time. We don't have to enter BG's. I like that we can be linked to a continuous glucose monitoring system. We've had a little trouble getting this to work but it is very cool when it does. There are some things that I don't like, but I'm not sure if another pump would be any better. I don't like the tubing, but Noah doesn't seem to mind it. Being a boy, he doesn't have any issues with clipping the pump on his pants and tucking in the tubing. We have had a lot of trouble with the sites failing. I'm not really sure what is going on, but it is frustrating. For this reason, we don't have great A1C numbers. I have heard that pumps often do not improve a1C's but do make having D a little bit easier. Well, I feel like a wrote a book. I hope that something I said was helpful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldilocks Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 I forgot to add about the cost. Our pump supplies are covered under something similar to durable medical equipment. For us, this is covered at 100%. The supply company that I purchased from charged me a percentage, and another one that I called asking about a price quoted me a large fee. I looked into it and got my money refunded. Be sure to question your insurance company. If you ask about durable medical equipment they should be able to figure it out. Insulin and test strips are covered under our prescription plan and we have to pay a lot for those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Atl Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 Right now we use one that is a plastic cannula that goes straight in, but there are other options like one where the needle doesn't come out, and one that goes in at a 45 degree angle. We've had some issues lately with the plastic cannula getting bent and not delivering the insulin so we may change to one of the other infusion sets. Having these options is nice. We have had a lot of trouble with the sites failing. I'm not really sure what is going on, but it is frustrating. For this reason, we don't have great A1C numbers. I have heard that pumps often do not improve a1C's but do make having D a little bit easier. Well, I feel like a wrote a book. I hope that something I said was helpful! Have you tried the Silhouette sites? We love these! Fi is very active, and we have yet to have a site come out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommybee Posted August 21, 2008 Author Share Posted August 21, 2008 Well, I feel like a wrote a book. I hope that something I said was helpful! Thanks so much, this is very helpful. I want to see the range of choices I have to deal with. All our other supplies are covered pretty well by insurance. My only concern was the durable medical equipment is only %80 so the pump is going to cost me a lot and then I am not sure yet how they will charge for the infusion sets. I always get concerned that we will not get enough to use, but I'll call and check things out before I make a final decision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommybee Posted August 21, 2008 Author Share Posted August 21, 2008 Jenny, how have your daughter's A1C's been? Goldilocks mentioned her son's aren't real great and that's one of the things I was really hoping we could fix. My son is growing like crazy right now and we are really struggling to get his numbers under control when they used to be really good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 my dh uses the minimed with quick set insertion the silouette insertion didn't work as well for HIM he uses a 4mm because he has very little body fat. like a pp he doesn't use the special alochol/sticky swabs, just a regular swab is enough for him. The most painful thing is removing it (or having a 1 yr old yank it out when dad is napping on the sofa:)) the adhersion tape is WAY worse than any bandaid even with the sticky swab, but the policy is the pretty much the same, deep breath and rip it off in one yank.:D It may not be an issue now for a 13 yr old boy, but my dh avoids hairy areas of the arm or leg. Someone hairier might want to shave just a wee itty circle in the regular location first. he didn't like the one the jonas boy uses. It was annoying to him... tried it for a week and couldn't stand it. can't remember why. I'd have to ask but he's on a conference call right now. I think it was the bulky obvious factor? the cord did drive him a bit batty because many people might think the pump is a pager, but the cord is a dead give away and sometimes does actually get in the way. So to help out, I sew little button holes on the inside of his shirt pockets and pants pockets. No one can see anything from the outside, he threads the cath through the hole to the injection site, and the pump sits in his pocket for easy access to enter in food and glucose numbers as needed. This really cut down on the cord getting caught on things like cabinet handles, wound up in his keys when he puts them in a pocket, infants snagging it as a new teether, ect.. And my dh feels like people aren't staring at it wondering what that cord is and such. Most of the time he doesn't wear the button hole clothes around the house though. It's just nice for work and such. It took him a LONG time to be able to sleep with it. They sell a thingy that you can strap it to your leg or arm to hold it in place at night, but dh felt more comfortable just stuffing it under his pillow at night and got used to sleeping on top of the cord as he moved around freely at night. It took him a couple weeks to loose that, "what the heck is wrapped around my leg/arm" sensation and waking up at night. he really likes that when he goes to the endo the endo can take his pump and download ALL of his entries, food entries, BG entries, insulin output and some more stuff I think. Very handy for check ups. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Atl Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 Jenny, how have your daughter's A1C's been? Goldilocks mentioned her son's aren't real great and that's one of the things I was really hoping we could fix. My son is growing like crazy right now and we are really struggling to get his numbers under control when they used to be really good. Fi's have been great. We have ranged from about 6.4 to 5.6 over the last four years. Anything under 7 and over 5.4 is the range my Endo likes to see kids Fi's age. But realize we test a ton 10x a day. The pump has given us our life back, but it's still a lot of work to use it to its fullest. Pumps are made to mimic the pancreas, so in order to do this you need to really be proactive, looking for trends and adjusting levels for everything from activity to changes in health. Growth/puberty can make sugars wacky, more so in girls. It's all a part of the learning process. Pumping Insulin by John Walsh is a great bk to read before you start. Have you checked out the Children with Diabetes Forums? They are a great place to ask pumping questions and see what other parents are saying. hths! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommybee Posted March 2, 2009 Author Share Posted March 2, 2009 DS really liked the Animus One Touch Ping. He had to wear the glucose sensor by Medtronic a few weeks ago and even with the option of that he didn't want to go with their pump, so Animus it is. He is so excited and I think by the end of the month he should be pumping. Thanks for all the help. I may be asking more questions as we move into this new way of doing things. But he is super responsible with managing his disease so I don't think I'll have to worry too much. It helps that he is 14 which just makes life so much easier as far as his understanding. We may be a bit slow at getting him here, but I'm not going to get down on us for not doing it sooner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vettechmomof2 Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 My daughter has worn the Omnipod since July 2007. She and we all LOVE it. She trains and spars for karate in it, swims, wrestles with her brother and has no problems with it at all. Moat people never know she even has a pod on unless she wears it on her arm. The Omnipod is the one Nick Jonas wears since most people do seem to know him. Our insurance covers 80%, our costs are $162 every 3 months and our initial out of pocket was about $200.00 plus we got an additional hand held unit as a back up for another $300.00. That way we do not have to worry about a failure wiht our unit, breaking and shipping a new one to us. We can just keep going with our spare. As for additional costs we do not have that except for the $162.00 every 3 months. That covers the pods. The regular fees are insulin, test strips. Some people use a numbing cream but we do not. My daughter chose the Omnipod mainly because she does not like seeing the needle and the pod has an automatic insertion, so no seeing the needle. The ease that the Pod gave my daughter and my family has made it worth it. Check our childrenwithdiabetes.com for some great comparison charts and user recommendations. I would try all of the pumps to get an idea of what your child likes and feels comfortable with. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommybee Posted March 2, 2009 Author Share Posted March 2, 2009 Check our childrenwithdiabetes.com for some great comparison charts and user recommendations. I would try all of the pumps to get an idea of what your child likes and feels comfortable with. Good luck. Thanks, I definitely need to check out that website. We did try out a couple and we were most comfortable with the new Animus. They seemed to have all the things we were looking for. My son really hated the thought of the omnipod for some reason so that was out of the question. Luckily the reps all came to the house and we really got to try the different options so we are happy with our decision. We're just plain excited at this point. We've switched insurance and it seems like the plan we have now should cover most of the initial costs so I'm not as worried about the prices as I was before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vettechmomof2 Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 Thanks, I definitely need to check out that website. We did try out a couple and we were most comfortable with the new Animus. They seemed to have all the things we were looking for. Great news, I hope he enjoys it. All of the pumps work really well some work better than others for certain people but everyone gets a little brand specific.:) Take care and enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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