Friday, May 7, 2010

Podders Night Out - OmniPod Social

OmniPod hosted a great night out at Main Event last week.  I was lucky enough to be able to take all 3 kids with a little help from my mom, dad and one friend!  It was a gathering of podders, soon-to-be podders and those interesting in podding.  My fellow D-Mom, Jessica and family were there and we met several other wonderful D-Mommas with children the same age as our kiddos.

It was also a great opportunity to hear about the up and coming things that Omnipod has in the pipeline.  Luis Malave the Chief Operating Officer of Insulet was on hand to give us the run down on what to expect with future releases and to answer our questions.

And . . . why yes, the subject of Insulin On Board (IOB) did come up!  I knew you were wondering.  I may have been the only one with my hand up, squirming in my chair, yelling PICK ME - PICK ME but I knew others really wanted to know!!  I asked Mr. Malave about the response that a dear D-Mom blogger (Ms. Wendy) received and blogged about here.  I for one LOVE the OmniPod and actually really like the way that the pod handles IOB.  It is what I know - it was I am used to and I do not have any problems with it.  Further more, I do NOT like change and after the past year of my life being full of change I may have begged him not to change it?!?!    He did agree that is is certainly a hot spot with their competitors and some issues by consumers have been noted.   The FDA does not have any policy in place that directs pump companies how to calculate IOB so at this time OmniPod is looking at different options but no final decision has been made.  From what I understood they are looking at maybe being able to set it one way or the other (I'm down with that) so that everyone would be happy.  I am not anticipating seeing any changes anytime soon but I am sure I will be pleased with whatever solution they decide upon.

My lovely friend, Jessica asked about smaller basal rate increments and I am sure Mr. Luis answered but Nate was running amuck and needing a bg check about that time so maybe Jessica can provide some insight on that one.  Jess??

We also got to see the new smaller version of the pod which I LOVE!!  I WANT one NOW!  I am hoping to have one of these on Nate's 'sweet spot' in 2010!

Here is my own (somewhat warped) version of the smaller pod:

Nice!

Happy Podding Y'all!

13 comments:

Wendy said...

I love your cute little version of the smaller pod :) The D community has been hearing about these things long before sweet Nate's dx...it's nice to hear that they're getting closer to a reality.

As for IOB...well, it is what it is.

We lived for 18 months without it and Addy passed out an average of once a week...once we were able to incorporate it into our life, I was able to catch those lows and nip them in the bud before disaster struck.

Unless an insulin delivery system knows how much active insulin has on board and can apply that information to a blood sugar at any given time, I don't really see how it can incorporate a closed looped system into it's future. But, time will tell, I guess.

Anyway, as technology advances, I'm sure other options will be available once Insulet makes a final decision regarding how to handle their IOB. They've told different things to different people so who knows what to believe about their ultimate plan...which is probably just the way they like it.

You're happy podding without IOB while I would never consider it.

Different strokes for different folks.

But we can disagree about IOB and still go to Heaven :)

Amy said...

Great post..love the tush shot!!

LaLa said...

Wendy, I hope you did not misunderstand my post. I was in no way knocking your post or your passion about IOB. I completely understand that it works for you and thousands of others. I don't dispute that many, many people feel that it is very important. It is.

The answer that I was given was not that far off from what a representative gave you --- maybe just more vague. They are certainly looking into it but it not something that they are taking lightly and it is not a release we will see for quite sometime. FDA approval alone on a change like that will take forever!

We certainly disagree about this but we both agree that we can disagree and still be friends. (That sentence has a lot of 'agree' in it).

And let me make it clear that I only disagree with the fact that OmniPod's IOB is dangerous. I don't disagree that the Ping's IOB is a good thing.

I have not been a D-Mom as long as you have but you can damn sure bet I put my son's safety above anything else. I am not a nurse or a doctor but I know what it takes to keep my son alive. I don't take anything about diabetes lightly. We are able to pump with OmniPod's IOB because it is what I know and what I understand and it works for us. If they make a change I will roll with it and I am sure I will learn to love it.

As far as us both going to Heaven . . . I'm still working on it! I think I might say DUCK FIABETES too often for me to get through those pearly gates. :)

Meri said...

Cutest butt ever. And I have seen some pretty cute butts. :) I'm so glad you got to meet even MORE D families!

For the record, I heart you. :)

P.S. DF

Wendy said...

I'll concede that it's a harsh statement -- perhaps it would be better to say that life without IOB is dangerous for Addy.

It's just that, for so long, we had those heart stopping lows that slapped us time and again with the reality of how mean this disease can be.

Striving for a resemblance of control with MDI (and no fancy pump's IOB) was a disaster for Addy. The best we could do was 8.5 -- and that was WITH her passing out and hitting her head about once a week. She never got shots closer than 3 hours apart. But she was also on full strength insulin -- and, if she needed a quarter of a unit, well...we had to approximate using a half unit syringe. Let's face it. Accurate approximation doesn't exist with insulin -- precision is required!!!!

When I hear about little ones succumbing to low blood sugars -- passing out, confusion, combativeness -- it breaks my heart. ESPECIALLY for those itsy bitsy babies who are still too young to verbalize what they're feeling on the way down.

It happens so fast. In the blink of an eye...BOOM...low blood sugar has taken hold and our babies are victim. Life must stop. We must take immediate action, regardless of where we are or what we're doing. It is literally a matter of life or death...just thinking about those days makes my heart begin to race.

My mom blogged a picture of Addy back then. It was really a rant on health insurance reform (btw, she's a Dem and I'm Rep -- but we love each other anyway -- we DF, we can still go to HEAVEN!!!)

If you're interested, here's a picture from the day we left MD. Addy had been dx for about 7 months -- she was 2.5 years old.

http://grandma2sweetgirls.blogspot.com/2009_08_16_archive.html#8484107303968152208

So, from our T1 perspective...IOB isn't optional. It's essential for Addy's ultimate survival.

Wendy said...

PS -- So what I was GOING to say before I got all lost in the emotion of our past was that, when people say something like "I just can't imagine why ANYONE would OPT for a TUBED pump"...well...

IOB.

That's why.

katerina said...

Did you actually see the smaller pod? tell us more!!!

Unknown said...

The TUSH SHOT "DUCKING" ROCKS!!! Love your version of the pediatric pod...too cute!

And...we are ALL going to heaven GIRLS...bad language in all...we are UBER-AWESOME PEEPS living a life less ordinary with many challenges...IOB or not...

LOVE YOU.

Penny said...

Oh I wish I was there for the OmniPod PodFest! I would love to ask him questions. And see the news smaller Pod, I am excited for it. Did you actually get to see it Laura? Was it 45% smaller as I have heard?

I know all the arguments for IOB, but I have to agree with Laura, I like the way OmniPod handles the IOB. It may be the weak link for the non-tubed pump, but we all make trades in this business of treating our kids with D. Tubed/non-tubed, waterproof/non-waterproof - incremental doses - etc. I also know that behind every pumper is the controller of the pump and as much brains as the pump has, we have better ones in our heads. That's my belief. So I do the calculations about IOB that the pump may not do, just the same as I did them when she was on shots. That's what works for me. I cannot say what works for other people.

And I am a firm believer we are all of us, going to Heaven - Dem., Rep., IOB or no IOB, swearer or non-swearer. I shall see you all there. We will sit around a big big table and share our stories and our lives that we lived.

Heather said...

I LOVE reading all the comments different comments about the pumps and IOB. You all crack me up and make some really good points. It's such a personal decision for each family. We all do what we think is best for our child. :) There are pros and cons to all the different pumps and everyone has to weigh them individually. We have only been pumping for 9 months now but I am always looking into the "other" pumps and seeing what technology they are integrating into their new ones. Can't wait to see what options we will have in 3 years when we can switch pumps, if we want. (since insurance will only allow for a new pump every 4 years) I love the pump we have but I am always open to new ideas and technology! Hooray for competition!

Cool! I would be all in favor of a "choose your option" IOB. Of course, I'd probably stick with the correction-only calculation, 'cause it's working for us. - Mo

Anonymous said...

Laura - You continue to completely crack me up! But I'm still worried about poor little Nate and the impact these naked tushie pictures will have on him! ;)

LaLa said...

Katerina - YES! We did get to see the smaller pod. It is greatness. Unfortunately, we were not able to take pictures.

Lorraine - maybe he will never find out!! Shhhh! Don't tell.

Thank you ALL for all of the great comments on this post. I think everyone has such great points and I love the fact that we can all share them and A)still love one another and B)still go to Heaven (even if I am cussing like a sailor all of the way)!

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Just a Mom

I am NOT a doctor, nor do I play one on this blog.

I AM a wife.
I AM the mom of 3 wonderful children.
I AM my son's pancreas.

The information provided on this blog is from our personal experiences with Type 1 diabetes. Because something works for us does not mean it will work for you.

Please consult your doctor if you have any questions or concerns about your health care options.

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