Hi @danaestes ! I appreciate input since I’m new to Omnipod. I do think my issue has to do with the pain from my strain. I’m taking some muscle relaxants and Advil but I’m not getting the relief I want. Need to schedule an ortho visit as I haven’t had any radiation tests done and I’m wondering exactly how bad it is so we can move forward. I do like using my leg - supposedly the movement helps the insulin “circulate” maybe better than other areas. Right now I’m using my arm, which generally works well but today I took a Prednisone and it’s notorious for driving up numbers.
I joined the Pod revolution! I got the Omnipod 5 on 11/30 and am liking it so far. This is my first pump so I had no idea what to expect. I have only been a T1D for about 1 1/2 years so I never really minded the MDI but my overnight numbers were driving my TIR low so I decided to give a pump a try.
I’ve have a few things that I need to tweak when I see my endo this week. The biggest change for me is that I am going low a lot more often. My gut feeling is because I have constant basal going on now which I didn’t in the past with the 24 hour shot (which really only worked about 20 hours for me.) Nothing that trial and error can’t fix - e.g. when to go manual for exercise or having an active day.
My biggest surprise - how much insulin is left in the pods at the end of the 3 days. My first pod, I had over 25 units left! Again, trial and error and things that are easily fixable.
I’m glad that to all the people on this thread for your insight. It was just the push/encouragement I needed.
Hi @MFBarry - it’s nice to hear from another new podder! How long have you been on the pod? It takes a few of them for the programming to “settle” and if you’re having lows it may still be learning. You might check your carb ratio to see if you’re getting too much for meals and that’s driving you low later. Also I think (personal opinion here) any pump can only correct so much if the background programming is off - perhaps the low end of your goal range is too low for it to handle right now, and rather than suffer lows while it learns your body you could try raising that low number a bit. As it accommodates that you could dial down if you are aiming for tighter control. I’m not a medical professional so I’m just sharing what I would try (or have). Again please consult your endo.
Looking forward to you sharing experiences if you like! One tip from personal experience - if you ever have to deactivate a pod at work - take it home to throw away:slightly_frowning_face:
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@wadawabbit I might have laughed a bit when I read your story (plus I shared it with my trainer and she chuckled as well!)
I did tweak my I:C after the first few days but am being conservation about making any changes. My trainer did an <20% adjustment for my basal when we set up the initial pod but I think I may need a small change again to stop some of the lows I am getting after my 4 hr bolus runs out. My overnight numbers look so much better but now I have to retrain myself to think that I have IOB when I wake up and can’t just jump into doing things (e.g. taking the dog for a brisk walk) without a snack or putting it in Active Mode.
I am on my 4/5th pod and am going to start trying some new spaces because I am running out of space on the same side of my abdomen after the 3rd pod (to sync up with the CGM.) All in all, I think I am doing ok. My TIR is getting better but I am still trying to get a feel for when I need to bolus for >180 if I have IOB for the basal. To me, the background basal in the pump vs. the long lasting injection acts/feels very different. Again, I think it is just trial and error. I am also lucky, I have a great trainer and I really like my Endo.
I did have a pod/controller issue last night - it wasn’t reading from the CGM and it told me to deactivate the pod. Which I thought I did because the controller said “No Active Pod”. I was a little concerned because it took a few tries to get the controller to sync up but finally it did (I even pulled out the manual 
) Then this morning I heard the beeping! I have no idea how long it had been going on. I opened my kitchen door and threw it out into the snow - which surprisingly didn’t work. It was still beeping 40 minutes later. Then I went to You tube to find the magic spot to puncture the pod.
I will give my Pod experience a solid A at this point and would highly recommend it at this point in my honeymoon as a new pump user. I told myself I would give the pump 6 months of trial & effort before I made any long lasting decision unless I had severe lows/highs. 15 days in - all is good.
Those YouTube videos on silencing a screaming pod are a Godsend - even though the person who did the one I watched kept moving out of the camera view - but I got it in the end. I took one upstairs with me the other night, because it hadn’t disconnected and I didn’t want to have to go down in the middle of the night. Sure enough - guess what happened? Believe it or not I had taped a paper clip to it so I wouldn’t have to hunt for one - I didn’t even have to get out of bed.
BTW, do you have one of those tools your can use to remove a SIM card from your phone? It can be used to silence a pod. When I got my tool a long time ago I put it on my keyring and haven’t needed it since but it will come in handy!
PS - when I use an area other than abdomen I have the most consistent results with my upper arms. Thighs usually work well but I’ve had more issues there than with the arms. That said, I’ve only tried the front, not the sides so will give that a shot. Some people insert in the butt or mid-back but the placement would be uncomfortable for me - plus I think you would have to place your sensor there to ensure connection, and that would be challenging without help. They are options though.
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It’s been a while since I’ve checked in but here’s an update from today.
It was time to change my Dexcom transmitter so I switched it out when I changed my pod and sensor this morning. I updated the transmitter ID in my Dexcom app, and waited for Dexcom and pod to connect. I got a confirmation when the warmup was complete, followed shortly thereafter by a Transmitter Issue alert on my controller, with instructions to check my Dexcom app. All was fine there, then I realized I had not changed the transmitter ID on my controller🤨. Lots to keep in mind but it’s only once every 3 months.
When I went to update the controller I had to switch to Manual mode. I was a bit distracted (and sleepy) so forgot to change back to auto - and not for the first time. There are times I’ve gotten an alert that I need to stay in manual for 5 minutes and I neglected to set it back so I do wish there were a reminder timer one that you could turn off if you wished and choose the amount of time. That’s one I could really appreciate.
All had been quiet with my pod overall, but I did find myself playing “find the pod” this morning.
It actually started yesterday, when my controller could not find my Dexcom transmitter. Interestingly it was about to expire (it was two days short of the start-up date but I’ve find they can last a bit longer) but I was so getting Dexcom readings. I tried reconnecting a few times then gave up, started a new pod, set up my transmitter, started a new sensor (only the days in😫) and ordered a replacement from Dexcom - and went on my net way.
This morning I was up around 5am (as usual) and I keep hearing a series of beeps. While I was up I wasn’t completely awake and couldn’t figure out what was making the sound. My devices are fine so I thought it might be the battery in our smoke alarms, Nope.
When I came downstairs I heard it coming from the main floor and realized it must be the pod fun yesterday - so I stayed feverishly going through the trash as I couldn’t quite place where the sound was coming from. Nothing! I wondered if the sound was actually caring in from outside. I had to go upstairs for something and guess what - the blasted thing was on the banister! I don’t recall leaving it there - I swore I had thrown it out. I had said a quick prayer asking God to help me find it and - voilà! All is peaceful now.
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Omnipod frustration this morning: I had totally forgotten about the time change but thankfully most of the devices on our home set themselves back. When I turned on my controller to bolus for breakfast there was a message about the time change, and saying I needed to switch to Manual mode so it could set the time. I clicked “yes” and went about my business around 7am.
A few minutes ago I got an alert - my bg was (is) 223⬆️ and insulin was paused in order to adjust the time. I may have approved the insulin pause (I honestly don’t recall)
Now I know we need to be responsible about making sure our services are set; but at the same time, the human factor can be problematic: I wish there were alerts you could set to remind you that you are in manual mode or that insulin has been paused for a while - life’s distractions can make things slip our minds. 
That is frustrating!
It’s like the meme “I’m waiting for apple to come out with an iPump”
Can’t we get an insulin pump that automatically changes the time?
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@wadawabbit, Any luck getting insurance support for iLet? Believe it’s the product what @6yGodsGr said with…. “I’m waiting for apple to come out with an iPump”.
I’ve tested all kinds on scenarios with the iLet and it always brings my BG down in a controlled and soft landing between 100-120. It’s pretty amazing to watch it happen over and over. And the best part is that I do absolutely nothing.
I haven’t tried again yet - thought I would allow some time for them to go through their review process or whatever it is they’re doing. Thank you for reminding me though - I should check in periodically. So glad you’re doing is working out so well - any ideas on what to expect with your next A1c?
A iPump would be sweet - of course to balance things out that means there would need to be ones for Android and Google users as well .
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