Its only been a week and already I feel so comforted by the barely audible click of the pump depressing the plunger in the mini pump at meal times or sporadically throughout the day. Its the sound of blood sugar control. What a week its been learning all I can about Pod changes and being woken up on day 3 by the Pod alarm alerting me its 8 hours before the Pod expires. Once expired it was interesting to note that the Pod functioned as per normal, apparently for another 8 hours.
I had a Pod on days 3 and 4 that was inserted into my leg that may have had a cannula issue, as I struggled to maintain my standard level of control.
Its been a lot easier to exercise focusing on enjoying the task rather than if I would break the pump or rip out a cannula. Having no wires makes it a lot easier to run or gym as I don’t have to worry about pump placement as much. Previously I needed to ensure I had pants with pockets or a belt clip available.
I have also found sleeping a little easier, as I can barely notice the pump If I roll over onto it.
Flank insertion. Boost Omnipod – Time in Range (3.9 -7.8 mmol/l)Boost Omnipod – Time in Range (3.9 – 10 mmol/l)
Unannounced meals
I decided to test the system with unannounced meals consisting of 40g of carbs or less. I am a bit of a control freak when it comes to diabetes so I have been postponing testing this for a long time. The results were outstanding. I will be writing more about this in the future, including any automations I use or test.
Boost Omnipod – UAM – Time in Range (3.9 -7.8 mmol/l)
Boost Omnipod – UAM – Time in Range (3.9 – 10 mmol/l)
I decided to purchase the Omnipod Dash trial pack of 10 pods for $30 AUD to see what all the hype was about. It turns out the hype is warranted, as this is an incredible little system. I’m very excited to use the device under a multitude of conditions and I hope that my experience can be informative. My main testing criteria will be connectivity, recovery in the unlikely event a Pod is damaged, robustness during various activity, water resistance and general day-to-day activity including time with my two year old daughter.
Benefits
The pump system operates much the same as any other pump system available, with the main difference being that the pump and cannula are all part of the same physical unit. This is a huge advantage for sports, but can be noticeable while changing clothes, going to the toilet or during sexy time. The unit is so small its presence is barely noticeable.
Omnipod Dash.
Sugar Management stats (So far)
I am very pleased (and surprised to be honest) that I am using 28% less insulin on the Pods with improved (+9.3%) blood sugar control (Time in Range 3.9-7.8 mmol/l). I noticed far fewer super micro boluses (SMBs) being administered than before, but maybe that is due to me letting AAPS do more of the work in managing my sugars through unannounced meals (UAM).
Management Stats from Nightscout for the duration of the experiment so far. TIR = 3.9-7.8 mmol/l
Total daily dose (TDD) and carbs average for the duration of the experiment.
Note: I am not adding in all the carbs I am eating as I am using announced meals in AAPS.
The Ambulatory Glucose Profile (AGP) enables retrospective analysis of dense data, trends and patterns for the duration of the experiment. Management Stats from Nightscout for the week prior to the experiment so far. TIR = 3.9-7.8 mmol/l
Total daily dose (TDD) and carbs average for the week prior to the experiment.
The Ambulatory Glucose Profile (AGP) enables retrospective analysis of dense data, trends and patterns for the week prior to the experiment. Management Stats from Nightscout for the duration of the experiment so far. TIR = 3.9-10 mmol/l
Screenshot from AAPS highlighting the SMB’s.
Android APS Setup
Setup of the Pod system in Android APS (AAPS) Boost Master 3.6.4 was surprisingly easy and intuitive. I just followed the Prompts after going to the configuration builder and selecting Dash as the pump.Its a very similar process for Eros pods, with the added requirement to pair the OrangeLink / RileyLink device.
I had an error starting the pod, but after hitting retry multiple times the pod activated and all was working as expected
Exercise
Exercise has been a lot more enjoyable without all the wires and having to worry about pump placement or damage. If I mountain bike and fall off (which happens every now and again) I lose one pod, and not an entire pump. Having more pocket space and less to carry is an added benefit.
Whats next?
I plan to test the pod while resistance training, mountain biking, running and the most intense sport I play, wrangling my two year old. If she cant destroy them, they are indestructible 🙂
Dick The Diabetic's APS Adventures 