Switching to a different pump.

**Some of this info is repetitive to my previous post- but it's relevant to this post's topic so bear with me. **

I've been having some weird pancreatic functioning the last few days. You might think that's weird to say, since I have type 1 diabetes. But it is true. I've suspected for a while now that my own pancreas was still producing insulin, as I was having many unexplained low blood sugars. The last two days, I've had insulin delivery suspended most of this time and even though I ate normal (carbs and all), I've had down arrows on my CGM and low blood sugars. At my last endocrinologist appointment on St. Patricks day, my suspicion was confirmed. My c-peptide test showed I am still making insulin. I am one of those strange type 1s that makes enough insulin that if I only ate very small amount of carbs, my pancreas would likely be able to make enough insulin to cover it on its own. It would have to be a very small amount of carbs though. My physician said it might still be the "honeymoon phase," but that is pretty rare to still have 4 years after diagnosis. It is possible I may have this remaining functioning forever, or I might not. Only time will tell.

I received my new black Dexcom CGM today. My previous one is out of warranty. It was pink. I liked the pink, but I didn't like that at work, people would mistake it for a game or an iPod. I decided that the next one I got would be plain black.

In pump news, I am planning to switch from the Omnipod to the Animas Ping. My insurance is processing and reviewing the prior authorization request right now, so fingers crossed.

Here are the answers to a few questions I've been asked:

1. Why are you switching?
Because after OmniPod released its updated model last year, replacing the previous model, I've had nothing but problems with the new one. I know some people that have the OmniPod have not had issues. But that is not the case for me. I've had 14 documented pod failures since last fall, 7 of them have been this year. It has become a source of stress for me and I feel it is unreliable. After many calls placed to the company (after each pod failure), they were never able to help me. They would replace the defective pod but not able to explain why it continued to fail all the time. And I was losing a lot of insulin as a result of the pod failures. After discussing with my endo last month, he advised me most of his a OmniPod patients have been complaining to him about the same issue, and he advised me to consider switching to a different pump. We set up an appointment with the CDE to go over my options.

2. Why the Animas Ping?
I looked at the newest Medtronic release, the T-Slim and the Animas Ping. My physician stated he does not like the new Medtronic pump, as he says the built in CGM is not good. He said it reads inaccurately often. He recommended either the T-Slim or the Ping. The T-Slim was neat, but not for me. I didn't like the touch screen, nor the number of confirmation screens you have to go through to complete an action. I also didn't like that it didn't have a remote control to bolus with (like the Ping does). So every time when I would want to bolus or anything, I'd have to pull the pump from wherever it was strapped (leg strap for when wearing a dress or in bra). With the Ping I would be able to bolus from the glucose meter, not having to touch the actual pump. But the big deciding factor for me was that the new Ping/Dexcom CGM integrated pump is supposed to come out this year (allegedly) in the U.S. So I am excited about this technology.

Since I have already met my out of pocket for 2014, it is a good time to get the new pump. So fingers crossed the PA flies through insurance with no problems.

So that's the latest in the techy stuff.

I've got more to talk about but I'll save it for the next post.