Juvenile Diabetes and Pumping

Updated on October 09, 2010
J.C. asks from Honolulu, HI
4 answers

My son was recently diagnosed with juvenile diabetes on Aug 9, 2010. Things have been quite a whirlwind since that day! We are looking into putting him on the pump and are trying to decide what is best for him. We are looking at the OmniPod but I am also considering the Amanis Ping. Are there any parents out there that has tried either one and what r the pro's and con's that your little one experienced.

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V.R.

answers from Los Angeles on

My five-year-old daughter was just diagnosed in June of this year. Boy, whirlwind is not the right word, huh? How old is your son? How is he dealing with it? How are you dealing with it? Our endo said she had to wait a year for the pump. What is your opinion on that? Please let me know which pump you decide on. I didn't know there were so many out there... and the holders for them. I never even thought about that, which one might work out best. my email is ____@____.com, if you'd like to email me separately.

1 mom found this helpful
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K.L.

answers from Los Angeles on

Dear J.:

Both pumps have there issues and fall backs. I won't go into these problems which are posted all over the internet.

If this is Type II I would look into nutritional ways and diet to correct it. Type II has always been know as easy to reverse through supplements and diet. In many different countries that only recognize type I.

If you want to find out what to do through nutrition and diet go to: www.ndinutraceuticals.com and email them for help. They specialize in childhood conditions and assist medical doctors all over the US in help with these conditions.

Good Luck

Kim

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T.H.

answers from Los Angeles on

Hello J.,
I'm the mom of a T1 daughter, who was dxd at 23 months and will turn 4 at the end of October.
Like you, I did lots of research and weighed the pros and cons of both kinds of pumps, the traditional vs tubeless (Omnipod).
We have chosen the Omnipod for a few reasons. While I agree with almost everything the other responder said, the Omnipod actually can give very tiny doses and it is not that big, even on our daughter's little body. We did not like the prospect of something being tethered to her all the time that would mean wearing a pump pack all the time. We have just started the process this week. In fact, yesterday when I was on the phone with an Omnipod rep, he said the new, smaller version is coming out very soon, and that people who are already pod users will get them first. Something to consider. Anyway, just wanted to share my thought. Good luck to you and your son...

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A.F.

answers from St. Cloud on

Hi J.!
First of all, I am so sorry about your son's diagnoses. I congratulate you on considering a pump! It's life changing in a good way! Which is nice, because a type 1 diabetes diagnoses can be life changing in a terrifying way. We will take all the good we can!

My daughter is 3 and was diagnosed at age 19 months. My son is 7 and was diagnosed Nov. 4th 2009. They started pump therapy about 1 month ago.
We debated among the Omnipod, the Animas Ping and the MiniMed Revel and here is what we found

1. The OmniPod. I liked the thought of it being controlled by remote, BUT the OmniPod doesn't deliver a small enough basal rate (insulin dose given automatically every hour) for my kid's needs. This would depend on your child's dosage, but the more precise the insulin dose, the better off you are.
Also, if you lost the remote, you would not be able to deliver insulin or suspend insulin delivery in a timely manner. That was a concern of mine!

2. The Animas Ping. Pro..... it's waterproof. I don't know much more about it. :)

We ended up going with the Medtronic MiniMed Revel. It's the newest of their Paradigm pumps and can deliver .025 of a unit of insulin, which is absolutely key in precise insulin dosing for kids.
If your son is on Lantus or Levemir now for a long term insulin, they will take the number of units given for a day's dose, multiply it by .8 (to get 80% of the dose) and divide it out over 24 hours per day and adjust as needed from there.

Take a look at the OmniPod and hold it up to your son's skin. It seems huge! I really wanted the OmniPod because of the lack of tubing, but it just wasn't the right choice for my daughter, and my son wouldn't have been able to have the smaller doses that he needed.

A word on Pump Packs. I did NOT like the pump carriers on the websites our endocrinologist's office recommended. I am not interested in my kids wearing a bulky fanny pack, day in and day out! :) I found a great store on www.etsy.com called giftstogive and they make great pump carriers! I will send the link if you need it.

Good luck to you! You won't regret pump therapy! It has changed my kids lives!

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