It’s funny… I’ve been asked more lately about why I haven’t moved away from my Animas Vibe insulin pump than I’ve been asked why I have remained on this pump.
For the benefit of someone who might be in a similar situation, or just for the few of you who might actually be interested in my opinion, here’s my thinking on the subject today:
First of all, I don’t have to hurry to another pump. My Animas warranty is still good until January 2020. That’s nearly a year and a half. For starters, let’s go with that.
I will admit that I’m not particularly fond of my Animas pump. I don’t hate it either. In all honesty, I’m agnostic when it comes to this device. But it works, and there’s something to be said for reliability. For the record, I use Medtronic MiniMed Quick Set infusion sets, which I’ve used even before starting on Animas. They seem to work best for me.
I have a few choices when considering what to do…
Thanks to Medtronic, which took over customer care from Animas, I can go right now from my current pump to the Medtronic 670g. The appeal of that is obvious, owing to the hybrid closed loop nature of the system. Also, I have friends and acquaintances using the 670g, and all of them either like it or love it.
The biggest issue for me in this case is that the Medtronic CGM still does not lay flat on the skin. If I have to tape it down to keep it on, that’s a deal breaker for me. If they re-engineer the CGM so it will lay flat without taping it down? Medtronic is definitely in consideration.
One of the other intriguing ideas available to me is to create my own DIY closed loop system. I’m already using the Dexcom G5, and I have an old Medtronic pump (my first pump), which might be compatible with one or more of the systems out there.
The idea of doing that really appeals to me. On top of the appeal of a functional artificial pancreas system, there’s also the appeal that on top of my other pumping possibilities, I would always have this option in my back pocket just in case nothing else seems to be as good.
But more than anything else, when I think about why I don’t make a choice at this time, it comes down to one overriding issue: FOMO, or Fear Of Missing Out.
I’ve got nearly a year and a half to go on my current pump’s warranty. My biggest regret in making a change would be if I went to another pump and then, let’s say six months later, something new and wonderful was approved by the FDA that I would love to be using. Only by that time, I would be just six months into a four-year pump commitment that I couldn’t get out of.
I had kind of the reverse happen when Animas decided to close up about two years into my commitment with them. I’m not unhappy with my choice, but I’m unhappy that the company I chose to make the commitment with could no longer uphold their end of the bargain.
Anyway, with all this time left on my warranty, I’ve decided to wait a while and see what happens. I have no idea what’s coming in the next 17 or 18 months. I’m just grateful to have options.
Choice matters for People With Diabetes. Let me ask you:
How would you feel if you were in my position? Would you wait? Or would you make a change?
Diabetes Blog - Happy-Medium.net 