My son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes two years ago. He is now nine. Normally, we give him insulin injections twice a day. We now are considering pump therapy. The OmniPod seems like the best choice because of the lack of visible tubing and because it seems more portable. Do you have recent experience with kids using the pod?

I have some experience.

No pump is “perfect.” I think the OmniPod works adequately. It lacks some of the features of other pumps. It does have good portability, but don’t lose the PDA-like device! If your child tends to misplace things (like his glucometer), then this pump has a drawback.

If you have read the features about all the various pumps commercially available to you and you have found that the OmniPod seems right for you, then I think the OmniPod should be right for you. It certainly is the least expensive (in the short term), so if you find it is not right, then you haven’t spent thousands of dollars.

I view shopping for an insulin pump in the same category as your shopping for any other “big ticket” item: No one tells you which washer/dryer to buy: you choose the one based on cost and features. No one tells you which automobile to buy: you choose based on utility of what you want and need and the features available, amongst other things. You listen to the car salesman but you don’t rely on his word as gospel since, after all, he is trying to sell you the car. You do your own research and read reviews, etc.

An insulin pump purchase, in my opinion, should be as seriously thought out.

One last thing: typically it is your insurance company that doles out the money for a pump. If you decide you don’t like the pump, they are not going to simply dole out more dollars for another. Your automobile insurance doesn’t provide a BMW if you wreck your Ford. So, choose wisely.

DS