100 Days with Omnipod DASH® by Rebecca Redmond

In our house, we name things. All the items we interact with daily have a name, our car, the coffee machine, the stand mixer, mostly thanks to my son. So, when I transitioned from MDI (multiple daily injections) to an insulin pump my PDM (personal diabetes manager) also received a name: Otis.

And Otis proved his merit helping to free me of needle phobia induced anxiety attacks and enabling me to employ things like temporary basal rates and extended boluses.

Getting Acquainted

When it came time to switch to the Omnipod DASH® System, the moment was somewhat bittersweet. Wearing and using technology to manage my diabetes had evolved into an intimate relationship and given that Otis was my first-ever insulin pump, after living with T1D for nearly two decades, I was sad to bid him farewell.

Any apprehension was quickly extinguished after watching the instructional video. Transitioning proved to be easy – I was able to print off my current settings and easily input them into the new PDM. After that, it was time to familiarize myself with all the new features!

Overhauling Otis

When the Omnipod DASH® arrived, we all agreed that the new sleek touchscreen PDM would remain Otis. My family was already accustomed to “can someone bring me Otis?” and “Otis is beeping!” so it made sense to simplify things by keeping the name.

I love being able to easily see all my information on the screen, including my last blood glucose reading and any insulin on board. Navigating through the menus is simplified thanks to the touchscreen. With a swipe I can handily switch between the dashboard and temp basal screens.

I also really appreciate being able to track my pod sites and inputting specific details about placement. A creature of habit, I am guilty of favouring specific sites. Thankfully, (new) Otis offers gentle reminders to help me avoid overusing sites. After that first week, it was clear we were going to get along fine.

DASH-ing over to Banting House

Sometimes I still find it surprising how long it took for me to embrace diabetes technology. I am forever grateful to my son and husband for encouraging me to take the leap.

I often wonder what my famous relative Banting would think about all the advances. Even after his role in the discovery of insulin, he remained curious about and intrigued by advances happening in medical science.

Personally, I think he would be blown away that we can now do things like administer insulin with a wearable tubeless pump or read blood sugar levels without drawing blood or pricking a finger like I do with my Dexcom G6. Utilizing the alerts, I receive on my phone, I am now able to be more proactive in my management.

Like the day my husband and I were out for a drive, and my Dexcom alerted that I was 3.8 mmol/L with an arrow angled down, so I quickly pulled out my PDM, reduced my basal rate to 0% and chewed on a glucose tablet. Once things were looking up, we hopped out of the car and introduced Otis to my famous cousin at Banting House.

Moving Forward

Change is seldom easy. And I admit there were some nerves when I made the switch. I had grown accustomed to the nuances (and buttons!) of the old PDM, and while the first 100 days have proven less difficult than anticipated, they have not been without hurdles. Fortunately, I have the support of my husband and son.

It was a transition made easier knowing I could change my mind. Had the system not proven to be suitable for me, Omnipod® offers a 90 Day Pod Promise.

Thankfully, switching to pump therapy and then to the Omnipod DASH® has proven to be the right choice for me. In fact, Otis and I have really enjoyed our first 100 days together. We even celebrated a milestone during that time: my 22^nd diaversary!

I continue to employ all the new features the Omnipod DASH® System has to offer. I extensively use the pod site tracker and am grateful for the 0% temp basal option as it allows me to set it for a designated time before my regular basal rate automatically resumes.

Otis has helped me simplify my diabetes management, and eliminated anxieties accompanying my needle phobia (when I used MDI). I am enlivened for the next 100 days and all our adventures to come!

Insulet has paid a fee to engage Rebecca as a content creator and has an ongoing commercial relationship with Rebecca as a Sponsored Podvocate, however the views expressed in this testimonial are solely those of Rebecca.

© 2021 Insulet Corporation. Omnipod and DASH are registered trademarks of Insulet Corporation in the United States of America and other various jurisdictions. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. The use of third party trademarks does not constitute an endorsement or imply a relationship or other affiliation. Dexcom and related brand marks are trademarks of Dexcom Inc. in various jurisdictions and used with permission.

INS-ODS-05-2021-00090 V1.0