After I was identified with kind 1 diabetes 22 years in the past, I did not count on a tubeless automated insulin supply (AID) system to be attainable.
At age 12, I used to be handed a syringe, a number of vials of NPH and R insulin (pork insulin) and informed to check my blood sugar ranges greater than 10 occasions a day and to count on the very best. It was brutal.
Many years later, expertise has come a great distance, to say the least.
You possibly can remotely bolus the insulin and look down at your smartphone to seamlessly examine your blood sugar ranges. With the most recent Omnipod 5 system, you will not be too apprehensive about low blood sugar ranges in case your blood sugar ranges are excessive.
The system routinely adjusts my basal insulin fee for me, relying on what my blood sugar is.
On this article, I’ll clarify the brand new Omnipod 5 system, my first impressions, and what you may count on if you happen to select this method your self.
Quick Historical past of Automated Insulin Supply (AID)
Automated insulin supply, or help for brief, has been the holy grail of the diabetic group and has lengthy been the holy grail.
Even with conventional insulin pump remedy, folks with insulin-dependent diabetes typically stroll on tightropes that handle their cussed heights and horrible lows, typically really feel imprisoned by blood sugar ranges.
Help hopes not solely to reduce highs and lows, but in addition to scale back the psychological burden of life that has lived with diabetes.
Folks with diabetes within the #WearEnotWaiting motion have hacked years of outdated insulin pumps to attain hybrid crop loop methods, however these have by no means been authorised by the Meals and Drug Administration (FDA), not really helpful by docs, and no security ensures.
The primary system authorised by the FDA, the Medtronic 670G, turned accessible within the US in late 2016. The system routinely adjusts primary supply primarily based on Guardian, Medtronic’s proprietary steady glucose monitoring (CGM) system, and was extraordinarily well-liked.
The TSLIM Management IQ system, which turned accessible within the US in early 2020, rapidly adopted from tandem. It is a first help system to work with the Dexcom CGM system and didn’t require fingertip calibration (in contrast to the Medtronic system, which requires calibration each 12 hours).
The Guardian CGM needed to be modified each 7 days, however the TSLIM system utilizing Dexcom CGM required adjustments each 10 days.
Folks have been very enthusiastic about these methods, however hundreds of thousands have been embracing hope for the (on the time) Omnipod horizon system by Insulet.
This technique is exclusive in the truth that it’ll all be the primary tubeless help system operated by Bluetooth.
Many individuals favor the Omnipod system as a result of they lack tubes, giving them the liberty to train and really feel extra free. Additionally, there isn’t a want to hold insulin when you’re within the bathe or swimming.
The Horizon system, now often called the Omnipod 5, was scheduled to be authorised by the FDA in 2020, however the Covid-19 pandemic rapidly brought on a serious bottleneck within the approval course of, which was repeatedly delayed.
Lastly, on January 28, 2022, the FDA introduced approval for the Omnipod 5 system. The approval is for folks with kind 1 diabetes over the age of 6 and is appropriate with Android smartphones and Dexcom G6 CGM methods.
Insulet will launch a restricted launch in February, and a market launch was anticipated in March 2022.
How Omnipod 5 works
It is very important word that it is a hybrid crop loop system and customers must depend carbohydrates and bolus insulin for each meal or snack.
You additionally must let the system know when you’re planning your train. It additionally has an exercise function that lets you cut back your insulin wants if you are bodily lively.
Nonetheless, the help system routinely adjusts the basal insulin fee in response to your blood glucose degree 24 hours a day in response to your blood glucose degree.
The system is just like earlier variations, working with Dexcom G6 CGM, which requires that the pod get replaced with insulin each 72 hours and stuffed with insulin, and must be changed each 10 days.
My first impression
I used to be fortunate sufficient to be a part of a restricted launch group and obtained the Omnipod 5 system on February eleventh, 2022.
My first impression was that my private diabetes supervisor (PDM) seemed like a smartphone (it is most likely one), and the pod (self-contained insulin reservoir) was similar to the sooner variations of the Omnipod (each the Eros and the Sprint Use Pod).
PODs at the moment are “talked” to Dexcom CGM sensors. So, even when the PDM is just not close by, the basal fee will probably be routinely adjusted (required solely close to the bolus). Or, if you happen to use an Android cellphone, there is a appropriate app that you should utilize for PDM as a substitute, and a bolus immediately out of your smartphone (how cool is that?!). Since I am utilizing an iPhone, I selected the standard PDM.
There’s a saying that iPhone appropriate apps are approaching.
I had a 2 hour coaching session and instantly jumped into computerized mode (why do I wait?). It was superb.
I used to be solely within the system for 2 weeks, however I’ve already observed some important enhancements in my well being.
The standard of sleep has been improved
After switching to computerized mode, I rapidly folded, ate, and acquired my mattress prepared for a daily dinner.
Like many individuals with diabetes, I did not all the time get a lot sleep at evening. Between hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia and the accompanying alerts and alarms, I typically get up one or 4 occasions at evening.
If I am not awake to the alarm, I often really feel thirsty or no less than must pee as soon as. So after I awakened the following morning, I used to be capable of keep ecchi with out interrupting my 8 hours of fine sleep.
A fast have a look at the Dexcom graph reveals that my blood sugar ranges remained between 110 and 130 all evening.
Most of my nights seem like this now, and the sensation of full relaxation is unbelievable. It is a full pleasure to really feel like diabetes is not stealing my sleep as a lot because it was. And sleeping all evening is unquestionably one thing I stay up for getting used to!
Much less confusion within the train
I am an avid athlete who workout routines 6-7 occasions per week. I like operating, climbing, swimming, biking and weightlifting, and one of the vital irritating points of diabetes is how typically hypoglycemia will get in my manner.
I additionally hate having to eat earlier than exercising. As a result of if I am attempting to shed pounds, I generally really feel like I am beating my objective.
I went low nearly day by day whereas exercising. Properly, since I used to be with Omnipod 5, I’ve suffered one hypoglycemia in two weeks carrying the system. One!
This technique lets you set the goal blood glucose degree (in my case I might set it to 150 mg/dL), lowering the basal velocity (or pauses insulin supply) till you may predict that it’s going to attain that altitude.
You possibly can set the 1-24-hour time to have interaction within the “Exercise Operate” and it’ll expire routinely.
Set the exercise function to “ON” day by day roughly 45 minutes earlier than beginning your train routine. It’s going to enhance your blood sugar degree easily and be sure that it doesn’t crash. That is superb.
Much less psychological pressure
General, being on Omnipod 5 eased my psychological burden of residing with kind 1 diabetes.
In a single examine, diabetics add 180 choices nearly each day simply to correctly look after themselves, and having an help system feels that these choices have been lowered in half.
There isn’t a must micro-manage the fundamental fee through the day. I have never woken up a low alarm in the midst of the evening to pause my insulin and eat some juice. I sleep higher than ever.
Train is simple (and I can train with out worry of lastly getting low!).
And whereas it feels the identical as ordinary if you administer insulin on your eating regimen (it’s a must to depend carbohydrates and bolus on your meals and snacks), I do know that refilling carbohydrates to forestall highs, or lowering insulin if you happen to take it by probability and take it by probability, refilling the system with extra basal insulin.
Diabetes is all the time a psychological burden on those that reside with it (and their households!), however having an help system reduces that burden considerably.
Conclusion
Though the automated insulin supply (AID) system is just not but a remedy for diabetes, we discovered that the Omnipod 5 system has considerably improved sleep high quality, motor abilities, and lowered the psychological burden skilled as a girl residing with kind 1 diabetes.
Nonetheless, it’s nonetheless an exterior medical system. You possibly can expertise unhealthy pump websites, blockages, infusions into scar tissue, and failed adhesives.
It may well trigger excessive blood sugar ranges and each hypoglycemia ranges, which might considerably enhance your sleep high quality, however you most likely must pee on occasion in the midst of the evening. CGMS exerts errors and gives incorrect readings.
Actually, your “pancreas” each evening (battery can final a median of 48 hours), and if there isn’t a energy for an extended time frame, the battery could run out.
There’s nothing excellent. However whereas we’re always ready for the evasevasevasive Remedy, it is a step nearer to it.
