"It is absolutely the best insulin
delivery device that I have ever
used."

 

Jay Hewitt is more physically active than most people. A three-time member of the U.S. National Team for Long Course Triathlon, he regularly competes in Ironman events. That makes the control he gets from a pump critical—but it also created serious problems when he tried traditional pumps. Jay’s heavy sweating and constant swimming meant infusion sets wouldn’t stay in place. His abdominal muscles are too developed for his torso to be an infusion site; the gauge of the insertion needle created scar tissue on his upper buttocks that compromised his insulin absorption. OmniPod has solved all those problems—and Jay enjoys its other benefits like automatic insertion and the speed and convenience of the PDM. For Jay, OmniPod just makes life easier.

 

 

I was diagnosed with diabetes at age 24 during my first year in law school. Like most grad students, I was studying at all hours and practically living in the library. I thought I just had a cold or flu, but it got progressively worse and worse. There was no history of diabetes in my family, so I didn’t spot the warning signs—excessive urination, weakness, dry mouth, dramatic weight loss. And there I was, guzzling orange juice and eating ice cream to soothe my sore throat, elevating my blood sugar like crazy. Finally, my brother had to carry me to the emergency room.

When I woke up and the ER doctor told me I had diabetes, I had three questions: “What is diabetes?” “Am I going to die?” (I felt like I would), and “Is there a cure?” When she said “no” to the cure, I knew that my life was going to change forever; fighting for my health would be up to me.

I quickly learned to use the syringes and vials of insulin, and managed to finish law school uninterrupted. But I kept my diabetes hidden for eight years. I was worried that girls who might date me would think there’d be a lifetime of health problems to deal with. I was driven to prove that I was physically fit—that diabetes was not some albatross.

After I completed my first marathon successfully, I thought, “I can do an Ironman event!” That’s a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile run. Now I’m a three-time member of the U.S. National Team for Long Course Triathlon, and captain of Team Joslin at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, MA. The way I look at it, everybody’s got something they are battling, and I don’t want to be treated any differently just because I have diabetes.

Over the years I’ve tried several different insulin pumps and an injection pen, and I’ve watched the evolution of treatment options. I can honestly say that of all the diabetes devices I have ever seen or used, I’ve found the OmniPod System to be one of the best. In my mind, it rates right up there with the invention of the blood glucose meter in terms of making life with diabetes easier and better.

I had a lot of issues with what I now call the “old fashioned” pumps with tubing. First, the infusion sets wouldn’t stay put during all of my heavy sweating and swimming. I couldn’t use my torso as an infusion site; I would have punctured my abdominal muscles, and you would have heard my scream across state lines.

The only place I could put the infusion set securely was my upper buttocks, covered by my cycling shorts. But the gauge of the insertion needle was so large that over time I developed scar tissue, which compromised the insulin absorption: it would either flood me or not absorb at all, so I would regularly experience bad highs and lows.

With the conventional pump device and the tubing both attached to me, it was also a lot of equipment to carry around. So I was immediately intrigued by the possibility of not having a tube connected to me. My only concern was whether the Pod would stay in place securely on my body during my intense workouts and races. In fact, I have been more than pleased.

I wear the Pod on my triceps, and I don’t even feel it. Because I’m a swimmer, I’m doing a lot of really long stretches in the water. It’s been remarkable how securely the Pod stays in place even through an hour and a half training in the pool. When
I’m competing, I put on a wet suit and jump in the ocean. Afterwards, I rip that suit off and the Pod’s still there!

It was hard for me to change those old infusion sets, too, because I had to spin around trying to reach my upper buttocks. And I just didn’t like having to do it myself. But the OmniPod’s automated insertion is simple, easy, and painless. I’m not such a tough guy that I don’t feel any pain. The other methods hurt. To me, the OmniPod is less painful than even injections with the smallest-gauge pen needle. You just put the Pod on your skin and push the button. I can change my Pod in just a few minutes now.

Even in daily life, the OmniPod has really freed me up to do things a lot more conveniently. With a conventional pump, any time you change clothes or go to the restroom, just dealing with that tubing is an inconvenience. And where do I put the attached pump if I’m wearing shorts with no pockets? Now with the stand-alone Pod on the back of my arm, it works with every outfit. If I can put it under a wet suit, a triathlon suit, and then under a business suit, there’s nothing you can’t do with it.

The little PDM is very simple to use, with large buttons. During a workday, I just keep the PDM in my briefcase along with my car keys and wallet. I love the fact that I can pull it out and hold it in my hand, rather than having it tethered at waist level. And speed is important. I don’t want to have to go through five different interfaces just to make a quick adjustment. I’ve carried the PDM with me during races, and it’s scored high on speed, ease, and durability.

What I really like is being able to change my dosing rates with the OmniPod’s temporary basal feature. I have mine set by percentages. I’ve even made changes in the middle of an Ironman event—just by pushing a couple of buttons.

I look at diabetes as my advantage rather than my disadvantage. But having the OmniPod now gives me one more weapon to prove that I’m in control of it. The OmniPod makes it so much easier to do even the most extreme things I want to do, like racing Ironman events all over the world.