About OmniPod
My name is Anthony Vita, I'm
40 years old, and I'm a vehicle mechanic for Con Edison, a local utilities company in
Before my diagnosis, I was just busy being a dad, running with my kids to games and other events. Now I'm very conscientious of my health, and my family is my motivation. I want to be around to see my daughters grow up and get married! My wife Patty is an important part of my diabetes care team, supporting me in everything I do.
For us, the diabetes diagnosis was a rude awakening. It was November 2002. I was on my way from my mother's house in
I was first diagnosed as a Type 2, but the following year I saw an endocrinologist who tested me for antibodies and determined that I had late-onset Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes. I was in tears, but I educated myself and sought help. I wasn't going to let this control my life!
The doctor started me on injections, but I felt weird giving myself shots at work. It was awkward, because I had to go off to a separate room or the bathroom to inject. I knew there had to be a better way. But I didn't like the idea of a conventional insulin pump because I work in a job environment where I'm crawling underneath things all the time – my biggest concern was banging up the pump and getting that tube caught.
Then I heard about the OmniPod System, and right away I thought: This just fits my lifestyle! It was very easy to get started because the PDM (Personal Diabetes Manager) guides you step by step, and I can move around freely with nothing hanging off of me. That's huge because my job requires that I service everything from electric forklifts to cranes, so I'm always climbing in and out of tight places, like crawling underneath the dash of a vehicle.
Currently I cycle 26-30 miles three times a week before work. With the OmniPod System, I can take showers after a ride without even removing my insulin source.
The OmniPod can get wet and doesn't need protection! And the OmniPod is really comfortable. Sometimes I
have to check to see if I have it on! It's very discreet too. I can go out to dinner and feel comfortable
giving myself insulin doses when I need to. When I'm ready to eat, I just use the PDM to program a bolus,
and I'm done. No one can tell what I'm doing or why. I love the flexibility it gives me too. For example, if I'm going on a ride, I can suspend the OmniPod (so it temporarily stops delivering insulin), and then just hit “resume” and start it up again after. I can also set different basal rates during the course of the day. These features are very easy to use. Plus, the cannula insertion is automatic, which is beautiful. It really doesn't hurt at all – you just feel one little pinch and it's finished. I don't have to worry about priming either.
They say things usually get worse before they get better. The diabetes diagnosis changed the way I look at life, but now the OmniPod System is my
I feel I'm in my best shape ever. I weighed 250 pounds when I was diagnosed, and now I'm down to 185, in part because the OmniPod System gives me the freedom to be as active as I like. My quality of life is really good. I enjoy every day to the fullest.
