# Insulin pumps: Tell me about yours! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 27, 2010, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insulin-pumps-tell-me-about-yours/548173 "2010-07-27T13:21:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Angua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@Angua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angua)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insulin-pumps-tell-me-about-yours/548173/21 "2010-07-27T16:56:49Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > > [@Angua](#): > > > > Yep, its sticky. Its attached to an adhesive dressing type thing that sticks very firmly onto your body. Although you can use products like Skin-Tac to make your skin sticker… > > So is it hard to get it off your body? I think the answer there is YMMV. Some people have to use extra adhesive to keep it on their body, while for me, when I tried the trial pod, I really struggled to get it off… ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insulin-pumps-tell-me-about-yours/548173/22 "2010-07-27T17:21:48Z")
> [@Angua](#): > > I think the answer there is YMMV. Some people have to use extra adhesive to keep it on their body, while for me, when I tried the trial pod, I really struggled to get it off… They are surprisingly adhesive - all the times I’ve knocked one off, what happens is the pod rips apart from the sticky fabric. I don’t think I’ve ever actually had the sticky fabric itself come off my body without really having to tug. Occasionally the edges lose a little bit of their stickiness, but that usually only happens around the time it’s ready to be changed anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Atrael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Atrael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atrael)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insulin-pumps-tell-me-about-yours/548173/23 "2010-07-27T17:54:33Z")
I really can’t add much to what **Athena** has put down. My wife uses the OmniPod after several years on the other type of pump. Not having the tube makes a huge difference. When we’re at the pool, or the beach, she doesn’t have to detach the pump when she gets in the water…then remember to put it back on when she gets out. Same with other…activities. Not being tethered to a physical pump is great. I will add that she did purchase and try out one of the continuous monitoring systems and it didn’t work worth a damn. I tend to keep up to date on most technologies as part of my job, so I think that within 5 years you’ll have a continuous monitoring systems tied to a pump that will regulate your levels automatically. But for now you still have to test yourself and adjust. Good Luck, and while I doubt there’s anything I (or my wife) can add to what **Athena** wrote, don’t hesitate to ask if you need any more information. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insulin-pumps-tell-me-about-yours/548173/24 "2010-07-27T18:12:44Z")
> [@Atrael](#): > > I will add that she did purchase and try out one of the continuous monitoring systems and it didn’t work worth a damn. Really? Which one did she get? I finally got a Dexcom a couple months ago, and so far, I’m really liking it. That said, it’s far from perfect. The first 24 hours or so after you put in a new sensor, the thing is crap. Once it gets itself calibrated, it’s pretty close (within 10-30 points of my meter) for a couple days. Then for the next week and a half (until it’s time to change the sensor) it’s almost scarily accurate. ---
**Author:** ![Atrael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Atrael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atrael)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insulin-pumps-tell-me-about-yours/548173/25 "2010-07-28T19:20:37Z")
I don’t remember…I’ll ask her tonight…but it was about 3 years ago too, so the technology may have improved a great deal. I don’t think she even had the option of leaving the sensor on for that long a period of time. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insulin-pumps-tell-me-about-yours/548173.md?page=1)