![\"Winter](\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/winter-weather-wreaks-havoc-on-my-omnipod-222x300.jpg\")
The OmniPod insulin pump, static electricity, and winter weather: What do these three things have in common? They don\u2019t go well together; when combined, they result in pod failures that have got me frustrated and helpless.<\/p>\nThe OmniPod insulin pump, static electricity, and winter weather: What do these three things have in common? They don\u2019t go well together; when combined, they result in pod failures that have got me frustrated and helpless.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve experienced so many pod failures due to static electricity this winter that I can\u2019t quite pinpoint exactly when the first one happened. But I do remember calling the OmniPod support team to report one of the initial failures inflicted by static and having a conversation that went something like this:<\/p>\n
OmniPod Representative: Could you please provide me with the reference code associated with your pod failure?<\/p>\n
Me: *Rattles off long sequence of numbers<\/em>*<\/p>\n OmniPod Rep.: That reference code indicates that your pod failed due to exposure to static electricity. In order to avoid this in the future, we recommend that you avoid wearing wooly fabrics\u2014try wearing more cotton. Dry air also results in static electricity production, so you might consider using an air humidifier to increase the moisture content.<\/p>\n Me: *Indignant<\/em>* But I live in Massachusetts. Winter has just started so I can\u2019t exactly switch to lighter clothing. And sure, I can start using our humidifier at home, but what am I supposed to do when I\u2019m at work? I\u2019m sure the air is dry there, too, but I can\u2019t bring a humidifier into the office.<\/p>\n OmniPod Rep.: I\u2019m sorry ma\u2019am, these are the only recommendations we have for you at this time. We apologize for the inconvenience you\u2019ve experienced. Now, if you\u2019d like a replacement pod\u2026<\/p>\n More than a half dozen subsequent phone calls have followed this same pattern, and with each additional phone call, my irritation with the matter grows. I would never blame the OmniPod representatives for the issues I\u2019ve been having; after all, they have been fairly sympathetic and offered to replace my pods as needed. Rather, I\u2019m more so upset with the fact that pods with a known issue like this are being put into consumers\u2019 hands. I\u2019m almost certain that there are no other insulin pumps currently on the market that cease functioning because of a little static electricity. It\u2019s a bit outlandish to me that the technology within the pods is evidently not sophisticated enough to endure the environmental inevitabilities of winter in New England.<\/p>\n And I know that I\u2019m not the only OmniPod user who\u2019s had this problem numerous times: My mom, a fellow T1D and OmniPod customer, has experienced just as many, if not more, pod failures due to static electricity as I have. She\u2019s also annoyed with the less than satisfactory \u201csolutions\u201d we\u2019ve been provided by the OmniPod support team, but she also understands that there\u2019s not much more the individual representatives can do at this point to assist us.<\/p>\n To be clear, we both love our OmniPods when they\u2019re working as they should. I decided to get one because of my mother\u2019s positive feedback regarding her own OmniPod, and I\u2019ve never regretted my choice. My blood sugars and A1c have improved markedly since my transition and I feel that my OmniPod has provided me a freedom that I could have never had if I stayed on shots. But I have to admit that it\u2019s scary to literally place my life into the figurative hands of an insulin pump that isn\u2019t flawless. When I was on shots, I could at least hold myself accountable for my diabetes care. It feels like a loss of control when I hand over that responsibility to a piece of technology that doesn\u2019t always work due to system errors or disruptions.<\/p>\n I try to stay optimistic, though. This year is supposed to be a good one for improvements in the realm of diabetes technology, so I remain hopeful that a more perfect solution is developed to help make daily management of this disease easier.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":45860,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1501],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n