LIVINGLIVING
www.omnipod.com
ADVERTORIAL
Ben Smith is an Omnipod® Ambassador
and has had a commercial relationship
with Insulet within the last 12 months
This account relates to an individual's
response to treatment or experience
with Insulet's products, and only a
Healthcare Professional should advise or
be consulted about which products are
suitable for a specific individual.
'revelation'. He says, "I hadn't thought I
would qualify to get a pump at the time,
but the tech is certainly fit for purpose for
someone whose lifestyle means flexibility
is required, some days you're working,
versus days you're training. Activity levels
as well as eating habits differ widely in
both cases."
Move on four years and it was pump
upgrade time. "I'm pleased to enjoy
a good relationship with the team at
Kings and was excited by the choice of
technology at the point of my four-year
upgrade. I looked around at the pump
options and really felt that the tubeless
option would be far better for my sporting
endeavours. I asked to do a trial with
the Omnipod® System and loved it.
There is no option for integrated CGM
with the Omnipod® System, but for me
the improvement to my overall quality of
life was massive. It was just much more
normal than having to sort out tubing. I'd
loved the transition to an insulin pump but
going tubeless was even more liberating.
One unexpected upside was that taking
holidays was much easier as I was
needed to transport fewer bits."
First person
In December 2019 Smith was given the
opportunity to trial an Omnipod DASH™
Insulin Management System, the first
person in the UK to do so (and either the
first or second person in Europe).
At the point of this interview in
February 2020, Smith was wearing his
Omnipod DASH™ Insulin Management
System, so I asked, how is the Omnipod
DASH™ System different? "Clinically it
is no different from the previous pump,"
Smith says, "The new Omnipod DASH™
Personal Diabetes Manger (PDM) is
lighter and slimmer than the previous
version. The Omnipod DASH™ PDM
uses Bluetooth® to communicate to the
Pod, the screen functionality is also more
intuitive to use too. It has a touchscreen
interface, whereas the old one was
physical buttons. It is simply much nicer
to use. I upload my data from diasend®
so my healthcare professionals can gain
access and have oversight. The Omnipod
DASH™ System is so simple to use. You
just dial in your dose, simply press a
button, there is a beep and you're done.
I was motivated to get these new tools to
be the best they could possibly be. Even
little things can make a huge difference to
your quality of life."
I'm literally
powered by a
battery!
- Ben Smith
"
Ben Smith working
out in lockdown at
home, Omnipod®
in full view.
The Omnipod DASH™ Personal
Diabetes Manager (PDM) and a Pod.