New to this Forum but not new to Diabetes Type 1

[Jeannie87]

Hello, my name is Jean, I am new to this Forum but not new to Type 1 Diabetes. I have been type 1 diabetic since 1972. I am shortly going on to an Insulin Pump and would be very interested in any views/opinions/chat/information from anyone out there who is on the Pump. So far after all these years, I have no complications, but sometimes just weary of diabetes type 1 and all it entails. Though most days I try to live positively. And with a sense of humour. IMHO there are worse things to have than diabetes.

 

[noblehead]

Welcome to the forum Jeannie, I'm due to go on a pump too in the next few weeks so will look forward to the replies.

 

[Jeannie87]

Thanks Noblehead, (love your name!), After a really bad experience with a diabetic specialist nurse at local hospital clinic, I had been on the wrong insulin for ten years due to only attending the local GP clinic, and two years ago I was so fed up with the whole thing, I was sent to the new hospital clinic instead, as my GP said she couldn't sort the tangle out. The new hospital was a night and day experience to the local clinic and so much better than my previous visits. I did the New Deal carb counting course two years ago (think its called Dafne in England) and the Diabetic SN from hell had also left long ago. In her place were really nice DSN and dieticians, wished I had done this earlier. So new insulin regime was put in place and I not only lost a stone and a half, but my control was better. However, it seems I am now having absorption issues, and despite being reluctant in the past to go on to the pump, I now feel the time has come, and my clinic are in total agreement. Just waiting now for a time and date very soon to begin. It will be good to swap experiences with a Noble Head ( please excuse my sense of humour)

 

[noblehead]

I found the same, diabetes care is much better under a hospital clinic than it is with a gp practice, they are more adapt at dealing with insulin related issues and type 1 management in general.

Your reasons for changing to a pump mirror my own Jeannie, injection site problems is one of the main factors why we have collectively agreed to move over on to a pump, hopefully by switching from MDI this will approve matters somewhat, plus I'm looking forward to the flexibility that a pump will bring, but at the same time appreciate the hard work that will go into getting the pump settings right as I'm sure you do.

Good luck and hope all goes well.

 

[Jeannie87]

Noblehead - thanks for your input - I wish you luck too and hope all goes well, please keep me posted as to how it is all going. I am now just waiting for the call to get the pump and hope to be learning very soon. I know it will be hard work but I have two friends who are using the pump and loving it and life too. Let us hope same for us!

 

[Snowy12]

Jeannie

To the forum you have come to the right place lots of good information and helpful members.

 

[Kat100]

Welcome , nice to meet you

 

[Robinredbreast]

Hello and welcome to the forum, I'm sure you will fit in very well

Best wishes RRB

 

[Heathenlass]

Welcome

I think we all get very weary of it all at times, and your experiences seem to have been particularly grim I'm glad that you are seeing a different experience at the clinic, and can get your paws on a pump

Signy

 

[himtoo]

Hi @Jeannie87

i too was diagnosed in 1972 and am also awaiting going on a pump.
have not had bad experience with any DSN though -- am sorry to hear you have

keep posting and i will certainly keep you in my loop !!

nice to see you here

 

[Jeannie87]

Thank you all for your kind words. My bad experience with a rogue diabetes specialist nurse was really awful. In the end I voted with my feet and went back to my GP and my GP took over my diabetes care via the Diabetic Clinic at the local practice. She also wrote and signed a letter of complaint about the nurse. Hence after that I stayed with the local GP practice and clinic. Unfortunately, although the nurses in the practice were really nice they knew little or nothing about diabetes. So every 4 months I was called down to have full bloods taken, then a week later an appointment for review. Which basically was "blood tests all within normal limits" "how are you feeling?" And blood pressure taken and once a year feet looked at. The insulin I had been put on and the regime I was using was I found out later after going back to the new hospital clinic - only suitable for an inactive 80 year old female!!

The Nurse from Hell had long left, but my new consultant had worked with her in the long ago past, and he had many issues with her it turned out once I spoke to him at length as to why I hadn't attended for so long.

She put me on the incorrect insulin, she then proceeded to bombard me with phone calls all day and every day to check on how I was doing. Asking for me to read off blood sugar results, what I had eaten, and drunk. She never left me alone - I felt hounded. Luckily she has long gone, I just hope no other diabetic has to endure her treatment. I was most reassured when I discovered even my own new consultant had had many issues with her. My GP at the time was totally horrified at her treatment of me. She would ring up not only during the day but evening times as well, going so far one evening to inform me it wasn't healthy to be cooking oven chips!!

It is night and day now at my new hospital, I can phone the diabetic nurses at any time if I need advice, or reassurance, they are all very professional and totally trained up to deal with everything in a professional manner. Also The New Deal carb counting course they organised was most helpful interesting and fun. We had quite a few laughs and they were "human".

Sorry long explanation but this is why I didn't attend the hospital for so long. If I had, I could have been on better insulin and had a better diabetes experience. Can't wait to try the pump now, as absorption is my biggest problem. I know it will be hard work for a while but I am totally focussed .

 

[himtoo]

Thank you all for your kind words. My bad experience with a rogue diabetes specialist nurse was really awful. In the end I voted with my feet and went back to my GP and my GP took over my diabetes care via the Diabetic Clinic at the local practice. She also wrote and signed a letter of complaint about the nurse. Hence after that I stayed with the local GP practice and clinic. Unfortunately, although the nurses in the practice were really nice they knew little or nothing about diabetes. So every 4 months I was called down to have full bloods taken, then a week later an appointment for review. Which basically was "blood tests all within normal limits" "how are you feeling?" And blood pressure taken and once a year feet looked at. The insulin I had been put on and the regime I was using was I found out later after going back to the new hospital clinic - only suitable for an inactive 80 year old female!!

The Nurse from Hell had long left, but my new consultant had worked with her in the long ago past, and he had many issues with her it turned out once I spoke to him at length as to why I hadn't attended for so long.

She put me on the incorrect insulin, she then proceeded to bombard me with phone calls all day and every day to check on how I was doing. Asking for me to read off blood sugar results, what I had eaten, and drunk. She never left me alone - I felt hounded. Luckily she has long gone, I just hope no other diabetic has to endure her treatment. I was most reassured when I discovered even my own new consultant had had many issues with her. My GP at the time was totally horrified at her treatment of me. She would ring up not only during the day but evening times as well, going so far one evening to inform me it wasn't healthy to be cooking oven chips!!

It is night and day now at my new hospital, I can phone the diabetic nurses at any time if I need advice, or reassurance, they are all very professional and totally trained up to deal with everything in a professional manner. Also The New Deal carb counting course they organised was most helpful interesting and fun. We had quite a few laughs and they were "human".

Sorry long explanation but this is why I didn't attend the hospital for so long. If I had, I could have been on better insulin and had a better diabetes experience. Can't wait to try the pump now, as absorption is my biggest problem. I know it will be hard work for a while but I am totally focussed .

Hi @Jeannie87
not a long reply at all -- it is really helpful to get as much info in a post -- helps people that respond to post relevant responses and not cover ground needlessly

 

[Jeannie87]

Well I am back, took me a while to find my original post on here, was surprised it was January!! Update on my progress or lack of it with pump to follow. Apparently the only pump nurse at my clinic is away on long term sick leave, which means my lovely dietician who works part time, is rather overloaded with pump start up meetings. Took my husband along with me in early March to a meeting with her, and to take a look at two different pumps which are available. The one I liked was a very new one - can't recall now the exact name, but it was Accucheck and it was a Bluetooth affair with remote control dosage on the blood test meter. So, it was agreed as soon as my dietician could manage a start up meeting, with other new to the pump diabetics. I would give it a go. Well that was almost a month ago, and it's given me way too much thinking time. Also to confuse matters, my control just lately with NovoRapid before meals and Levemir (twice daily has actually improved so much near to perfect results, if sometimes even a wee bit too low. So now I am confused, I am still not sure if I want to be attached to a pump, I am liking the flexibility I have with the pens, and seem to have totally reversed how I feel about getting a pump. Would be very grateful for anyone's advice or experience of similar. I live In Scotland, where availability of insulin pumps is very good and also use of pumps encouraged. I am starting to wonder whether after 43 years of being a relatively well controlled diabetic, am I too old to get to grips with a pump. Any advice most welcome

 

[noblehead]

@Jeannie87, its not too late to change your mind if you don't want to go ahead, but you should inform your diabetes clinic at the earliest opportunity to say as such.

The pump your referring to sounds like the Insight, by all accounts its an excellent pump.

 

[Jeannie87]

@Jeannie87, its not too late to change your mind if you don't want to go ahead, but you should inform your diabetes clinic at the earliest opportunity to say as such.

The pump your referring to sounds like the Insight, by all accounts its an excellent pump.

Just really wish I could have tried it a month ago, four weeks has given me too much time to think. My thoughts vary between giving it a go or telling them no thanks. I feel to be fair I shoild give the pump a go, this is exactly why I posted on here today as I was in such a quandary - thanks for your reply