big day tomorrow

[Red Deb]

Hi
I have been a diabetic for 45 years. It has taken just 6 weeks from doc mentioning insulin pump to my big day tomorrow of getting it fitted. I am excited but nervous as injections have been a daily regime for nearly all my life. What can I expect tomorrow. does anyone remember their first day.
My husband can't go with me as he is ill with Crohns at the moment so my friend is going as support.
Will keep you updated
Deb :wink:

 

[Debloubed]

how exciting!I can remember my first day as it was only in February and it is very odd not injecting, you will feel a bit 'wrong' the first time you go to sleep without any long acting!! but it doesn't take long to get out of the habit :wink: personally, on my first day I loved the freedom it gave me and the relief that the pump was doing some of the work for me was fab! lots of testing though but I tested loads anyway so didn't see much of a change there.

Good luck with it all! which pump are you getting? Keep us posted

 

[Red Deb]

accu chek combo. The funny thing was I originally had a first appointment for tomorrow then another for a week later for fitting. Hospital rang to ask if I could make it tomorrow then day after......aaaargh no time to panic then :shock: Haven't had a blow by blow account of what will happen but they did mention that the fitting would be tomorrow afternoon. Hope it comes with free "little helper" in box :lol:
Deb

 

[Debloubed]

I've got the combo, you will love it! the remote is fab and very 'user friendly' - plus, if you get in a pickle you can call the help line and they talk you through it, just keep the user guide to hand for the first few weeks! There is a lot to learn and I reckon it will take me at least 6 months before I have used all the settings as you don't need to use them every day......but the best part is getting up and running with it, it is a pretty cool 'gadget' to have 8)

 

[noblehead]

Good luck Debs, hope all goes well!

Nigel

 

[RichardFromHampshire]

Good luck with it Deb

I have only been on a pump for around 11 days but after the first 3 days I remember thinking "Wow! 3 days without injections!!! This is amazing!".

I feel much more confident about my diabetes now because I know if something unexpected comes up (eg a sudden need to walk into work rather than catch the Tube) I can deal with it without needing to feast on additional sugar/run risk of going Hypo.

 

[Red Deb]

It went really well. Only me there, other people did not turn up (don't ask me why)
Because I was only 18 months old when dianosed I don't remember the new first days but I can imagine feeling like this. Everything is going round my head but no doubt will get used to. The box alone would house a homeless person ......let alone the manuals and instructions.
Nurse has rang me at teatime and will ring again tonight.. probably to check I haven't overdosed!!!
Back there tomorrow at 9.30am.

Thanks for all your support
Debs

 

[Brava210]

Good news. Do you not need to have the pump filled with Saline for a week to get used to it :shock:

Gary

 

[Debloubed]

I didn't do the saline first, they put me straight on the hard stuff!! :lol: I was glad in a way, made me pay more attention I think??

 

[JANROU]

I did saline for a weekend then the hard stuff. Hope all is going well Red Deb, I've got the same pump too. Been pumping since feb, still loads of testing and changes to be made but things are already so much better. Take care

 

[jopar]

Hi Debs

Bigger fools the ones who didn't turn up for there pumps but perhaps thye had a good reason, my first training day I almost didn't make it to the hospital (I have to travel 17 miles two towns away) and for the fist time since owning my car (5 years) it decided on that morning to break down (alternator packed up) To say I was in tears was an understatment I had faught for amost 3 years to get to that day :evil: :evil: 2 buses later I arrived at the hospital 3/4 hours late.. One of the other chaps had driven up the motorway and offered me a lift home and to pick me up the next day... And boy did he have a very lush Merc indeed :mrgreen:

I can remember my first days as a diabetic, as I was 24 at the time, I was lucky as the nurse who helped me with my first injection was herself a diabetic, so we did our together, I was alright filling the syringe but when she said, go on do your injection (after she had done hers) I just looked at her and uttered 'I'm no b nurse' :lol:

As to starting my pump, pretty similar feeling of being out of my depth, but this time I did have an head start as it was only the pumping I had to get my head around, and not the 'now I'm a diabetic side' so it's was easier.... I never missed doing jabs for food nor my morning background, I only looked for my PM jab :?

Be prewarned, you may find yourself a bit tearful after the first week or so... But starting the pump can be an emotional time.. OH found me sobbing my heart out after about 9 days of pumping, but it was tears of joy more than anything, for the first time for a long time, I felt ordinary normal and none diabetic, I hadn't had a hypo for 9 days, and when you suffered around 2-3 a day they take there toll on your energy levels, I could now adjust my insulin to suit my needs, if I only needed 0.6 units, I could have it rather than the obligatory 1 unit, that generally sent me into a hypo I had my life back and my future... The notion took a little getting used to..

And another month it will have been 2 years since I started and I've never looked back, the longer you use it the more you find out about yourself and your diabetes and how to best use your pump to your advantage

 

[Red Deb]

No saline.....straight in It was fine last night, went to hospital again today for revision and to be "tested" like an exam on how much I have taken notice!!!!! Although I have done DAFNE the big test was going in a pub for lunch.....no scales or packs with carb totals on.

I will now have to sort a cupboard for all the gear that comes with it.....
Deb

 

[Debloubed]

I will now have to sort a cupboard for all the gear that comes with it.....
Deb

yes you will, hundreds of little packets of tubes and batteries! have you got the Collins Gem calorie book? it gives approximate qtys so i find it really helpful or if you have an iphone or an itouch they are pretty cool too as you can get apps with carb qtys on them

 

[Red Deb]

Yes got the book. The calories are per 100g I presume the carbs are as well. The big test will be Sat when changing needle by myself. Will laugh about all this anxiety in a few months. :shock:

 

[Debloubed]

you will be fine! changing the cartridge and the needle at the same time is the hard part :lol: just kidding, you'll get the hang of it soon enough

 

[terribarry]

I love reading everyones comments! I am in the states and have been on a pump for 12 years! But I remember the first weekend, we went camping and the frogs croaking outside the tent and I had a dream about the pump and something with the frogs, had a hard time sleeping! But now it's just routine. Never heard about using the saline first either! I've had a few episodes, in Hawaii I was anxious and impatient to get to the pool and primed the pump with it connected to me, big mistake, I must have primed over 6 units of insulin into me when I didn't need it and wasn't eating. Of course then the pump continued to give me the basal rate too, luckly my husband came down to the pool and got some food into me. I almost insulined out! So use caution but enjoy the freedom! It will get easier each day.

I recently began using a sensor, it's an electronic device that goes into the skin similiar to the cathater that is used with a pump. It takes my blood sugar every 3 seconds and sends a message to my pump every 5 min. the pump will then alarm if I am too low or too high! That sound or vibration in the middle of the night is a jolt.

Let me tell you I am waiting for the one that acts like a pancreas and adjust as it reads my bg!
FYI, I have a Medtronic Paradigm pump.

 

[Red Deb]

It will be a week tomorrow since starting on pump. Had practice run of changing infusion set and cartridge last Wednesday at hospital. Changed needle at home on Saturday, no problems. Tomorrow is big change of everything but on my own this time....... Instead of a file load of instruction books and leaflets they should just have a sheet with step by step instructions example
1. Prepare your infusion set and place in front of you.
2. Stop pump
remove cartridge etc etc

When flustered I hate thumbing through books :roll:
Had a couple of hypos but overall control has been miles better. My husband is sick of hearing me yell and clap in self achievement. :wink:

 

[Debloubed]

big round of applause from me!! (sorry hubby, more noise!! )

In a few weeks you won't need the books, I've been changing cartridges for 7 weeks now and last week, I did it book free for the first time! I still thought I'd forgotten something but I did it again last night and I seem to have the hang of it now there is so much to read it would be impossible to take it in in the first few weeks. I am currently 'studying' the extended bolus section and that is my new 'toy'