Pump referral

[Picci]

In July my consultant referred me for pump therapy. I'd always shunned pump therapy, believing I would hate having something attached to me 24/7. I've been type 1 for 38 years, since the age of 10, and post the teen years I've always good control. However, as time goes by I'm just struggling with control, I blame much of it on being peri menopausal. Anyway finally after an 8 month wait I believe the appointment (for the end of April) I've received through the post today with the diabetic nurse at the hospital is in fact the first step to trying pump therapy out. Sadly there's no information in the bog standard appointment letter other than it's with the 'diabetic nurse.' I'll contact my consultant's secretary to get confirmation. Eeeek, it's finally going to happen. I feel I've just babbled a little but I just thought I'd share it with you all. Can anyone tell me what to expect when I attend the appointment? Much appreciated x

 

[azure]

Hi @Picci I've had my pump for 13 years so the process has probably changed, but I just had to show I understood carb counting and then various forms were filled in and explained to me eg that I was responsible for insuring the pump.

I would imagine it can differ from area to area too, so if you're anxious/eager to know then maybe a quick call to the DSN would be informative

Do you know what pump you're getting?

 

[noblehead]

an anyone tell me what to expect when I attend the appointment? Much appreciated x

I had a couple of appointments leading up to the actual pump start date, one was to go over things like carb counting (as Azure mentions) and the next one was to discuss the pump options, the start date appointment was with the pump rep and DSN and I was in and out after about an hour and half and was pumping insulin straight away.

Try not to worry about it @Picci , if you want to learn more about insulin pumps and how to get the best from one then I can highly recommend the book Pumping Insulin by John Walsh & Ruth Roberts, some of it may not make much sense pre-pump but once you start pumping it will all fall into place. Anyway good luck.

 

[Picci]

Thank you for your reply Azure, no, I have no idea about what I may be offered or if there is even a choice! I'm a carb counting graduate! And have done the dafne course to refresh my knowledge. Xx

 

[Snapsy]

Hi @Picci , after several one-to-ones with my DSN to talk about a pump (April 2015), and my next annual review (July 2015) when they agreed to apply for my funding, I got a pre-pump appointment and a pump start appointment, which were two weeks apart (October 2015). That was with two DSNs, the pump company rep, and 4 soon-to-be pumpers, including me.

We did a quick refresher on carb counting - we had all done the local DAFNE-equivalent course, so literally they were just making sure) - and were shown the handset for the pump we were getting - then we each (with guidance) worked out and talked about what our starting basal rate would be, and our bolus ratios, and identified pump settings such as time blocks and correction factors etc.

And - we didn't know this in advance - we were each given our pump starter pack to take home and familiarise ourselves with! This comprised the pump, some cannulas and hosepipes and lots of instruction manuals.

Two weeks later - start day - we all met again and went through all the settings on the pump itself, putting in the battery, putting in the cartridge, filling the hosepipe, inserting a cannula, after programming in our basal rates, etc.

I'd read 'Pumping Insulin' and 'Think Like a Pancreas' from cover to cover. It was still a steep learning curve, but everyone there was so, so supportive.

And we drank coffee and chatted. And it was marvellous!

I'm really excited for you!

 

[himtoo]

In July my consultant referred me for pump therapy. I'd always shunned pump therapy, believing I would hate having something attached to me 24/7. I've been type 1 for 38 years, since the age of 10, and post the teen years I've always good control. However, as time goes by I'm just struggling with control, I blame much of it on being peri menopausal. Anyway finally after an 8 month wait I believe the appointment (for the end of April) I've received through the post today with the diabetic nurse at the hospital is in fact the first step to trying pump therapy out. Sadly there's no information in the bog standard appointment letter other than it's with the 'diabetic nurse.' I'll contact my consultant's secretary to get confirmation. Eeeek, it's finally going to happen. I feel I've just babbled a little but I just thought I'd share it with you all. Can anyone tell me what to expect when I attend the appointment? Much appreciated x

Hi @Picci
I got a letter much like you to attend an appointment with the pump DSN.

this appointment turned out to be going over all the pro's and cons of pumping , and for her to basically agree I was a suitable candidate.
she then sent me for appointments with the dietician to prove I could carb count ( I had done DAFNE a few years previously).
after that I had an appointment with the pump consultant for him to give his nod of approval and to decide which pump I wanted ( it was a choice of Omnipod , Medtronic ,Animas ).

the next appointment I got my pump ( Omnipod).
this entire process was pretty lengthy for me ( 13 months start to finish )

 

[paulliljeros]

Hi @Picci I too had shunned a pump for many years but it has been life changing! I second the Pumping Insulin book in advance, as the first few chapters give you a few things to think about. In advance of choosing a pump, try to create a short list of the key things you want .... tubeless or rugged or waterproof or CGM etc. I also started a full, comprehensive log of exactly what I was eating, and what insulin I was taking and what my BG's were for about 3 or 4 weeks in advance, as that helped take a lot of the guess work out of the carb and correction factors. Again, also consider Think Like a Pancreas and/or Sugar Surfing as they are also great and useful companion reads. In the 12 months leading up to getting a pump, I learnt exactly how much I didn't know about diabetes from these books, despite 30 years of diabetes. Good luck ... I couldn't wait once I got confirmation!

 

[Picci]

Thank you all for sharing your experiences! Good news, I have found out it IS in fact an appointment with the pump specialist nurse..... I already own Think Like a Pancreas so I'll have another read and also invest in the other book mentioned. Once again, thank you so much. This forum is fantastic, it's great to know I'm not alone

 

[Type1Bri]

In July my consultant referred me for pump therapy. I'd always shunned pump therapy, believing I would hate having something attached to me 24/7. I've been type 1 for 38 years, since the age of 10, and post the teen years I've always good control. However, as time goes by I'm just struggling with control, I blame much of it on being peri menopausal. Anyway finally after an 8 month wait I believe the appointment (for the end of April) I've received through the post today with the diabetic nurse at the hospital is in fact the first step to trying pump therapy out. Sadly there's no information in the bog standard appointment letter other than it's with the 'diabetic nurse.' I'll contact my consultant's secretary to get confirmation. Eeeek, it's finally going to happen. I feel I've just babbled a little but I just thought I'd share it with you all. Can anyone tell me what to expect when I attend the appointment? Much appreciated x

Hi @Picci
I have been on a pump for 4 months now, have a read of my thoughts after my first 4 months pumping, hope it is useful to you
https://type1bri.com/difference-pump-makes