Weight loss on insulin pump

[pearceam]

Hello everyone.

I'm starting pump therapy on Monday. I'm hoping be able to shift some weight too.

Hoping for some advice and experiences from others doing the same? Is it harder/easier than losing weight on injections? Do you find you're more/less hungry?

How do you find treating hypos? I've always over treated and really would like to be able to stop doing that!!

Thanks all

A

 

[Snapsy]

Hi @pearceam - I'm really pleased for you - yay to Monday!

I started on a pump just under a year and a half ago. One of the things I noticed really, really quickly was that I was having way fewer hypos. On MDI, despite a lot of micromanaging basal rates and bolus ratios I was very frequently having to 'feed' excess insulin, and I was either snacking all the time or having hypos.

Now I pump, and if I find I'm dropping, I can literally just turn the tap down.

I deal with (much less frequent) hypos by treating with 2 or 3 Glucotabs. Job done. I don't then need a snack as well. Sometimes, if I'm very low (due usually to miscounting carbs and overestimating insulin, in my case) I will lower my basal rate for a period of time.

I can treat hypos with glucose and less insulin, rather than glucose and juice and biscuits and and and etc like I was in the days when I had to 'chase' too much insulin with (too many, usually) carbs.

I lost weight.
I felt better in general.
My HbA1c actually rose slightly, from 42 to 46, as I was hypo way less often.

I have not looked back. I LOVE MY PUMP.

I have control in my life. Not just blood sugar control, but control about what I eat and when, and even IF! (I don't have to eat all the time - whereas until I started pumping, I felt TIED to food).

I'll be thinking of you on Monday! I found it jolly hard work to start with, but once I got to grips with it (which admittedly took me a few weeks - I think it was mainly a confidence thing), oh boy, it was amazing.

Love Snapsy

 

[Snapsy]

How's it all going, @pearceam ?

 

[pearceam]

Hi @Snapsy!
It's amazing!! I can't believe how weird it is to not inject. I thought, 24 years not injecting, nearly 6 years injecting that not injecting would be second nature... but it's not. That's not making sense is it!


It is hard work but my nurse is being fantastic and I'm still more excited about the long term benefits so the hard work is easy to deal with so far!

hope you're doing well?

Amy

 

[Snapsy]

Hi Amy!

Wow, it's all sounding BRILLIANT! And it is making sense, don't worry!

Onwards and upwards! It's hard work to start with but it sounds really really good so far!

All well here - bit low this evening due to a slight miscalculation (exercising at a non-experimented-on-yet time of day). Ooooopsie. Still, I'll know what to do when I do it tomorrow...... I'm now allowed to run (treadmill only, mind!) on my newly-recovered foot, so I DID.

Ha! And I'm going to run again tomorrow, rebel that I am.......

 

[noblehead]

It's amazing!! I can't believe how weird it is to not inject.

It's a good weird @pearceam