Im struggling with my insulin pump, can you help me ?

Omnipod

Well-Known Member
Messages
531
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Your HBA1C is really high. This means your average blood sugar levels are 17+ !!!! :eek:
For a start, my advice would be to set yourself a target thats reasonable. You dont want a drastic drop as that will cause damage. Maybe for this week set yourself a target and try not let a blood sugar reading go over 12. The only way is to test, keep a diary and take small correction boluses.
Once you manage a week not going over 12, drop the target to 10.

i personally try to not go over 9 which gives me a healthy HBA1C of 7.

I dont wanna scare you but I can tell you a story of a young girl I know very well who has diabetes from the age of 14. Today she is 45. She never looked after her blood sugars, tested much or took her insulin. She just had a quadrupple bypass, all her organs are failing. Her retinas detached. Now she has charcot foot which means she is wheelchair bound. Her small toe just got amputated. Looks like her leg may be next. She has open ulcers. When she had the bypass, they couldnt stitch up her leg. The wound had to stay open so they could wash it out everyday. It took her about 6 months to get out of hospital.
All because she never took care of herself and allowed her blood sugars to run high. All that suffering could have been avoided.

Diabetes is a way of life and you have to make it part of your daily routine like brushing your teeth.......

Im glad you got to keep the pump and I hope you get CGM
 

CarbsRok

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4,688
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Looking at things on a more positive front if you can control your diabetes and not let it control you, then 50 years down the line then you can have no complications and live life to the full.
If it helps you at all Reece I have had diabetes for 49 years and have no complications at all :) Obviously I was diagnosed before A1c's were invented or home blood testing.
So forget what happened in the past, start afresh and see what you can do. Prove to yourself you can do it. We know you can so now convince yourself you can :)
 
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K8tie_x

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Messages
199
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
To be successful with your pump initially I think it's so important you make some good records too of your starting basal rates, what time you are eating, what your eating and carbohydrate amounts, what your blousing with that meal and any extra activity you are doing. It may take a week or so of hard work and monitoring but I'm sure once you get there with your dosage it'll be much more easy going for you
 

Reece88

Member
Messages
16
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Dislikes
fish, cream, custard.
i agree but im forgetting the past and starting with a clean slate. its a new me from now on, its part of me and i think i have finally excepted it
 
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Dougal

Well-Known Member
Messages
153
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
i agree but im forgetting the past and starting with a clean slate. its a new me from now on, its part of me and i think i have finally excepted it
Reece, I think your approach will work well. If you use all your energy beating yourself up about the past, you'll end up with no energy to continue your progress. Also, you can't change the past. Learn from it - definitely!

I am still so amazed at your progress! I started talking to you about small steps, but you're progressing in leaps and bounds - keep it up! You are amazing!


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donnellysdogs

Master
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13,233
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People that can't listen to other people's opinions.
People that can't say sorry.
Learn from it, never forget how you felt etc.. Years to come, even months to come you can be helping others through difficult times...

Remember, life is not about 'me'.... Its about doing the best for yourself but in times to come learn from this and think about the difficulties that other kids have etc.

Your experience and learning and improvements to come and how you manage to improve will be a good experience for you. It will be for others reading this post, your relatives and friends will live seeing a Reece that cares for himself.

You have huge support here and many, many huge percentage of D's have been on a par with your feelings one way or another.
REALLY PROUD OF YOU REECE.. Well done...


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Omnipod

Well-Known Member
Messages
531
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Well done mate. Its good to hear that your taking control now and that you starting on a clean slate. All this will pay off some day. There comes a time when you will look back and say I am so glad I did it. You are young, fit and have so much to look forward to in life.
If at any time you need a boost or wanna chat, your welcome to PM me and do continue to use this great forum. The support you get here is amazing.

Moving away slightly, do you do any fitness activities? Play any sport?
 

Reece88

Member
Messages
16
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Dislikes
fish, cream, custard.
thanks guys, all your comments help and push me forward. it all seems to be going at a steady pas over the last few days, and its all thanks to you guys (and girls)

omnipod the only thing i used to do was run/ jog but i had an injury on my knee that is still healing
 

Omnipod

Well-Known Member
Messages
531
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Try cycling, its low impact on the knees, Also swimming. Cardio is amazing and lowers blood sugar for a few hours after.
 

Reece88

Member
Messages
16
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Dislikes
fish, cream, custard.
i will try that, i need to put more weight on and bulk up a bit. any tips ?
thanks dude
 

ConradJ

Well-Known Member
Messages
753
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Dislikes
The hassle and ignorance of diabetes.
Well done Reece, I'm very happy for you.

As Donnellydogs said, "learn from it" and put the experience to good use...
  1. Don't rely upon the technology and insulin to manage your diabetes for you - it's an easy trap to fall into (personal experience :();
  2. Go back to basics with your management and pump use - make sure you change sites, store your insulin correctly, carb-count and blood test properly, etc.;
  3. Set up regular meetings with a Diabetes Specialist Nurse trained in pump use - he/she will act as an important 'second sight' when reviewing your results;
  4. Get an account with Diasend (www.diasend.com/) - your DSN will have to set that up for you - as it will really help with your diabetes management (it stores both pump and BG monitor results and correlates the data for better analysis);
  5. Get rid of all those bad habits you have developed (e.g. incorrect hypo treatment, too many fast carbs, etc.) and re-establish good ones... get your friends and family in on the act - they will want to help and support you!
  6. Don't rush it, or panic or kick yourself too hard if you have periods where you fall into the old ways... it takes time to re-establish control (as Omnipod says, doing things too quickly can be both dangerous and damaging).
  7. Keep posting - both in the good and the bad times!
With very best wishes,
Conrad
 
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Omnipod

Well-Known Member
Messages
531
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
You will start bulking up naturally when your sugars do not go over 10. as soon as you run high, you start peeing everything out and your muscle starts breaking down. Its all a bit complex to explain. High sugars basically = weight loss.
If you can maintain between 7 and 9 you will start keeping the weight you put on. Soon as you start peeing alot because of higher sugars..... your basically losing weight.
 
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paulawhite

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
My hba1c have been high most of the time I be had diabetes...I was 13 when diagnosed now 42 and have to say most of my life have never really taken it as seriously as I should until a few years ago when I done a Dafne course and it changed everything. I have complications from mine and would hate for this to happen to u. I'm now on the omnipod and am trying incredibly hard to take my life back. It takes time to get to grips with things but at least u r testing now which is a step up from yesterday. Ur life is urs to enjoy and diabetes doesn't have to ruin it....just fit it in to your life's schedule and let it work with you. U have taken the first steps by writing on here now go forward with the rest. I am lucky enough to have incredibly supportive diabetes specialist nurse and doctors on my side who treat me as me not just another diabetic who never really listened..that helps too. Hope all goes well for you tomorrow.. Stay positive that's half the battle won x
 
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K8tie_x

Well-Known Member
Messages
199
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
How have you been getting on the past few days Reece?
 

CarbsRok

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,688
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
pasta ice cream and chocolate
Well done Reece, I'm very happy for you.

As Donnellydogs said, "learn from it" and put the experience to good use...
  1. Don't rely upon the technology and insulin to manage your diabetes for you - it's an easy trap to fall into (personal experience :();
  2. Go back to basics with your management and pump use - make sure you change sites, store your insulin correctly, carb-count and blood test properly, etc.;
  3. Set up regular meetings with a Diabetes Specialist Nurse trained in pump use - he/she will act as an important 'second sight' when reviewing your results;
  4. Get an account with Diasend (www.diasend.com/) - your DSN will have to set that up for you - as it will really help with your diabetes management (it stores both pump and BG monitor results and correlates the data for better analysis);
  5. Get rid of all those bad habits you have developed (e.g. incorrect hypo treatment, too many fast carbs, etc.) and re-establish good ones... get your friends and family in on the act - they will want to help and support you!
  6. Don't rush it, or panic or kick yourself too hard if you have periods where you fall into the old ways... it takes time to re-establish control (as Omnipod says, doing things too quickly can be both dangerous and damaging).
  7. Keep posting - both in the good and the bad times!
With very best wishes,
Conrad

Just to let you know Conrad, you don't need a DSN to set up diasend. Very easy to do yourself. (It must be I managed it) :)
 

Spiker

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,685
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Just to let you know Conrad, you don't need a DSN to set up diasend. Very easy to do yourself. (It must be I managed it) :)
The DSN needs to provide you with their Clinic ID in order for your clinic to be able to see your data. But apart from that you can set up Diasend on your own.

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CarbsRok

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,688
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
pasta ice cream and chocolate
The DSN needs to provide you with their Clinic ID in order for your clinic to be able to see your data. But apart from that you can set up Diasend on your own.

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Def not, you need to provide the DSN with your password so she can access your records. :)
 

Spiker

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,685
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Def not, you need to provide the DSN with your password so she can access your records. :)
There must be two ways of setting up Diasend. I would never agree to use the way you are describing. I would never give anyone else my password and I would object up their management chain if I was even asked to do that. What I do is I enter the clinic ID of any professionals who I want to see my records, in my Diasend settings. This is what your DSN ought to do. They ought not to be asking for your password.

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CarbsRok

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,688
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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pasta ice cream and chocolate
There must be two ways of setting up Diasend. I would never agree to use the way you are describing. I would never give anyone else my password and I would object up their management chain if I was even asked to do that. What I do is I enter the clinic ID of any professionals who I want to see my records, in my Diasend settings. This is what your DSN ought to do. They ought not to be asking for your password.

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I just followed the instructions on screen. I don't have a dsn or consultant so my password goes no where. :) The screen offered me the choice of private or clinic use, with the option of passing on my password to the HCP.
I would be horrified if a HCP gave me their clinic ID.