Hi All
Am after some thoughts and a bit of advice.
I am due gallstone surgery next Wednesday. At my pre-op assessment this morning the nurse, very matter of factly, told me that they would 'more than likely' put me on an insulin pump for the duration of my stay, even though my sugars are pretty well controlled and I am quite able to manage my levels myself. The surgery is not long (1-2 hours), and the fasting element, due to the time of surgery is quite manageable.
Knowing very little about pumps this has alarmed me more than a little - would I be within my rights to say no I don't want a pump in this situation?
I am worried that if I go down this route in hospital, I will suddenly end up with a pump for the rest of my life, which I don;t think I can cope with, either physically or mentally at the moment.
Many years ago I was given the same scenario with insulin after a heart attack, and guess what, never managed to get back off the insulin afterwards either :-( , so you can see why I am in this state.
Has anyone any experience of using a pump temporarily whilst an in-patient, and what was your experience? Would you recommend it, or have you gone the other way and continued to monitor your blood sugars yourself and administer your normal shots as needed? I am happy with the way I manage my diabetes, and have always had good support from my Diabetic Nurses.
thanks for taking the time to read, any feedback would be good.
Trulee
Am after some thoughts and a bit of advice.
I am due gallstone surgery next Wednesday. At my pre-op assessment this morning the nurse, very matter of factly, told me that they would 'more than likely' put me on an insulin pump for the duration of my stay, even though my sugars are pretty well controlled and I am quite able to manage my levels myself. The surgery is not long (1-2 hours), and the fasting element, due to the time of surgery is quite manageable.
Knowing very little about pumps this has alarmed me more than a little - would I be within my rights to say no I don't want a pump in this situation?
I am worried that if I go down this route in hospital, I will suddenly end up with a pump for the rest of my life, which I don;t think I can cope with, either physically or mentally at the moment.
Many years ago I was given the same scenario with insulin after a heart attack, and guess what, never managed to get back off the insulin afterwards either :-( , so you can see why I am in this state.
Has anyone any experience of using a pump temporarily whilst an in-patient, and what was your experience? Would you recommend it, or have you gone the other way and continued to monitor your blood sugars yourself and administer your normal shots as needed? I am happy with the way I manage my diabetes, and have always had good support from my Diabetic Nurses.
thanks for taking the time to read, any feedback would be good.
Trulee