Hi,
I having been a diabetic for 30 years and having just been allocated a pump.
The most important thing is to play the game.
You consultant has a budget and x patients they are responsible for.
To get a pump you need commitment from the PCT to allocate £3000 in the first year and then £1000 in subsequent years.
You have to prove why you need it more than anyone else (or that you want it more than anyone else)
I never did the daphne course, what I did was get an Excel spreadsheet and document carbohydrate, doseage and readings Breakfast, Lunch, 2hr post lunch, tea, 2hr post tea and bed.
Be sure to include corrective doseage... this is the selling point as it proves the insulin runs out.
What I proved was that the insulin was not compatible for me.
I demonstrated the same dawn effect you have and how this shouldn't happen as the Lantus was loaded in at bed time and should be peaking at 10hrs
I transitioned onto a split dose of levamir and proved that the background rate was correct over fasting and post 2hr meal marker but the DE was still there. We jiggled times and doses and still couldn't get it right.
The driver for me came when I found the Graphs of absorption which demonstrated that for my dose/kg body weight, the levamir was dead after 16hrs.
This is the fighting ground.
You need to show that not only are you monitoring and managing your condition, you have to be asking them questions... why is it that this occurs?, you tell me not to do this but this is all I can do to maintain a BS of x? have theories and ask them ...is it because?
Show them based on the data of your condition that there are problems at key points in the day, try to prove the insulin is not suitable for you but be able to back it up with independent graphs etc.
Don't be aggressive, you need the consultant to like you and want to put you forward... remember they have to write the report which justifies to a larger panel you are worth the investment
Good Luck
I have had type 1 diabetes since 1985 and my control is not 100% I was offered a pump 6 years ago when I was pregnant with my 2nd child as I had 130 hypo's 3 really serious during my pregnancy. I decided not to have one as I did not want any further issues during the already stressful time as I was told I could have problems for the first few months! The hospital I was under at the time assured me that if I wanted to have the pump fitted after the baby arrived that I could have one. Now my daughter has just started year 1 at school and I am still waiting for my pump I have moved area and was told at my new hospital there is a criteria you must meet to have a pump, 1st you have to of completed the DAFNE course which I have done, now I am told my HBA1C level is not in the required area as for the last 2 years my count has been 7.4% I had it done last week and my level has now risen to 7.7%. but it should be over 8.5% to meet the criteria. My sugar levels in the mornings are always over 10 as I suffer from the dawn phenomanom , the last time I woke with a blood sugar in range I had to go to sleep on a sugar of 20, my sugars can drop in less than a hour from 15 to 2 but this doesn't seem to bother the hospital, I had a Hypo while in clinic last time but it has made no difference. What do I have to do to get on a pump?????
