Am I being unreasonable?

[HayleyJayne]

Hi,

I am new to this forum but have been reading with interest for a couple of weeks now...

I am getting my pump today at 2pm and I'm so nervous - I have a fear of cannula's and hope it will be ok...

I am wondering if I should have taken time off from work for the rest of the week - i thought i would be ok because I work from home most of the time (the rest of the time I travel all over the place). Anyway, my company have known for a long time that I am getting a pump, and I discussed my "connection date" with them as I am due to work away in Edinburgh next week which I okayed in advance with my DSN. However today, they have said they want me to drive from Manchester to London tomorrow afternoon, stay in a hotel overnight, work in the office in London and then drive home after work in the evening. I'm just not sure this is a good idea when I am only getting connected to my pump this afternoon. I'm just terrified to have to drive for 4 hours on the motorway - what if the thing starts alarming or I have to change the infusion set and can't do it??? Also, it will be more difficult to know exactly how many carbs I've eaten if I have to eat at a hotel restaurant, I'd bought food in so I know exactly what i'm having - I'm really upset that they have asked me to do this.....am I being unreasonable?

Your opinions & experience would be much appreciated.

Hayley

 

[iHs]

Hayley

Although many people do go to work the next day with a pump, they are not driving all over the place.

I would be inclined to tell you to play safe and not do what your company are asking of you.

Depending on what pump you get, they should be ok and not start alarming at you. If they do, then it's because of a reason so you then need to deal with that reason. It might be that you need to change the infusion set or it could be that air has got into the cartridge but other than that pumps will function all ok with no problems.

The first few days there will be some hypos and some highs so you need to be ok before you start going all over the UK driving everywhere.

 

[jopar]

In short NO you are not being unreasonable to refuse to go drive half away round the country etc...

It is very protientually against the law to be driving, as due to the changes in your insulin routine, you have an higher risk of hypo's or hypers which impact on your driving...

You need to stablise your basic control so you aren't suffering unexpected hypos or highs, then when it comes to driving distances you will then need to work out a plan of action to sort out best way to use the pump, as it may be that you need to set temp basal rates up or down, and then test after...

With distance driving I find that I not only have to set a lower temp basal rate while driving, but another one over-night as it seem to impact on me then as well to prevent hypo's, but it all needs to be worked out, and you can't do this when you've only just started on the pump, as tomorrow and perhaps the next day your injected background insulin will still be filtering fully out of your system, which may have impact on your control..

I would phone you company and say sorry can't do etc.. if they give grief or want you to do it later in the week, say sorry nope can't do, if pushy take a weeks sick leave.. It medical reasons so nothing they can do..

Speak with your nurse this afternoon, she will also say same as me and should if your employers are iffy, provide you with a letter either today if very lucky or send one to them ASP

 

[Hazza]

Hi Hayley, as a new pump user I think that it is unreasonable that work should expect you to drive this sort of distance untill you have got a handle on your pump settings. Especially as you have discussed it with them prior to getting it.
If you do decide to go, take your manual with you and refer to it if you have anything that you are worried about. Make sure that you are not going to Hypo before you drive and test at regular intervals.
Try to eat food that you know the amount of carbs in and bolus accordingly. Your basals may need adjusting in the first few days so be aware that you need to fast before you adjust anything. Only you will know how you are feeling so listen to what your body is telling you.
Good luck whatever you decide.

Harry

 

[shedges]

Hayley,

I'm two weeks in and still trying to sort out my levels. If I had gone back to work during my first week, I'd have had no chance... I'd hate to think what state I'd be in now.

Starting a pump is a massive step - it IS like becoming diabetic all over again. Personally, it's been a lot worse this time for me. I took to injections, ratios, control, etc fairly well when first diagnosed.

But with the pump, it is so much more precise, I am finding it very difficult to simply get my pre-meal bg levels within target. My insulin requirements have all changed (including differences at different times of day) since I've gone onto the pump. If I was traveling all over the country two days after I was connected, I would probably have given up by now and handed my pump back in. I'm not stupid (Masters degree in Physics) and I'm still having to put a lot of work in to even out my levels.

I don't want to be alarmist - I want to pass on my real life experience. This is something your employers most likely don't have the benefit of. My care team have been excellent and have spent a lot of time on the phone working through my numbers - I wouldn't have been able to do half as much at work.

I hope you make the right decision - and that your work backs you up.

Sam.

 

[HayleyJayne]

Thank you all! You have all confirmed what I was already thinking. I was just worried that perhaps I was making too much of a big deal out of it - I have done nothing but think about getting my pump for a few weeks now, it has taken over my life :? I'm sure it will be fine once I actually have it.

I have decided that I won't go...irrespective of what my company says, I have been waiting so long for today and I want to get things right from the start.

Jopar - I was really interested to read about your experiences with having to lower your basal for driving - I would never have thought that might be needed...it's something I can look out for now!

I have read a lot of the topics on here and everyone is so helpful, I've already picked up lots of tips and I'm sure I will be back with more questions in the nest few days...

Hayley

 

[SophiaW]

Hayley, you've already had some good advice here and looks like you've made the right decision. It would be unsafe and unreasonable for your company to ask you to do that amount of driving so soon after being set up on the pump. Anyway, just wanted to wish you all the best for the set up today, hope it all goes well for you.

 

[Slinger]

luckily for me i was already on long term sick when i started pumping. i think i would have taken time off because i use to work 12 hour night shifts.

you will just have to keep adjusting the pump basal settings which can take a long time. i've been pumping for 2 years and still trying to get the right balance (maybe im doing something wrong). night times are the worst for me. ive ordered different cannulars to see if that makes it any better.

hope everything works out for you and dont give up.

 

[sugar2]

Hayley...hopefully by now you will know whether you made teh right decision or not! I woudl have tried to defer the trip as well, although I also have a similar kind of job, and spent my second week on the pu mp in the USA...so had to do driving over there, and time changes and planes and all that. Fortunately. I did have a couple of days to get used to it though..and luckily it was fairly easy to transfer. It took a while to get things massively improved, but I didn't have any problems, and my control was no worse than it was before the pump.The problem for you was, you had to make that decision, without experiencing the pump at all...so I think you made the right decison. Chancesa are you, could have gone, and had absolutely no problems whats so ever, but at the time you had no way of knowing this.

Hope the "connection" went well...and you are enjoying your new pump.