How long?

Nicola M

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Going to hospital on Thursday to choose the pump I want. I was just wondering what to expect to happen after that and how long the process is to get properly set up with the pump? :)
 

noblehead

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From approval to actually using the pump it took just over 3 months for me, they'll expect you to attend some pump training sessions and also ask you to record your daily insulin usage the weeks before you go live with your pump, on the day of changing over I met-up with the pump rep and my DSN.
 
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CarbsRok

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Going to hospital on Thursday to choose the pump I want. I was just wondering what to expect to happen after that and how long the process is to get properly set up with the pump? :)
Lol how long is a piece of string would be a safe bet for an answer :) It does depend on if you have group starts for pump users when your hospital/commissioning group pays the bills, As @noblehead says could take 3 months. Looking on the bright side you are almost there, you know you have the funding and are going to choose your pump :)
Some people can take up to 6 months to set there basal profile so be prepared for a long haul. Have you bought Pumping insulin yet by John Walsh? This will give you a head start and a better understanding of things to come :)
 
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Nicola M

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676
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Lol how long is a piece of string would be a safe bet for an answer :) It does depend on if you have group starts for pump users when your hospital/commissioning group pays the bills, As @noblehead says could take 3 months. Looking on the bright side you are almost there, you know you have the funding and are going to choose your pump :)
Some people can take up to 6 months to set there basal profile so be prepared for a long haul. Have you bought Pumping insulin yet by John Walsh? This will give you a head start and a better understanding of things to come :)

Thanks for the recommendation on the book, I have just bought it and it's being sent to my kindle! :)
 

nikkid

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Cannot recommend that book highly enough it has been my bible as such so far! For me I waited around 8-9 months after approval but that was due to staff illness at my hospital rather than anything. I would go with @CarbsRok with how long is a piece of string but hope that you are on the path to a pump very soon!
 
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Vanster07

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Type 1
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Pump
I just started on this accu chek insight pump and i'm adjusting/upping my units per hour every two days trying to get a better blood glucose level than before when on long and short acting insulin (which was already pretty tight).

Do any of you experienced pump uses remember how long it took tinkering before they got it better than before they started on a pump?

I know it will depends on the individual and where you start but is their an average time scale, as I'm sick of running hyper
 

noblehead

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@Vanster07, I'm not an experienced pumper by any means (only been using a pump for just over 3 months) but I went all out and did some serious basal testing in the first couple of weeks to get the basal dose right, went from using 3 and now use 7, I've had to adjust some again over the last few weeks but things are really good at the moment.
 

donnellysdogs

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I just started on this accu chek insight pump and i'm adjusting/upping my units per hour every two days trying to get a better blood glucose level than before when on long and short acting insulin (which was already pretty tight).

Do any of you experienced pump uses remember how long it took tinkering before they got it better than before they started on a pump?

I know it will depends on the individual and where you start but is their an average time scale, as I'm sick of running hyper

Depends on your basal testing and confidence in making adjustments really and spotting the patterns.
 

RuthW

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Messages
1,158
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Pump
I just started on this accu chek insight pump and i'm adjusting/upping my units per hour every two days trying to get a better blood glucose level than before when on long and short acting insulin (which was already pretty tight).

Do any of you experienced pump uses remember how long it took tinkering before they got it better than before they started on a pump?

I know it will depends on the individual and where you start but is their an average time scale, as I'm sick of running hyper
Took me about three months, but in those three months I completely changed my normal routine for one month, then I was ill for another month. Then I finally had a normal streak. Then once I had it all balanced and felt confident, I started an exercise routine and had to make a whole new set of alterations! But, seriously, you can probably get things satisfactorily set up in a month to six weeks. Then you can start "experimenting" with confidence with things like Temporary Basal Rates - which are the bees knees for me. So I am not a very experienced pumper yet - about six months in. But I am a very happy one with a better hba1c.