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a new start, again!

M

Mini-Mimi

Well-Known Member
Messages
67
hello all,
my little girl was diagnosed oct 10 and since then, apart from maybe 2-3 weeks, she has never been stable, the past few months her readings have been mainly high and the DSN has now said we're to try the pump (going on Monday to start the training).
i can see the pro's of her being on the pump but i am still quite aprehensive about it, i mean, it's another huge learning curve isnt it? i am sat here now worrying like mad, i know we're gong to have to do something cos we cant keep having the high readings but we both know where we stand with MDI's (if that makes sense). i know when we started out i felt exactly the same as i do now, we went from 2 injections a day to 6, i paniced but we managed, and now it's just part of dailylife, and the pump will be too, hopefully, but even so, i'm nervous for us both.
in a way i feel like i've failed her, i count the carbs exactly and have tweaked the insulin til i can tweak no more and still it doesnt work, it's like banging your head against a brick wall isnt it???? i must admit ive had more than one "mini breakdown" over it all, and being 6 an half month pregnant makes me feel even worse, the hormones are flying about all over the place, lol.
i suppose all i'm looking for here is re-assurance about changing over, i have a few friends with kiddies who are diabetic, but none on a pump.
any words of advice/assurance will be very gratefully received
 
Hi. I know exactly how you feel. We also went from mixed to basal/ bolus and now we are three weeks into pumping! You just get used to one thing and then the rug gets pulled from under you and you are out of your comfort zone!

I won't lie and say it isn't hard because it is, but we would never go back to MDI. if you are already carb counting and testing through the night them moving to a pump shouldn't give you much more work. The hardest thing we found was getting the basal right and in small kids this can be difficult as their needs are always changing.

Whether you are on mixed, basal/bolus or pumping there are always issues and hurdles to overcome. Pumping however should enable you to get the best control and the most flexibility which were the key factors which Influenced our decision to go for a pump.

Hope this gives you some reassurance.
 
u sound exactly like me a few months ago and now well life isnt perfect but its alot better than it ever used to be. dylan would be consistantly in the 20s no matter what we did now if hes high its more like 12 and usually down to air bubbles than anything else. im sure u wuill get ur pump and never look back and neither will ur daughter dylans pump is his new best friend and he would fight anyone who tried to take it from him its given him some more independance in managing his own diabetes as well.

go for it its natural to worry i worried myself sick but honestly its worth all that worry having said that the first few weeks were hard work and tiring with little sleep i felt like a zombie but that soon passes
good luck

anna marie
 
first day on the pump and what can i say....................i want the injections back i know it's early days and theres alot to take in, just like on diagnosis, but i do wonder if i can manage it. ive been home 3 hours and had to disconnect twice to get rid of air bubbles she's running high and i'm so tired already, please tell me it gets better.
 
It gets better!
I went onto the pump as an in patient, in hospital (normal procedure here).
When I tried to fill the reservoir 'for real', I I was nervous, shaking, sweating, scared of making a mistake even though I was in the safest of environments. I got a huge amount of air bubbles and the consultant , in exasperation, took the reservoir from me and did it himself.
Now, I very rarely get bubbles, it's become just another part of life.
 
Hi

I too was sent home from hospital with airbubbles when I left, so you are not the only one!!

So, when you prime out the bubbles give the pump a little light banging on its base.....this will also get any bubbles out of the top of the cartridge (probably) for the rest of the cartidge insulin usage for that time. I generally do it at 4 hours after a cartridge change, and then I can leave pump alone until next cartridge change. If going high at any time check for bubbles in tube and cartridge. Some people wear pumps horizontally, some wear them with the cartridge facing down..this is what I do with my combo pump.

Don't panic....please don't worry.....you are certainly not alone here for help. What pump have you got for your daughter?

The first few days you are set up to a flat rate, there will be higher readings....hopefully the low ones will be less....

We all know it is a huge change to go from MDI to pump, but you will get the benefits very quickly.
The more confidence you manage to get at tweaking, the easier things will become. Honest...
 
hi

it def does get easier honestly, we do suffer from bubbles but usually in the first few hours after a change i think the veo maybe more prone to them than other pumps. u get used to when to look for bubbles and dylan can get them out himself now if it happens at school or when hes away from me which is rare, please stick with it and give it a chance those first few weeks are tiring but are def worth it keep smiling

anna marie
 
hi we are in the 2nd week of my daughter having the pump. I was the same as you before she had the pump fitted my daughter was having 4-7 injections aday due to her being high. I didnt know if i was doing the right thing for my daughter?
Would i get it right?
What if she didnt like it?

When we got home i worried about her bumping it. She did 2 days later but we delt with it.
My daughter loves it. When she gets air bubbles we just prime them out. The D.N said its due the heat.
Our pump help line is fantastic, We have used them once already.
My daugher loves the pump just not the canula change but we uses sugar frre tip tops as a reward and once it is done 4 seconds later its forgotten about.
We still use the manual to change everything. But 1 half weeks in we have put in for funding.
Give ot some time and see how u get on. It is hard work but ours has been worth it Leah b.g are slowly coming down and when she is high we just buzz her as ahe calls it.
Good luck and dnt forget to ask for help and advice
 
thanks for all the replies, all's been ok so far, touch wood, however were doing the first change today and i know it isnt going to smoothly, :?
it is hard work and yes i am shattered but hopefully it'll be worth it in the long run, i do keep thinking about the ease of injections, compared to all the start up work in getting the pump just right and i will openly admit i do not like the idea of her being attatched to something for the rest of her life (you can probably tell i'm on a bit of a downer at the moment, i was tested myself for gestational diabetes yesterday and am waiting on the results today )
anyway, lets see what today brings. x
 
injections are easy but so is the pump when u get used to what ur doing children adapt so much better than we do so she prob wont take any notice of carrying a pump around i know dylan doesnt.

anna marie
 

Hi,

It might not sun smoothly, but remember it's your first go, on your second you'll be less nervous and quicker. Then it will get to the point where your a pro! sort of like when you first change a nappy :lol:

I imagine you probably felt the same about injections at first, but it gets easier. It's different with the pump because you can tweak things so finely, that when you get it right you will definately know!!

Being attached to something all the time i admit isn't ideal, but it's going to give your daughter so much freedom and ease with her diabetes, especially when she's older! and when she is older who knows what will be available then!!

Like anna says, the pump has given dylan a chance to be more active in handling aspects of his own diabetes which is great!

It can be lots of hard work, and there is days when i seem to get it wrong all day! bubbles in the pump, bubbles in the tubing, i re-fill a cartridge and accidentally pull the plunger out the bottom and the insulin goes everywhere! i'm rushing to get ready for for and i pull my cannula out on a cupboard door.

BUT.. My hba1c is SO SO SO much better i no longer pee 798585 times a day! :lol: and i generally feel healthier, more energy and alot happier with my diabetes now i have what in my eyes is the correct tool for me to be able to control my diabetes!

Good luck on your tests, let us know how you get on.
 
we did our 2nd full change yesterday it takes me and my husband to do it and we have the manual out and a suger free tip top for leah after she has the canula done since she hates it. We have just recieved her new tummietoe belt from amercia she loves it, lucky she is at the age where she doesnt care and shows all her friends. We are getting quicker at changing everything but do still worry think i always will. since i want the best for her. We do suffer with air bubbles but diabetic nurse said its due to the hot weather they told us to prime it out. Good luck keep with it. It does get easier like every thing else the more u do it the easier it is. Hope u are well.
 
made it through yesterdays cannula change with lots of tears (me and her) i was just so tired and everything ive been told went out the window, i really did want to just stop it all and go back to the injections, the next big test is the change of tubing and cartridge, it's due to be done on saturday and unlike yesterday the dsn wont be with me or available immediately so i'm worrying about that
her levels have been quite ok so far, weve had haypos but are still tweaking things so fingers crossed. i can def see the pro's of the pump, but i miss the ease of the injections.

i still feel like i've been pushed in the deep end and the info is coming too thick and fast but as the dsn said, i've not long before the baby arrives and theyre trying to get mimi settled before my due date so ive one less thing to worry about, that and my son is going thro a bit of a tough time at the moment, i feel so much of my time is spent on mimi and diabetes he gets pushed to one side and now that he does need me i am absolutely exhausted.......thank god for nanna is all i can say.

one good bit of news, my test for gestational diabetes came back ok so now i can still fill my face with all the weird cravings i'm having, :lol:
 
i'm giving up.....................
i know it's only been a week but with everything going on at the moment i just havent the energy to do it, i know alot of ppl get a trial run with it, we didnt, i rang the dsn on the friday to discus mimi's levels, and that was that, she started us off on the monday, it is all too much for me to manage with everything else i have going on at the moment.
i know others would grab this chance with both hands but i'm admitting defeat, ive had problems throughout this pregnancy, my son is having a hard time just now and missing out on me because so much of my time is tied up with the pump,i will honestly say i detest the thought of her being attatched to this thing for the rest of her life, i would like to wait til she's older, so she can understand properly what her options are and help make the choice of whats right for her and what she wants............i'll just knuckle down with the injections again and go back to basics...................now to ring our dsn :?
 

Hi,

So sorry to hear your having a tough time.

The pump is indeed ALOT of hard work and takes so much effort in the beginning.

When a child gets a pump he/she can obviously not be responsible for it all by themselves so in effect it must be like your having one too, i imagine it's difficult whilst going through pregnancy as well as your son having a rough time too.

There is no shame in handing the pump back and going back to injections. It's clearly just not the right time for you and all involved.

There's no reason why you can't try again when she's older.

and who knows, if you try again when Mimi is older, she'll be able to do more of it herself and it will be more rewarding for you as it'll be a step foward for her in looking after some aspects of her diabetes, and you will also have insight too. If you do try again in the future you can also request that you have more training and time to get used to things!

At least you gave it a go. The pump doesn't work for everybody, and there sure is times where it's a great big hassle for me too, but it's the only thing i have to concentrate on.

I can hardly manage my 6 year old nephew at tea time with me and my pump so you must be a pro with two kids (he's a ball of energy)

Also good to hear your tests came back okay
 
dont feel bad about giving the pump back not everyone is suited to a pump im sure if u had stuck at it u would of got great benefit from a pump but like ebony says its clearly not the right time for u and u shouldnt feel bad for that.

pumping esp in the first weeks envolves alot of work i only have dylan to worry about and that is plenty to be going on with so coping with extra on top of that i can imagine the stress ur under, dont discount the pump forever just leave it in the back of ur mind to be tried at a later date.

so glad ur test came back ok u have enough to cope with without adding to it

keep smiling

anna marie
 
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