advice from u pumpers please!

If I remember your hba1c needs to be above 7 consistently for you to be considered for a pump along with frequent hypos, that was the case for me anyway
This figure may be slightly out although you really need some regular monitoring..

Hi
My son (type 1 , diagnosed at 20 months now four and a half) is now on a pump and has been for over a year.
Shortly after his diagnoses I pushed for the pump but the process took a while and we can’t fault the help we got from our care team at the local hospital. My view was that after being awarded the funding process for the pump , even if for some reason he was not able to use it or take to it, “we had it” and if it stood on the shelf for 6 months till he was ready the important point was that it could not be taken away.
During may hours of research it was apparent that the policy RE the pump depended on your post Code. I was in contact with people in neighbouring regions that has vastly differing experiences in trying to get the pump, One that received it a couple of months after becoming Type 1 and an other who had battled some years after being diagnosed. We were lucky along with the support of the staff at our local hospital.
I have yet to meet someone that is negative about the pump, although some did have minor complications with it, the benefits far outweighed the any negatives.

You just ask for a referral to the hospital clinic, it's better if you first though if you contact www.input.me.uk if you phone them they should be able to tell you your nearest pump friendly clinic/consultant is, and this is where/who you ask your nurse to refer you to..

On the input site, you can get the information of insulin pump therapy, what pumps are funded, NICE guidelines if you hit any problems they will help support you through the process just contact them..

As to NICE guidelines you will here a lot of people, even consultants and clinics say what criteria you must fullfill for funding, most are talking out of their hat... Firstly you don't have to fit all the criteria Just one will do, your clinic/consultant/PCT can not cherry pick the guidelines to determine who does and doesn't get funding the PCT can not stall funding by saying we only fund xxx pumps a year... If your consultant says yes to pumping the PCT is legally bound to provide funding asap for treatment to start.. Anybody saying or doing any are doing nothing but stalling which basically is breaking the law... If you hit any of these problems again contact Input they will help, if you need help building your case they will guide and help you....

Sadly even now there is little consistency of pump prevision, some clinics even pump clinics are very proactive about getting suitable patients up and running on pumps, others will drag their feet at every stage of the process, fingers crossed that your clinic are one of the more proactive ones..

But what ever anybody tells you if you want a pump don't give up, but battle on you will get there it might just take time..

I battled for 3 years to get my pump, not only was I working with the old NICE guidelines which weren't as helpful, but I also my clinic and PCT were very pump unfriendly, to the extent that when I ask my Surgery DSN she was more than happy to make the referral and would help as much as possible, but not to build my hopes up as pumps were as rare as hen's teeth in our area...

Some advise here that will not only hold you in good stead if you have to fight for your pump but will also give you a very good start to pumping if you don't..

Do your research in to insulin pump therapy, talk to those who already pump a good emailing list to join is www.insulin-pumpers.org.uk, good book to invest in is Pumping Insulin by John Walsh learning how to deliver insulin via a pump to counter react a situation, food eaten, exercise taken... Learn/identify where your current control problems lay do you have PD, background insulin doesn't flatten your basal enough to work your quick off, your sensitive to insulin, so might injecting a whole unit either dumps you in the boots or sends you high as a kite..

What your aim in all this is, to be able to say "I need a insulin pump because of x,y,z" place your printed out data on the table, with highlighted highs and/or lows and be able to point to then saying "that hypo or that low, I could have avoided or limited it's impact if I had a pump, because I could have used this or that function to counteract before a real problem arise"

It is very hard work, time consuming and quite frustrating and at times soul-destroying I know as I did it for 3 years but I did benefit, as I had a flying start was up and running very quickly, so quickly that my team were amazed and shocked but when you know what problems you need your pump to resolve the easier and quicker it is to resolve them...

And if you need an hand to build your case give me a shout I be more than happy to help

Sorry weezer

A bit of a typo error should have been DP for Dawn phenom, where your BG rises sharply in the morning can start early arount 6-7am lasting until mid morning without my pump in the morning my BG can got up 5mmol/l or more in just an hour..

How did you get on with your nurse?

Hi I have asked about a pump due to being in hospital 5 times with DKA with a BM. Of 33 plus does any one think I fit the criteria ?