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Can’t work up the nerve to throw away an old pump

Jollymon

Well-Known Member
Messages
431
Location
Out-of-town
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Dislikes
Not having good chocolate, and not cycling
I’m struggling to throw away an old insulin pump. It was broken. I know it doesn’t work. I stripped all of the good parts off of it for another pump that’s just like it. But it sits there on the cousin the kitchen, and I just can’t bring myself to throw it away.

Could you just toss a pump?

It was worth some money when it was brand new! I wore it non-stop for at least 4 years (and probably longer because I liked it, and wore it past warranty expiration). When my last pump didn’t go so well, I dropped a battery into this one, and an picked up like it was nothing. So there’s a little emotional tie to it. It was a very good, simple, and robust pump.

But it sits there like a dead battery on the counter next to my sharps bin. I avoid throwing it away. And I avoid talking about why I haven’t thrown it away.
 
I think I’ve been through more meters than pumps, but I don’t think I’ve ever thrown away a meter that I liked. I’ve tossed meters that I didn’t like- that’s easy.
 
I have always handed my old pumps back to the manufacturer. In fact it has been a condition of being provided with a new pump.
I also handed in my old Animas Vibe back even though I was moving to the Tandem Slim (in Australia) as the companies were in the process of handover in the company which was managing Animas's withdrawal and Tandem's introduction. Handing in the Animas Vibe was part of the deal.
I must admit I like the idea of the the manufacturer recycling pump parts if that is possible and safe to do.
There might be some concern about people fiddling with old pumps and running into grief but that is just my conjecture.
I was saddened by loss of my Animas Vibe, never realising that there was such an emotional attachment until crunch time.
 
Without sounding too dramatic, it's something which kept you alive for 4 years so yes I completely get why it's still sat there, personally I would struggle too to chuck it away, so I don't have any good suggestions for you, sorry..
 
I have to hand my pump back. I find it crazy, I (or my health insurance) pays a small ransom for the pump, but I don't actually own it and I must return it and pay another slightly larger ransom to get a new pump.
 
Chowie said:
I have to hand my pump back. I find it crazy, I (or my health insurance) pays a small ransom for the pump, but I don't actually own it and I must return it and pay another slightly larger ransom to get a new pump.
Click to expand...
Hi @Chowie, all in the name of recycling is going to be the company line but yes, the cost seems exorbitant.
At least with a mobile phone plan you can pay the mobile off and own it !!
 
kitedoc said:
At least with a mobile phone plan you can pay the mobile off and own it !!
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I have never had a mobile plan.

I have always bought unlocked phones, this way I can use any telco's nano sims to get the best pay as you go deal. I am with Aldimobile at present.
 
I kept my first pump, it lives in the cupboard with my supplies. My brother is an electronic engineer and would probably love to take it apart and have a look inside but he lives on the other side of the world now.
When my next pump had to be replaced because of hardware issues, I felt quite sad putting it in the box to be sent back to Medtronic
You could always put it in a box frame and put it up on the wall
 

If you lived closer, your brother could have and disassemble my old pump that the pressure sensor doesn’t take it out of prime mode. He could use it like a cadaver and hopefully learn something from it. But shipping it to be disposed sounds like throwing good money after a bad experience.
 
kitedoc said:
There we go. Buy a pump on a plan or unlocked. Have software installed accordingly.
Click to expand...

The pump disposables is where we’re getting milked. We buy the pump once, but we need more expendable stuff to make it work. Its kind of like printers and how the manufacturers soak it to you with ink/toner.
 
I think I'd avoid throwing it away too, it's been by your side through thick and thin, ups and downs. At some point, it was like another limb effectively to you. Sadly when I switched over pumps I had to hand my one back and I was gutted. Personally, I'd say keep it as a little memento! Why get rid of something that was a huge part of your diabetes life
 
There is no comparison between a pump and a phone, one device is life saving and the other is life draining ..
 
I keep my old pump as a spare. Some older pumps are loopable (especially Medtronic) and could therefore be gifted to others if it helps?
 
ON 2nd and better Roche aviva Insight pump but would love to know of any re gifting schemes for the 1st one which is out of sight under my bed though as others have mentioned it is the consumables that maketh the profits and the cost for anyone in a developing country that may benefit from what is a mechanically sound bit of kit still.
Since you (OP) are clearly not willing to throw out the thing (and it is just a thing) then removing if from sight may stop you worrying about hanging on to it or whatever it represents in your head...
 
Which make and model of pump is it?

There's work going on to decrypt some pumps to make them loopable so you could donate it to a worthy cause.
 

It’s still sitting on top of the microwave oven. I look at it everyday. We were together constantly for a very long time. The pressure sensor in it is shot from the accident- it does not know when to change out of prime mode, so it doesn’t change into run mode.

I need to just throw it away. It can’t be repaired. The LED screen also has some dead, blackened out pixels. That’s how I know it’s the broken one.
 
jrussell88 said:
Which make and model of pump is it?

There's work going on to decrypt some pumps to make them loopable so you could donate it to a worthy cause.
Click to expand...

It’s a mm 522. I have/had 2 of them. One works and one doesn’t. Currently I’m wearing a 7 series pump this is just big on me.
 
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