Hi, i'm jen, 27 and been diagnosed for 4 years just been authorised for a pump and ordering it in a week and being fitted early jan! Been reading a lot of posts and my worries are around which infusion set to use and also I live alone and wondered if for safety I should ask someone to stay with me whilst I get set up on it? Thanks Jen
Going onto a pump
- Thread starter Jen1984
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Hi Jen
Welcome to the Forum. Good news about the pump. I hope that all goes well for you and that you get some good advice and support from your fellow pumpers on this forum.
Regards
Doug
Welcome to the Forum. Good news about the pump. I hope that all goes well for you and that you get some good advice and support from your fellow pumpers on this forum.
Regards
Doug
Hi Jen,
I am 28 and had diabetes for 13 years and just moved onto the medtronic veo pump two weeks ago tomorrow.
I did research like you and have always had tight control over my diabetes. I have not been able to match my lifestyle with the pens though, having a busy job and active outdoors life the pens couldn't provide flexible cover for me.
My initial advice from my lessons learned are:
- Be prepared for a complete mindset change, for me having the pump attached to me was the biggest hurdle, it just felt strange. It's getting much better now.
- Take some time off from work or work from home as your mind will be primarily clogged with pump thoughts!!
- I'd recommend having someone stay incase of night time hypos or just reassurance.
- Make sure you ask what the beeps and icons mean on your pump, mine started beeping to say 'bolus delivered' and I thougth it was malfunctioning late at night as I had no idea. It's now on vibrate instead!!
- Try different insertion sites, everyone is different. I started on silhoettes but found them too uncomfortable, I'm on suret sets not and they, for me, are much better.
- Use your DSM as a contact point even over the phone for the first few weeks, if in doubt check with them.
- I have noticed my control is much tighter now than before, even after 2 weeks, I still have some issues with site location, ie today bumped my cannula in the morning commute and it is still twinging. I'll change it when I get in.
Hope it goes well for you. This forum has been a real comfort during my siginificant mind set change as I moved to a pump!
Leebee
I am 28 and had diabetes for 13 years and just moved onto the medtronic veo pump two weeks ago tomorrow.
I did research like you and have always had tight control over my diabetes. I have not been able to match my lifestyle with the pens though, having a busy job and active outdoors life the pens couldn't provide flexible cover for me.
My initial advice from my lessons learned are:
- Be prepared for a complete mindset change, for me having the pump attached to me was the biggest hurdle, it just felt strange. It's getting much better now.
- Take some time off from work or work from home as your mind will be primarily clogged with pump thoughts!!
- I'd recommend having someone stay incase of night time hypos or just reassurance.
- Make sure you ask what the beeps and icons mean on your pump, mine started beeping to say 'bolus delivered' and I thougth it was malfunctioning late at night as I had no idea. It's now on vibrate instead!!
- Try different insertion sites, everyone is different. I started on silhoettes but found them too uncomfortable, I'm on suret sets not and they, for me, are much better.
- Use your DSM as a contact point even over the phone for the first few weeks, if in doubt check with them.
- I have noticed my control is much tighter now than before, even after 2 weeks, I still have some issues with site location, ie today bumped my cannula in the morning commute and it is still twinging. I'll change it when I get in.
Hope it goes well for you. This forum has been a real comfort during my siginificant mind set change as I moved to a pump!
Leebee
Thanks Leebee that has helped alot!!
Need to ask my diabetes nurse what she thinks i should do when i got next week!
I live in Scotland so may have to arrange to go and stay with my family for a week at home in warrington!
Looking forward to getting it fitted but getting nervous now the more I read, but I need much better control my hbalc today was 10.2 which is down from 10.7 but a long way to go yet!
I am the same my slow acting insulin plays havoc with me, stays around too long and causes me to struggle with exercise! Also stress really seems to effect my BG's and my job can be very stressfull alot of the time!
Hope my work are understanding as it will help them too if I am better and in work more!
Need to ask my diabetes nurse what she thinks i should do when i got next week!
I live in Scotland so may have to arrange to go and stay with my family for a week at home in warrington!
Looking forward to getting it fitted but getting nervous now the more I read, but I need much better control my hbalc today was 10.2 which is down from 10.7 but a long way to go yet!
I am the same my slow acting insulin plays havoc with me, stays around too long and causes me to struggle with exercise! Also stress really seems to effect my BG's and my job can be very stressfull alot of the time!
Hope my work are understanding as it will help them too if I am better and in work more!
Riri
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Hia Jen - best of luck with a pump. I was fitted with my pump 3 weeks ago and I like you struggled with my blood sugars. All I can say is that it's hard work but worth it. My basal insulin is still not right but I am finding that on the whole my BS is more predictable and not subject to the same extreme highs and lows as I had on injections. My job is currently stressful and I see a direct link to me getting worried over work and high blood sugars - my employers are great but at the end of the day it's the job I do and I have to accept that. The set you choose is very much down to the individual - I found the quick sets didn't suit me and I'm now on silouhettes (I'm quite slender). 1 out of every 4 hurt and are quite tender to touch? I'm asking my DSN about this tomorrow so we'll see if she suggests a change.
I agree with all Leebee's advice. I would also add to ask them to explain how to treat high BS numbers and when you need to take action because of the possibilty of ketones. I have to admit that this issue does worry me still and I will be asking my diabetes team tomorrow to go over it wit me. Best of luck to you.
I agree with all Leebee's advice. I would also add to ask them to explain how to treat high BS numbers and when you need to take action because of the possibilty of ketones. I have to admit that this issue does worry me still and I will be asking my diabetes team tomorrow to go over it wit me. Best of luck to you.
Thank you, I am hoping as I am not of thin build that I will have less pain with sets!
Yes I will defo ask this, Will let you know when I get my date for being fitted hope its first week in Jan, want to feel better.
Like you say your job is your job. I work for a huge firm so should be ok!
Jen
Yes I will defo ask this, Will let you know when I get my date for being fitted hope its first week in Jan, want to feel better.
Like you say your job is your job. I work for a huge firm so should be ok!
Jen
Riri & Jen,
Sounds like we all have the same concerns. Which is good in a sense.
I'm from Leigh, not far from Warrington Jen and also work for a large company as a project manager. Stress does effect my levels but the pump so far is giving me a better fasting blood sugar. Since carb counting though I've managed to stop my daily packet of biscuits to nibble on based in 3 injections of 13 units a day. This is from the old style diabetes of 3 injections and one basal a day. I look back in horror at having to snack every hour.
My concerns are also around keytones, my blood sugars started to rise the other night to about 16 and the insulin I'd taken hadn't seemed to have worked, this was after changing a set, then it suddenly started to drop and I hypo's. Stupidly I changed the set due to pain at 9pm and so had to wait up until I was comfortable with my levels and that the pump was working. I have learnt my lesson and will only change them in the mornings from here on in.
I'm testing out the pump up in Glenshee skiing on Friday for a long weekend break. Fingers crossed!
Hope you're both ok.
Leebee
Sounds like we all have the same concerns. Which is good in a sense.
I'm from Leigh, not far from Warrington Jen and also work for a large company as a project manager. Stress does effect my levels but the pump so far is giving me a better fasting blood sugar. Since carb counting though I've managed to stop my daily packet of biscuits to nibble on based in 3 injections of 13 units a day. This is from the old style diabetes of 3 injections and one basal a day. I look back in horror at having to snack every hour.
My concerns are also around keytones, my blood sugars started to rise the other night to about 16 and the insulin I'd taken hadn't seemed to have worked, this was after changing a set, then it suddenly started to drop and I hypo's. Stupidly I changed the set due to pain at 9pm and so had to wait up until I was comfortable with my levels and that the pump was working. I have learnt my lesson and will only change them in the mornings from here on in.
I'm testing out the pump up in Glenshee skiing on Friday for a long weekend break. Fingers crossed!
Hope you're both ok.
Leebee
jopar
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My worst fear just before starting on a pump was it pumping over-night no problems with it doing it's business during the day when I was awake as I could keep an eye on things, night times how ever was a different ball game.. But OH settled my fears when he told me I was being a numpty as what did I do every night at 11pm? Inject background insulin and what did I think that did overnight exactly :roll: Warning the pump has never bothered me apart from my first night which was a bit sleepless..
Good idea's about taking a week of work to settle into having the pump, as lot of testing..
As until you pin the basal rate's down nothing else will be correct so work on basal rate before fine tuning your carb/insulin ratio's.. Get your night time basal sorted first as this is the most exhausting one to do,,,
Best way of sorting out basal rates is fast testing, so you can see what your basal is upto..
Change one thing at a time, change too much you won't know what bit did or didn't work for you..
A good book to invest in is John Walsh's 'Pumping Insulin' it's known as the pumpers bible..
A couple of tips..
Try to change your sets before a meal/eating as any problems with sets will show a lot quicker as you are bolusing straight away,
If you get a high BG of over 14/16mmol/l use your insulin pen to inject the correction dose this tends to work a lot better than using the pump.
Another trick is to keep the tube/pump connector facing downwards, then if you do get any bubbles in the cartridge they will stay at the other end of the cartridge and not go through the tubing,,,
I found the first couple of weeks a very emotional experience and had floods of tears at the end of the first week, tears of joy though not having to tackle one hypo been a long time since that happened as I experienced 3-4 mild hypo's a day..
Good idea's about taking a week of work to settle into having the pump, as lot of testing..
As until you pin the basal rate's down nothing else will be correct so work on basal rate before fine tuning your carb/insulin ratio's.. Get your night time basal sorted first as this is the most exhausting one to do,,,
Best way of sorting out basal rates is fast testing, so you can see what your basal is upto..
Change one thing at a time, change too much you won't know what bit did or didn't work for you..
A good book to invest in is John Walsh's 'Pumping Insulin' it's known as the pumpers bible..
A couple of tips..
Try to change your sets before a meal/eating as any problems with sets will show a lot quicker as you are bolusing straight away,
If you get a high BG of over 14/16mmol/l use your insulin pen to inject the correction dose this tends to work a lot better than using the pump.
Another trick is to keep the tube/pump connector facing downwards, then if you do get any bubbles in the cartridge they will stay at the other end of the cartridge and not go through the tubing,,,
I found the first couple of weeks a very emotional experience and had floods of tears at the end of the first week, tears of joy though not having to tackle one hypo been a long time since that happened as I experienced 3-4 mild hypo's a day..
Not too far away lee, looks like we're passing this weekend I'm off to Warrington and your up north thank you for everyone's advice it's really helping, just excited to get on it and anxious at the same time! I was hospitalised 6 times last year in dka, they then sent me on dafne which really helped, since then dafne is good but the timings and how long the insulin hangs around for mean I go low or really high! I am also able to snack with no insulin because I drop low! I want to loose two stone and I am hoping the pump can help with this allowing me to exercise more successfully and also allow me to reduce my food intake , Jen
thank you for everyone's advice it's really helping, just excited to get on it and anxious at the same time! I was hospitalised 6 times last year in dka, they then sent me on dafne which really helped, since then dafne is good but the timings and how long the insulin hangs around for mean I go low or really high! I am also able to snack with no insulin because I drop low! I want to loose two stone and I am hoping the pump can help with this allowing me to exercise more successfully and also allow me to reduce my food intake , Jen