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Hello!!

Rebecca87

Member
Messages
7
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi. I'm new to this site and joined for abit of advice about insulin pumps. I've been diabetic for almost 20yrs and I'm toying with the idea of getting a pump. Nurses have been nagging at me for abt 5 yrs now lol. Anyway I now have diabetic neuropathy (which is under control and doesn't actually bother me at all) and rhumatoid arthritis which makes life extremely difficult. I'm really struggling at times to hold my insulin pen. I would rather get a pump when it was still my choice!! My nurse has suggested a patch pump. Does anyone have one or know of anybody with one? And what is ot like and how does it work? There's so many things running through my mind about this. Hope somebody can give me some advice. And again HELLO EVERYONE!!!
 
Hi, welcome

I'm T2 but hopefully some T1's will be able to answer your questions. @noblehead ?
 
Hi Rebecca and welcome to the forum

I'm using the Omnipod Patch Pump and have been for the last 6 months, basically the Pods just attach to your skin where you'd normally inject and it is operated by a hand-held device called a PDM, this programmes the Pod to deliver both your basal and bolus insulin and also doubles-up as a bg meter.

If you look on the Ypsomed website you will see more details about the Omnipod Pump and also a demonstration, alternatively look on Youtube as there's some good video's on there of people who use this pump (mainly from the USA), but if you want to know a little more about pumps in general then have a look at INPUT:

http://www.inputdiabetes.org.uk/
 
Hello Rebecca The patch pump you mention is the omnipod, so google away and you will see demo's on how it works. There are a few members who have the omnipod including @noblehead who will hopefully be along soon to help you out.
He has already arrived as I wrote this
 
Hello and welcome.to the forum.
Im T2 so I cant help someone will help you.
 
Hi. Thanks for replying. I had a search on Google before I came on here and saw the pump you're talking about. Only thing being the videos it was coming up with were in every language but English lol. I understand tht there's no wires etc but I suppose I was looking for other people's own experiences. Like whats it like on a day to day basis? Does it irritate having something stuck to you all the time? Is it really noticeable? Did you not feel lost without your pens?
 
CarbsRok said:
You didn't look very hard did you? https://www.myomnipod.com/see_how_it_works.php
Click to expand...

Lol clearly not!!! I have quite clearly been looking at completely the wrong thing. I am blonde though. Can I use that as an excuse? Lol. Do you have one of these pumps? How do you find it? Are they easy to manage? Are they better than injecting and adjusting that way? Do you notice it stuck to you all the time? I have seen that quite a few people on here have complained of serious keto acidosis. Have you have problems with terrible glucose levels? Like I explained earlier I have already got neuropathy due to bloods rising during my pregnancies and I dont particularly want it to worsen or spread anywhere else. Anything you could share with me would be fantastic.
 

This is the UK website for the Omnipod:

http://www.mylife-diabetescare.co.uk/mylife-omnipod-product-overview.html

On a day to day basis its absolutely fine and so much better then have to inject as you can fine tune your basal rate to match your bodies needs, plus the delivery options on pump make it much easier to bolus for meals such as those that are high in fat.

The Pods don't irritate me and I forget I'm wearing one most of the time, but I don't have neuropathy problems so don't know how this would effect you, as for it being noticeable, if you wear loose clothing over the pod no one will notice but it shouldn't really matter, using a pump or injecting insulin isn't something to be ashamed of and we only administering a drug that our pancreas would have produced if we didn't have diabetes.
 

I use the Animas Vibe insulin pump.
Control has a few ups and downs but A1c is 6.2.
Secret is to keep up the testing and work on the control, the pump no matter what type you have is only as good as the user. IE, it only does what you tell it.
 
CarbsRok said:
I use the Animas Vibe insulin pump.
Click to expand...
CarbsRok said:
Control has a few ups and downs but A1c is 6.2.
Secret is to keep up the testing and work on the control, the pump no matter what type you have is only as good as the user. IE, it only does what you tell it.
Click to expand...

Yes you're right. It's all up to the user. 6.2 is excellent well done you. 6 is a little tight for me though and consultant has agreed for me to continue my long term at 7. Think it is something I need to do now really while it is still my choice. I feel as though I would be lost without my pens and having to inject everyday. I've done it for nearly 20yrs and it works for me. I suppose I'm nervous as well. It's jumping into the unknown and starting a whole new regime. And what if I get it wrong and end up really poorly again. When I was first diagnosed I was actually in a diabetic coma with serious keto acidosis and was on the verge of death. I wouldn't want to change to a different regime and end up like that again. And I know you said it's all down to the user but when I was pregnant the ketones were there as a slight trace so I adjusted insulin etc and they still crept in further and I ended up ill. I'm absolutely petrified that if I did go ahead with it and worked hard and all the rest that I still ended up sick. I honestly don't know what to do for the best.
 
I wouldn't worry too much, I was on over 100 units a day of humalog when I was pregnant and I only normally need an average of 10 per meal, being pregnant just makes things worse wether you're on pump or pen! Haha I don't have a pump but people seem to really rave about them, maybe give it a go and see how it goes? You might love it, I always wonder how they sleep with it on though?
 
Pumping is a completely new learning curve. The main thing is common sense and thinking for yourself. Buy yourself the book pumping insulin by John Walsh, it's the pumpers bible and worth it's weight in gold.
It's quite common to be nervous as it's down to fear of the unknown.
Do your research and learn all you can before you start to pump then it's not one big shock to the system.
Pumping works by acting on your blood sugar readings. To start with it's a lot of hard work and many have felt like chucking the pump from the nearest multi story. It can take 6 months or more for some people to sort things out and others manage it within a few weeks.
You will have a lot of basal testing to do so that's missed meals and missed sleep, again worth it if you want the results.
I've had a pump for almost 8 years and been on insulin for just over the 50 years now.
 

I shouldnt imagine it would bother my neuropathy as it's in the tips of my fingers and with the medication and good bg control I dont have the pins and needles or as much numbness now. They're more or less as they were, apart from the fact that I drop things all the time lol. Oh I wouldn't be wearing loose clothing unless it was a top or whatever that was supposed to be. I'm not bothered about people seeing it, not in the slightest. I'm proud of who I am. Its made me a much stronger person. Yeah I've had tough pregnancies but so have other 'normal' women and yeah I've had really challenging times in my childhood and adulthood because of it but I wouldn't change who or what I am. I wouldn't want to be the everyday kind of 'normal'. I'm 'normal' in my own way!! I just have to stick abit more insulin in me. I dont view diabetes as a disease or a disability its just a part or my life now. When I asked if it was noticeable I meant for you as a wearer. But you answered that as well. Like I said I couldn't give 2 hoots about people seeing my pump (when I get 1 lol) or me doing bloods or having my insulin. If they don't like it then they can do 1. I wont hide away because of their ignorance. I'm 'normal' like them, I just need to help 1 of my organs along abit.
Thanks for sharing your experience with wearing it though. I really appreciate that.
 

Yeah ill definitely do more research and I'll pop out and get that book. Thank you!
WOW your a veteran diabetic!!! Over 50 yrs!!! It used to always be me that felt like a veteran when folk at clinics would say they had only had it for a few months or a couple of yrs ha ha. I have noticed alot of people do seem to like these pumps. I take it if you had the choice of a pump or a pen you would stick with the pump? Is this just down to greater flexibility and being able to have better control with 1?
I really appreciate everything you have shared with me as well. Thanks very much.
 

Thanks for your reply. Ahhh humalog. I was on that when I first got diagnosed. Its changed a couple of times since then lol. Yes these babies certainly don't make it easy for us expectant mothers. Yeah I have noticed alot of people saying they love them and only a few saying they don't. There is a new pump out now that is just a patch with a special handset that you programme your insulin needs into so I shouldn't imagine that would be too bad to sleep in. Totally agree with the older style though. I would have the cannula ripped out every night acting those tubes lol.
 
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