How does an insulin pump work

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Hello, I do not know a great deal about these pumps except to say that a young boy at my school where I work wears one. He is an insulin dependant 7 year old and seems to get on well with it. the pump has alarms and buttons to boost the output and a thin lead to a needle under the skin on his tummy. he wears it around the waist. Hope this gives a little info.

sue

Hi, I am going on the pump in september, i was offered the pump because i just can't get my sugar levels under control. The pump works by administering insulin in very small amounts throughout the day, a lot more like the pancreas would. The pump is worn 24/7 but can be removed if swimming, showering or doing anything else where it would get in the way, i think you can take it off for about 2 hours but you would then need to do an insulin adjustment to keep on track. The insulin is administered through a canular, which can be used on the normal sites used for injecting. I'm not sure about the bruising but i'll let you know. There's a bit of info on this site.
http://www.diabetes.org.uk

keep a look for a new one that is going to be like a plaster, you stick it on it has its own resivour of insulin, its own needle, and is waterproof, and it sticks too you so it wont really move about.

the big down side to pumps is that you still need to measure you levels and make alterations to the pump accordingly (why not just encoporate a meter that continuasly monitors sugar levels and adjusts its self?
and the big reason i dont have one is that they can get knocked out, which is **** if you have an active lifestyle,

some people moan about them cause they have a bulky thing attaced round their wiast but thats neither here nor there...

good side is that you are more likely to keep your diabetes under control.

hello friends

Insulin pump therapy is a form of intensive diabetes therapy that aims to improve blood sugar control.In this we use an insulin pump.

The pump continuously delivers fast-acting insulin under the skin through tubing called a catheter.

The catheter is inserted using a small needle, which may be removed, leaving only the catheter or tubing under the skin.

The catheter is changed after two or three days.


i love diabetes.

my daughter started the insulin pump on the 25/09/07 she started it 2 days before her 6th birthday and it has made such a big diference in her life, the insulin is delivered in small amounts right throughout the day via a small canular inserted just under the skin around you stomach or your thighs and the top of your bottom the infusion set should be changed every 2 -3 days. you can wear it on a belt around your waist or there are lots of pouches that are very good and stylish. the pump is very good even if you lead a very acctive lifestyle it is true that maybe it can be knocked and come out but that has not happened to my daughter and if i did then it would be easy enough to put back in, and as long as you change the infuson site regulary and dont use the same place to often then you should not get bruises or lumpy skin. and you can disconect from your pump to go swimming to take a bath or a shower for about an hour
and you wear it in bed my daughter has never complained about it getting in the way infact she loves her pump and wouldn't go back to the injections for anything
I hope this can be some help to you

Hey
I got my pump early september and it had already made a big impact, although my levels arn't that wonderful at the moment in places, my morning levels are now mostly under 10 (which is a huge improvement for me) and generally the spots where i usually get high readings although still to high are a lot lower than they were before. My pump nurse is off sick at the moment, which is why i haven't adjusted my insulin rates to much. I have also found that trends of high and low blood readings are showing up really well so i can adjust better. I climb regulary and as missie-lou said there are no problems with an active lifestyle. In answer to your first post, i haven't bruised at all, i am left with a mark where the cannula was but that clears up quite quickly.
Good luck
Adele

...falling is not the problem, it's when you land...

I am attending a DAFNE course at my local hospital, (better regime for diabetic control) and on it covers the new pumps that are available, when I have covered this I will post the details I have been told on this forum. Anyone wanting details emailing them feel free to contact me and I will email them direct when I again have the info.

Martin Zee

"I dont mind the pens but it would save me having to go to the toilet everytime to inject "

I initially used to go to the loo to inject but after a while I just thought 'so what' and do it wherever I am at the time! sometimes people stare but who cares!

When i was first diagnosed i once injected in the middle of town, i had the little orange capped syringes at the time, a woman walked past us as i was injecting, the look on her face was priceless, mum and i laughed about it all the way home lol,

...falling is not the problem, it's when you land...

Good for you guys
I also inject anywhere i want too
It's just that my pancreas is in a pen!
stephen