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Insulin pump

Sharon1965

Sharon1965

Member
Messages
5
Location
Hertfordshire
Type of diabetes
Carer
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi
I am looking for some advice please.
My 20 year old Som has been T1 for 4 years. He has always injected and refused to even discuss the option of a pump. He is at university now and has been hoes for Easter. He met a male work colleague of mine who has been T1 for 20 years, by his own admission he never looked after himself and has a number of health issues. He has been on the pump for 2 years and is much healthier. Anyway to cut a long story short after talking to him, about the pump, how it works, seeing it, and hearing about my friends long term complications, my son has started talking about wanting one. I don't want to push it, but at the same token I do think it would help him and I want to encourage it. He has extra stress at university, and has a few minor health issues as well. How easy is it to get the pump, would he qualify? What do we need to do to start the ball rolling? Thanks
 
Hi Sharon, I think some hospitals give pumps more freely than others, I got mine fairly easily but I know others have said it's more difficult.

I had to show that I was willing to try my best with bg testing because a pump won't work properly if you don't test often.

I had to go to the DSN at the hospital as it's not something the doctors deals with..

I was not keen on the idea of a pump at all but I've got a friend who got one about a year before me and his diabetes improved dramatically from having one, my control wasn't terrible but I knew it could be better and now it is :)
 
Yes, his DSN or Consultant is the one he should be discussing the option of a pump with, good luck and hope he's successful.
 
There aren't many consultants who'll recommend a pump. It took me several years and 3 NHS trusts to finally get one. However, you have a great advantage. The chap who's talking about his pump will explain which consultant he saw and how he got it.
One of their main fears is that after spending quite a bit of their budget on the kit, you'll decide it's not for you.
Sometimes there is a group meeting of pump users. That would be a fantastic thing to attend to get stories straight from us pumpers about how we use them, and live with pumps. Also there's lots of coffee and cakes :-) (but I'm just an engineer and I'm cheap like that ;-) )
 
I think if you're a child, you are more likely to get one. I'm 15 and was diagnosed 4 months and am already on the waiting list and will be going to the pump roadshow at the beginning of next year. I was asked if I would be interested in a pump and I said yes, immediately put onto the list. Not had any problems yet either.
 
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