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<blockquote data-quote="Cheryl" data-source="post: 271793" data-attributes="member: 35617"><p>Pumps are not an easy option! I resisted having one for a long time and am now settled on it, but it takes effort. It has been a long & difficult journey for me to get where I am & I've still a way to go to get where I want to be (and where the doctors want me) with the pump, but it has brought my hba1c down significantly though it hasn't got rid of my many mild hypos. Some people settle into it quickly others, like me, it takes a long time. </p><p></p><p>So don't think of it as an easy option. You have to test more, (even with CGM at least 4 times a day, without CGM 6-10 times) you have to skip loads of meals at first to get your basals right & you have to learn how different foods, activities & hormones affect you. You must carb count properly. However, I do like the flexibility of popping an extra bolus if I decide to have a snack, eating out is easier & so is sport, once I got to grips with how it affected me.</p><p></p><p>If you meet NICE criteria, you should be given one, though this is sometimes easier said than done. If you can find a hospital clinic that specialises in pumps in your area, the journey will be much easier.</p><p></p><p>There are a few people with NHS funding for CGM (continuous glucose monitoring) but it is very difficult to get. There are only 2 at my clinic and I was told that they wouldn't even ask on my behalf.</p><p></p><p>However, I use CGM a couple of times a months (6 days each time) which I pay for myself and I do find it useful....but.... it is not always terribly accurate, it depends a lot in where you site the sensor & if not in just the right place can give a lot of low readings when you aren't low. I do find it useful, but in order to assess my control, make changes & see what certain meals do to me etc. I don't think that I'd use it all the time even if I did have funding.</p><p></p><p>It is expensive. The transmitter & 5 sensors as a start up pack costs about £750, then sensors are £275 for 5. They have to be used within six months of purchase or they "expire" & the transmitter apparently has to be replaced every 2-3 years.</p><p></p><p>I was lucky that my DSN managed to persuade the pump company to throw in the start up pack for free, but I'm still spending at least £100 a month on CGM.</p><p></p><p>Good luck.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Cheryl, post: 271793, member: 35617"] Pumps are not an easy option! I resisted having one for a long time and am now settled on it, but it takes effort. It has been a long & difficult journey for me to get where I am & I've still a way to go to get where I want to be (and where the doctors want me) with the pump, but it has brought my hba1c down significantly though it hasn't got rid of my many mild hypos. Some people settle into it quickly others, like me, it takes a long time. So don't think of it as an easy option. You have to test more, (even with CGM at least 4 times a day, without CGM 6-10 times) you have to skip loads of meals at first to get your basals right & you have to learn how different foods, activities & hormones affect you. You must carb count properly. However, I do like the flexibility of popping an extra bolus if I decide to have a snack, eating out is easier & so is sport, once I got to grips with how it affected me. If you meet NICE criteria, you should be given one, though this is sometimes easier said than done. If you can find a hospital clinic that specialises in pumps in your area, the journey will be much easier. There are a few people with NHS funding for CGM (continuous glucose monitoring) but it is very difficult to get. There are only 2 at my clinic and I was told that they wouldn't even ask on my behalf. However, I use CGM a couple of times a months (6 days each time) which I pay for myself and I do find it useful....but.... it is not always terribly accurate, it depends a lot in where you site the sensor & if not in just the right place can give a lot of low readings when you aren't low. I do find it useful, but in order to assess my control, make changes & see what certain meals do to me etc. I don't think that I'd use it all the time even if I did have funding. It is expensive. The transmitter & 5 sensors as a start up pack costs about £750, then sensors are £275 for 5. They have to be used within six months of purchase or they "expire" & the transmitter apparently has to be replaced every 2-3 years. I was lucky that my DSN managed to persuade the pump company to throw in the start up pack for free, but I'm still spending at least £100 a month on CGM. Good luck. [/QUOTE]
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