Loosing control

I don't think you are being irresponsible and it's unfair for anyone to judge you.

You are just reacting to how you are feeling.

Weight gain, particularly being female and with the added pressure of being a bridesmaid can be really hard to deal with.

I think it's important you try and get your sugars back under control firstly to improve your mood, otherwise you will lack the energy or enthusiasm to try and tackle anything else.

Then I would think about perhaps going low carb for a while to reduce your insulin doses and your weight if that's what you would like.

Try not to weigh yourself as this will just make you feel more down, pressured and desperate.

Focus more on how you are feeling as getting yourself into a more positive frame of mind is most of the battle.

I know exactly how you are feeling so you're not alone.

Such a shame that your pump DSN hasn't been more helpful.

The first thing to do is to check your basal rates and see if they need adjusted so that you can then look at things like your carb counting skills and your insulin-to-carb ratio's, the following explains how to do basal checks on a pump:

http://www.salforddiabetescare.co.uk/index2.php?nav_id=1007

Once you get your levels bg under control you can then look to cut back on your food intake and reduce the carbs in your diet, this should reduce your insulin usage and hopefully start to the weight loss, if not ask to speak with a dietitian at your diabetes clinic.

Just one other thing, there's a book that comes highly recommended on the forum called Pumping Insulin, I suggest you purchase it as it really is a good read and will help you get the most from your pump. Good luck.

Kellyann

Did you gain good levels after going on to the pump, did you have good instructions?

I just remember ohitsnicola on here about 9 months ago with hba1c of 110 and now she has got her hba1c down to 53.

I know of persons that haven't been given adequate support when they were given their pump,so to be honest from reading your posting I don't think this is all your fault....diabetic nurses shouldn't just understand but they should give you help too. One person never even had been given the advanced setting by DSN to be able to make changes... A complete oversight by the nurse.....

Anyhow, my rant is finished... So I'll ask.

1) what pump are you using?

2) are you comfortable with how to basal test?

3) are you comfortable with adjusting your Basals etc.

Two postings above are great but I am just wondering if you are actually comfortable with testing and making changes etc?

Is it the pump that you are having difficulties with or just coping around eating, diabetes and life in general?

We will try and help you any way we can..

Kellyann85 said:

Im sorry if i end up on a bit of a rant but I am feeling so down with everything Since going on the pump in August I have now gained a stone in weight and am the heaviest i have been in my life. I have spoken to diabetes nurses and although they understand i need to loose it they havent been able to provide me with the guidance i need. I am due to be a bridesmaid at my best friends wedding this year and i am dreading getting in the dress! Since gaining weight it has made me lack control as i know it is the insulin that has caused this, my sugar levels are now running at an average of 15 through out the day and understandably I am now feeling constantly tired and bad tempered which makes me awful company. I feel that i am loosing all control and although the complications scare me to death I am struggling to find the energy to to do anything about it and know where to start to turn things around. I know people will judge for being irresponsible with my control but I am hoping someone out there will understand and maybe be able to provide some help to get back on track.

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If you were given a pump because your control was poor before (like mine was), then initially you will gain weight. This is because previously you were peeing out a lot of what you were eating. If you had better control than me, then you may be putting on weight because your basal is too high (making you hungrier, for example). The way to achieve the weight loss you want without losing control of your blood sugar is twofold. First, as the others say, get a really good basal rate - one which keeps your bloods steady between meal, not declining (I did love that declining thing at first but it does make you hungry between meals and makes you need to eat fairly randomly so you won't be able to lose weight). Second, work out how to exercise WITHOUT "feeding the insulin". For me this is the great news about my pump. Initially I put on about four kilos because my control was better but once I worked out how to decrease both bolus and basal rates so I could exercise without having to add carbs, I lost seven kilos. I am still planning to lose more. You need to look at the boards on exercise and pumping and buy Pumping Insulin by John Walsh, and Think Like a Pancreas.

If you look at the boards here, most of the stuff about exercise is written by (very nice) chaps, but they are not trying to lose weight so they often talk about adding carbs when they exercise. But what they say is helpful. You need to learn how much to adjust your basal and bolus for different types of exercise. It took me a few months to really get it right, but all that time I was exercising and my blood sugars were at least better than before, if not perfect.

You can do it. Don't give up. Your pump is much better than injections for this.

Hi Kelly ann,
I have had two pumps. The first time I went on it I gained a lot of weight about 5 stone worth, this was mainly because for 5 years I was on a very stricked diet and had worked opporsite a bakery for years. When I was told I could have everything I pretty much ate the bakery store! Mad I know and could be judged for it but I cant tell you how amazing it felt! However it did not afterwards when I went to the hospital, I had the best readings ever but was told you are a fat cow and need to loose weight (their exact words) I stormed out and refused to be spoken to that way but I knew I needed to loose weight mainly for me. At the time my partner went to the gym with me, I did weight watchers (not every point but rounded it up to the nearest 10 or 100 to make it easier on me) and used GI diet to help me with when the body would release the food into my system.
I am pleased to say I lost 6 stone in 6 months its a lot I know, but I felt better, my body did and ive managed to keep it off.

Do it for you and no one else. We all believe in you!

I started the pump exactly a week ago and have put on 4kg already! I've been taking advantage of the fact that I seem to be able to eat whatever I want without having any spikes above 9. I have noticed though that every day I've had to increase my basal rates and when I got on the scales this morning I realised why! So the plan starting today is to once again cut back on my carb intake. I definitely suggest doing the same. The weight just seems to fall off while on a low carb diet.

Janelle123 said:

I started the pump exactly a week ago and have put on 4kg already! I've been taking advantage of the fact that I seem to be able to eat whatever I want without having any spikes above 9. I have noticed though that every day I've had to increase my basal rates and when I got on the scales this morning I realised why! So the plan starting today is to once again cut back on my carb intake. I definitely suggest doing the same. The weight just seems to fall off while on a low carb diet.

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I agree Janelle. I think its important to have that time to indulge in food that you haven't had for some time and then cut back