I resisted the pump for many years because I didn't want to be attached to something 24 x 7. I felt my pens gave me a chance to "disconnect" from diabetes between injections.
However, I was frequently experiencing hypos during and after exercise, which is a large part of my life.
The turning point that made me decide to go for it was two-fold:
1. finally understanding how a pump worked by allowing me to change the basal rate for an hour or more at a time. This allows me to change my basal needs at different times of the day and ad hoc when I exercise.
2.being told I could give it back if I didn't like it. This seems simple but realising I could try it out without before the rest of my life to being attached was very important ... although I never gave it back.
I have now been pumping for more than two years.
Am I used to it?
I am used to changing sets (cannula and insulin), I am used to having my insulin with me all the time, I am used to packing stacks of spares when I go away, I am used to tweaking my basal rates, I am used to dialling up my carbs and seeing the insulin go in, I am used to taking a BG reading and dialling this in to make a correction.
I am not used to having to worry about where to put something the size of a pack of cards. I am relatively small (about 55kg) and vain so I dislike that it is on show most of the time. No one seems to notice but I feel I am advertising my diabetes.
As critical pieces of kit, they are very thoroughly tested to ensure they do not over dose. But just like when on MDI, there is little to stop user-error. If you tell it you ate 40g carbs when you meant to tell it you ate 20g, it will overdose (although, if you are quick you may be able to cancel the dose).
The start of pumping is probably the worst part: it is the time when you are getting used to being attached, to changing sets, etc. and the time when your settings are being sorted.
The great thing about the pump is it is so configurable: different basal rates for different times of the day, different correction rates for different times of the day, different insulin to carb ratios for different times of the day, ... The bad thing is it is so configurable so you have a chance to get so many things slightly off and need some trial and error to get it right.
Once, it is set up correctly (give yourself a month or so or tweaking), it is worth the effort and, unless you are incredibly vain like me, you probably won't notice it most of the time.
