Mission to get a insulin pump

Have a look around INPUT - http://www.inputdiabetes.org.uk - it's an excellent resource for information on how to obtain a pump on the NHS.

I contacted input who gave me some advice to follow. I also had to switch hospitals as mine was so long and awkward about it. At the second hospital I was accepted at my very first consultation appointment, after originally asking 2.5 years ago I have my appointment tomorrow to go and select my pump!

the overall message is -- you need to chase the med peeps to get what you want ( and even then might not be successful)
so do keep pressing your case
and keep posting here with any progress !

all the best !!!

I'm really surprised to hear that. I've been type 1 for 6 months and yesterday my dns asked if I wanted a pump! I guess it depends on what trust you are in


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If you find @Tom86 that trying - with difficulty - to achieve good control on MDI is having an adverse effect on your quality of life (a lot of hypos, nighttime hypos - is what you've said) then you have a good case.

I had 'excellent' control, according only to my HbA1c. My pre-pump HbA1c was 44. But I was in a spiral of failed attempted perfection. It massively affected my quality of life - and the crushing thing is, I had no idea. I thought that half a life (as a result of my diabetes taking over the other half) was as much as I could expect, what with spending so, so much time and effort on managing it (at the expense of my career and my family life). I thought that was what I was supposed to be dealing with and having to put up with. That was the deal. Suck it up. 'That's life'.

Now I've had a pump since October last year, after nearly 30 years of obsessively tight control (hypos, or if higher than 7, beating myself up massively and hating, hating the feeling that I wasn't within target). It had been - with hindsight - ridiculous.

I wrote a succession of letters and sent them to my DSN. It took a while, but she ended up putting my point across to the powers that be, and has remained incredibly supportive ever since.

Pumping has made such a difference to me. HbA1c last count was 42 - but never mind that - I am starting to consider that having a normal life might just be something I might one day achieve. And I'm doing great so far. Work's going okay, my family have heaved a huge sigh of relief - and today I ran my first parkrun.

I feel like a winner-to-be.