New User- Ready to give up

[Dublindiabetic]

Hi,
I got my Medtronic 640g pump only yesterday. Doing the initiating period so only using saline at the moment and still injecting myself as i would have done previously.
Already feel like the pump is not for me. It feels very bulky and is not comfortable on my belt. I also would want it to be discreet and it is noticeable when there.
I saw some bands online but not sure if they are practical in real life. some had pouches wrapped around the leg or stomach but you would really need to find a bathroom to get at your pump to insert the BG and Carbs details.

any advice would be great as feel bad that after waiting a year I am thinking about handing back the pump already and continuing with my pens.

 

[Proto]

Hi, are you a male or female? As a guy i mainly keep my pump in trouser pockets, its never been a problem. The wire can sometimes be seen as it goes from the pocket to my waist line but if anyone asks about it and I can't be bothered explaining I normally just say they're earphones and tuck the excess wire away.

If you're a girl then I'm afraid I've got no experience with that but if its tucked away somewhere you can use the Contour Next Link as a remote (though there is no access to the Bolus Wizard or Temp Basals remotely).

Finally if you decide the pumps not for you then thats fine, there's nothing to feel bad about. Looking from the outside in they can seen like the best solution but they're still just another way of delivering insulin with their own sets of problems (like pens).

I would recommend you giving the pump more of a try though. In my experience most people don't notice it and the flexibility of it more than makes up for its downsides. For instance I managed to conquer pizza and beer using a pump because I could increase my Basal rate for 5 hours, not something that would have been easy with pens. Also I enjoy the one set change every 3 days vs multiple shots and the ability to do small corrections (like 1 unit or less) which I couldn't/wouldn't do with a pen.

 

[Juicyj]

Hi - well I thought the same as you when I got mine but I hadn't really grasped what it could actually do for me and how it could improve my life, I was also quite self concious of what I wore and was worried the pump would stick out or become fairly visible when I started wearing it, however I found a great pump belt which sits on my waist and I easily hide my pump now in tops, shirts and dresses (in my bra) if you're female that is ! It's absolutely no issue at all now.

The positives of having a better HbA1c and general control, less severe hypos kind of render all of this into the pale for me, I couldn't care less if anyone saw it now, that's their issue, I know I have made great strides with using a pump

 

[Dublindiabetic]

Thanks. I am a male. I often wear suits when meeting clients. While i know it shouldn't matter if someone sees the pump it is something I would prefer to keep hidden.
Even some simple things like having a shower or sitting on the loo seem really awkward

 

[Juicyj]

Thanks. I am a male. I often wear suits when meeting clients. While i know it shouldn't matter if someone sees the pump it is something I would prefer to keep hidden.
Even some simple things like having a shower or sitting on the loo seem really awkward

Thanks for confirming gender . I take mine off for showers and bath and the rest of the time I wear it in my pump belt. It doesn’t take long to adjust once you are comfortable wearing it, I would at least give it a couple of months, you are in an exceptional position as you have a choice, a lot of people aren’t so lucky.

 

[pepp]

i personally havenever been offered a pump i would like to try as i have had type 1 f0r 42 years am i too old for one i think you should give it a bit longer to try good luck

 

[Saffron26]

Hi, initially it does feel massive and awkward but after a while, you can almost forget you are wearing it. You can disconnect for showers. There are some great belts made by hid-in that are very useful - have a look online. Have you tried clipping the pump to a pocket? It does take time getting used to a pump but for most people, it really is worth it. Good luck!!

 

[eabhamurphy]

I never wear mine in the shower. Use a body band with a clear front on the screen that I can access through my blouse when I'm working. It's definitely a little irritating when choosing clothes but the HBA1c you can achieve without hypos is amazing compared to MDI. My last was 36. I don't notice it most of the time as I go about my day anymore. There are lots of clothes that I can't wear anymore as they don't fit with the pump but wouldn't be without it!
Good luck!

 

[scotteric]

Thanks. I am a male. I often wear suits when meeting clients. While i know it shouldn't matter if someone sees the pump it is something I would prefer to keep hidden.
Even some simple things like having a shower or sitting on the loo seem really awkward

I'm a lawyer and wear a suit every day. I found it way harder on MDI because the only convenient place to inject was my stomach, which meant I was constantly overusing it and still had to unbutton my shirt to get to it which was so annoying! Just clip your pump to your belt under your suit jacket where it will be hidden, or keep it in your right pant pocket, tuck the tube in your pants and wrap it around/under your belt. Having to wear a suit is one of the biggest reasons I pump, it makes it way easier to take insulin discreetly around others as well.

 

[scotteric]

Hi,
I got my Medtronic 640g pump only yesterday. Doing the initiating period so only using saline at the moment and still injecting myself as i would have done previously.
Already feel like the pump is not for me. It feels very bulky and is not comfortable on my belt. I also would want it to be discreet and it is noticeable when there.
I saw some bands online but not sure if they are practical in real life. some had pouches wrapped around the leg or stomach but you would really need to find a bathroom to get at your pump to insert the BG and Carbs details.

any advice would be great as feel bad that after waiting a year I am thinking about handing back the pump already and continuing with my pens.

Is the Medtronic/MiniMed Paradigm Veo still available where you are? I'm not impressed with the new Medtronic pumps, I've been using Paradigm pumps since 2006 and they are smaller. You may want to see if you can switch to a Paradigm if possible.

 

[Bluey1]

I have had the Medtronic 640g for almost a month. In Australia we seem to take more risks. I went straight onto insulin in the pump. I'm in a professional work environment and no one has noticed the 3cm of tube that comes up and over my belt and into my pocket. I can promise you once you are on the insulin you won't go back. We don't don't wear suit coats as it's way to hot and a coat would make it even easier to hide. My only minor gripe is I have now lost a pocket. I'm going to get a belt clip for my phone.

 

[Dublindiabetic]

I'm a lawyer and wear a suit every day. I found it way harder on MDI because the only convenient place to inject was my stomach, which meant I was constantly overusing it and still had to unbutton my shirt to get to it which was so annoying! Just clip your pump to your belt under your suit jacket where it will be hidden, or keep it in your right pant pocket, tuck the tube in your pants and wrap it around/under your belt. Having to wear a suit is one of the biggest reasons I pump, it makes it way easier to take insulin discreetly around others as well.

Thanks for the reply. Do you find it awkward having to take it to to enter the data? I was injecting in stomach but got lipohypertrophy so now inject in calves which I find quite easy to do discretely when eating out around others

 

[Dublindiabetic]

Is the Medtronic/MiniMed Paradigm Veo still available where you are? I'm not impressed with the new Medtronic pumps, I've been using Paradigm pumps since 2006 and they are smaller. You may want to see if you can switch to a Paradigm if possible.

I am based in Dublin. I got the Medtronic mini med this week. They didn't really offer a choice and had been on waiting list for a year

 

[scotteric]

Thanks for the reply. Do you find it awkward having to take it to to enter the data? I was injecting in stomach but got lipohypertrophy so now inject in calves which I find quite easy to do discretely when eating out around others

Nope, I found injecting in public awkward no matter where I did it. I find the pump easy and discreet compared to injecting. I've been pumping since I was 19, 3 months after diagnosis though. I took to it very easily and it's what I'm used to. I think once you get used to bolusing you will see how much more convenient it is than injecting, even with pens. I tried MDI for a few months and one of the biggest reasons I went back to the pump was that I couldn't stand how annoying it was taking a pen injection every time I wanted to eat something. You'll also be amazed at how much better you can match your insulin dose to the portions you are eating since you enter the carbs into the bolus wizard and the pump can dose in such tiny units. Again, the pump is the norm for me, so it's what you're used to. Once you get used to it, the idea of pulling a needle out in public will seem antiquated and bizarre.

 

[scotteric]

I am based in Dublin. I got the Medtronic mini med this week. They didn't really offer a choice and had been on waiting list for a year

I'd recommend calling the company and seeing if their older model Paradigm pumps are available to you. They're much smaller and require less button pushes to do the same things. I can take insulin without even pulling the pump out of my pocket since I know which buttons to push, but don't think it would be possible on the 640G due to the new design.

 

[CarbsRok]

Thanks. I am a male. I often wear suits when meeting clients. While i know it shouldn't matter if someone sees the pump it is something I would prefer to keep hidden.
Even some simple things like having a shower or sitting on the loo seem really awkward

Just clip the pump to your pocket or position it somewhere else on your belt. I've never had anyone comment on my pump which is clipped on my pocket. The tubing is long enough not to interfere with toilet needs, you unclip it for a shower so can't see a problem there at all.

It sounds to me as if you are getting stage fright So take a deep breath and take a day at a time.
If you decide not to use that pump and hand it back the pump will be dumped so a complete waste of money and it's doubtful no matter how great a need you have in the future you will ever be offered a pump again. So take another deep breath and think of all the positive benefits a pump with have on your life and wellbeing..

 

[Deleted Account]

I have been on a pump for two years now.
When I first got it, I did the usual saline thing for a week and literally chucked it on the floor in disgust when I could not hide it for a night out.
But I persevered. In ever found a good place to hide it (many women suggest putting it in their bras. Probably TMI but I have as much space in my bra as a guy!) so it spends most of its time on my belt. Few people comment on it.
Typing away at the controls of the pump for my bolus is a pest. I feel the user interface is as clunky as an early Nokia phone (but my pump doesn't have the Snake game on it). But it probably takes less time and is less obvious than putting a new needle on my pen, lifting my shirt and injecting.
I still strongly dislike the bulky thing on my belt and I love the moments of freedom when I remove it to have a shower.
However, I more strongly disliked the difficulties exercising with a fixed bolus and love even more the benefits of being able to adjust my basal whenever I go to the gym: in the last two years I have significantly increased the weights I can lift and improved my climbing skills which I put down to having much better BG control with temporary basals.

 

[therower]

@helensaramay . Thanks for the little chuckle.
Some of the guys I work with would have more than enough room to hide a pump in their bras IF only we could get them to wear a bra, ( at work anyway ). Have suspicions as to how some dress at home.
Quality over quantity every time.

 

[Dublindiabetic]

Thanks for all the responses. It has been really interesting hearing your own experiences. I suppose with the pump and tubing always attached it is a constant reminder to me about my diabetes. This is a bit foreign to me as in the 10 previous years with Type 1 i never felt it really impacted me and most colleagues would never know which is how i would prefer it to be. My controls are ok. HBA1C was 67 recently. Could be better but not too bad. I am hypo sensitive so always feel it coming on and correct myself.
Something went awry with my pump this morning and the saline seems to have emptied which shouldn't have happened (could have been something I did but don't think no did anything wrong tbh). I am due back in the diabetes centre this afternoon so will ask them about it but would be worrying if anything similar happened if it was insulin in the reservoir.

 

[Stefano]

Hi just read about this topic. I’ve been diabetic since the age of 8 (38 years diabetic now!). I never wanted a pump but then 5 years ago I decided to give it a try due to the too many hypos which were impacting my life. As things are now I would never come back to injections. Since I use a pump (5 year) I never had a HbA1c higher than 50 but what really counts for me is the freedom in lifestyle the pump gives you. You don’t have to plan your day! I go swimming, to the gym and the pump is not a problem. I detached when I swim, when I shower and other occasions. And yes people see me if I’m detaching my pump in the changing rooms but frankly nobody cares. Need to point out that I use also sensors and the synergy between the 2 is amazing. My suggestion is give it a try for a bit and then take a final decision. But chose what makes you feel more at ease! My last point is actually that with a pump you will forget you’re diabetic.