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No more pumping for now.

victry77 said:
I've literally just taken mine off and have got my pens out of the fridge
It's only been three months but I just don't think I can be doing with managing the pump. I don't think it's going to suit me.
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If your control is ok, and you have not had diabetes long and are not hypo unaware to a serious extent, and have no weight problem, it may be that at the moment it is not for you, and you will be much happier off it - it is quite a nuisance, and a lot of work.
I stopped it for some months at the beginning as i could not manage the infusion sets, but had to go back and persevere due to the hypo problems that had worsened over the years. On the pump i can go to sleep each night a bit more relaxed, though i still wake most nights out of habit. Before, i had to set alarms for many years, twice every night, due to hypo fear/problems, as i have always been very insulin sensitive. The pump allows me infusion of tiny amounts -and smaller adjustments than are possible with injections. I think it is all very much what you feel works best for you.
 
I'm 99% sure I won't go back to pump. My consultant this week said she has never known anyone to stop and tben go back on pump as they realise the freedom from it.

Exactly how I feel.

I completely understand how you feel @victry77. To be honest with activitys with the gym-I've found injections easier again than the pump..TBR's and switching on and faffing around for me were never me.. I've got levels good for this back on MDI doing nothing...so the faffing around, detaching and priming etc is such an overwhelming break from it all.

I don't blame you with your life and activities, you know yourself better than anyone.
To get to a point of taping, and running life on set changes,tbrs etc isn't easy.

I certainly have got my life back and my control is still acceptable levels.
 

DD - Please indulge my curiosity, and the fact I'm an avid reader.

Why did you start on the pump in the first instance? I'm just curious, because for as long as I remember reading your posts, you were such an advocate of pumping.

That's not any criticism of anything you've said or done, because I could never understand how it is to be either insulin dependant or on a pump; it's just to try to understand where the change has come from and why the issue leading you onto the pump is no longer of any concern.

Thanks, in advance.
 

Yes I can identify with all of that, sadly. :-(
 

Interesting. I wonder if the HCPs all know this. It would explain why they try to select committed patients who won't stop.

I spoke to my pump DSN this week and she asked if I would go back, but she sounded.pretty resigned that I wouldn't. She said a couple of interesting things. That everyone is entitled to a pump holiday every year and it is a good idea to take one. And, when I said that we feel like we are not allowed to give up on the pump once we start. She said absolutely not, they are working hard to counter that perception, as far as they are concerned, the pump is "just another insulin delivery method".
 

Yes, that is what it is - it may help certain categories of people, but not all. I am puzzled as to why you maybe thought it might be more than this?
Maybe it is a bit over hyped by the pump companies, or some doctors??.... But with no 'closed loop' yet, the basic system is still much the same as one I trialled in 1980, but with more infusion rate choices and a lot of apps. It is particularly useful for children, and others, who may have low insulin needs and who are very insulin sensitive, and for people needing to alter their infusion rates a lot, though - and I found it just as useful in 1980, despite no proper infusion sets, and just a long angled butterfly needle, which was painful whenever i turned. But i still found it terrible coming off it back then.
 
Maybe some have been disappointed with the pump, but i have found numerous advantages, and in comparison with my approx 30 years not on the pump, there is no contest - life is so much better - and, not expected, all sorts of other positive health effects. More even control and less hypos/need for sugar , has led to few dental problems. I have also been able to lose nearly a stone, to get back to my old usual weight. Throughout Type one years i have always been in the normal BMI range, but i was not at 'my normal' adult weight. I was talking to my consultant about this, they know that some diabetics find hypos easier when they are a bit heavier - i had to gain a bit of weight, as that made me a bit less insulin sensitive. Great to get back to old weight, could not do this off the pump however much i tried to avoid hypos. Also positive - off all stomach acid medication i was on for 20 years plus - no one has explained why - although i still have gastritis on endoscopy, it is mild. Also now on a very reduced thyroid hormone dose, and feel much better - research shows that in some people, with mild hypothyroid disease, there is a direct relationship between amount of hormone needed and weight. There are many other advantages i see to the pump, at least for me - sleeping better, not feeling inappropriate hunger, not needing unwanted snacks, or meals, feeling generally 'more normal' , more energy, I could go on!
 
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No doubt about it that the pump works very well for many. Which makes it all the more of a shame that there are these obstacles to reusing a pump from someone for whom it didn't work, potentially to someone for whom it might work really well.
 


I loved my pump for 5 years. If I could have maintained consistency in it without having up to 5 set changes every day then I would not have given it up. I had perfection on it when I had slightly more fat.

I originally got given a pump within 2 weeks of having a driving incident on MDI.

Now, I have nothing to consider other than how many units to give myself. I don't wake up having to change sets daily, priming, checking that batteries are ok, moving and finding pain, checking and changing cartridges, writing down my life in my book and working out the day before whether I'm going to have a lie on and to do a different profile or whether hubby working an AM shift or PM shift etc..
Even hubby now admits he was always wondering where I had my set or where my tube was for giving me a cuddle.

My levels on MDI are ok.. Not within 5-7 all day everyday as they were on the pump. However, my happiness and freedom from constant changes and attention to the pump is huge.

I did love my pump. (At least after the first 6 months when Accuchek recalled their faulty sets).... I do not see why I should intentionally add fat on to my body to use a pump- there is no way of knowing where the extra weight and fat would go.. Probably to my organs!! Due to the aspartame, sweetener, preservative intolerance and also because of slow colonic transit have to be very, very careful on the foods I eat... So it is actually easier on MDI than a pump in a lot of ways for my food.

I think the pump has given me a greater realisation of how hypo's affect me and how to ensure I maintain awareness. Definitely the swings in my levels prior to pump impaired my recognition slightly because of the sometimes over correcting on MDI and the speed I would drop. Nowadays I ensure that my levels will come down with corrections at 5 hours and NOT 2 -3 hours that I used to do previously on Mdi. This was only learning from my consultant though really...

I do still think Pumps are great. However when they are problematic for whatever reason then sometimes going back to MDI should not be ruled out...
 

Thanks for that.

If it's any consolation initial weight gain is likely to be extremely superficial and very subcutaneous. You formerly anorexic friend could possibly help you understand how that tends to happen. (Is she coming along to better health?)
 
It has occurred to me that if a pump is an insulin administration device only then one should be able to use one to administer quick acting without having a basal rate, and stick to Levemir or Lantus as the basal solution. I think that way you could great control but I don't think CCGs would fund it that way.
 
Spiker said:
No doubt about it that the pump works very well for many. Which makes it all the more of a shame that there are these obstacles to reusing a pump from someone for whom it didn't work, potentially to someone for whom it might work really well.
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Agree it would be good if all people who wanted the pump, or to try the pump, were able to - sadly the NHS does not give this priority. It was not until some while after i had a fall with serious consequences that i eventually got a pump. Re unwanted pumps, NHS has to be fair, and also careful to assess everyone, and the pump manufacturers require this assessment also. Not sure if unwanted pumps are re-used, thought they used to be. The NHS ones belong to the hospital, and i thought they went to someone waiting on their lists. Not sure now - maybe it is like crutches - NHS used to have them back but now sterilisation costs mean they don't, I have a collection...
 

She is getting better.. Thank you for asking. Most noticeable is the fact thst she isn't taking photos of food all the time. Will always be a struggle for her...

She actually first moaned about belly fat...!! But I've never been able to use belly.

I have a good bmi and now using gym with great toning effects for muscles.... So I just can't see the point of adding fat to my body just for the sake of it...

I think as well because of the exercise from gardening and now the gym but trying to eat just natural whole home made foods etc because of intolerance to so much yhat it is hard to intentionally find food to eat extra to pile weight on intentionally.

It is getting relatively easy now to maintain weight to the foods that I can eat so I would rather choose the easier option of keeping as I am rather than being pushed to eat to put weight on to go back to the pump if you see what I mean.. Its not wanting to necessarily keep lean.. Just that I need to keep to good, natural foods with flax n chia seed to keep my stomach working...

A strange balancing act but the pump just added in more probs when I can now use 4mm injections (8mm when I stopped 5 years ago)... And thanks to good diabetic and gastro consultant and DSN I have maintained my colon working.

Consultant also told me this week that my reduction in pain has caused my insulin needs to reduce so much as well... I didn't even realise that pain could be so significant to insulin needs. My basal since coming off pump has reduced from 17 to between 11-13 units daily..I couldn't fathom out why... But its all linked in to the pain from artificial sweeteners and preservatives... Reduction in pain, reduction in basal!!!

Complicated.. Happy enough at moment keeping my life to "simple" I guess!!!
 

I wasn't trying to persuade you to do anything you don't want to, just encourage you to keep your mind open. A simple life makes sense and is one of my own tenets and has been a driver to keep myself well away from medications etc.
 

Good on you @Spiker, I feel your pain, even being on a patch pump. I have had a couple of breaks from pumping, with mixed feelings. MDI and pumps have their pros and cons as you know.

I could be tempted back into MDI in combination with a freestyle insulin meter (IOB, bolus calculator - very useful) and perhaps an insulin pen with smaller than 1iu increments, ideally 0.25iu would be workable, 0.1 even better.

With an upcoming holiday (not booked yet), I plan on switching back for a "break"/pump holiday - one less thing to worry about

Good luck on MDI, you can always change at a later date if it suits!
 
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http://www.pendiq.com/en/#&panel1-1

0.1 unit pen and stores all your doses etc
 
@candi-girl That looks very interesting. I remember fighting and failing to get even a half unit pen.
 
it's costly but my friend on MDI got one and she loves it.
only takes lilly or sanofi insulins though.
 
It's a bit rubbish if you aren't using Lantus, Apidra or Humalog!
 
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