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Preference? Pump or insulin?

Donna1

Well-Known Member
Messages
170
Location
Scotland
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Diabetes
Im curious to know how people feel about the pump or injecting?

When first diagnosed i was devastated and obv shocked and the doctor at the time said there are pumps now which can be a future choice and explained briefly what it was!
No offense to anyone with a pump but i thot oh that would make this illness even more of a pain having to walk about with something like that stuck to u all the time as ive not seen one n only imagining it! Call it vanity but also thot it would ruin my confidence on a personal basis n be hard to adjust to having psychologically!

Would like to hear people,s views who have one or have tried them?


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If I had to choose, I wouldn't want a pump attached to me 24/7. Those that have them swear by them but they are not a miracle cure, they are hard work. Personally, I have no problem injecting and my last HbA1C was 41 so I'm happy
 
Yeah ive heard that folk love them but on a relationship basis i dont think it would make me feel confident about myself, (that may sound very vain) if ye know what i mean but id love to see one it would maybe change my personal feelings bout it!


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I seem to do pretty well on MDI. Don't think I'd want a pump attached, although they do have some neat features I suppose.
 
My opinion is if you can manage your diabetes with MDI, basal/bolus, why would you want a pump attached to you 24/7 ? I appreciate some people struggle to manage their diabetes and a pump is necessary.
 
There are a lot of factors to take into account, overall poor control on MDI is one of them, unpredictable BG swings, high insulin sensitivity, hypos with no warning or induced by exercise etc are all reasons for having one.

If you have good control with MDI, then no reason to change, unkess other factors are involved.

I've just got approval for one not becasue of poor control, but because of regular exercise induced low blood sugars which I don't feel at the time (as low as 3.2 recently), which mean I need to eat more than I need/want to stay safe. For me, the beauty of the pump will be minimal on-board insulin vs MDI, and the ability to suspend/remove the pump for an hour or so, or turn it righ down for a long run or ride. Plus flexibility vs MDI

Personally I'm just as happy to stick something into me once every three days and leave it there vs jabbing myself 5 or more times a day.
 
I love my pump and have no problem being attached. Its my bff lol. for vanitys sake I have no problem with the set - its about the size of a 10p piece. I also have a CGM which gives me a massive relief from wondering what my bloods are its expensive but worth every penny I think.
 
I am 34 years diabetic. I Never wanted a pump. I thought I didn't want to depend on a machine and I didn't want this to be attached to me 24 hours. Then a year and half ago I decided to give it a try as I was struggling with insulin unpredictability and severe hypos and my quality of life was worsening. Now my only regret is I didn't try it before. I swim so I don't keep my pump with me 24 hours...and I tend to forget I wear it.
I don't have a regular day routine. Because of my work I travel a lot and I don't have fixed meal times. The pump gives me all the flexibility I need. As Engineer88 I also use a CGM: the 2 together has helped me to get the best control in years...and it's not easy after 34 years of diabetes. Last HbA1c was 6.1.
Having said all this, I strongly feel the decision of using a pump must be strictly personal and not imposed by a doctor just simply to improve control as there's a lot of fine tuning to do!


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I love my pump and could not do without it now. Had MDI but had problems with it, I started on 2 injections a day(33 years ago). Then u100(2 injections, we still use u100 insulin) then went to MDI but it didn't help, so when changed to a pump, the best thing ever better control, not bothered by the 24/7 attachment after a few weeks you ignore it and don't notice it. So would not give my pump up, unless they prise it from my hands.
 
I mainly see nothing but positive comments from those who have changed to a pump, however I'm in two minds whether I'd want one myself, like everything else you should never say never and it might be something I'll look into further down the line
 
My past 3 HbA1C readings were 27mmol/mol.

Mostly on account of what I eat and when - together with an effective Continuous Glucose Monitor (namely myself, mostly using cheap and simple visually read strips) - my condition could not be better managed.

Simplicity facilitates this management.

So, for example, my regimen is such that I have almost zero insulin operating within me when I go to sleep at night. (I just have to watch what I eat during the evening, so my blood sugar doesn't rise overnight.) Accordingly, I always sleep safely.

And I use .3ml disposable syringes rather than a clunky pen-injector.
 
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Is it possible to do intense physical activity with pump?? I'm a dancer and concerns that it would be In th way when I am rolling around on the floor or doing contact work with a partner in class or on stage.


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I have had my pump since October and I love it! So much better than having to inject myself 4 times or more a day! The only pain is having to change the canula as that sometimes hurts a tiny bit but thats only every 3 days! It has improved my sugar levels alot too! And most of the time i hardly realise that my pump is there! I am sure there are dancers and sports people in the world who do strenuous activity with there pumps on without a problem
 
Haven't felt the need for a pump yet, I may go for one in the future. When I was first diagnosed I was offered one but I really just didn't want a pipe sticking out of my body as close minded as that sounds. I do follow regimented diet and exercise so my control is a lot better than most but when the day comes that I am too lazy to eat well and give up training I may need one, for now I'm very happy with needles and pens.
 
diabeticdancer said:
Is it possible to do intense physical activity with pump?? I'm a dancer and concerns that it would be In th way when I am rolling around on the floor or doing contact work with a partner in class or on stage.


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Not sure about dancing, but I'm planning to carry on running and cycling with mine the peoblem would be finding an area that doesn't intefere with my camelback on the long runs.

Woud, there be somewhere you can stick it our of the way, like teh small of your back or if you're female, in your bra as others do?
 
I have been diabetic for 4 years now and had the worst time ever with it...I hated it! Most of all I hated injecting...I started a pump about 2 months ago and it's the best thing I have ever done and would tell everyone thats thinking about it to go for it and give it a shot...I did and I went from having sugars about 20 everyday for the past 3 years to my sugars being under 10 from day one of starting the pump! I use and animas vibe I will swear by it x

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Hi,
I have been using the Omni Pod pump system now for nearly 2 years and it was the best thing I ever did (I've been T1 for 30+ years) the freedom this pump has given me I can't measure.
I am now racing and training for a half iron man this June something I could never have achieved injecting.
The pods themselves are small and i have no issues with them with the amount of training I'm doing (swimming,bike,run).
The main plus for this system is that there are no wires so the pda can be left in a bag whilst swimming etc.
 

Way to go Mr D (or Miss D)

I'd like to try a tri, but I swim like a demented egg whisk on acid.

Done a couple of duathlons though.
 
diabeticdancer said:
Is it possible to do intense physical activity with pump?? I'm a dancer and concerns that it would be In th way when I am rolling around on the floor or doing contact work with a partner in class or on stage.


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I can see where your coming from on this one Diabeticdancer..
I'm not a pumper myself. (old school T1)
My bass player in one of the bands i'm in uses the Omni Pod. I've had a close up look at it along with a little research on the technology involved..
I kind of like what i see.!
Incidentally i spent 3 years in a dance college in Surrey so i appreciate where your coming from with this concern..
Nowadays i tend to get dragged into the audience with forced crowd surfing.. The dance training still comes in handy!!
 
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