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Pump advice please

K

kayleigh15

Newbie
Messages
1
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hey there

Just wanted to get some advice. I had a meeting with my diabetic nurse today for my regular check up. I have been type 1 for 2 years now and i just hate injecting so my nurse has recommended me to think about a pump and too then discuss it with my consultant in 6 months for my appointment. I just wanted to ask advice from people who actually pump and have gone through the process. Any information you can tell me would be so helpful.

Thanks in advance
 
Hi @kayleigh15
welcome to the forum !!
Pumping is a big choice to make and I dithered over doing it for many years !!
Having said that , I finally decided to go on a pump and have been pumping now for 18 months -- best decision I have made.
it is some work to be on a pump and you do need to be proactive with BG testing for sure.
tagging some other pumpers to offer some support.
@Snapsy , @catapillar , @azure .
 

I'm not really sure what information it is you are after? Presumably your nurse told you what pumps would be available? Search for them on YouTube so you can see how they are sited and consider whether you can deal with the cannulation - I'm not sure whether you hate injecting cos it's a pain in the bum or because you have a needle phobia. Pumping doesn't eliminate the need to inject, you still need to site a cannula every 3 days.

If you decide to pump, read the book pumping insulin before you start so you've a decent grasp of how to get the most out of it.
 
kayleigh15 said:
Any information you can tell me would be so helpful.
Click to expand...

INPUT has some excellent information and advice on insulin pumps which includes the pro's & con's of pumping insulin:

http://www.inputdiabetes.org.uk/alt-insulin-pumps/what-is/

Take your time to decide as you have 6 months to do so @kayleigh15 , I've been using a pump for over 2 years now and it has been life-changing, so much better than MDI and my only regret is that I didn't change to a pump earlier. Good luck.
 
Hi @kayleigh15 Its probably worth having a think about what questions you want to ask, and then ask more specifically. As a general overview from my personal experience, it was one of the best decisions I ever made, but was undoubtedly made infinitely easier by having CGM, and doing a huge amount of research into that, before starting. CGM is not a prerequisite, it just makes it easier in my opinion! Not sure how much you understand about diabetes (I've had it 30 years but only actually started to learn about it 2 years ago), but I would consider reading 3 books - Think Like a pancreas, Sugar Surfing and Pumping Insulin. first two give you some insight into what the pump will help you aim for, and the latter will give plenty of preparation for a pump. Pumping requires a little more thought, and a bit more effort, but the rewards for most people are well worth it. As with everything, you get out, what you put in, and you still have to constantly think about what your eating, and blousing for each item, but I can't put a value on being able to eat an extra 15g carbs, and not having to inject again for it! What is it you want to know? Hope this helps, but feel free to ask away!
 
Hi @kayleigh15 , I've been pumping for 18 months, and I love it! Read as much as you can about it, watch videos on YouTube on cannula insertion, ask questions here - and I'm sure that in 6 months you'll know whether it's right for you.

I haven't looked back. It took me years to get myself geared up to asking again for one, after a knock back initially because my HbA1c was within range, and now I have my pump I seriously wouldn't go back to MDI.

The thing about pumping vs injections for me is not the fact that I now don't inject (which was not ever a problem for me, thankfully), but because I'm taking much much smaller amounts of 'drip drip drip' insulin rather than big puddles of the stuff all at once. I don't have the big peaks and deep troughs in my blood glucose control. Not the hypos and hypers I used to have.

The act of injecting vs not injecting only came into it for me in the way I noticed immediately how much more control I can get simply by 'turning the tap' up and down.

Good luck with your pump research - exciting stuff!

 

Do you mean information about the process of getting a pump or information about pumping itself?

If you browse this pump forum, you'll see lots of threads talking about the pros and cons of a pump. I've had a pump 13 years and I love it! It makes me feel normal - more like I felt before I got Type 1.

Tell us a little more and you'll get more specific answers
 
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