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Pump Gubbins - How do you carry it all?

ElyDave

ElyDave

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,087
Location
Ely, Cambs
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Probably been asked before, but I've just put together all the gubbins required for a set change, plus BG meter, plus standby insulin pens and I'm thinking what the hell do I do with this lot?

Plus then carrying around carbs, spare insulin on a long trip etc and you've got a small pile of stuff.

And the next question is why the hell do the reservoirs and cannulae need so much packaging?
 
I carry a bag to my work and at the weekends the wife's bag is used............:)

I will confess though that I don't carry spare cannulas,reservoirs or spare injections unless I am more than 5 miles from the house.........

I always carry hypo resolve though in the form of 500ml isotonic sports drink.....
 
I found a wash bag that came with a Nivea gift kit at xmas was quite good had a handle on it or could be used on its own then I found a medi bag on Amazon not so masculine but agood size took all the. Kit with pockets to spare as well as an insulated pocket for storage of insulin I still use this but I also found primark have a good range of small pouches for weekend use inside a bigger bag yes I have a weekend kit 2 lol can get link for the Amazon one if you want a look

Danae
 
I have adapted an old blood machine case from another supplier to fit the 'pump' finger pricker, lancets and strips and then all the rest of the vast amoutn of stuff this pumo requires you carry around is in a make up bag (you do seem to need a whole lot of spares for this thing!)

As for why does it all need to much packaging, I comletely agree and i did tell the lovely Cellnovo this as well as why do I have to waste so much insulin!?

how are you finding the pump though?
 
flossyc said:
I have adapted an old blood machine case from another supplier to fit the 'pump' finger pricker, lancets and strips and then all the rest of the vast amoutn of stuff this pumo requires you carry around is in a make up bag (you do seem to need a whole lot of spares for this thing!)

As for why does it all need to much packaging, I comletely agree and i did tell the lovely Cellnovo this as well as why do I have to waste so much insulin!?

how are you finding the pump though?
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No issues so far really, but a few questions rearing their heads already arond soem of the pump management. Wil hoepfully get those questions answered next week. .

Don't really notice it when walking around or last night sleeping, but the test is going to be this evening's weights session. I'll hopefully get a run in tomorrow.
 
ElyDave said:
No issues so far really, but a few questions rearing their heads already arond soem of the pump management. Wil hoepfully get those questions answered next week. .

Don't really notice it when walking around or last night sleeping, but the test is going to be this evening's weights session. I'll hopefully get a run in tomorrow.
Click to expand...
Would be interested to know what issues you have with the pump management, I too have some niggles, but am conscience I might just be being fussy!
Will be trying the pump on my thigh later mainly because it is somewhere new to try, will report how this goes in due course!
 
I have a medtronic pump and saw they did a travel 'tote', looks like a small laptop bag - I fill it every weekend with spares of everything to take into my office on the Monday, I leave it there until the end of the week and bring home again. I do set changes at work as we have a first aid room. When I'm out and about evenings/weekends I just take an insulin pen and meter in a little pouch and keep in my handbag.
 
flossyc said:
Would be interested to know what issues you have with the pump management, I too have some niggles, but am conscience I might just be being fussy!
Will be trying the pump on my thigh later mainly because it is somewhere new to try, will report how this goes in due course!
Click to expand...
So far, nothing major, and probably just the learning curve.

We've been told to act as if the pump was live, so yesterday when my BG was a bit on the low side and I wanted a 5g carb snack, I entered in the carb value as we've been told, but it would not let me override the bolus to zero, had a minimum 0.05 units. Not significant, but not right and if I were trying to deal with a hypo, the last thing I'd want.
 
hi Dave you can enter food without taking a bolus, enter the food into the food library, press calculate and on the next screen just use the record button not the bolus calculator it then asks if you want to save the food calculation to your journal just press yes and the food will get logged but no insulin will be delivered. I find the food library a little taxing to use but am hoping this will get easier with time.
 
I use a small rucksack mostly but I don't carry spare everything unless I'm a certain distance away from home. I have my BG meter in it's usual pouch (Next contour so very small), bottle of lucozade, one or two inset cannulas and a spare battery. That's it - so doesn't take up too much room in the rucksack or handbag.

However you don't want to see the amount of supplies I pack for a holiday!!!!!!!
 
flossyc said:
hi Dave you can enter food without taking a bolus, enter the food into the food library, press calculate and on the next screen just use the record button not the bolus calculator it then asks if you want to save the food calculation to your journal just press yes and the food will get logged but no insulin will be delivered. I find the food library a little taxing to use but am hoping this will get easier with time.
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Thanks Flossy, I'll make sure I share that one with the folks at Addenbrookes. It didn't make sense that you couldn't log food with no bolus.

I've been entering a few typical 10-15g snacks in the food diary but I think I'll just go with the dial-up for most meals.
 
I use one of these to carry my diabetes stuff and put a few mini packets of skittles in there for hypos too. It comes with a gel pack to keep things cool, so handy when I'm far from home and carrying insulin as well as the rest of the kit. Handy to lift and stick in whatever bag you need to use that day, or just into the side pocket of the car. Also comes in black. It's called the Elite Isothermal bag.
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@Hooked I was looking at these bags online- would it be big enough to carry everything for a pump change etc? Thinking of ordering one!
 
nikkid said:
@Hooked I was looking at these bags online- would it be big enough to carry everything for a pump change etc? Thinking of ordering one!
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I carry my blood test machine, pen, pricker , test strips, diawipes and log book in the smaller side.
In the other side I have a carry an Inset II, syringe/tubing/cannula packet, spare things for the finger pricker, insulin pen, couple of needles for insulin pen, alcohol wipe, 2 or three packets of haribo, glasses cloth. I can also squeeze in an insulin vial and the cool gel pack when going out for the day away from home. I usually carry batteries separate to this stuff, but would be easy to stick one in if needed.
 
ElyDave said:
Thanks Flossy, I'll make sure I share that one with the folks at Addenbrookes. It didn't make sense that you couldn't log food with no bolus.

I've been entering a few typical 10-15g snacks in the food diary but I think I'll just go with the dial-up for most meals.
Click to expand...

Sorry I meant to say, and I know this is pretty time consuming, but if you do get chance the best place to learn the pumo and all its quirks is the Cellnovo academy in the members section of the website.
 
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