• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Pump or no pump

H

Holders9

Member
Messages
7
Hi all

Very new to this forum so bear with me!

Am type 1 and diagnosed 25 years ago. Like many, I am now getting complications, particularly with eyes, due to years of poor control really (difficult to admit that, but true).

Before it really is too late, I have got some proper help from my diabetes centre over the last month or so. Thought I could do it alone, and got HBA1C down from 11 (in old money) to 65 / 8.1, but cannot get it any lower.

I am quite active which doesn't help me as my sugars go higher and lower all the time. The centre has asked me to think about using a pump but my feeling is that it's not worth it because its not testing your sugar level and responding to it, it's still going to be me controlling it. I am sceptical but really not sure and don't know if any advice can be offered.

I am on Lantus twice a day (24pm and 20am) and humanly at mealtimes. I carb count and use 10g of carbs to 1 unit of humalog.

Thanks in advance.

Holders (my nickname to my mates!)


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
Hi

The things I like about the pump are the following:

1. You can adjust the basal rate hour by hour which allows you to keep your fasting rates much steadier than MDI
2. You can increase or drop the basal rate for exercise or illness (I found on the pump that a cold needed an increase of 170% on my pump. It is also nice you can decrease it for exercise easily).
3. It can calculate how much insulin to give you dependent on your insulin to carb ratio (which can be adjusted depending on the time of day) - although obviously you first have to put into the pump your ratios and save them.
4. You can take tiny amounts of insulin which is just not possible with a pen.

However it hasn't solved all my problems as my sugars still tended to swing up and down more than I wanted but I wouldn't go back to injections.

Originally I didn't want a pump but as I thought about it more I decided that if I didn't try it then I wouldn't know if it could help my diabetes. So I decided to go for it and I am definitely glad I did!

Any questions just ask.
Patch13


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
Hi Patch. Thanks for the reply.

I think my main problem with it is when I do exercise. I play golf which is not intense but it does drop my sugars quite quickly. For example... I went from 14 to 4 in an hour and a half, and that is having consumed a tube of fruit pastilles! Thought I would try it to keep the level up!

Rightly or wrongly, the only advantage I can see for it is that I don't have to inject, but I am not too bothered about doing that. I guess it is down to personal preference. I don't see it as a 'wonder cure' that will be able to revolutionise my control and make me the model diabetic which I definitely am not!

I am tempted to try but it's also the thought of getting the dose wrong, and having something permanently stuck in me when I am playing golf, or sleeping.

I am also considering a CGM which by the looks of it I would have to self fund, but think that may be of more benefit to me than a pump. If only the pump and a CGM could talk to each other that would be ideal!!

Thanks

Holders :)


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
It certainly would give you the option of reducing the basal when playing golf and for a set period after. For example if I'm doing a lot of running in the gym I may turn my basal down to 80% for the next 6 hours. However if you know you are playing golf you could try reducing your lantus by 2 units to see if that helps. Sounds likes a good idea bringing some sweet treats with you when playing golf!!

A CGM could also be useful if you want to see what's happening to your blood sugars. My hospital had one which I borrowed for a week - if there is a diabetes department at your hospital it might be worth asking to see if they have one.

Surprisingly I don't mind the pump at night. I just tuck it into my PJs and I've never managed to pull it out yet! Although it is always there I've got used to it quickly and I've only found it frustrating whilst trying to sunbathe on the beach!
 
We had a discussion as a group at the hospital today about exercise and the consensus was that high energy exercise (gym, football, running etc) seems to make sugar levels spike then drop, but not too quickly whereas where I play golf (not exactly energetic) and I drop considerably quickly and quite a lot. I actually did this the other night..... I had a roast dinner then played golf WITHOUT injecting my humalog. Alas, when I finished, I was 5.2, and had started at 11.

My concern is that I literally need no insulin and extra carbs to avoid going low at golf and the hospital couldn't seem to answer how I would go about avoiding the hypo.

I definitely like the idea of trying a CGM first. I heard a rumour that the manufacturers may also loan one if you are seriously considering buying one. Of course the cost is a big consideration but for me, the cost is not the be all and end all. Keeping my drivers license is!


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
There are now pumps that combine with CGM. I have the Animas Vibe and you can get CGM with that although it isn't funded yet, at least not in my area. I don't have great control but I love my pump and can't imagine life without it.
 
Back
Top