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Thinking about asking for a pump

M

michellem

Well-Known Member
Messages
45
Location
Croydon
Type of diabetes
Type 1
I'm seriously thinking about asking if I can have a pump, it'll fit so much better into my life and think it will really improve my control.
My main concern is nighttime. My other half is an extremely restless sleeper, which involves flapping arms and legs and rolling me over! I know, not very relaxing! So my concern is how I'd manage with a pump with this?
How easy has everyone found it to get finding agreed for a pump?
 
I.m bumping your post up in the hope that someone will answer your questions.
 
My pump roams over-night but I do move about a lot, having pulled out any cannula's yet in 4 years..

But there are several ways of sorting things if you worried..

Apart from clipping pump to night clothing, you can get things like leg harness even make one with tubi-grip to hold the pump on the thigh..

If you worried about him catching the tubing, just be a safety loop into the tubing, all you do is make a loop in the tubing, then stick this against your skin, then if tubing get's caught and yank, the loop going to go before the cannula being pulled out..
 
If the hospital will give you the funding then I'd go ahead and try it! You can always switch back.

At night time if my pump (cannular) is connected to my thigh then I'll wear a pump pouch round my waist. I bought it off eBay.com for about £6. If my canular is attached to my tummy, I'll wear my hubbys shirt and put the pump in the chest pocket. If I'm sleeping alone I think I move less so I don't put it anywhere and I have a 'free' night where I just allow it to follow me round the bed. I sometimes get a bit tangled but don't often pull it out. Only pulled two out in about two years but it only raised me by about 2 mmol so not a big deal. You can do things like sew baby socks/mobile phone socks into pajamas or nighties.

There are things like the thigh punch but I found that to be too irritating. You just have to experiment but I'm sure you will find something that works for you. Good luck!
 
Thanks everyone, think I've made up my mind to ask now. Just to confuse things I go out of area to my hospital so I assume it will slow things down as the hospital liaise with my local pct (or whatever it is now). My next hospital appointment isn't until August though so a while to wait.
 
Hi

I tend to just either clip the pump to the waistband of my PJ's or if wearing a nighty I will put the pump in a mobile phone sock and hang it around my neck. If I get up in the night to spend a penny, the pump just comes with me so dont have to worry about it falling to the floor or my OH getting tangled up in the tubing.

Mobile phone socks and sleeping bags are easy to get hold of at carboots or ebay :)
 
I am sorry if I am to late to reply to you but go to u tube or even diabeties uk site and look up the Omni pod pump great no wires but unfortunately you will have to fine out if your health authority will fund it. Some hospitals only show you one or two but that does not mean you cannot have the Omnipod
 
Best of luck in August. Mine is no problem at night clipped on to a pair of PJs - gives me an excuse to shop for them in M&S. I've also gone away and forgot to take PJs and it rests by the side of me no problem. I always do remember to put it in lock mode before I go to sleep (I use the lock mode most times when it's on me as well). It's very flexible but I have to say that I am still getting some problems with the basal rates since fitting in November. You will see my previous posts - my DSN thinks I cold be approaching the change hence the very fluctuating BSs from day to day - it would have been far worse dealing with it in injections though.
 
Being out of area shouldn't cause problems or delay - the hospital has to get agreement from your PCT even if you live right next door, they'll just be writing to a different address. Lots of people attend regional specialists well away from home for complex conditions, so the finance people at the hospital should be used to this. Though my (very local) PCT took 3 months to approve my pump funding without the excuse of distance!

Good luck,
Sue
 
Thanks all. My appointment has now moved to September, it's at guys and was in the middle of the Olympics in rush hour! Thought it was sensible to change it! Will update once I know more x
 
Just been told on my consultant appointment, that I am now being put on the waiting list, consultant today said to me that there were 2 options for me 1) pump, done at Ashford, not to bad for me bit of drive, but so what or 2 a cell transplant, I could not get over it, went in yet again, to state my case, hubby had day of work changed his shifts, to come with me. And after 15yrs I've finally got there, I still feel like it's a dream. I have one question to those that have a pump, how do you get on with car seat belts and the pump?
 
Well less than 2 weeks to my pump appointment now. Any advice on what I can say to convince them to give me one? My control isn't too bad so I need to say the right things to convince them!
 
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