To pump, or not to pump!

[s230787]

Hi everyone

I was wondering if anyone using a pump would be able to offer me any answers to a few questions. I have been discussing an insulin pump with my nurse today, and I know there are major benefits to using a pump, but I have a few questions and hope somebody can point me in the right direction.

I like a bath or go swimming. holidays usually see me dive bombing in the pool and body boarding in the sea! what happens here?

I have a shower every day, wash my hair etc, do I keep the pump in, or do i have to remove it everytime, when i say remove does this include removing and replacing the needle or can i just disconnect the actual pump?

I like to move about in bed, and mainy sleep on my front, would this cause discomfort?

Is it going to interfere with my sex life? i'm recently married, still in honeymoon period, last thing i want is to get in the moment and have to say to the hubby "just hang on whilst I disconnect my pump" LOL :lol: poor fella

Where does the pump go when I go out a wear a dress?? so I have to wear a strap round my leg?

Sorry if these seem like obvious questions, but it is stuff that would seriously put me off from going down the pump route. Does anyone else have any other downsides to using it?

 

[sugar2]

like a bath or go swimming. holidays usually see me dive bombing in the pool and body boarding in the sea! what happens here?

You have to limit you time in the bath a bit...I can go 1/2 of my pump, and a quick top up, when I get out ofthe bath seems not to have a major impact

I have a shower every day, wash my hair etc, do I keep the pump in, or do i have to remove it everytime, when i say remove does this include removing and replacing the needle or can i just disconnect the actual pump?
You have to disconnect, but there is a link in teh tube, so you don't hav eto keep taking the canula in and out. Depending on which pump, you disconnect...the pump and some of the tube stays dry, and you and teh cannula get wet. No problem at all. You can disconnecnt and re connect in seconds.

I like to move about in bed, and mainy sleep on my front, would this cause discomfort?
No,

Is it going to interfere with my sex life? i'm recently married, still in honeymoon period, last thing i want is to get in the moment and have to say to the hubby "just hang on whilst I disconnect my pump" LOL poor fella

See earlier ceommment about speed of disconnecting!

Where does the pump go when I go out a wear a dress?? so I have to wear a strap round my leg?
Depends on you and the dress. Can go on a garter, or in your bra, or even hang underneath..skin tight dresses may be difficult though!

 

[Cheryl]

Been there, asked all those quesitons and many more!!

It is all do-able on a pump. I hated the idea, resisted it for ages, eventually had to eat a major slice of humble pie when I discovered that I prefer it to MDI.

Re your questions:

Swimming: disconnect for up to an hour (covers showering too). You can adjust basal rates easily to cope with the exercise &, if you're swimming lengths, the carb used in the exercise cancels out the time you're not connected.

It's easy to connect/disconnect, takes a second.

I have a jacuzzi at home, I keep the pump on the edge of it while I'm in there. (Probably give the nurses kittens, but there you go!)

Dresses: there are thigh pouches & bra/knicker pouches available. If your dress is not too clingy up top, a bra pouch works well. The same pouch attached to knickers works well with a full skirt. A thigh pouch is an alternative. The thing to be careful of here is access. if you're out for a dinner/dance, you need a pump with a remore (accu check spirit combo or medtronic veo) or you need to work out how you're going to deliver your insulin for your meal. It would be intersting grappling up a dress to access your thigh pouch, could cause a few interesting comments

Holidays: I relax my regime on holiday, a couple of weeks of not-so-good control won't kill me. You could go back to MDI (called taking a pump holiday). I have found that the flexibility that the pump offers me means that I keep it on on holiday. I can have all those ice creams mid afternoon & deliver an extra bolus without an extra injection. I can eat multiple courses at dinner & bolus for each one as I decide what to have & I can adjust my basal easily to deal with all the activities that I do (water-skiing, windsurfing, splashing around in the pool). You have to take the pump off for all of these things, but it's only for a short while. If I'm windsurfing for an houror so, I take off the puymp, then do a blood test ebfore & after, I can then easily have a small bolus to make up for lost insulin when I come off the water. You need a bit of front to clip it to your bikini, but I soon got over feeling like a freak with my bionic pancreas on show You can get chill packs that work with tap water to keep the insulin from baking in the sun.

Sex: my partner doesn't even notice that I have it on most of the time. I sometimes disconnect once the "action" starts, sometimes not, it's just a quick squeeze & tug (excuse the pun :lol: ) on the connector & it's removed.

The pump is fairly robust. I sleep naked & it just rolls around in the bed with em, I sleep on it &pull it about by the tubing when I move, I've not pulled it out eyt (fingers crossed).

If you have any other questions, please ask. I know exactly where you're coming from. I had work all the negatives out of my mind before I could agree to go for it. I wouldn't give it back now though. Good luck.

 

[yingal2010]

Hi there

Im on injections and Im wondering what the benefits are of being on the pump over injections?

Ying. x

 

[nickystokes29]

Hi there,

I am 28 and have lived with Diabetes for the last 11 years. I have type 1 diabetes and up until recently had poor control.
About 7 years ago i went on an insulin pump, at the time they were very new and not very practical, especially for a female. It was very big and the wires were a nightmare. I came off the pump after a couple of months because at the time i didnt take my condition very seriousn and didnt have the dedication needed. I returned to injections and eventually took at least 5 a day to attempt to keep my sugars under control.

On Monday i started a new pump, i have decided that i want better control to avoid complications in the future. The Pump i am now on is amazing, its called the Omni Pod and has no wires or troublesome tubing. The pod sits on your skin and is conttrolled via bluetooth from a little PDA. Its amazing. You can bathe and swim in it without taking it off therefore not having to limit yourself to your time in the water.

Ive only been on it 3 days so cant comment much but at the moment its fantastic and its nice not to keep injecting as i was getting very bad injection sites.

All i would say is only go for the pump whenn you are ready, it still takes a lot of hard work, lots of carb counting and finger pricking but if its all to save your life im sure its worth it.

Anyway im new here and also wanted to meet other younger diabetic people so we can share our stories


Hope to speak with you soon

Take care

Nicky xxx

 

[GLF]

Hi I also have the Omnipod patch pump - It is amazing had it 2 years now. Basically you stick it on your skin and it last for 3 days - no wires or tubes. You can bath, go swimming have sex, have sex in the bath if you want!

Seriously tho it has really improved my control and made all of my life easier - work and play and I will never go back to injections. I wear mine on my upper arm and have no problem sleeping. If you know you are going to wear a skimpy dress you can try to hide it somewhere else but in the summer I still had it on arms but it is not hthat baad to look at no wires. It is small and white about egg size - was a bit of a conversation point sometimes. Have had diabetes 25 years and never been better than on this pump. But I understand the other pumps can be pretty tiny too and you can wear them in your bra!

good luck whatever you decide