Hiya Tylers,
I know alot of type 1's think of a pump as having 'nirvana' with their condition, however there are pro's and cons to both methods, I like injections as it gives me control, with a pump being wired up to a machine means wearing this day and night and keeping the cannula in securely, it means training to learn how to administer and manage the pump, and a period of 'bedding in' to get the levels right. I like swimming so would have to remove then. Also where to place it, so tucked into a waist band on under bra strap etc. However I like the idea of a constant supply of QA to manage my BG and would hope it would give me greater flexibility with doing sport as I find my levels erratic during and after sport, potentially less hypos too.
I think it takes some thought to make the right decision as to what's right for you and also what you can financially afford if it's not paid for by the NHS, but there is a set of criteria to look at when being assessed by the NHS.
I would be interested to see responses from users here too as it's something I have considered doing privately also
If your don't fit the criteria push for the quality of life aspect.
Looking at some of members here who have switched to insulin pumps over the last couple of years you will see that you don't have to have a HbA1c above 8.5 to get a pump or have impaired hypo awareness, there was a guy two years ago changed over to a pump with a HbA1c of 4.7 which seemed very unusual at the time, but he was having to inject 10-12 times a day to control his bg levels so I think he's consultant pushed for the pump stating it would improve his quality of life..... which undoubtedly it did.
If your don't fit the criteria push for the quality of life aspect.
Looking at some of members here who have switched to insulin pumps over the last couple of years you will see that you don't have to have a HbA1c above 8.5 to get a pump or have impaired hypo awareness, there was a guy two years ago changed over to a pump with a HbA1c of 4.7 which seemed very unusual at the time, but he was having to inject 10-12 times a day to control his bg levels so I think he's consultant pushed for the pump stating it would improve his quality of life..... which undoubtedly it did.
Maybe, but the NICE criteria are pretty clear and, if you fit them, you should be able to fight (if necessary) to get funding.
And, certainly as far as I could see, most T1s probably fit the criteria one way or another...
I'm prepared to believe I might have had an easier time getting my pump than some do, but it also seems that they are becoming more common all the time in the UK.
Problem is, that's a battle. The last thing we need is battles, with the people who are meant to be on our side. As the saying goes, a lot of us "don't have the spoons for that". Life is hard enough. Life with diabetes is harder. Life with diabetes and an NHS which resents the cost of modern diabetes technology just sucks.
My hba1c was under 6.0 but due to driving incident got one within weeks. Didn't even know they existed when offered one 5 years ago. Only help here persuaded me it was for me. Very few people on forum had them just 5 years ago.
i find that surprising, and wonder if there were special circumstances, other illnesses etc in his case. In 2013 only 6% of Type one adults had a pump - https://www.diabetes.org.uk/Documents/News/The_United_Kingdom_Insulin_Pump_Audit_May_2013.pdf and as far as i know the guidelines are still kept to - maybe it is a bit easier in some areas? I tried for years and found that even hypo unawareness may not be enough, as a person will be asked to first try to raise their HbA1c. Also looked at will be if the unawareness could be related to suboptimal treatment of another disease - the pump may not be given for ages or not at all - Impaired quality of life was not, at that time, considered , i wish it had been, maybe it is now.
It might be secondary, but the quality of life thing is part of the criteria and that's the part that I think almost all T1s qualify under.
(Obviously if they didn't, they wouldn't want one anyway).
Of course, one could always manipulate hba1c up to 8.5 to qualify too, but I suspect most hcps would agree that that was a pretty stupid idea!
I have had diabetes type 1 for 40 years. I applied when pumps first came out and was refused because of the cost. However, over the years, I have applied and been refused for various reasons. My HbA1c is usually about 9 and my levels are erratic. I kept a log of exactly how much carbs I had - How much insulin - both Humalog and Levemir, where I injected on my body (I was having a lot of pooling) and my readings both before and two hours after meals. This proved that, despite me doing everything right, I was still not getting good readings. I also have heart failure and so my weight is the same every single day, down to the ounce. So, I was not over or under eating. I got a new consultant and he suggested a pump right away. I have to go on a DAFNE course (which I have been doing since I was first diagnosed) to prove that I am committed to getting my readings under control (as if 40 years wasn't enough!!). Unfortunately, since I have had mostly high readings over the years, I do have all the complications associated with it. Which I would have thought was reason enough to put me on the pump!! I have retinopathy, neuropahy, nephropathy, gastroparesis, heart disease and failure. It may be too late for me on that score but at least I will be better controlled - I hope!! Everyone should have the opportunity to have a pump, if only to help stem the flow of complications due to diabetes, which must cost the NHS much more in the long run!Has any one got a pump??? And if so what make and model thinking of buying one private, any answers most appreciated xx
I bought mine. I live in Turkey. I paid 5000 Turkish lira (approx. £1500) for it. I pay about 450 lira ( or a bit less) every three months for consumables. I actually could claim most of that back on the Turkish health system, but so far haven't tried. Insulin costs about 80 lira a month.
All of which kind of raises the questions for me: why do pharmaceutical companies get away with charging the NHS so much? Do Turkish health system managers have superior bargaining skills?
(Approx. 3.5 lira to the pound right now).
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?