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We have our date !!!

A

ams162

Well-Known Member
Messages
572
Location
devon
Type of diabetes
Type 1
hello everyone
we have just had a phone call from our DSN to say we will be put on the pump a week on mon set up with saline and then the following mon go live with insulin. Just wanted to share the news im very excited that i might get my little boy back to his normal happy self but have come over very nervous and feeling slightly sick at the thought of inserting the canula, i remember how i felt doing the first injection i cried and couldnt do it, it took me a few days to build up the courage and now i have to insert an infusion set scared is not the word lol. anyone have any advice as my son is scared about the unknown of it all so i dont want to let on that im slightly scared too, thanx all
anna marie x
 
Hi Anna, congratulations.
We have a 7 year old daughter who went on a pump at the beginning of December and yes it was scary to begin with as there is so much more to learn, but you will soon get into it as we have.
The cannula is quite easy to put in (not sure what you will be using) and will soon become second nature. We use Emla cream to numb the site before inseting the cannula so there is no pain. Lily loves the pump and wouldn't be without it now. You will need to get the basal insulin right which is a bit trial and error but the nurse should suggest a pretty good starting point, then you need to test and tweak it from there. The night time testing is a pain but once it is set up you can relax a bit and then do the day time tests.
We found that Lily's insulin to carb ratio went down a bit once she was on the pump but not sure if this is what everyone finds. She is now on 14:1 mostly where before she was on 11or 12:1.
We never did the saline bit but had the pump a week before so that we could have a play around with it and get used to using different settings, then straight into it for real.
It won't be all plain sailing and you may find it hard work to begin with but the rewards are great.
Lily can now have snacks whenever and just does a bolus for the carbs, she thinks it's wonderfull especially over the Christmas period.
If you need any help you will find it here, we have had enormous support from several people on here and they still help us when we hit a snag.
Don't get too worried and you will find after a few weeks that it all starts to come together.

Good luck

Harry
 
hello harry and thanks for ur reply
dylan has had diabetes for just over 4 years so we no all about hard work and things being difficult lol, i have read as much as i possibly can about insulin pumps and what to expect, as to the set we will be using i have no idea as we are using a hospital pump for a few months before our own one arrives so to start with it will be whatever they have in the hospital.
we have been carb counting for months so thats not anything new to learn at least and he has had a pump connected but only to use the CGM as he is very unpredictable :?
i completely agree with u about this site it is fantastic with a great bunch of people who are always eager to provide advice hence why i wrote the post, im not worried about the hard work or learning new things its just the insertion that worries me to death being as im quite squimish having to turn away when holby city is on lol
glad to hear all is working well for u it is such a worry having a diabetic child isnt it but great we are all here to support each other
anna marie
 
Anna Marie that is great news All the best with your pump start, I'm sure there'll be no looking back once you start
 
Hope all goes well for you both!

Nigel
 
Well done, very glad for you. Great that Harry is saying that it is manageable, I am really pleased for you and your little boy.

You will need to take it one step at a time. You have got over the biggest hurdle of getting a pump, which is fantastic.

I personally think that it is very important to get the right cannulas for you and your boy. Injections are now down to 4mm long and apparently whether big or small in weight, that is all that is needed. I have ound that the 6mm steel ones are best for me as I am quite lean. However, it is all down to personal choice. However, the cannulas are so small nowadays, that they really are nothing to worry about. There is the choice of teflon or steel, and you would be best to try all out before settling for one type.

Do you know which pump you will have?

I also love my remote control with the roche combo pump. Again, this is down to personal choice.

The only thing I will add is, don't be afraid of changing set up levels that the DSN will do. The quicker that you can figure out the basals and bolus the better for your little son.

I admire those persons immensely that went to a pump directly before Christmas. You will have a few hiccups, but that's life.....I think another important aspect to your little son is to make sure that teachers now or in the future also have a knowledge about the pump and how it works. I think that Harry has had fantastic responses from the teacher that looks after his daughter.

Best wisdhes to you both, you will ghet great support from fellow pumpers here, never be afraid to type up a question....
Sharon
 
thanks sharonn i appreciate the reply

we are having the medtronic paradigm pump that the hospital has to start and as long as we get on with the hosp version we shall then order our own to replace it in a month or so.
thanks for the advice on the cannulas we will certainly give them a good try we are starting again with what they have in the hospital but our DSN is setting us up a medtronic account so we can then order the consumables after the week with the saline.

We are very excited about our new journey as it has felt like a constant battle for the last 4 years changing things on a weekly basis and still getting no where, for the last few months we have been carb counting and that has helped to some extent but dylan is very unpredictable so i have been changing ratios like a mad thing lol. the nurse said she has every confidence in me as i change his ratios by myself already as well as considering which insulin it is i need to alter i check in with her regularly but she often says i have already done what she would of suggested so not to worry as i sometimes worry i have gone to far in the alterring but she says my instincts are bang on lol. we have also done the no carb bit for hours with no rapid to check the levemir which im told you do on a pump to check ur basal rates.

im hoping this will be the answer for dylan as he suffers from violent mood swings with his bloods soaring and dipping so much, he can be so angry one minute screaming in our faces to crying his eyes out the next its very draining for everyone but especially my poor little man who doesnt know where he is half the time.

anyway one week today and we will be put on the saline and 2 weeks till we go live with insulin i really cant wait

anna marie
 
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