Would love a pump

Stuboy

Well-Known Member
Messages
451
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Crowds. Being high. Being Hypo.
I'd love to go on a pump... but i dont think they would allow me to have one...

My lastest HbA1c was 6.8 (7th Aug 08), before that 6.5, before that 7.8 and 7.2 before that.

My A1c seems to be up and down, i seem to have mild depression too but i've yet to speak to the doctors about that, i have an appt on monday.

I love the idea of a pump, sounds like it makes life so much easier than MDI and brings so much more stability to levels.

I worry about even asking about a pump at my checkups because when i mentioned the pump when i first saw my D nurse she didn't sound like she really knew much about them, telling me that only 4 people in hampshire have one, but when i spoke to my educator she told me that was rubbish.

I'd be interested to know what situation you guys were in before the pump, in terms of BG levels and such.

Cheers
Stu
 

bonerp

Well-Known Member
Messages
398
my BGs on MDI werent all that bad but my HBA1c was hanging around 8. Reason I got the pump was because of retinopathy. I suffered bouncing highs and lows on MDI so I guess my average wasnt too bad. I couldnt get steady control on MDi. Dont get me wrong I struggle on the pump sometimes too! But its better.

I dont think the NICE rules require you to be falling to pieces anymore before you go on a pump. I think the guidelines are above this thred. Have a look.
Paul
 

Stuboy

Well-Known Member
Messages
451
Dislikes
Crowds. Being high. Being Hypo.
I had a diabetes check up yesterday and the nurse actually brought up the subject of pumps before i got the chance to. We were also talking about depression for which i have another appointment for later this week. But unfortunatly it doesn't sound like she has any influence at all on whether yo ucan get a pump or not. Instead you have to go see some guy who doesn't know you from adam to decide if yo ucan have a pump or not, and apparently they not give them out very often in Portsmouth. Something like 200 out of 23,000 diabetics in portsmouth and surrounding area's has one... odd's aren't good!!

Im going to see this guy anyway to find out about getting hooked up to an over night glucose monitoring system to find out what's happening through the night, and she told me to ask about a pump then. If you dont ask you dont get i suppose.

I dont think im gonna get my hope up for this one :( I want one so bad though, the cozmo looks awesome.
 

VerityJ

Active Member
Messages
27
Stu, I have been pumping since January this year. I read the NICE Guidelines and found that I was able to fit into their criteria and as far as I am aware, the PCT (Primary Care Trust) are not able to turn you down if you fall into the required criteria. If anyone knows different, I stand corrected!

Verity
 

Stuboy

Well-Known Member
Messages
451
Dislikes
Crowds. Being high. Being Hypo.
Well here's the thing.

my second A1c was 6.0, great! but to get there i suffered multiple hypo's a day.
My third was 7.1, not so good, and still a few hypos, but not as many.
My fourth was 7.8, far less hypos than when i was 6.0.
I starting logging everything and tried to really take hold of things... hey presto im having hypo's left right and center again, at least 1 a day, something 2 or 3. my A1c then came back down to 6.5.

My latest from two weeks ago was 6.8, and im fairly sure im having hypos during the night ,i've tried lowering my levemire dose, and still wake up high in the morning, i've tried increasing the levemir dose and still wake up higher in the mornings, if im not high in the morning, im hypo, this morning i woke up at 3.2.

Sometimes i wake up during the night in mid hypo, a lot of the time in a pretty bad state so much so that i dont want to get up and get something to drink/eat to fix it for fear of falling over and hitting my head in the dark etc, so i just lay there and wait for my liver to do it's thing.

I know my A1c's are really high, but it seems in order to get it low i suffer hypo's all the time. it's not nice.

I just fear that when i come to tell this guy about it all it wont come out right and it'll sound like im "making excuses" or something, i dont know!
 

stevo2100

Newbie
Messages
1
Hi all i am new to this site and i have looked at what you all have to say about pumps i have most of the problems that go with diabetes i am a amputee left leg sugers up and down all the time
i find life with diabetes at the moment very hard so if some one can give me a bit more info on how to get myself on the pump i would be most greatfull. :D
 

Stuboy

Well-Known Member
Messages
451
Dislikes
Crowds. Being high. Being Hypo.
make yourself an appt at your diabetes clinic and litterally ask if you can try pump therapy... Give your reasons why you think pumping would suit you and how you will benefit from it.

It's worth reading up on pumps to understand what they can do for you and how they work. It will also give you an idea of whether you can handle a pump or not... in terms of not being a techniphobe or anything.

Good luck!