Conflicting advice

[mumphy]

Hi all

I am new to this website so excuse any errors

I have been diabetic for 30 years on insulin throughout. I have recently been made aware of the increasing use of insulin pumps for better control.when I asked my diabetic consultant about this option she discouraged me from this option as it would take several month's of blood sugar monitoring to establish if I would be suitable for this form of treatment.I have read several reports now from people with a similar history of diabetes as myself.I now have twins of 4 that require more and more energy which is not always readily available in would value any info before pursuing my gp,so regarding putting me on a pump

 

[Northerner]

Hi mumphy, welcome to the forum 🙂 I moved your post to its own thread so it wouldn't get missed.

What insulin regime are you on currently and how has your control been? I would strongly suggest that, in addition to the advice you will get here, you contact Input at http://www.input.me.uk/ - they are excellent at helping people, whatever your questions or situation.

Presumably you are monitoring your blood sugar levels anyway, so why is your consultant suggesting you'd need to start doing this? Pumps are not an easy alternative and it can take a while and hard work to get things correct. The main skill you need to be able to show is carb-counting - matching your insulin doses to the carb content of your food.

 

[Pumper_Sue]

Hi Mumphy,
welcome to the forum 🙂

she discouraged me from this option as it would take several month's of blood sugar monitoring to establish if I would be suitable for this form of treatment.

By the above quote does your consultant mean you have to provide several months of blood sugar readings? If so then quite right too. This is to prove that you can and do keep accurate records plus you need to record your carb ratio and correction factor. Plus prove you can carb count properly.

Now if you already do this and MDI isn't working for you, then ask your GP to refer you to a pump friendly clinic.

Pumping does take a lot of time and effort though, so don't expect it to be plug and play. IE, you only get out what you put in 🙂

 

[HOBIE]

Go for it Murphy !! Nothings perfect but is the best i have found in over 45yrs 🙂

 

[trophywench]

Mumphy - I got my pump last year.

Ask anyone with a pump if they want to give it back and you'll get one very short answer - NO.

But it is hard work to begin with - 3/4 weeks in and I wanted to bin mine! - but I refused to be beaten by a tiny little box of electronic and by week 5 I was winning.

It's very confusing because suddenly you don't know exactly what to do about whatever it is that needs addressing because you aren't used to it, and it can sap your confidence a bit - but hey! - you SHOULKD get a heck of a lot of support from your clinic - if they are pro-pump anyway, which mine is. I felt quire embarrassed at first having to ring and say Help, Help! LOL but I soon got over it because they did help - shedloads. So did people on here and the other forum I belong to.

Ask any questions you want to ask - we'll help all we can!

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Could a pump help improve your control? Yes quite possibly.

Will it definitely/automatically help?

Nope. Without a fair bit of effort it's just an expensive bit of plastic with a slightly more awkward delivery mechanism.

BUT
Used well pumps are the closest thing we currently have to regaining a functioning pancreas (especially if you win the pools and can spring for a full-time Continuous Glucose Monitor).

I went from being completely sure that I a pump couldn't help my control to being pretty sure that I had to give it a good try over the course of about 2 years. I wrote about it a bit here if you are interested.

Three months in and I can already see that in SO many situations the pump has prevented what I would have previously considered to be a pretty-much inevitable hypo and/or high. Many of the higher and lower levels have disappeared from my records. I've not got it nailed completely but things *are* better.

If you are unsure and want to find out more about what's involved try to get hold of 'Pumping Insulin' by John Walsh from your library - there are a few chapters at the very start that help people consider their suitability. And if you do get a pump, then buy yourself a copy!