Hi everyone have just joined and have a question to ask? Have been type 1 since 2007 always been up and down and also insulin resistant so take metformin daily. I now have been told my injection sites are all pretty much exhausted and have appt with consultant re going to a pump am very nervous does anyone have experience and can put my mind at rest? Are they difficult to use? Thanks
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Hi there new and in need of advice please
- Thread starter mazza31
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Inka
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- Type 1
Welcome @mazza31 🙂 I’ve had a pump for years. I was nervous to start with but actually it was fine and I soon get used to it. They’re not hard to use. They’re just another way to deliver insulin. They only use fast insulin, and release tiny amounts of this as basal, then you bolus on the pump when you eat. Each cannula lasts for two or three days.
SB2015
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Welcome to the forum @mazza31
Sorry to read of the difficulties that you are having with injections sites. As @Inka says with a pump you are only putting one needle in you every two or three days, as opposed to four r more each day on Multiple Daily Injections. So a pump may well help you, although you will need to ensure that you move your cannula sites systematically.
Any pump takes a bit of time to get used to and it does require a bit of time in setting it up to suit you, but it is well worth the effort.
Basal
The pump replaces your background insulin with tiny amounts of quick acting insulin which are delivered automatically throughout the 24 hours. You can adjust these to match what you need hour by hour. For me this eliminated virtually all night hypos, and the consequent bounce afterwards.
Bolus
You have the option of delivering bolus injections in a variety of ways, all at once as with an injection or over a period of time (great for a meal with more fat in, which means ’difficult‘ meals become easier) or a combination of these two.
Flexibility
You have the option of turning your basal insulin up or down for any length of time. I found this great and meant that I could be a lot more flexible about exercise, and just needing to know what you are going to be doing about an hour before.
I could go on about how I love my pump But will just say that if you have been offered one, and are willing to put the effort in at the start it can make life with T1 a lot easier. Quite a few on here have found it hard to get one so it is great that they are offering you this. Do come back with any questions that you have.
Sorry to read of the difficulties that you are having with injections sites. As @Inka says with a pump you are only putting one needle in you every two or three days, as opposed to four r more each day on Multiple Daily Injections. So a pump may well help you, although you will need to ensure that you move your cannula sites systematically.
Any pump takes a bit of time to get used to and it does require a bit of time in setting it up to suit you, but it is well worth the effort.
Basal
The pump replaces your background insulin with tiny amounts of quick acting insulin which are delivered automatically throughout the 24 hours. You can adjust these to match what you need hour by hour. For me this eliminated virtually all night hypos, and the consequent bounce afterwards.
Bolus
You have the option of delivering bolus injections in a variety of ways, all at once as with an injection or over a period of time (great for a meal with more fat in, which means ’difficult‘ meals become easier) or a combination of these two.
Flexibility
You have the option of turning your basal insulin up or down for any length of time. I found this great and meant that I could be a lot more flexible about exercise, and just needing to know what you are going to be doing about an hour before.
I could go on about how I love my pump But will just say that if you have been offered one, and are willing to put the effort in at the start it can make life with T1 a lot easier. Quite a few on here have found it hard to get one so it is great that they are offering you this. Do come back with any questions that you have.
nonethewiser
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
No need to be nervous, been pumping for years now & can honestly say it's best method of delivering insulin, they are easy to use so dont be put off by what some say on web.
Thank you everyone for your advice and info on pumps doing loads of research and just trying to work out what’s best for me although the exhaustion of my injection sites I think are making this a no brainer! Hope everyone has a good day today ❤️
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Welcome to the forum @mazza31
Hope your transition to pump therapy goes well.
We have lots of pump users on the forum, who have switched to pumping for a variety of reasons, but the vast majority say they would really not want to go back to injections.
It does take a bit of getting used to, and you have to relearn a lot of things, and experiment with some of the new options that are available (eg temporary basal rates), but the extra precision and additional options can be very powerful tools.
I wrote this approx 6 months into my switchover to pumping (nearly ten years ago!), which might cover a few things you are concerned about:
www.everydayupsanddowns.co.uk
Hope your transition to pump therapy goes well.
We have lots of pump users on the forum, who have switched to pumping for a variety of reasons, but the vast majority say they would really not want to go back to injections.
It does take a bit of getting used to, and you have to relearn a lot of things, and experiment with some of the new options that are available (eg temporary basal rates), but the extra precision and additional options can be very powerful tools.
I wrote this approx 6 months into my switchover to pumping (nearly ten years ago!), which might cover a few things you are concerned about:
Face-off: MDI vs Pump
Because no two days with type 1 diabetes are the same. Except when they are. The ups and downs of life with T1D.
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