How long before getting a pump?

[Rosiecarmel]

How long did you have diabetes before going on a pump? What made you decide to ask for one? I was thinking of them before I even went on insulin. Not set in stone but just whether one would be good for me or not. I work day shifts, night shifts, long days, short days etc and I'm terrified of going hypo at work as im a healthcare assistant. When I graduate uni in July, I'll be a registered mental health nurse and the thought of being hypo whilst in charge of a ward terrifies me even more!! So I'm just throwing ideas around really, nothing set in stone but would be interested to hear why you decided to go on pumps? I know most of you wouldn't dream of going back on MDI now!

I think I'm only thinking properly about it now because I'm sick of my basal needs at night being so completely varied. I take 26u Toujeo on a morning at roughly the same time yet some days I wake up very high, I've woken up hypo a few times which scares me to the point I'd rather go to bed really high. There doesn't seem to be a pattern. It's like my body just does what it wants
Thanks 🙂

 

[Radders]

Hi Rosie, I had diabetes for 17 years before getting a pump, but the possibility was first mentioned to me in about 2000 when I was having some terrible hypos. Prior to that my control was ok but not brilliant and because of this I had been left on the same out of date insulin I was given on diagnosis. I then went through 8 years of trying different insulins before finally being approved for a pump. I was very lucky in having a diabetes nurse who was clued up about pumps and understood that good numbers with bad hypos is still cause for concern. I tried every insulin, splitting doses, half unit pens, and because my absorption of long acting insulins is very erratic, and my basal needs actually quite low, I could not get satisfactory control on MDI without suffering frequent and occasionally drastic hypos.
When the pump was first mentioned I had never heard of it, and I thought it sounded a bit extreme. After that I found this and other forums and discovered that pumps are the norm in parts of the world and I learned what they can do. This persuaded me that it would help me so I persevered with the obsessive record keeping and experimenting with doses to prove that I would benefit.

 

[grovesy]

I am not a pump user but I think it is worth enquiring, especially if you have to go on a waiting list!
I know I worked with someone who sometimes would be late on duty if she had a bad hypo on waking as she drove into work!

 

[SB2015]

Hi Rosie

I was four years in before getting my pump. Would never go back to MDI.

 

[Northerner]

Have a browse of the INPUT website, lots of useful information on there and they have a good reputation for answering queries if you have anything you are unsure of 🙂

 

[pottersusan]

9 months from the creation of my diabetes and 2 months from my discovery of pumps and a change of hospital clinic, to one that inhabited the 21st century!

 

[SB2015]

Ps
Once I was on the list, i had to wait 9 months before one became available as they allocated them in batches in order to do the training. I did loads of reading whilst I was waiting and I think that that helped me as I got to grips with the basics fairly quickly. Still scary on the first day of switch over but well worth it.

The best books I used at that time was Think like a pancreas and Pumping insulin. Neither are an easy read but I just did it bit by bit and now still refer back to that, as well as the T1 diabetes in children, adolescants and young Adults. I haveThe first two on my Kindle which makes accessing specific references a lot more efficient than an index in a book.

Happy reading

 

[novorapidboi26]

Have you investigated the basal dose a bit further......?.....it would be good to be armed with some kind of evidence showing that you have investigated it and been unable to sort it.....

I think a split dose of basal would be recommended before a pump was offered, well, it would at my clinic....

but its definitely worth it regardless......

I waited about 7 months to get mine I think......they were eager to get lots of people pumping at that point fortunately....