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CBK

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Type 1
Hi just joined the forum and have never used a forum before so hope I doing this right 🙂
47 yrs old and been diabetic for 24 years, on MDI but will be going on to a pump on 20th Feb. A week on saline I believe then on 27th the real thing.. So been doing a bit of research and came across this site.
Little anxious but also excited, expect you seasoned pumpers remember what that feels like. A million questions 🙄 but no idea where to start so just thought i would say hi and take it from here. Not sure what pump i getting yet but do know it a Medtronic.
Do a bit of cycling and yoga and expect to have a few questions about where to wear the pump what works for some and what to avoid. Want to make sure that it does not impact to much on my enjoyment of these activities.
Control has not been to bad over the years, but HbA1c will not go below 7.4 though, without a lot of hypos so Doc suggested I think about a pump. Good or bad decision no idea but hope to learn from the real experts the people who live with this and have learnt the hard way what works and what doesn't.
Everyone different but have read a few posts and definitely think this is the place to ask and find out.
Cheers for reading my post and look forward to hearing what you have to say.
 
Hi CBK, welcome to the forum 🙂 I'm not a pumper myself, but just wanted to welcome you aboard. As you've already seen we have lots of people on pumps, some new to them like you, and others who have lots of experience, so I'm sure you;ll get lots of help 🙂

Don't worry about using the forum, you can;t break anything and if something ends up in the wrong place or something it can easily be put right by one of the moderation team - the main thing is to post your questions, whatever they may be!

Have you got a copy of the book Pumping Insulin by John Walsh? It's highly recommended by many of our members starting out on pumps 🙂
 
Hi CBK, welcome to the forum 🙂

I have a Medtronic Veo pump, I have had it a year and I love it. I too had lots of hypos and my pump has helped me a great deal.

Mostly I wear my pump in my pocket of my jeans, and I clip it onto my pajama bottoms at night. I recently invested in a 'Spibelt' which you can get from a website called 'funkypumpers' - maybe someone else will have the link for it - and it is basically a really discreet belt with a pocket which the pump goes in, it lies flat across my lower abdomen - this has allowed me to wear skirts and I love it, it's also very useful for when I do pilates and go to the gym - I know it is secure in there.

Sorry if thats too much for you to take in at once! 🙂
 
CBK hi and welcome to the forum you did just fine,this forum is great so dont worry x
 
Hi Northerner, nice to get your reply.
Not got the book by John Walsh yet but will be getting it asap saw that it is well recommended by the pumpers here, just not got round to ordering it yet.
Great news i can't break anything ha ha ha I can relax now and enjoy taking part in the community.
Cheers.
 
Hi Lauren,
Saw the Spibelt somewhere on a site i visited think i will get one when i get pump, looks ideal for the activities i do thanks for the recommendation good to hear what works for people.
 
Hi Steff,
Thanks, hope to be a regular user once i get the hang of things ha ha ha.
 
I know you will like the feeling of being a bit more in charge with pump ! Good luck 😎
 
Hi CBK

Welcome to the forum and welcome to pumping!

I would also recommend "Think Like a Pancreas" by Gary Scheiner. Its slightly less textbook-y than "Pumping Insulin" - but I have to admit I have both and use both.

If you do a google on Gary Scheiner diabetes you'll find his website and suss out his style. He has Type 1, wears a pump, and is a Certified Diabetes Educator. That's not to try to trump John Walsh, just give you the background to Gary S!

Cheers

LesleyJ
 
hi CBK.... welcome to the forum 🙂
 
Another 'hello and welcome' 🙂

I've not long gone through the transition to 'Team Pump' and can already see major advantages with the flexibility of delivery and control. Takes a while to 'relax' about set changes and don't be surprised if you have a "WHAT AM I DOING!!" moment a few days before you start. You should also expect a month or two of ups and downs until you get your pump set up basically right. After that the general ebb and flow adjustments should start getting easier.

I'm in the middle of a week of spectacularly good BG results despite pizza, creamy pasta, visits to the gym and evenings with beer so very chuffed with my little robot counterpart right now.
 
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Had to laugh re-reading that Blog entry Mike - the 'minus 2-3 day pump aversion glitch'. Ah yes, as Maurice Chevalier used to warble - I remember it well !

It might be interesting to enquire here - is there anyone who didn't do that?
 
Ha! Yes... Pretty much every pumper I've mentioned it to says, 'Yup! I had that too'.

I think it's because you are leaving behind something that you are fairly familiar with and entering a great unknown. A bit like being dx all over again, when you didn't know whether this or that 'felt right', was normal or was something that needed urgent attention!
 
Hi CBK,

Welcome to the forum 🙂

the response & help you'll get here is fantastic, you've joined the best place!

Gill
 
Thanks everyone for such a lovely welcome to the forum.
I am sure I will find the answers I need here and though I am anxious about the changes that are coming i like a challenge so am excited about that as well.
Had a look at your blog everydayupsanddowns and love that you have named your pump am definately going to give mine a name now ha ha ha.
Soon as i have decided will let you know.
Thanks again folks.
 
Mine's just El Pumpo.

Mike - it's exactly like being first diagnosed. After the first week when I was in a bubble, I hated mine for the next 3 weeks because nothing made any sense. It was only when DH said 'If you ask me you have worse control on this pump than you ever had before, and that was bad enough as it was!' - that my head clicked round and I went 'I HAVE to crack this, I will NOT be beaten by a bit of plastic and wires!'

So I did. And bit by bit, 'stuff' started making sense. But I don't think I was actually ready to get my head around it until then, even though I thought I was before I had the thing.

It's like everything; someone goes through a set of circumstances, be it death, divorce, diagnosis or whatever and I say 'Well if that happened to me, I do this - I most certainly wouldn't do THAT' and then when it does subsequently happen to me - I react in a totally different way, that I hadn't considered at all and probably never even dreamed was possible. Stunned myself on more than one occasion by those kind of scenarios!

So like every other mortal thing with diabetes, what you do and how you feel and react, will be personal to you! ..... and all part of life's rich tapestry ...... :D
 
Hello CBK and welcome - good luck with the transition to pump. Hope you find the forum useful.
 
Hi Shiv,
I live in Dundee Scotland. Attend Ninewells Hospital.
 
Welome to the forum,🙂 another pumper joining the ranks
 
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