Pump or pen

[Lindyloo]

Hi
My three year old son has been diagnosed with type one this week.... and we are being offered a pump, I have no idea what to do, is he too young? Is it to complicated to start on this straight away? We have two year old twin girls too, will they pull it out? You could write all of my diabetes knowlege on one hand at the moment so making any decisions right now is really hard. Any advise out there?

 

[Caroline]

Hi Lindyloo and welcome to the forum.

The best suggestion I can make for you is to explore the pumping board and the parents board (although you are very welcome on this board too).

I am sure someone will be along with lots of information for you soon, I hope things work out well for you.

 

[Lindyloo]

Thanks Caroline, will do

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Hi Lindyloo

Sorry to hear of your son's diagnosis

I would think that if you are being offered a pump you should go for it.

For very small children the pen choices of '1 unit' or 'half a unit' can be hopelessly imprecise. Even as an adult my usual breakfast or lunchtime doses are only 3 or 4 units. When I was on MDI (multiple daily injections via a pen) I only had the option of changing those doses by 25% or 33%. A pump can deliver meal doses in tiny increments (say 0.05u) so you can tailor doses far more accurately.

The 'constant trickle' background dose can be adjusted much more finely too - and can be changed 'on the go' for periods of running around/trips to the park etc which can guard against hypos. This can also come in very hand when background insulin needs start changing with growth spurts and so on. Additionally, because you *always* have your insulin with you impromptu treats/cakes/ice creams etc are more easily managed because there is no chance of having 'left the pen at home'.

Since you have not got much experience of the way things work you won't have to 'unlearn' anything from injections either - and you should get a *lot* of detailed support in the early days/weeks. My DSN called me several times a day at the start.

Many children do very well on pumps. Kids are very adaptable and get used to wearing something 24/7 more easily than some adults I think too. The sticky stuff that holds the cannula in place is pretty secure, and you can tape down some of the tubing with micropore to guard against accidentally yanking it out too.

Some pumps are specified as waterproof, others integrate continuous glucose monitors and can even suspend insulin delivery if levels drop too low. In the next few years we also might be able to get remote monitoring devices which relay pump alerts to parent bedrooms overnight (eg MySentry available in the US for Medtronic pumps)

It will mean quite a lot of work and monitoring in the early days, but I would think that in the medium-long term it would give your son the best chance of great levels and increased flexibility.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[imtrying]

welcome to the forum LindyLoo.

As Caroline said, best to check out the pumping and parents section - there is lots already there, and loads of people who will be happy to answer any and all the questions you must have right now.

Good luck with whatever you choose, and I hope little ones doing ok too.

 

[trophywench]

Pump - with a remote control.

Eg the Roche Accu-Chek Spirit Combo - which I use - don't know which others.

That way you don't have to keep removing the pump itself from wherever you put it about his person, and the remote (which is also the BG meter) stays FIRMLY within the confinnes of wherever the twins can't find it. The pump itself you can 'lock' so no amount of prying little fingers pressing buttons will alter the settings. If you don't have to keep fiddling with the pump, they won't get to know it's easy to remove .......

The pump is attached to the person by means of tubing, which is then attached to a cannula. That is the bit that goes into the skin and it has a substantial sticky pad on it to keep it in place.

With my pump, tubing comes in 30, 60 or 80 cm lengths. Loose tubing can be looped and micro-pored in place. I usually stuff it down my skirt/trousers and let it free range, and wear the pump on my belt.

There are skins available for the pumps and they make it softer and warmer to the touch or if you roll over on it at night (mine free ranges in bed)

You could even stick a huge plaster over the entire cannula. However have to say, mine stay well and truly stuck, but also come off OK with very very little ouch ! - unlike normal plasters and even micropore - always seem to get fine hairs trapped, don't you? 😱

 

[Hanmillmum]

Hi and welcome 🙂

It is a difficult decision so early on but we went for it 3 months in after diagnosis with our young daughter and it has been the best thing we could have done for her, she was just under 2 when she started with the pump. It offers such better control because as others have said you can administer such tiny amounts of insulin for their tiny requirements. It also means more flexibility around meals and activity.

It was hard work for us as there is a lot to learn and it can feel overwhelming. Two things I could have done with prior to her pumping and in those early weeks was 1. - this forum and 2. - the book "Pumping Insulin" John Walsh. But you could get a head start 😉

We had good support from her team and they made themselves available for us for the first couple of weeks. It took a few weeks for me to warm to it but think it is great now I know what I'm doing (she says 🙄 )

If you decide to go for it will be a matter of exercising caution having the tubing tucked well away under clothes so the little ones won't grab for it. The Medtronic pump we have has a remote too if that helps prevent curiousity from his siblings.

We have always been told too that it is not a decision for life, can always go back to injections if it didn't work out either permanently or temporarily so don't feel you are signing your lives away on this decision.

Best of luck x

 

[Monica]

Welcome Lindyloo

I have no experience with small diabetic children, as my daughter was diagnosed aged 10. She's now 15 and has had the pump for about 9 months.
I totally agree what the others have said - if offered, take it.

 

[karenb]

Just got the pump in December and although wasn't convinced it would be better I now have to agree if offered take it! After injecting for 39 years it is the best thing ever and I didn't really mind the injections.