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Should I get the pump
- Thread starter G3mm4
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novorapidboi26
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
putting all the insulin delivery options that can help you achieve an almost perfect background and accurate meal time doses aside, the pump for me has just totally changed the daily nuisance of injecting.........and it allows you to take much less insulin than you would when injecting.....
theres alot of things to be said about the pump but I am sure some other folk will be able to tell you specific good points to them...🙂
theres alot of things to be said about the pump but I am sure some other folk will be able to tell you specific good points to them...🙂
Pumper_Sue
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Hi and welcome to the forum. 🙂
The best way to approach your question is to turn it around. What are you not sure about? If you can tell us that then we can reassure you 🙂
Obviously as we are all using pumps we love using them.
For me I can only say positive things, quality of life is no1 on the list.
You do have to work hard using the pump though as in plenty of blood tests and making adjustments. Bottom line is you only get out of it what you put in 🙂
Redkite
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Parent
My son loves his pump and would never go back to injections!
Advantages:
- insulin always with you, easy to take insulin wherever you are at the push of a button (less conspicuous than an injection pen for the self-conscious).
- basal insulin can be programmed hour by hour if necessary to tailor it exactly to your needs (on Lantus, my son would have to go to bed on 16mmol to avoid being hypo by morning, there was a huge drop, then later in the day his basal would run out, and he would need top-ups of novorapid. On the pump, he has exactly the amount of basal needed and can be 5-6mmol all night.
- easy to manage exercise/illness by setting a temporary basal rate (lower or higher) for a few hours
- easy to eat what you like by carb counting and bolusing insulin as you go (e.g. for parties/buffets he can just keep adding more insulin, whereas on injections it was either all in one go, or he'd have to have multiple jabs!)
- easier to manage foods like pasta by using a dual wave or extended bolus spread over a few hours to match your digestion. (On MDI he would go low within an hour of eating pasta and then high a while later due to the insulin working faster than the food digested. He had to have two injections a couple of hours apart).
- one cannula needle every 2-3 days instead of 6-7 injections per day or more, reducing chance of lumps forming at injection sites
Disadvantages:
- except for Animas, pumps aren't waterproof, so you have to disconnect for swimming. This can be a nuisance on beach/pool holidays (we tend to leave the pump in our holiday apartment while out at beach etc. and use injection pen temporarily)
- you have to be quite innovative finding a suitable place to wear the pump if wearing a posh frock (not a problem my son has encountered!) - again, some people may leave their pump at home for a dressy evening out and take injection pen.
- there is more diabetes equipment to go with it (reservoirs and infusion sets) - this is not really a disadvantage, just more stuff to be organised about ordering in supplies. I find it a minor pain the amount of stuff we have to pack for a holiday, because as well as all the pump stuff you need to always take injection pens as a back up just in case the pump fails. (Ours never has in 7 years).
I would say go for it definitely! 🙂
Advantages:
- insulin always with you, easy to take insulin wherever you are at the push of a button (less conspicuous than an injection pen for the self-conscious).
- basal insulin can be programmed hour by hour if necessary to tailor it exactly to your needs (on Lantus, my son would have to go to bed on 16mmol to avoid being hypo by morning, there was a huge drop, then later in the day his basal would run out, and he would need top-ups of novorapid. On the pump, he has exactly the amount of basal needed and can be 5-6mmol all night.
- easy to manage exercise/illness by setting a temporary basal rate (lower or higher) for a few hours
- easy to eat what you like by carb counting and bolusing insulin as you go (e.g. for parties/buffets he can just keep adding more insulin, whereas on injections it was either all in one go, or he'd have to have multiple jabs!)
- easier to manage foods like pasta by using a dual wave or extended bolus spread over a few hours to match your digestion. (On MDI he would go low within an hour of eating pasta and then high a while later due to the insulin working faster than the food digested. He had to have two injections a couple of hours apart).
- one cannula needle every 2-3 days instead of 6-7 injections per day or more, reducing chance of lumps forming at injection sites
Disadvantages:
- except for Animas, pumps aren't waterproof, so you have to disconnect for swimming. This can be a nuisance on beach/pool holidays (we tend to leave the pump in our holiday apartment while out at beach etc. and use injection pen temporarily)
- you have to be quite innovative finding a suitable place to wear the pump if wearing a posh frock (not a problem my son has encountered!) - again, some people may leave their pump at home for a dressy evening out and take injection pen.
- there is more diabetes equipment to go with it (reservoirs and infusion sets) - this is not really a disadvantage, just more stuff to be organised about ordering in supplies. I find it a minor pain the amount of stuff we have to pack for a holiday, because as well as all the pump stuff you need to always take injection pens as a back up just in case the pump fails. (Ours never has in 7 years).
I would say go for it definitely! 🙂
Thank you for all the responses I have had. It's has helped especially with the advantages and disadvantages.
The things which I am not sure about are,
- the fact it will be attached to me all of the time.
- trying to hide the tube.
I am just worried that I will go for it and I will not enjoy it as it is there all of the time.
The things which I am not sure about are,
- the fact it will be attached to me all of the time.
- trying to hide the tube.
I am just worried that I will go for it and I will not enjoy it as it is there all of the time.
Pumper_Sue
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Tubing is no problem at all 🙂 It comes in different lengths so you can have your cannula where you want. If you do have a little spare just roll it up like a hosepipe and put a bit of tape on it.
Being attached I never had a problem with after the 1st 24 hours, after that I used to check to make sure I still had the pump with me
Clothes can be altered as well to make small holes in pocket to thread the tubing through if you want the pump in a pocket. There's loads of different cases to put a pump in as well as belts to wear.
No 1 rule though if you do have a pump is you have to name it. We have all given our pumps names
Worrying about wearing a pump is normal we all did when we first started.
Do you know which pump you would have if you decide to have one?
Redkite
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Parent
The thing is, if you find you don't get on with it, you can always go back to injections. But I don't know anyone who has! 🙄
Also, I forgot to mention the rather important fact that having a pump drastically improved my son's Hba1c, and therefore it is reducing his risk of complications later on in life.
Lastly, as Sue says, most of the other adult pumpers on here have named their pump - my son thinks that's "a bit weird"!
Pumper_Sue
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Lastly, as Sue says, most of the other adult pumpers on here have named their pump - my son thinks that's "a bit weird"!
Lol bet that's because he can't think of a good name for his pump 😛
Redkite
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Parent
I don't think it ever occurred to him (or me) until I told him some people do name their pumps. He's always seen it as a gadget, not a personality! 😱
trophywench
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Well R2D2 was more of a gadget WITH a personality, and Mike calls his pump Artoo. Mine's called Holly - which was the name of the computer in Red Dwarf.
But having said that, although it was a separate entity when I first got it, by now it's more essential, it's a bit like having an extra arm or leg or something - just another part of ME as opposed to being separate.
You know, like an external pancreas?
But having said that, although it was a separate entity when I first got it, by now it's more essential, it's a bit like having an extra arm or leg or something - just another part of ME as opposed to being separate.
You know, like an external pancreas?
Tubing is no problem at all 🙂 It comes in different lengths so you can have your cannula where you want. If you do have a little spare just roll it up like a hosepipe and put a bit of tape on it.
Being attached I never had a problem with after the 1st 24 hours, after that I used to check to make sure I still had the pump with me
Clothes can be altered as well to make small holes in pocket to thread the tubing through if you want the pump in a pocket. There's loads of different cases to put a pump in as well as belts to wear.
No 1 rule though if you do have a pump is you have to name it. We have all given our pumps names
Worrying about wearing a pump is normal we all did when we first started.
Do you know which pump you would have if you decide to have one?
If I would go onto the pump I would have the Accucheck one with the remote.
I really appreciate all of your help you have given me and if I go for the pump I promise I will name it.
A question I would love to ask is that, is the pump worth having some rough patches for a few months and constantly having to find new places to hide it?
Pumper_Sue
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Hello again 🙂
yes most def worth a few weeks or months of ups and downs whilst you sort your basal out.
Most of us could have quite cheerfully have chucked the pump out of the window to start with. That soon passes though, and the quality and ease of life on a pump has the wow factor compared to injections.
I just keep my pump in my pocket or on my waistband (right side) Cannulas go on my tum so the tubing just goes right across. Having a remote control as you will have you can pop your pump anywhere you like as you don't have to fish it out to bolus.
Besides you don't have to hide your pump unless it would make you feel self conscious 🙂
There's a fantastic book called pumping insulin by John walsh which can be had from amazon This would iron out a lot of the early teething problems plus you have everyone on here to help plus your parents I hope and your hospital team as well.
Most of our fears about going on the pump are fears of the unknown 🙂
Once on the pump we all wondered what we were worried about.
Lauras87
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Hi.
I'm new on the pump & have fought for one since I was 15.
I've had mine for 2 days now & it's nice to not have to think have I injected, oh no I'm doing exercise & I have all my insulin on board - quick I need to eat more carbs, you can have a temporary basal rate for exercise high bloods etc but best thing, different basal rates every hour so it helps.
I've got the Accu Chek combo, I've called mine Jerry (I called my diabetes Tom)
If I was you, try it & it should help you (even tho you have to put work in)
and if you hate it, you can always go back on MDI but what have you got to loose?
Did your nurse give you a DVD of the pump with the lessons about the pump, cannulas etc?
I'm new on the pump & have fought for one since I was 15.
I've had mine for 2 days now & it's nice to not have to think have I injected, oh no I'm doing exercise & I have all my insulin on board - quick I need to eat more carbs, you can have a temporary basal rate for exercise high bloods etc but best thing, different basal rates every hour so it helps.
I've got the Accu Chek combo, I've called mine Jerry (I called my diabetes Tom)
If I was you, try it & it should help you (even tho you have to put work in)
and if you hate it, you can always go back on MDI but what have you got to loose?
Did your nurse give you a DVD of the pump with the lessons about the pump, cannulas etc?
thank you, I do have the support of my family and a great hospital team. it seems that a part of why i am scared is because I dunno how I am going to feel and what will happen. Also, thank you for the suggestion about the book I will look into it.
Do you have any suggestions about getting over the fear of what will happen?
Hi, I have been on trial a couple of times but my nurse has not given me a DVD but showed me about cannulas when I went on trial.
If you don't mind me asking how are you finding the pump, with finding places to put it and having it in general life? If I went onto the pump I would be on the same one as you. (I like the naming by the way 🙂 )
Pumper_Sue
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
I'm one of those who badly wanted a pump so was going to like it come hell or high water. Like others I would never give my pump back. So when the day came I just took the plunge. 🙂 Can you meet or have you met any other pumpers of your own age? If you haven't ask your hospital team if that would be possible and do talk to them about your worries and concerns.
Have you had a trial of some cannulas and having a pump on you for a few weeks? If not ask to try one with saline solution in it.
Have just had a look at the combo web site and fund this page for you https://www.accu-chek.co.uk/gb/pumptherapy/why-accu-chek-combo.html ask them to send you the info in the post about the pump and also look on youtube as bet there will be loads of videos on there 🙂
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I have a friend I met on camp and have asked her some questions, I have also been on trial twice with the Accucheck pump with the saline in it. But it turned out I was hyper sensitive to the metal cannula and can only use the flexi ones. I only had the trial puno for a week each time as many people wanted it to trial and did I not feel it was for long enough.
Lauras87
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
It's fine, I've had 1 error in the night but it woke me & it was fine to sort ( I'm older than you & live on my own but your parents will be able to help you if you are worried)
In my box I was given had 2 things so I can wear it in a pouch round my neck or on a strap round my tummy. When I went out last night I put it down my bra & it wasn't obvious to anyone that I was diabetic or had a pump on. A friend from here is going to make me a pump pouch for my leg
And for bed, I'm childish (I bought a pump pet) so I can find it easier & I know it's not dropped off the bed.
I was told the best place for the pump is tummy & hips, you can use your legs or arms but they aren't the best.
I've got my first cannula change tomorrow morning & I'm not scared as I was imagining how you put it in.
Pumper_Sue
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Many find they can't use the metal cannula so don't worry about that 🙂
The tethlon cannulas come in different lengths and angles as well so some there to suit everyone. If you have a reaction to the sticky tape there's a spray which acts as a barrier so no itch in that dept either.
Someone came up with the idea of using a yoyo as a pretend pump ie, yoyo in pocket and string stuck to tum with a bit of tape. If you try that I promise I wont tell if you play with the yoyo
Thank you for going out of your way to help me it means alot that you are trying to help. I will have a look at the website and on YouTube to find different things 🙂
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