Some thoughts on a 'Pumping' section

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Northerner

Northerner

Admin (Retired)
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Peeps, I wish I could give you a section for pumpers, but don't want to start altering the design of the place whilst Admin is away - it would be like my mum 'tidying' my cupboards up for me, if you see what I mean!😉

Clearly we have a lot of people on pumps, just about to start, or contemplating pumps, so there is a lot of interest. My one little issue with separating the pumpers out of the General Messageboard would be that some people would never visit that section, thinking it wasn't for them, and therefore not learn about what they have to offer. I think a lot about learning to deal with your diabetes is to do with broadening your knowledge and experience of the issues and treatments, and some who might benefit will miss good information.

Do you see what I mean? I have visited other forums where you feel as though you are 'intruding' if you're not actually a part of that particular community - some separate out Type 1 and Type 2, others separate low, no and high carbers etc., but I have learned a lot from all of this by encountering it alongside the others, and with people of different 'persuasions' contributing different angles and aspects.

Just my thoughts, any comments would be welcome!🙂
 
As a Type 2 I would be ineligible for a pump under the current NICE guidelines even if my blood glucose was badly out of control - that is not a grumble at all by the way but simply to clarify that I have little personal interest in the matter. Nonetheless I really like reading the "pumping" threads although I have nothing to offer in way of advice or sensible input - I still learn a lot from them and feel part of a shared community as a result

I like this forum particularly because there is very rarely a sense of division between Types, ages and approaches
 
Vanessa said:
...I like this forum particularly because there is very rarely a sense of division between Types, ages and approaches
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Thank you Vanessa, I think this is what I was trying to say! I suppose the counter argument is that people who are only specifically seeking information and advice about pumps might be put off having such posts in amongst everything else.

You've actually answered a question I've been meaning to ask for ages - are there any Type 2s on pumps? Probably not many at all I would imagine, if NICE doesn't endorse it. Steve Redgrave is Type 2 and on a pump, but I'm guessing it's self-funded in his case.
 
I understand your line of thought Northener. 🙂

I have suggested on my thread that perhaps we all join up and have one thread for pumpers/pumper parents instead of several. What do you think? 🙂
 
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hi sounds like a good idea Mand and i totally 100% agree with vanessa over the types and age issue i have never felt left out or annoyed or anything like that in here over that , we never seem to catogorise as 1 worse then the other , which is why this place is so popular
 
Northerner said:
Do you see what I mean? I have visited other forums where you feel as though you are 'intruding' if you're not actually a part of that particular community - some separate out Type 1 and Type 2, others separate low, no and high carbers etc., but I have learned a lot from all of this by encountering it alongside the others, and with people of different 'persuasions' contributing different angles and aspects.

Just my thoughts, any comments would be welcome!🙂
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I am a member of another Diabetes forum , where they do separate sections for Low Carbing , Pumpers , Type 1 and Type 2's etc and you are right Northerner , if you dont come under that catergory you tend to stay away as it does feel as if you dont belong . I am not a pumper and to be honest Im not sure if Id want to be one but I do find it interesting to find out about them , so do every now and again nip in the have a read through the posts.
 
Hi all,

I know you have picked this up from another thread northener and thanks for leading it into a new thread and opening this up to the members.

There are several issues here and I have read the responses already to this thread with interest. I think already the essense of what attracts us all to this forum has already been sumarised, that the general messageboard encompasses the whole broad spectrum of diabetes and doesnt discourage anyone regarless of what aspect of diabetes they come to us from.

What I think has evolved out of the pumping threads is that we have all found there is so much to talk about and to ask each other. It has also been a touch of unusual circumstance that we somehow (fate, I think as I have felt every supported!) a few of us have come about pummping at roughly the same time. This has meant at times, a pumping-posting-frenzy! And from this perhaps an awareness that we dont want to 'topple' the balance of posts to be pump themed...but if the response is that people generally feel this doesnt happen then that can only be a good thing! I hope that Bev feels she can also start a thread when they start pumping as I am sure she will make it extremely entertaining!

I use the insulin-pumpers.org forum also and a US site. They are not nearly as good as this, but it means I can read more about other people and pumping which I need right now. I would love to see more pumpers here and would love our discussions to attract them, but again, not sway any balance in the main area. I am at ease with whatever peoples thoughts here are on this but my own personal thoughts are that I would utilise a dedicated section a whole lot more. It would also help me find the other pumping threads as I do go back and read them, but find them hard to locate when there isnt an update.

Anyway, those are just my feelings! I am not deserting the ship for pumping forums, not a ryhme or joke in sight.....!

Lou x
 
Personally I agree with the others, i like the fact there is no seperation and therefore segregation on this site.

I enjoy reading all threads regardless of topic and this site has lead me to learn so much about diabetes in general and helped me reasearch and understand my own diabetes and how it affects me. I think changing into different sections would put a lot of people off looking, and therefore would be missing out. 🙂
 
This is really interesting, and thanks Northerner for picking this up, as Lou said.

I guess I feel that a separate 'pumping' place might well discourage a general exchange, which I find just so useful -- and too, supports of all sorts, and ideas, are not necessarily specific to any treatment, so keeping things open and general is a good way of all of us offering what we can to everyone...Long winded, sorry.

However like Lou I do worry about the 'pumping frenzy' (which sounds, as my son would say a 'little dodgy', but we'll ignore that!) and that it will somehow 'topple' (like this word, Lou!) the balance of the forum. If this doesn't feel accurate, then so much the better really, and we can carry on as we were perhaps? And this may also mean that another misgiving I have -- that of putting up a specific pump question thread -- is okay to do? I'm just wary of 'taking over' I guess....

I'm now wondering if it's worth putting up several stickies to do with frequently discussed aspects of type 1 and type 2, as well as treatments etc... ? Including pumps or pump questions? Maybe this is just my 'must file everything neatly because it's nearly the beginning of another school year' urge, however! But there could be 5 or 6 at the top of the general messageboard, like 'thoughts/questions on low/high carb', 'thoughts/questions on pumping', 'thoughts/questions on hypos and treating them'...Actually, maybe not. It would go on forever and maybe then too it would make people feel they *had* to use one of these for thoughts and questions...Oh, I don't know! 😱
 
Hi Patricia, thank you for your thoughts! I don't think that the 'pumpers' should feel that they are upsetting the balance of the forum or dominating in any way - this isn't my impression, and I read all the posts!🙂 So, please do feel free to post pumping related questions whenever you need to.

Regarding 'stickies' - I know that Kati/Admin isn't keen as they can start to take things over on the current page of the messageboard, and it's difficult to know what to 'stick'! Sometimes, I think they can lead to more participation, as people who maybe don't post so often can see a clear place to post their opinions or experiences, so it's swings and roundabouts...

Lots of 'food for thought' (appropriately bolused by the insulin users!).🙂 Keep 'em coming!:D
 
It is great to be part of a larger community, and belong.

As a type 2 on pills I am unlikely to need or get a pump unless the NICE guidlines change, so no personal interest.

For those using a pump, I thin a separate message board might be useful as it would save sifting through lots of postings just to get the information needed. It is then up to the individual to look or not look. Sometimes when you need information quickly, it is helpful to be able to at least start looking in one place, and I think there are enough pumpers and parents/carers of pumpers to make it worth while.
 
I am not sure if this is possible - but how about 'tagging' anyone who is pumping or parents of pumpers - so that if another pumper wants to search for Q&A then can just call up all the threads that have been made by the pumpers? Is this even possible to do?🙂Bev
 
Tagging or some kind of filing threads in a way would be good, but I agree being part of a bigger community is good, I honestly haven't tried any other forums, found this one and well got hooked! I like to read what others are doing etc, for example don't truely low carb but find it interesting, don't think I'll be a pumper, and truth be told I don't read all of those threads, but I still pick up the odd good bit of info, so would like it to stay open, you could even say there is an argument to remove pregnancy and driving boards, and use some kind of tagging system which perhaps you could subscribe to so you only see the subjects you want, or all of them! Probably take far too much time, and if it ain't broke don't fix it.
 
At the end of the day, we are a community of people with an interest in diabetes, whether we have it or know someone who has, and however this may be treated.

I think splitting up this diversity would have a negative impact on the whole community and only serve to ghettoise groups.

Personally, I welcome discussion of all aspects of diabetes. You never know, pumps may one day even be recommended for people with type 2, especially as they progress.

One of the things that makes this site so welcoming is the friendliness and support of the group's members. A lot of posts exist just to say 'well done', or commiserate when things do go wrong. It all just adds to the sense of community.

So I say, keep things as they are. Please, anyone post anything whether you think someone will be interested or not. You may be surprised that more people take an interest than you can imagine, and that you may give someone some information that may prove useful in the future.
 
I like having the general forum as most forums I have used split type 1 and 2 up etc. I feel that I can reply to and ask questions in the pumping threads even though I don't pump.
I am happy for it to stay as it is, but wouldn't be unhappy if we had a seperate forum.
 
bev said:
I am not sure if this is possible - but how about 'tagging' anyone who is pumping or parents of pumpers - so that if another pumper wants to search for Q&A then can just call up all the threads that have been made by the pumpers? Is this even possible to do?🙂Bev
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What is possible is to set up search options to pick up threads. So, for example, I click on 'Search', then 'Advanced Search'. I type in the keyword 'pump', and then set the search options to show me threads since my last visit, with at least 1 reply and only in the General Messageboard. I can then save my Search preferences, then everytime I search for a keyword it will apply these preferences, rather than searching the entire forum which may bring up stuff I've already read.

You can also choose to subscribe to threads. I will investigate whether the 'tagging' idea can be applied using forum software.
 
As someone who has a pump thread, i would just like to add that i would like one pumping thread that we can all share. This one thread could be used by all pumpers and us pumper parents and for non pumpers to ask questions.

Could we have one pumping thread and then have it as a sticky in the general messageboard? This would keep all the pumping info together, not dominate but easily found and accessed (spelling?).

🙂 Mand 🙂
 
Mand said:
As someone who has a pump thread, i would just like to add that i would like one pumping thread that we can all share. This one thread could be used by all pumpers and us pumper parents and for non pumpers to ask questions.

Could we have one pumping thread and then have it as a sticky in the general messageboard? This would keep all the pumping info together, not dominate but easily found and accessed (spelling?).

🙂 Mand 🙂
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I am happy to set a new combined pumping thread as a sticky Mand! I will 'release' Patricia's thread and set it free to roam amongst the diverse landscape of the General Messageboard!🙂

And it doesn't mean that you can't start separate threads if you need to ask a question, so please don't feel limited to using the 'stuck' thread!🙂
 
Totally different in a way but i would just like to say that sometimes i get a bit paranoid about the fact that as a parent should i really be posting on the main forum?? I enjoy reading everyone's posts and asking for advice but i do wonder if i (and the other parents) get on others nerves??? I do worry that you lot think we should be over in the parents section. I belong to another child/parent list and it is invaluable however, it is great here as i get the knowledge and interesting stuff from you guys as adults - if any of that makes any sense whatsoever LOL!!!
 
Becca - my response is on similar lines as before in respect of the pumping. I don't have children so again no personal interest but I learn so much from the parents too and that helps keep my own challenges in perspective. Certain that you don't get on my nerves - so keep posting
 
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