Virgin pumpers nerves!!

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ruthelliot

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Hi all , haven't posted for ages and I dont think ever in this section but starting our boy on a pump 2wks today and feeling very nervous - so many worries/ expectations - will it hurt , what if after all the fighting for it it doesn't make things any better, will we ever get a nights sleep?? Any words of wisdom appreciated!
Ruth x
 
ruthelliot said:
Hi all , haven't posted for ages and I dont think ever in this section but starting our boy on a pump 2wks today and feeling very nervous - so many worries/ expectations - will it hurt , what if after all the fighting for it it doesn't make things any better, will we ever get a nights sleep?? Any words of wisdom appreciated!
Ruth x
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Hi Ruth,
eventually yes you will. It is hard slog to start with though. So can you cat nap in the afternoons?
Everyone is nervous to start with, like everything else though you and Ben soon adapt and best of all Ben will feel so much better for being on the pump.
Have you ordered pumping insulin by John Walsh(Amazon)? This is the pumpers Bible and one of the best investments you will make.
As Ben is so Young can you buy some elma cream to put on before the cannula goes in? 99.9% do not find the insertion painfull, but better to be safe than sorry so he's not put off from day one.
Good luck you will be fine. Have a little pump party for Ben after he is connected then he will forget about it more quickly and won't want to play with the pump.:D
 
Hiya Ruth

You will be fine. I understand the nerves, I was nervous but excited.

It is hard work to begin with. I think it is more work than MDI but you don't really notice as it just becomes easier with time as the diabetes will change.

It is like getting diagnosed all over again but without the same heartache, this time it is practical stuff.

You may be one of the people who want to chuck the pump out the window in the first week. Don't do that. Get through that knowing it will be better.

This will change your lives. It will change the life of your little boy to become a better life, so much more freedom, people look at me madly when I say that because they is the box with a tube they are attached to 24/7, believe me the kids don't notice the tube and they are proud of their pump or pancreas on the outside 🙂

You will be so much more in control as it is an hourly thing, you can change things that concentrated in hourly increments if you so wanted to.

He can eat when he wants to.

However you need to get the basals right first. Most important the night times are sorted and the day times will then fall into place. I'm hoping your DSN or whomever will be calling for you for a few days to do some tweaking for you.

Ask anything you like. If I'm not around, then email me, I think it is on my profile, am sure it is. Am happy to help 🙂
 
Sue/Adrienne,
Thank you both for the support and very good advice. I have ordered the book and I know Ben would love the idea of a pump party! Adrienne I will probably take you up on the offer of e- mail advice - our team are great but good to know there is somewhere else I can go to for advice if required.
Will keep you posted on our progress.
Ruth🙂
 
Hi Ruth,

One other book you can order is Carbs & Cals or they do it as iPhone App. It is so helpful if food packaging isn't clear enough on the carb amount. In each section say for instance chips, there is a picture of a plate 6 times but each picture has a different size portion on it and above the carb & calorie amount so its easy for you to work out. It is really scary when first initially going onto pumping but you soon adapt and it becomes easier as time gets on. I do a project involving horses and young diabetics to help them understand their condition alot better and there is several on pumps ( I have had a pump now for 5 years out of the 19 years I've had diabetes) and the youngest is 4yrs old but she does everything to do with her pump. They pick it up really quickly and the pumps are pretty straight forward in how to use and anything that does go wrong out of hours of your consultants work, when you phone the manufacturers they are so so helpful. I'm on a Medtronic and sometimes when I've just needed a hand with something and it's late at night, the advisors on the careline do anything to help you. Good Luck to you with it though 🙂
 
ruthelliot said:
Hi all , haven't posted for ages and I dont think ever in this section but starting our boy on a pump 2wks today and feeling very nervous - so many worries/ expectations - will it hurt , what if after all the fighting for it it doesn't make things any better, will we ever get a nights sleep?? Any words of wisdom appreciated!
Ruth x
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Hi Ruth,

As everyone else says, I'm sure you'll find it such a helpful, indispensable bit of kit after only a short space of time! I think knowing that it will involve a steep learning curve at first and that there may be initial teething problems, will stand you in good stead for it being a hugely positive experience for you both. If you already do carb counting and a fair amount of testing, then you've got most of the knowledge under your belt already. Hopefully you'll be able to have the pump for a few days before going live to get used to it. My friend's daughter used an ice cube in the first few months, to numb site she was about to put the cannula in to. They also use a Zopf wipe (think that's spelt right) from Tesco amongst others, to help take the sticky plaster-type bit off that the cannula's attached to, when doing a set change.

Amazon is fab for finding books for new pumpers and diabetes in general, but you've just got to be careful not to get American ones I think! I got the Carbs and Cals recommended above and still use it now. I also got 'Using Insulin Pumps in Diabetes' by Jill Rodgers. It's aimed at health professionals but I wanted something that really explained why things were happening and something a bit more in depth than some I'd seen. A friend borrowed it when her 17 yr old was about to start on a pump and found it really helpful too.

Good luck 🙂

S x
 
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Amazon is fab for finding books for new pumpers and diabetes in general, but you've just got to be careful not to get American ones I think!
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Pumping insulin is an American book. It is also renowned for being the best there is for pumping. Hence it is known as the pumpers Bible 🙂
It's easy to understand,blood sugar conversions are there as well.
IMHO it's the best investment besides the pump any diabetic will ever make.
 
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