Boy was the first week hectic. I had trouble with the infusion sets. I ran out of the samples! I had one pull out and I knew it pulled out as it leaked. I MUST remember when your pants are down that you remember your pump is in your pocket as it will tug the infusion site (you have no idea how many times this happened and I forgot I was on a pump). My infusion sets arrived today but my mom decided to be non-compliant today that I dont have them! I have a sample of the inset I can use for tomorrow morning but then I really need to get my sets.
So I am not use to using the pump yet but I know I’ll get the hang of it. I have done well sleeping with it! Going to order the dressing as the infusion set does peel off easily. I bought another type of tape and it stays on well only if I use a lot of it.
Tomorrow I go live on Insulin! Got my rx filled :)…I am nervous. I am glad that this morning was my last morning on Lantus. No more bruising! And no more shots as of tomorrow (unless something happens to the pump or I need a vacation).
So this is all for now I wanted to share with you guys :)…Just happy to be on the pump and can’t wait to feel better and will be happy to go out to dinner with friends and not have to get up to give shots in the bathroom!
Best things I can tell you when you go “live”… Pull underwear out - then down and the dishwasher has more little places to get your tube stuck on than any other device out there. Best of luck!
Thank you! I am sure as time goes on, it will get better. It was just an awful weekend! I was hoping to have one sample to use tomorrow. I also had trouble with the reservoir on Weds too. But the next reservoir was much better
You’ll get better. Pumping will be not such a big deal. Honest!
I can smile now when I do an inset change - a year ago, I was sweating buckets and reading directions step… by step… by step…
I often feel like one of the old “Where’s Waldo” books - except I have to think about “Where’s the pump? Where’s the inset?”
Daricel, you are absolutely right. Also, the baskets at the grocery store will pull one out if you are getting groceries out of the basket from the side and the infusion set is between the ribs and waist… Who would think???
I had to laugh about gong to the bathroom - I’ve been using the pump a year and I STILL forget sometimes! So I’ve tried to get in the habit of taking my pump out of my pocket on the way to the bathroom, and then, as Daricel says, pull underwear out, then down - course that means you have to make a mental note of where the actual infusion set is - LOL - and sometimes I forget. In fact, I just pulled one out tonight.
That’s great that you start on insulin tomorrow!! I wish you luck. I am getting my ping in the mail on Friday!!! I can’t wait!! Did they put you on the saline at first or did you ask to go on saline before the insulin? They will be calling me to set up training in a couple weeks. Just not exactly sure what to expect yet. =]
You’re doing great, Amy. Yeah, there are a lot of mishaps at first, but it’s all a part of the learning process. I asked the women at my Type 1 group how often they have problems with sets and they all agreed about 5% of the time. John Walsh also says in Pumping Insulin that the problems decrease with time, so that helps me to know it will get better when I’m frustrated!
You’re well prepared and you’ll do fine on insulin. What percentage below your previous TDD are they starting you on? Just know that your numbers may not be good at first because whatever they are starting you on can only be an approximation and you will have to tweak it. I’ve done that several times including going from one basal rate to 6 separate “time zones” and it’s really levelling out well! Today I giggled because I was actually the same number 2 hours after lunch that I was before lunch!
You will still have to do the occasional shot if a set fails and your numbers have jumped up, it’s the better way to get them coming down while your problem solve and change the set. But an “occasional shot” and five a day is a whole different thing. There are days I think, “Oh is there something I’m supposed to be doing now?” and there isn’t! For me, since I switched from my stomach to my thigh I forget about the set a lot too! Yeah, the bathroom thing. My pump has hit the floor a couple times already. My trainer told me it is built pretty strong!
The IOB is figured out the same way you did on shots when you did a correction. You establish your duration of action, mine is three hours. So if I took 3 units at 1PM (to use an easy number), than at 2PM I have 2 units left and at 3PM I have 1 unit left. It doesn’t get used exactly evenly, but it’s good enough. When you program in everything like correction factor, duration of action, I:C ratios, target bg it starts to all make sense where the pump gets it’s numbers from!
Good luck tomorrow Amy! Like the others said, you kind of have to re-learn how to go to the bathroom! Pull a couple sets out & you will get used to it.
I am using the Flexifix tape that I ordered for the Dex. It sticks really well and I actually have a hard time getting it off infusion sets.
I promise you, the site changes will get better! I cried a few times the first 2 weeks because I was frustrated with the site changes - once the set was on, things were fine. It was getting them on that was the problem. I won’t promise you that you won’t have bruises though - those can still happen! Eating out is easier.
You are on your way Amy!!! I also went from Lantus and lots of Novolog injections to the Ping. For about the first month I opened the Animas web site every time I changed my inset, went to the little step by step video they have, set up all I would need in front of my computer and followed the steps. I “wasted” many insets in the beginning and now it’s like brushing my teeth. That doesn’t mean I don’t mess it up now and then need a do-over.
I found I had less trouble with the straight inset than with the Inset 30. Everybody is different
Also, I keep my pump in my jeans pocket (back left or right depending on the inset side) most of the time and when I go to the loo, I hold the pump in my hand. You get pretty good at just grabbing your pump and moving it around in different situations. I now almost automatically grab it and move it with me when I roll over even if I am dead asleep!
Have you seen any of the 1HappyDiabetic YouTube videos? The guy is great and very helpful.
Rock the pump Amy!
Thanks Carman…My boyfriend was a naughty one…He took me to Finale desserts restaurant…I had to calculate enough insulin to use at that place which means its a good thing I am on saline and starting live on insulin tomorrow…lots of carby stuff was fed to me
but that was besides the point…I work at a grocery store :)…I know all about carts
as long as its spring loaded I am fine. the dexcom is manually meaning you push the button down…I still take my time with that! Spring loaded and I dont see anything i’m alllll good.
Joslin does the Saline for a week :)…at first I was like I dont want anymore shots! I understand now…when you get your ping, you’ll gonna wanna put it on asap…you cant contain yourself…well at least I couldn’t!
oh you’ll laugh at what happened to me this weekend…I have a fox tail that I like to wear when I am at geeky events. I was at an event this weekend and wore it…well I had t ogo pee so bad that when I was looking for my tail. oh where did it end up?? yup in the toilet! I was sooo not happy…I have to get something to clean it. I patted it down but still…I’m like I am glad that wasn’t the pump landing in the toilet!
and the dishwasher has more little places to get your tube stuck on than any other device out there. Best of luck!