Yes, that sounds very restrictive! Do you use an I:C ratio for the pump? If she returns to MDI you can use those same ratios. That way you have flexibility for her to eat what she likes and bolus for it.
I personally went on the omnipod so I could swim, run, etc. without getting tangled in tubes. It may be hard for her to keep track of the PDM, though. I was 14 when I got mine, and my mom and I went shopping that day for a cute clutch/cross body bag that would fit it. Perhaps a fun backpack would help her keep track of it.
Recently I took a pump vacation and it was the worst 3 days of my life since Dx. I found MDI so much more difficult than the pump and I'm never going back.
Thanks Leah, I also think that Sarah would find going back to MDI hard, so we just need to find a better option for securing her pump!
I think the most important thing is...how are her blood sugars on a pump vs. MDI? Most go on pump so they can adjust basal rates; they have bad DP or for workouts, etc...it does allow a sense of freedom but also one can feel more tied down, her feelings are her feelings, no? Maybe negotiate with her, ask if she's willing to stay at it for a longer period of time, if at that time, she still doesn't like it, allow her to go back to MDI?
Also, did your endo - CDE recommend only testing 4x's per day? Does she wear a CGM? As Zoe noted, most type 1's test far more then that, especially when on a pump. 4 x's a day usually is what type 2's do.
Minimim Blood Sugar Checks (pretty standard)
Wake up
Breakfast
2 hours after breakfast
lunch
2 hours after lunch
dinner
2 hours after dinner
bedtime
3AM check
and this is just minimum, i would imagine she eats snacks, she's still growing, needs corrections, etc...
good luck.
I would discuss it all with her, find out her reasons and then let her decide. Maybe she can try mdi for a while and then go back to the pump if that is a problem and maybe she can use both. I think someone on here said they used both. I'm on mdi and I do have less freedom probably due to the basal. If I don't reduce my basal I will go low from not eating at certain times on some days with activity etc. Reducing the basal even one unit then just causes me to spike and have worse dp. I'm an adult, different ballgame. The basal insulins I have used, levemir and lantus, don't stay stable in me- my endo agrees but unfortunately a pump is not for me either. I think since she is sick of D most likely, she needs the freedom to be able to choose how she will deal with it, even if at this stage you're still helping a lot.
Leelaa, I recommend you explore more ways for your daughter to wear the pump. I do think it is important to find a comfortable, secure way to carry the pump and tuck in the tubing. My son is ten, very active and it was a struggle to find a comfortable pump belt. In the beginning he tried many different pump belts and ways to carry the pump comfortably. At the age of 8 his favorite was “tallygear.com”. As time went on he found even that belt irritating. He now uses a “Be Maternity BeBand” bought at Target. The fabric is very soft and breathable with no irritating tags, snaps or hooks. I simply fold it in half and sew one area to be a pocket. Most days he wears the BeBand under his shirt with the pump securely tucked into the band. For more active times he simply twists the fabric to secure it even more. Since the BeBand fabric has a 4-way stretch it hold the pump and extra tubing against his body without being too tight and the wide band helps to distribute the weight of the pump so it feels much less restrictive and less pressure. Good luck on your search.
Our DD was dx'd at 8 years and did not want to start pump therapy. We asked her to try it for six months and make a decision then. She did not want to switch back. Your daughter is now 7 years but by the age of puberty and teenage years it will be very difficult to manage diabetes without a pump. Even now, children will be dealing with a lot of growth hormones adults do not have to deal with. Growth hormones cause them to become insulin resistant -- but here's the catch -- they are only insulin resistant when the growth hormone is active, say from 9pm to 2:30 or 3am, then they go back to their normal basal rates. And the growth hormones are not active every night only during growth spurts. Once they enter puberty this problem becomes intense. I could never have managed my child's diabetes without a pump. I would ask her to try it for four or five more months. If she doesn't like it, I would consider the Omnipod, which is small, tubeless and you can bolus and manage it through a PDM. Which means you do not have to expose the pump itself ever and it can be hidden. I believe that's probably the issue. The other children do not wear pumps and she feels different. As far as bolusing for carb-heavy meals, children eat approximate 1800 grams of carbs a day. Some ages a little less but at 8, that was what the dietitian recommended. You basically have to test two hours after eating and either feed the insulin a little or correct a little, but children need carbohdrate to grow. So you don't have the option of carb restriction as you do with adults. Three meals and one snack... that's six shots a day. That can get oppressive, along with the eight, ten or more fingersticks a day children usually receive. I would talk up the Omni Pod, get her used to the idea and switch pumps but would do anything in my power to keep her on the pump until she is an adult. But in the end if she does not change her mind, it's her body and you will have to go back to MDI. But I would give it my all and try to persuade her otherwise. Good luck
There are seveal "cool, fashionable, cute" pick an adjective) ways to keep the pump secure./ Pump Wear has these waistbands, with a pocket that come in all sorts of colors that could be part of a 7-year old girl's outfit. I use them and they keep the tubing from escaping out as well.
Scott brought up a very important point, with the pump it is likely that the powers that be at school would allow her to take her insulin on her own. Too many schools require a child to walk to the nurse's office (if the nurse is even there) for their insulin and bg tests. That's not a good system. With the pump, since there aren't any sharps for the school to worry about, she'll be able to control things better.
Another idea, is there diabetes camp nearby? She'll see for herself the differences between insulin delivery systems and how the other kids do things (especially those cool "older kids" you know the 10-year old campers and the counselors)