Your decision to use the pump is the best thing you can do for yourself. Most insurance pays–
I know it is a lot of money, but your wellness is so important and you will benefit in the years to come.
Animas is a GOOD pump—You need to keep really good records and you WANT TO BE SURE THAT YOUR TRAINER WORKS WITH YOU FOR AS LONG AS IT TAKES…You will first need to get your morning blood sugar on target by adjusting the basal rate —the first is the 12 midnight one…Do not freak yourself out…It will take work, but with the help of your trainer, you will do fine—I have never had anyone stop using the pump once they got the hang of it…Old or young…You are making a great decision—If you have questions --let me know–I am really good at figuring out what values need to be adjusted…Lora
I think you might talk with a supervisor and work some thing out…I do not know about the sales end of pumps --but there are pump classes that are given by all companies and alot of hospitals hold them—Endocrinologists hold trainings also…There are more sources than you think…The main goal is do you get good numbers? Knowing dual-waves and square waves are fine, but I can get a person adjusted with good old fashioned basal rate adjustments and adjustments of carb ratios-with out using additional bolus methods…
Do you wake up with a number under 110?—If not raise you 12midnight basal 0.1 u/h----Check your 3am to be sure you are not too high or too low----Next check your two hour post meals–Is your number higher than 140?-Then lower your carb ratio by 1 or 2 grams—Try to always eat some protein with you meals–It helps reduce spikes of BGs…
Basal rates are the major BG control factor-----Raise them 0.1 or lower no more than 0.1 at a time
If you always have highs mid afternoon, and your carbs are OK add a basal that is 0.1 higher than the 12mn one. Basal rates kick in one hour after you set them…
The reason people lose control is they stop checking as much and stop adjusting…Your body is constantly changing and you rates must always be adjusted as well…Go back to the beginning and start monitoring as you did when you first learned how…I bet you will see results…Lora
No one will stay within a good body weight if they do not eat moderately…Eating what you want means eating for example a carb that you NEVER COULD EAT when you took shots and not spike…A pump when it is programmed correctly can cover the carbs and not give you highs—BUT no one should binge or eat a meal that is higher in carbs or fat than what is recommended—That is about 45 grams per meal for women and 60 grams for men—That amount is what anyone DIABETIC OR NON DIABETIC should eat—Yes we are a country of FAT people–We do not teach our patients to binge but I have people who haven’t eaten rice, or a pancake in years because they get highs so easily–Now when the carbs are covered, they can…Eating “whatever I want” doesn’t mean overeating–That is not what I meant—that is an excuse a pumper can use, but if it means over the proper gram and fat amounts–no–that is not what is meant—Once you lower your carbs you can start to lose that “craving” feeling–I just had a patient tell me she has lost that craving feeling since I started her on her pump and taught her carb counting --correct carb counting…Every thing in moderation !!!
Our problem is so many people have no clue on what pumpers go through—most medical folks are scared stiff of them–call your company and ask if there is a trainer in your area–
a good trainer will work with you for as long as it takes…I do…
I teach my patients to use eat carbs -no more than 45grams PER MEAL for a woman and 60 grams PRE MEAL for a guy and use fats in moderation—and protein in moderation, but if they are hungry eat some protein/fat foods,–a chicken leg a cheese and low fat cold cut wrap up, some nuts(SOME).
If your pump is set correctly you will cover your carbs and not introduce additional insulin…
The problem is people may not have their pumps set correctly–You must get help and not try to “self adjust” if you are frustrated…Insist that your endo get you into a class or get you a CDE pump trainer–they work with them all the time…
NPH and R are crap insulins and are being eliminated by the good docs…The only insulin that is effective is Novalog, Humalog etc and Lantus Levemir for injections–and THEN you should be covering your meals with the fact acting and the MDs don’t want to stop and teach it because it takes time…
That is the “gold standard” on injections—best next to a pump…
I have been trying levemir instead of lantus and it might make me less hungry. My Doctors did not bother to teach anything about insulin, they said I had to find out on my own what works. A nurse showed me how to inject which was helpful. I am trying to keep my daily insulin consumption to about 75 units per day. 25 levemir at night and 25 morning and about 25 of fast for bolus. Needs a low carb diet and a fair bit of exercise to keep the BG reasonable. I could be more aggresive and up the levemir a bit and more bolus but I am afraid that this would cause the weight to balloon to 500 lb or death withever comes first.
You are right the new insulins are much better than s==t like NPH. But I wonder if a well tuned pump could permit me to loose weight? Did any of your patients achieve this when they switched from a levemir /fast regime to a pump?
And I like to keep my girlish figure at almost 69 , pumper and advocate ( medtronic ) for 8 plus years , basicly eating same amount of carbs prior to pumping , diabetes for over 26 years…I keep away from desserts.( and chinese food and pizza and…because of the spikes, which I have not mastered YET ) …tummy has NO room .How it was for me : hypoglycemic unawereness prior to pumping …that darn NPH .
Meter BG now, have to go …
When you use a pump you only need 75% of what you took by syringe because the pump insulin infusion works so well–24/7 of insulin given every 3-10 minutes(depends on pump brand)–Spirit is the best for that–but they all are good. I start people who use 20-30 units a day, and some who use 80 -100 a day–The trick is to match the basal rate and get good BGs , using moderate carb intake and adjusting the insulin on board–time that the insulin will work and then be gone, to a lower rate of 2-3 hours not 4 or higher—
Could you please explain last sentence: " using moderate carb intake and adjusting the insulin on board–time that the insulin will work and then be gone, to a lower rate of 2-3 hours not 4 or higher—"
Using only 75% of what is injected manually is a good sign.
Thank you for answering my question. I presume you were speaking to me. I now understand what you meant by your phrase “…eating when and WHAT you want”.
I do agree with eating moderately but moderate to one Person is not moderate to another. Diabetics come from many cuts of cloth and different sizes, ideas, upbringing, etc., as you know. A Person who suffers from Anorexia will never eat near 45 grams per meal. Neither will a low-carber. A Person who always feels hungry even when they are high(I can’t imagine) will usually not be satisfied with 45 or even 60 grams per meal.
I agree that 45 grams is a Good starting point but some People will feel that they need to lower that amount for different reasons soon after diagnosis and possibly throughout their lives.
Others will simply need more grams to satisfy themselves(although it may be unhealthy) and hopefully they would obtain some therapy to accompany their new menu, to correct a possible eating disorder, whether pumping or not.
In my previous post that you answered, I was only giving an example of a type of Person, not myself. My body is doing just Fine thanks. Also my Hubby and I had (me 2) pancakes, 3 slices of bacon, 2 no sugar(just cream)coffee and a glass of water. I counted the carbs and injected the correct amount of Insulin as usual.
i agree completely with terri, i would say its not good to tell somone who is going on a pump that they can eat when and what they want. Although you’d be covering your carbs you would still be putting yourself at risk for being overweight, high blood pressure, ir etc. which can perhaps cause as much complications as high blood sugar. Our goal as diabetics should be to aim taking as little insulin as we can to maintain good control, this should be incorporated with good diet and exercise. The pump may make things easier, but in terms of abusing it to eat and do what we want, it will only come back on us in the long run.
Dear Jill. this is even more true if you are insulin resistant as you will be caught in the insulin weight gain death spiral. “taking as little insulin as possible as we can to maintain good control” is a must. Pump or no pump I would not think that that makes a difference.
On most pumps you have an option to adjust the length of time the insulin will work before it is gone from the blood stream --Animas and Medtronic have that option…The “normal” time insulin works-or “lasts”-usually set for 4 hours, Most pumps are set to the max time of insulin to “last” for four hours, . That means the pump thinks you have four hours before the insulin is gone----when you set the IOB(insulin on board) lower than four hours.,if it is set to 3 hours instead of 4 the pump says—I can give more insulin after the third hour-That is a good option to use if you are insulin resistant.—Your pump works better when the carbs are under 60 per meal for a guy and 45 for a girl…that is moderate carbs…The biggest factor is counting carbs correctly–BUT the most important issue for any pumper is getting the BASAL RATE CORRECT…
pump sounds good, but doesn’t it help to have money to buy the insulin and infusion sets, etc. Might help to have a regular doc, man who has money for that?
