HELP HELP HELP! PUMPS (good or bad)

So at my last visit to my endo he suggested that i look at a pump since i have lowered my a1c and am in much better control of my sugars. Thing is im really unsure about the pump and would like to hear from those who use it.
I’m a very active girl and love to be outside and play with my dog. I’m also a very big cluts and my cousin and i like to wrestle alot. Plus i have 2 little boys who i am a second mom to and they love to rough house as well.
So naturally i am concerend about ripping it of…getting it wet…places to put it and how much can a pump handle before it breaks?

Any comments or experiences that could give me some insite on a life with a pump would be GREAT!!!

Thanks to those who reply to my call for help!!

Jo

Would this work for you ???..ask your Health Team at a Diabetes Center , if you can get a loaner pump …possibly with saline in the reservoir, and " work , play , wrestle , rough house " for say a week with a pump …in the mean time do some research as to which brand you prefer …there are discussions related to brands already in progress. A kid I know in my community is an avid hockey player , pumper …another one is a swim coach , pumper …me I am just too old to do all that :wink: …professional foot ball players wear insulin pumps…I just imagine , how rough they can play .
Congrats on bringing your A1C down …are you a type 1 or 2 ?

pumps good or bad? Good for me, I am very active some days and a lump other days and without a pump I’d be miserable.

tough or chinsey? tough. dunked underwater, mud, x-rays, fell on it about 10 times now, florida sun summer to Montreal ice winter, hit it very hard, I am on my 2nd belt clip. 2 years of abuse so far, minor scratching on the housing because I don’t baby or protect it at all.

it clips easy to anything or you can stuff it in a pocket or get a more elaborate arm or leg band.

wow… you guys bring up some really good points i had no idea about i guess i just needed a different point of views…i am a type 2 diabetic and well very new to the being a diabetic life style… thanks for all the input guys!!

I love my pump. The more i wear it the better. I suggest doing a trail as well.

Rick

Yeah I understand your question and I am going for it. My a1c is 6.8 and I am insulin resistant and my Dr. said it was time for a pump. So next month I travel to see and endo. I have a 3 year old and wrestle with my older boys and husband. I love outdoor activites and hope it does not interfere. Plus I love dressing up, so wish me luck.

i wish you the best of luck and i would love to hear your thoughts on how you feel about wearing it…

i have the deltec cozmo pump & it has been through ALOT ! its waterproof i have drop it many of times and i have only had my pump site ripped out three times in two years !

what do you do if it is ripped out…

I am a 32 yr.old mother of an 8 yr.old son who takes karate and likes to wrestle. Ihave had a pump now for 2 yrs. and wouldn’t be without it. Before my sugars were always high…even to 800 +. My A1C was 20 and now is 5. I have dropped my pump even on concrete and it still was okay…though I don’t recomend dropping it on concrete alot. I put my pump in my bra between my boobs. After a few minutes you won’t even know it’s there. No one can see it. I think all diabetes should have an insulin pump…if I’d had one sooner I don’t think I would have lost my sight. Good luck.

I LOVE my pump!!! I did multiple daily injections for 25 years and switched to the pump 8 months ago. It has changed my life! You have to be diligent in checking blood sugars several times per day, but it is well worth the convenience of having the pump.

I have the Animas 2020 (now offering the OneTouch Ping). It is waterproof up to 12 ft and 24 hours. I keep it hooked up when we swim and have no problem.

You can read about my experiences with the pump on my diabetes blog (haven’t updated it for awhile, but has quite a bit of info from when I started last summer).

Like others have said. Do your research on the various types, contact the reps and ask your Endo or Diabetes Educator to do a trial with saline solution. I have three kids under 8 and we are pretty active players. Haven’t had many problems with it and they all know to watch out for daddy’s pump.

I have had diabetes most all of my life. For most of it I have had many problems. About 6 or 7 months ago I got on the pump.I cant tell you about other pumps but I got a Cozmo and it has changed my life.Its almost like I dont have diabetes any more.All I need to do is test and input the carbs I am going to eat.For me it takes all the work out of it. It makes my life much more easy to live. I would not ever want to go back to pre pump days again.One thing I will say is I fought going on the pump for years and what that comes down to was all I new was taking shots.I always had trouble trying to figure out doses. I always was poor in math so to be honest I just guessed.My health suffered because of it. It took me a few weeks to get used to wearing it and sleeping with it but like I say I would never want to give it up.GOOD LUCK.

you just clean where it got ripped out & then put a new site somewhere else!

I have had very good luck with the pump - I have a Minimed 722. Some insertion sites are better than others and have less chance of coming off. I keep extra insertion sets at work just in case. However when my daughter tried the pump, unfortunately she had nothing but problems…reaction to the adhesive; reaction to the insertion site (a couple bad infections - yes she did change the site very 2 or 3 days); she sweats a lot and the adhesive didn’t stay on too well either. You just need to be aware of possible problems,but I highly recommend you give it a go. Do try and get a pump you can try out before you (or your insurance company) makes the investment.

ive only had my pump for about a week and im already feelin better, hell its easier just to get up the stairs. As for wrestling my family’s the same way so i just take mine off for when ever i gotta beat someone down :wink:

I’m just in the process of getting a pump myself. In the nurse practioners office today she said there is a swab or something you can use to make the port tape adhere better. You might want to ask about that if you are worried. There is also an insertion that goes in at an angle and is less likely to pull out. It is a fairly new improvement as I understand. But I am no expert…just in the process where you are!

the more i research what type of pump i want im really looking at the new wireless omnipod or the one touch ping i like that they are water proof and seem pretty durable…if anyone is on these models i would love to hear some of your experiences.

o and thanks for all the support and feedback it has really made making this choice less stressful getting first hand thoughts from people who not only know but live with it!!

Thanks again everyone!!!

For me, the pump has given me a lot more freedom as I am a competitive cyclist and always active. I believe that it has helped me lower my A1c and put me in control better than if I was on shots.
The one word of advice is that I find it a little easier to eat when and what I want more easily. For some that could seem as a new freedom living with diabetes but for me, it is also too easy to over indulge with junk food. I train a lot for cycling, so I have a pretty strict self restriction on the amount of junk I take in. But be aware, if you are weak for carbs, pumps can make it easier…
I recommend the pump for most people with type 1 diabetes. Of course, seek recommendation with your Endo, but remember, you are the one in control of your diabetes, through good diet, exercise, and good life choice.
Good luck!

Hello Jo:

I will be the heretic and say…bad?!

As a professional martial arts teacher (two plus decades, in one art) I might have some ~insight~ into aspects of this question >; D !!! Now if you were grappling/wrestling in the manner that the groups I teach/work with every single day my answer would be NO WAY, to any pump, without blinking …

As Dave said most pumps are not fragile material. The problem comes w/ a pump for exactly the reason you suggest that the infusion sets do get ripped out by the family cat (in the middle of the night), your kids, door handles, etc., etc. carrying cases for them have gotten better, but how the infusion set(s) gets taped down, in my experience is their ~fatal design flaw~… in my view. Not a fan of literally looking like a “gun shot wound” merely to get the @()#@*#@#@ infusion set to stay attached for the full three days to me thanks. But given my profession its relative I guess.

But also pretty unlikely you bare any resemblence to Sasscwatch as I do either (ie you have little body hair).

The pump cures nothing,and all the normal “non-pump” diabetic maintence is 100% mandatory using one ie “pump problem” when they occur IMV are more complex than w/ simple injections … ).

As for the long term effects/value… we shall see!

There is a sentiment that asks what price we are all paying for this obsessive compulsive, hyper-vigilence all of us now perform regardless of our technology or its lack. I do not know this answer but, wonder what effect it does have on our true quality of life.

Stuart.

When your A1c is improved with the use of a pump ? WHY NOT ???
Working on the theory that you do not just require insulin when you eat, that you need it all the time, isn’t it much more logical to use a pump? I know Lantus is “supposed” to work over a 24-hour period…but it never worked for me. Having the “background insulin” all the time is the most healthy replica to a pancreas that we will ever get. With the use of the CGM one can see the “rise” and “fall” of the BG’s and correct accordingly. I am presuming that you are not “constantly” in a wrestling mode…so removal of the pump is quite simple and quick…
If your A1c is OK on the shots then I guess the pump is not a choice for you, but I would strongly recommend it to reduce the complications later in life.
Sheila
Type 1 55 years