I was just curious how long others have been on the pump for. I have been on the pump for 8 years now and I love it. I never want to switch back to shots.
It's been 7.5 years with the pump, almost 23 years with diabetes.
Almost 25 years. And I agree, I never want to switch back to shots :)
Four days, four hours!
What pump do you have? :)
Oh wow! Congrats on the pump! How do you like it so far? :)
Love it....
First day was a little 'off' but then I adjusted (corrected) by ICRs (actually created three correct ones vs the one incorrect one) to the 'proper' values (the trainer had a protocol to follow, which I knew would not work for me) and the next few days I was essentially flat.
Earlier today I was a little high post-prandial, but that might be due to the choice for location of my first infusion set change - A little higher up on my abdomen. It might not be the best choice for absorption.
I'll have to wait until after dinner to judge if I need to move it.
I've been on a pump for 27 years. It's been a great alternative to multiple daily injections for me. Some people figure out how to make MDI's work for themselves but the pump's been my ticket to a more normal life.
I'm looking forward to the next big treatment breakthrough. I've got my eye on the artificial pancreas, smart insulin, and Afrezza, the inhalable insulin.
11 years. The first pump I had is no longer on the market. I am on my second Medtronic pump, and have had T1 for 52 years.
3 1/2 years on my Ping. For a while I kept saying I didn't "need" a pump as I did fine on MDI and also am partly retired so had the time to do shots. But then I saw that nearly all the women in my type 1's women's group had one and I felt left out! I'm only partly kidding; I just saw that it was standard of care and that it made for a better quality of life. I love my Ping and though I pay attention when people talk about new pumps on the market, I will probably just get another Ping when my warranty is up next January. (Assuming Medicare doesn't give me a hard time about it).
One nice thing is that if you can't get a new Ping you can at least still use yours until it stops working, even without the warranty. I just found out that my health benefits through work covers one pump PER LIFETIME which means my next pump will be it, at least until either the province covers them for adults or until I switch jobs (which you can bet I will sooner than I would otherwise with those kinds of benefits). So my plan is to upgrade to the Vibe out of pocket since it will hopefully only cost a few hundred dollars, and save the one coverage per lifetime for when the next really amazing pump comes out.
Since 2007, been T1 since 1961 so it took me a while to come around to the idea of a pump. Now I wouldn't go back for any reason.
Sounds like a good plan, Jen! Hope you like your new job. I've always worked for non-profits so my salary wasn't very high but they gave good benefits. I know retired people who made a lot more money than I did over their careers but didn't get health insurance for life as I did. I don't expect trouble getting another Ping. But if I had to go back to shots, I wouldn't like it but I'd be just fine. Those of us who live in developed countries have, I feel, a real sense of entitlement about our gadgets. There are so many diabetics around the world that are lucky to even have (outdated types of) insulin! Just my opinion.
pumping for 18 years and D for 30......never want to go back to MDI. And i'm a minimed/medtronic fan for life.
I agree with your opinion and it's partly why I wouldn't necessarily upgrade a pump just because the warranty is up, assuming it's working okay. I used my Cozmo for about six months after its warranty was up and switched mostly because the Ping is so much easier to read (the Cozmo was impossible). I would be very unhappy going back on shots. I don't mind shots, but my control taking 8 shots a day was worse than my control on a pump, so I would worry more about extreme lows and complications. I used to work for a non-profit as well and, like you, had less pay but had significantly better benefits.
My current pump is a Medtronic Revel. My first pump was a MiniMed 506. It was fine, but the pumps have come a long way and have much more to offer than that 506. What pump do you have Gabriella?
Pumping for 17+ years. It's got its small disadvantages, but it's a great time to be living with diabetes, if you've got to live with it at all.
I have been pumping for almost a year to the day! :-) I feel so blessed to have one. I know some people have to fight really hard to get a pump. I was only on MDI for about 2 weeks before getting my pump. I can't imagine life without it!! I use the Animas Ping and also the Dexcom CGM. I can't imagine having to do MDI, especially with my hectic life!!
Got my pump in October 2005, about a year and a half after dx.
I am a Medtronic pumper, on my third Paradigm, but always open to what's new on the market, therefore I tried the Pod last fall and wasn't really unhappy either.
Since 2008 so 6 years! I have no plans to stop either.