Okay, I saw a couple of other threads about taking a break from the pump. This one is informative about transitioning off, but too late as I decided this morning, grabbed a bottle of Lantus, and shot myself up with my basal amount. It was time to change my pump out and I was about to get the "no delivery" warning, so I should be fine. Anyway, I'd like to take a break for a few days simply because I've forgotten how to do things like dose on my own. My pump takes care of all of that.
What inspired me is that I have two bottles of Lantus. I just picked up a fresh one and the one I'm using now expires at the end of the year, so I knew I would need to either take a break or toss it away when it expired. I'm also simply a little burnt out with things in general. I just moved. I've got personal things going on. I'm just sick of having this thing on me (and I've been on the pump for years now).
I had a forced break a couple of years ago when my pump malfunctioned. I remembered then having to get back up on how to figure out how much to take for meals. So also just to stay on top of how to do this on my own, I'm off of the pump.
Right now though I'm not sure what to do with the pump itself. I'll call Minimed in a few. :)
I found this blog post and I'll put it here just in case it can helps someone else: Taking a Pump Vacation.
What to do with your MM pump (I just called them this weekend, 'cause I switched to the t-slim a few months ago but want to hang on to my MM as a 'just in case'...)
1. copy your settings, you never know when you might need them again 2. change basal rate to 0.0u/hr
3. take out reservoir
4. put on shelf
5. check on it every so often (once a month or so) to make sure it doesn't need a new battery
The other option I've heard but is NOT what MM said... 1. copy settings
2. fill reservoir with water, connect to tubing (and then can cut off tubing, just need the connecting part to keep the reservoir in the pump)
3. set basal to tiny increment (.05u/hr) to keep motor moving
4. put on shelf
5. check every couple weeks and refill reservoir/change battery as needed
I called them after I wrote that post and they gave me the first set of instructions that you wrote. I'm still taking a break because I realize if I hook that pump back up, I'll be wasting a whole big ol' vial of Lantus. It's really nice to not be connected, and I'm feeling a lot more empowered simply because I've had to learn how to give myself manual doses again. This time I'm better at it because before pumping I really wasn't good a carb counting. Now I'm VERY good at it and, thus far, unless it's a carb wild card, I'm dosing correctly.
I'm not missing my pump much at all, but I probably will reconnect in a couple of weeks. This has been a nice break.
I go on a pump vacation every two weeks: I rotate between pump and mdi on a regular two week interval. I started doing this when I was traveling for work and went back to multiple injections instead of dealing with TSA and x-ray for the pump.
I just disconnect my pump when I have to go through TSA. However, I love the idea of taking a more frequent pump break. I went through a whole bottle of Lantus. I could spread that out. ;) I'd not thought about it, so thanks for posting!
One hassle is having to keep explaining to the pharmacy that I need Humulog vial and Lantus and Humulog pens. But I like the balance of being on the pump for the precision; being on MDI for the freedom and switching back and forth for the flexibility.
So you disconnect your pump and put it where? It can't go through x-ray, carry-on or checked. Plus, you're packing extra insets, cartridges, vials, pens/lantus for emergency, batteries, battery cap, etc. What settled this for me was when I left my meter/remote in the plane after landing in Hawaii, and running back to the gate when I figured it out after baggage claim.
Easier to just carry lantus/humulog pens and a cheap meter.
This is an important topic, even if one plans to stay pumping, as we all should have a backup plan in case of a pump malfunction or accident. here are a couple other resources
Alas, both pumps I've had have been through airport security x-rays, but now that I've researched it, ooops. When I lived in NYC I used to go to the Columbia's Naomi Berrie Center for diabetes treatment, in fact, my former endo is in the pic on the right in the blue shirt (Hi, Dr. Freebie!). :)
Anyway, here is what they have to say: "Disconnect from the pump, pass it to an agent for inspection, and then go through the scanner without the pump. Or, she says, if you don’t want to disconnect from the pump, you can ask for what the TSA refers to as a “walk through” or a “pat down” so you don’t have to go through a scanner."
I usually just disconnect, let them know I've got a pump, go through, and then reconnect on the other side. Now I'll make sure to have them do a visual inspection only, but I almost always travel with my pump on me. (The exception was only during that extended pump break; I was still on it after spending three weeks in NYC, so I flew back with the pump in my carry on luggage.)
At my local airport, SFO, I'm now in the habit of letting them know that I'm coming and that I've got all my diabetic accoutrements with me.
All of that to say, it's really not a problem traveling with your pump. You just have to plan for it.
Here's my routine when I switch from my Ping pump to MDI every two weeks: The night before the switch, I try to end up the next morning with as little insulin in the reservoir as possible. In the morning, I send my pump data to Diasend, rewind and throw out the cartridge, take out the battery, store everything in a box and start my Lantus.
When I start back up on the pump two weeks later, I send my meter data to Diasend, fill and put in a new reservoir, put back the battery, put in a new inset and not take the Lantus.
That will come in handy for someone with an Animas pump. :) Thanks for sharing it!
I've got a Meditronic. I've actually done it a couple of times since I first posted. Once by choice and once because my pump malfunctioned and I had to disconnect and get a replacement. That process takes a day or two, so the Lantus is always handy...just in case.
