hi friends! what do you think about the insulin pump? i'm a little hesitant about it and i don't know if i should start using it..by the way I'm type I.
One of the greatest medical discoveries ever for the treatment of diabeties. I've been using a pump for over 12 years.
I like mine but what makes you hesitant?
Maurie
I find mine effective and, in many ways, an improvement over MDI.
I'm a little hesitant because it looks complex. somebody says shot is better because it is more simple and convenient..
Insulin pumps can be great tools for managing T1, but they are a bit more work. They are definitely not (IMO) anymore complex than your average cell phone (way less complex than my iPhone), but you have to remember that the stakes are higher and messing something up can have some pretty dire consequence (although, in my experience, this rarely happens).
There are so many good things about the pump. You can really fine-tune your dosage (especially those basal rates) for better control, you're just using fast-acting insulin so the lows can be less severe/debilitating (at least, that's been my experience), and you definitely have more freedom to eat and exercise whenever you like.
But there are downsides to pumping too. There's more "stuff" involved, so you have more things to carry around and more things to buy. Cost is definitely an issue for many; the pump itself is expensive and then there's all the supplies (infusion sets and reservoirs) that you need each month. In addition, because you have no long-acting insulin in your system, you have to really stay on top of things and check your blood sugar a lot.
The pump is a more powerful toos so it certainly is possible to follow a more complex routine using one. The plus side of the complexity is that you have more tools to prevent highs and lows. I find the pump much more convenient. I don't have to pull out a pen and shoot up in front of people.
Yes, it is more complex, but the complexity can give you more precise control. I always had trouble with the uneven action of my basal dose. Looking back, I was probably having slight differences in the bolus delivery from my Novolog pen as well. So, while sticking myself with a needle was a lot simpler, having to constantly make small adjustments was not.
Once I punched all my carb ratios, corrections, etc, into my pump and programmed my basl, it's pretty much set and forget most of the time.The only thing I have to think about at meal time is how many carbs I'm eating.
The pump isn't the perfect solution by any means, but if you are willing to pay attention to some details and can deal with programming an electronic gadget, it can make overall control simpler..
As pointed out by "still_young", the pump offers more powerful tools that you MIGHT take advantage of, but you can use it very similarly to shots, with the following positive features:
One type of insulin
One needle every 2 - 3 days (infusion set)
Basal Rate instead of long-acting insulin
Bolus insulin can be delivered in less than 1/2 units
One needle every 2 - 3 days (infusion set)
Basal Rate instead of long-acting insulin
Bolus insulin can be delivered in less than 1/2 units
I see from your profile that you are testing anywhere from 6 - 15 times each day. A pump could let you "fine-tune" what you do with the information you get from those tests.
Are you happy with your current insulin therapy routine?
Yeah, I think of all the "stuff" that can be a negative, cost would have been the most prohibitive for me. Even with my insurance paying 80%, I'm still shelling out a good number of quatloos every three months for my pump supplies. That doesn't even takin into consideratopn the waste associated with pumps.
I am glad that you mentioned the whole waste issue!! Right up there with cost, that is the issue that always makes me feel so guilty. There is so much packaging and boxes and stuff to throw out. Whenever I change my site, I feel like I could fill a landfill with all my D waste. I wish companies would figure out a way to address that, both to cut down on costs and benefit the environment.
For example, WTF does each box of Mio infusion sets have to come with a 40-page booklet in a gazillion different languages? Is that really necessary?? I don't need instructions!
I think that the complexity of the pump to which Panpan Ayca alludes is built in to diabetes. The pump was light a lightbulb, not so much because of the insulin delivery, although that's a great bonus, as because it keeps track of things much better than I could. It totally made it possible for me to perceive things that were going on that I had no clue about with shots, because I was always "shoot and fix" with MDI.
The freedom the pump brings exponentially outweighs the learning curve. You'll presumably be trained on how to handle the infusion sets, run the pump, etc., before you are allowed to leave with it. There's a bit of tweaking of basals to get things set up, but after that it's usually a no-brainer. The real issue with the pump is the out-of-pocket cost for the unit and infusion sets. I'd check with your insurer and see what that will run you.
I recycle everything I can in my personal space, but looking at that box overflowing with dead Omnipods (full of perfectly good batteries btw), does break my heart. Not to mention the fact that there may be up to 10 units of perfectly good insulin left over in a dead pod. At 10 pods a month, it all adds up prettly quickly.
Insulet does have it's own recycling program you can enroll in, but it ends up costing YOU more money out of pocket.
Rock.................Hard place
Diabetes is teh suck.
For me, the insulin pump has been life-changing. It was certainly worth the fight with my insurance company to get it. My eating habits changed drastically for the good, my A1-c changed for the good. my disposition changed drastically for the good, and most of all, I feel better. Control is finally attained. I read about all the problems with tubes, all the issues with infusion sets and have yet to experience a major problem. Yes, there is a learning curve, but learning is good, so that isn't an issue either. the pump was the one of the best decisions of my life. I strongly recommend it. I love my Ping, and would be very unhappy if it is ever taken away.
The MM 722 I have has a belt clip and I've hardly ever kept it in my pocket. Occasionally it will end up there but probably like 10 times in 4 years? If that much? The belt clip will either go on my belt or waistband very easily. I don't even notice it.
I didn't find the learning curve to be steep at all and I came to the pump having counted exactly zero carbs ever before I got it. I sort of had a vague idea of carb counting but was really just guessing.
i'm happy with my current insulin therapy. but ofcourse it can be better. i want to pay more attention to my blood sugar. the positive features you mentioned made me consider about the pump in a more positive way. thank you
thank you guys for all the comments. now i have more idea about the positive and negative sides of the pump. the reason i was confused about the pump is my doctor warned me to be more careful and in dicipline if i start using it. and i'm a little disorganized with my meal times and exercises:/ so i was not sure. i guess i will start considering it again:)
The Mio infusion sets I use have a little recycling icon on them. Anyone know if I can actually recycle these? I don't know what the rules are regarding medical waste. I am going to look into this today. I am also going to ask them about the Mio packaging stuff. It is just so much trash!
Regarding wasted insulin - I actually draw out what is remaining from my reservoir. Not long ago, I read somewhere that Humalog is safe to use in a reservoir for up to 7 days. So far, no adverse effects. Obviously, I would not do this if I suspected the insulin was bad or something. But I just can't waste insulin. It makes me sick knowing that other people die for lacking this stuff.