I am currently in the hospital and the doctors are talking about getting me a insulin pump it will be my first time, what do yall think about insulin pumps are they helpful? Is it better then taking Insulin shots?
Oh My That is a loaded topic here. LOL But definitely, it is, it is like comparing bologna to steak. I use U500 in my pump and use the animas ping which I am thrilled with. Love my pump. A pump in general if it is doing it’s job will help your sugars do better no matter which one it is. So much easier than MDI. NO more endless daily sticks and packing needles everywhere you go and pulling them out to inject. Just bolus and eat. It is as good for us as it is besides a new pancreas. Hope you do much better and get out of that hospital soon. Are you there for DKA?
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No ma’am i am here for pancreatitis. thnk u ! =)
Im starting my Ping on the 8th of October, so i cannot answer your question due to experience. However, everyone I have talked to, as well as my basic intuition and understanding tell me its a very good device (pumps in general, not just the Ping), and once everything like basil rates are figured out, it is a life changing thing. Im excited
Krystle,
I’ve been on a pump for nine months now. I wish I could have gone straight to a pump when I was dignosed with type 1 back in 1957. I’m sure you know pumps haven’t been around that long. ;^) With MDI therapy, I was injecting 12 to 15 times and some times more in the three days that I now inject only once. I’m checking my BG more often (10-12/day) but finger sticks are nothing and my overall control has greatly improved. My A1C went from 7.0 to 6.5 in the first three months. Another bonus for me is that Medicare pays for all insulin, but only if delivered via a pump. Go figure.
Pump= amazing! so much easier! i love my pump!
my a1c’s are better! i don’t go low as much!
Krystle,
The pump is an awesome tool. It takes work, but it gives you so much more freedom. I will second, third, and even fourth everything Cathy has said about the pump. Get the one you like the most with the features you like. Ask to talk to the reps about them. This is something you will have to live with, so make sure you like it. They have tubeless and tubed ones. I don’t mind the tube, but you may not. There are issues with both, but there is a lot of talk about the omni pods on this site. You might want to check them out.
Take care of yourself and get out of that hospital. Hope you are doing better soon.
I love mine. It’s hard to imagine how I ever dealt with taking shots! Obviously any form of treatment has its downside(s) but to me using the insulin pump has been better than the other options. Good luck Krystle! Hope you get better.
I sure hope you get better soon. I think a pump will do a lot of good for you. I have a animas ping which has a remote for it and has a good company to back it up. There is also minimed who I here is a good company too. These both are great options. Either way pumps are great things. Pumps rock!!!
I know how ya feel on those a1c’s, isn’t that great!! Mine in the first three months went from 8 to 6.4. I was like yay!!!
I’ve pumped for 9 years and would never go back. There’s definitely a learning curve to it, so you have to go in knowing that it’s a lot to get used to. But it’s certainly easier than shots in many ways, less cumbersome, less painful, and allows for better control of your blood sugars.
I encourage you to meet with your local pump reps (you can call for info on their websites) for the different companies (Animas, Minimed, Omnipod, Accu-Check) and get the pumps in your hands so you can see what they feel like. It took me two years to agree to one because I never got to see what it looked like, felt like, or understand how it worked. It wasn’t even until I was connecting to my own pump for the first time that I learned that there’s not a needle in your skin.
Pumps are so helpful…frustrating at times and expensive, but much improve blood sugars and more normalized life! I have been pumping since 1996 and would never go back to shots…I even found a way to get supplies while unemployed:) I know of nothing else that can deliver insulin to minimize dawn phenomenon and allows tailoring your basals to changes in time of day, hormones, etc. As has been mentioned…ask to see the pumps and maybe do a trial before making a choice. Several types of pumps out there…all have different features and feel. You may wish to check out pump comparisons at Diabetes Network. Note: the Cozmo pump is no longer being made. Most docs or CDEs tend to recommend what they know and feel comfortable with…you may wish to try something else. Choice of pump is personal…so read, ask a lot of questions, and then try them out:) Good luck and feel better soon!
Krystle, I sure hope you are getting better. As everyone has said, pumps sure beat sticking needles into yourself multiple times a day. I have 20 years experience doing that and I do not need anymore practice. I have the Medtronic MM722 with the CGMS(Continuous Glucose Monitoring System). I just love my pump. I have hypounawareness and have lost the ability to tell when I am getting low. That can be very, very dangerous for a diabetic. That is one big reason I now use the CGMS. I used a Medtronic pump for four years before adding the CGMS to it. It was one of the best things I did for myself and for my diabetes.
I hope you get released soon, get on a pump of your choice, and get into “pumping” for life. Your life.
My best wishes to you Krystle,
Ron
I’m on injections & don’t want a pump, but everyone does seem to love pumping.
Hope you’re feeling better soon & back home pronto!
I am kinda nervous about gettin it but i think its for the best to control my bs alittle better! Thanks for the Respnd!!
thanks for the Respond!
this will be my first time gettin one! thanks for the respond
thanks!
thanks for the respond and the help!
this is my first time gettin one so i am kinda nervous but thanks for the help and respond