When ordering our pump we were asked what color we would like or if we wanted to use skin covers for the pump clear is better. Does anyone use the skins?
Doesn't really matter, personal decision. If for a child, let him/her make the decision. As long as it works who cares what color or skin? I think guys wouldn't get a pink one though. Ha! Have fun with the choice.
You're getting the Revel for your daughter, right? I use the Revel and get skins from Skinit.com. Just make sure to order the right size skin for her pump (there are two sizes - the 500 series size and the 700 series size). Let her pick out a couple. I'm very active and get really sweaty (and so does my pump), so my skins last about 4 months or so before they start peeling. SkinIt has a great selection. The patterns look the coolest because the pump is fairly small.
Personally, I like the clear pump because that way it's a clean slate for decorating. Definitely let your daughter choose. It's her pump and it needs to suit her style. For me, the little flair that the skins give my pump makes it feel a little less "medical" and more like an accessory.
I had a clear pump as I thought that would be the most neutral one, but I just think the clear one (which really is grey with clear parts!) looks really medical/technical. So I bought a skin to cover it up.. When it was time to get a new pump I got the black one and am really happy with it, it's so discreet! If for a child, I would go for a solid colour or something, as you can nicely wear it with/without skin.
I am far from being a child and would still, in spite of my age, love to have a skin. However I am not technically gifted and could never get the skinit.com ordering process to work right for me.
My son uses a skin for his Ping. For him, it protects his pump from bumps and bruises more than serving as a fashion statement. His pump itself is also black. Good luck.
Skins for different pumps seem to be different. The skins for the Ping are these thick inflexible rubber things. (I've seen the ones for medtronic and they are much thinner and more like just decoration or wallpaper.)Since I got a free one with my new Ping last year I ordered one in purple. I hated it. When I went to take it off it cracked and it definitely adds to the thickness of the pump which to me is a negative. I was quite concerned though about damaging my pump at first despite my trainer telling me it was built quite tough. She was right. Mine has hit the floor or the table several times with no ill effect. So no skins for me.
My pump is blue. I like the color ok but could see the advantage of changing the pump's look periodically.
I do, I am pretty rough with my pump - always bumping it on stuff, but the skin has done pretty good. There are lots of companies that make cool waist packs for kids and adults too - I put my pump in a waist pack when I am active, less worry about it falling out of my pocket that way!
My daughter is 20 so she decided on the clear pump and wants to get some skins for it so it doesn't look so much like a medical accessory. Our rep said the skins look better on a clear pump so color doesn't show through. I don't know if this is true or not. We are to get the box with the pump and all its other misc items in the mail tomorrow. I think she is nervous about going on it but she needs to get her numbers stabile. Her A1C was around 12 the last time she was checked.
concerned mom, 12 is very poor control. Gotta get it down below 7, but that will take weeks........She has to jump on the bandwagon right away and do the usual stuff like carb counting, exercise, lose weight, and testing at least six times a day. If she is unwilling to do these things a pump will not help. It takes a lot of discipline to use a pump, so medical accessory and medical necessity are quite different. Best of luck. Let us know how her training goes and have her come in here. Lots of folks here will listen.
Really? Are you going directly to SkinIt.com? I found it hard when I tried to access SkinIt through Medtronic's website, but had no trouble when I went directly to SkinIt's website. PM me if you need help. The skins are really cool. I order several a year and change them out as they wear down or if I just feel like I need a change.
Good choice. I have the clear one and that is correct; the skins look the best on the clear.
Yikes!! An A1C of 12?!!? That's like an average glucose of over 300, right?
Yeah, she needs to get that down. Please let her know that as her BGs come into "normal" range, she is going to feel like she's low. A lot. But that's just her body trying to get used to being in a somewhat normal range. They will probably have her bring things down slowly to avoid feeling too crappy.
Do you know why her A1C is so high? Has she been sick? Has she been losing a lot of weight? I have to imagine that she feels pretty crummy running that high all the time. How long ago was she diagnosed?
Not to hijack the original question you posted, but just to add to wearing the pump - mine usually goes into my pocket as I am less likely to catch it on something, but even if it is clipped to my waistband (like when wearing a skirt) what with all the cell phones hanging around people today no one ever pays attention to it unless I wind up having to mess with it to bolus or to see what it yelled at me for (like low reservoir alarm).
Also, couple of years ago, I spent summer playing at local waterpark - used the Aquapac to put my pump in as for me to go without basal really wrecks my day. One day while at the waterpark, I saw two other people - one middle aged man other seemed about high school teen with pumps. Just let your daughter know most people just won't pay attention to what is clipped to your belt!
And yes, agree with MyBustedPancreas - hope your daughters doctors go slow and steady with getting sugars stable, but once your daughter is able to master pumping it sure makes living so much easier. This from a 52 year old who has only pumped 4 years, diagnosed when age 6, and will never go back to MDI's!
She was diagnosed 3 years ago and has been in denial ever since. It is always a fight to get her to try and take care of herself. She doesn't always test or take her insulin when she should nor does she eat what she should. I find candy wrappers in her trash or car all the time. I have tried to get her to come on this website and she is too bothered to do it. When she is high she is very angry and can get nasty. She was in the hospital twice in 2011 for DKA. The last time was for 5 days. She had a kidney infection and other issues they could not get under control. At the age of 18 she had double cataract surgery and was almost completely blind due to the diabetes. I thought these items would have scared her but she still continues to not take care of herself. I wish she would come on this site so that she realizes that there are others out there with the same issues and illness as herself and she is not totally by herself. I try to be supportive but it gets really hard when we are constantly fighting over this.
It seems you are at the crossroads, concerned mom. You can't do this for her, she must do it herself. Argueing about it won't solve the problem. My sister-in-law also thought she was indestructible and passed away at 29. Kidneys gone, blind, and left behind a husband and a three year old daughter. She just refused to listen to those who knew better. The last time I saw her she was eating a Big Mac, fries, and a chocolate shake. In those days the glucometer was the size of a shoebox. Her BS was 440. I asked her if she needed anything and she just shugged it off. She just didn't care. Didn't inject to cover those carbs. I'm not trying to scare you, but someone has to scare the xxxx out of her. Is she busy with college, a job, or involved with her friends? I guess it's time to find the source of this denial. I'm sorry but I can't say anything positive unless she recognises the complications down the road to a long life. She has to reach out to someone to talk to about this. Point her in the right direction. Take care.
The doctors have talked to her and so have we until we are blue in the face. I actually convinced her to go talk to a counselor this week and she told me after going that she isn't going back she didn't like it even though the counselor was nice.
I was trying to access through Medtronic's website and just could not understand the instructions there. I went directly to Skinit's website as you've suggested and ordered two of them - could not be easier there. Thank you for your suggestion :) I am happy now. When I ordered my pump the person I spoke with said and I quote "Senior citizens should pick a subdued color so they don't stand out". ??? duh......like because we are older, that means we can't enjoy something colorful? Anyway......now my 'black' pump can have a spot of color :) :)
HAve you tried T1 support groups? Our local JDRF has a monthly meeting for adults with T1. When I was first diagnosed and found the blogs and DOC support, it motivated me, and still does, to take care of my self. The support online and the in real life meet ups have been incredibly helpful.
There are also D-treats for young adults her age - a short 3-4 day retreat. A great opportunity to meet with others with D and share experiences.
Wow, I am sorry. I don't know what to tell you. On one hand, she is an adult and she has to make and live with her decisions. Yes, diabetes is hard and it just freaking sucks sometimes, but if you want to live and be healthy, you have to do certain things. None of us asked for this, that's for sure, but many of us are able to do it.
I hate to say this, and I am NOT a profession counselor/therapist of ANY kind, but you may have to let her hit rock bottom before she changes her behavior. It may take going into DKA a couple of more times, it may be coming really close to dying. But it needs to come from within her. She's an adult and you can't manage her. You may have to be just that blunt with her.
Leave her the info and let her do with it what she wants. Give her the website and ways to access other support/resources...but she has to be the one who utilizes them.
She should also understand that high BGs are a viscous cycle...many people get nasty/depressed/angry when their BGs are high. And this can lead to poor care, which in turn leads to poor BG control.
Does she work? Go to school? How does being that high all the time impact the rest of her life?
In terms of getting her to come to this website, all you can do is leave her the info.
To be honest, if she's this out of control, a pump is not going to help, and it could even be dangerous. Pumping takes a lot of commitment, time, and attention to D management (more than MDIs). If she's not able to do this on MDI, I don't know if a pump is going to help things.
Well, my daughter is officially on the pump since this morning and she is scared to death. It was alot of information to take in when setting the pump up and learning to fill the reservour and do the infusion set. It was almost like coming home from the hospital the first time after being diagnosed with all the needles, test strips and logs. I know in the long run this will be much easier if she takes care of herself but I felt really bad sending her off on her own today. The mother in me wanted to go with her and help her through the first day or so.