So I got my pump on Thursday , and they started me on normal saline , an next Thursday I go back for insulin , I’m not sure I like it but my a1c is a 7.4 and I need to get it under control, the site hurts I changed it , it still hurts, I don’t like having it attached , I just took it out , I don’t know what to do I am so upset and confused . Please help me with your opinions. Thank you . Oh and I use to be on lantus and novolog. Well I still am buy starting Thursday I go on just the pump .
Congratulations! I know it’s hard right now but you can do it! I started the pump 1 year ago and I went from A1C of 7.9 to 6.0 in 3 months. I was shocked at how much better I felt!
Ok thank you . Do you have type 1 or 2? Idk why the canula hurts bad.
Hi Tricia
I started on my Ping in January and I found it took a good month before I was confident and comfortable. There is definitely a learning curve. I'm good with tweaking numbers and such but the sets were hard for me because I am not good with hand/eye coordination. I had to read the instructions line by line for weeks. Now it seems automatic and I can do it watching TV. If it continues to hurt after you put it in it may not be in well. How are your numbers? If it hurts AND your numbers are high, the set is likely not right. If you continue to have problems, you can try another type of set, we all differ in which works best for us. You also can try a different site. I used my stomach for awhile because that is where I always did shots, but it annoyed me and always seemed like it was in my way. Now I use hips or thighs and it works better for me, but we are all different. Finally if you continue to have set problems, I would ask the trainer or cde to watch you while you do it and see if he/she has suggestions.
There are definitely people who don't care for the pump, but far more people end up loving it. I would say give yourself at least a month until you get past the learning curve and have tried different type sets and sites, before you decide you hate it! There are also ways to feel less "attached". For me, I vastly prefer the 43 inch to the 23 inch as I can put it down, get dressed, etc and not have it pull on me. I just tuck the tubing in. Also finding out where you like to wear it so it is less annoying. Finding out how you like to sleep is important to.
Hang in there!
Hi
I'm Type 1 for 36 years and went on the pump about 2 years ago. Can you get different lengths of canulas? I've heard of people using different kinds of sites with different lengths. I'm sorry, but I'm on the Omnipod pump and have no experience with other brands of pumps but I never feel mine go in and never even know it's on . See if you have a choice of different types and sizes of canulas. It may help.
Tricia, I've had type 1 for 26 years and went on the omnipod 3 years ago. I have a love/hate relationship with it and sometimes return to shots when I need a break. I would agree with others and say give it a few weeks to get used to wearing a pump. In my opinion the pump is more convenient, but it definitely takes getting used to. Good luck!
Pain is a sign that something is wrong – that is NOT something that you need to get used to. It might be the sets or it might be your body rejecting something foreign stuck in it or it could be that you are allergic to those particular sets You did not say what sets you started off with, but they normally start you off with the Teflon ones. When I started pumping, I found out that I was allergic to the Teflon ones – I ended up with hives. I switched to the metal ones. The Animas metal ones were like someone sticking a dagger in me and leaving it there – I can tell you if that set was my only choice, I would not have continued pumping for as long as I did.
Call whoever is doing your training and let them know. They should have some samples of other sets. You can send the ones you have back to your supplier and exchange them for something different. You also have 30 days to return the pump if you don’t like it.
Pumping is not some magic cure-all that will get you the A1c you want. My A1c actually went up on the pump because of all the problems. My body did not like having something foreign in it and I easily built up scar tissue. It was rare that I had a set last 48 hours. There are other people on this board that had the same problem. The first pump I had was spitting out too much insulin and almost killed me. The replacement only lasted two months before it died. After that died, I decided to stick with MDI. I know what I am getting.
The bad part about MDI is that a lot of people are not taught the things that can make it successful. If you decide to stick with MDI, I would suggest getting the book Using Insulin by John Walsh – it teaches you the things your doctor probably never told you. If you were on Lantus, try using Levemir. That made a world of difference for me.
I’ve been on the pump for the last 12 years and it has given me the freedom that people who aren’t diabetic get to experience ,plus when you get a low on the pump it seems to be easier to treat. I can remember when I was on reg and nph and I would get a 50 3 hours after breakfreast just because I was 20 min late to eat my scheduled snack . Well those day are over and now if I get a 50 all I have to do is eat a gel tube and I’m better!