Pump or shots?

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 .

It takes awhile to get used to having something attached to you, but you eventually will get used to it, or at least I did. I know after I got mine, I wondered plenty of times exactly why I got a pump, that maybe injections weren't so bad! I still fight with myself and it's been 4.5 years, so hang in there!

By all means, do what you must to become accustomed to the pump. I had a similar A1-c before my pump. Now it is 6.0. It dropped that much in three months. Having it attached to you is really not that bad. Now, without it, I feel that something is missing.

Hmm, I am not a huge fan of the "saline trials" as for me, the big thing was the almost instantly perceivable improvement in the controllability. It was neat enough that I think I might have had a psychosomatic reaction to suppress pain but maybe the sets aren't the right kind or something like that?

That being said, if you tried one and didn't like it, I'd get ahold of the trainer and have them bring a bunch of different kinds to the "insulin" show and see if you can try them all to find the most comfortable one? With me, they were like "the Silhouettes [which have been my faves...] are for slimmer people" which I think is a load of crap. By the same token the 90 degree "quickset" were totally annoying the way I was working out (mostly Tae Kwon Do with weekly running/ biking too...) and I never liked them that much. Obviously sticking 5-6 needles in may be a daunting prospect but I liked the ones I've liked a lot more than the ones they guessed I'd like and the type of set can make a big difference?

Right now, you have the difficulty of a new device/routine but none of the benefits. Once you get a few days without shots and get your basals fine-tuned, hopefully, you’ll like it much better. My son is really particular about the way things feel and I was sure he would really struggle with getting used to the tubing, being attached to something all the time, and the site itself. Instead, I think he so enjoyed the freedom he got with his eating (going back for 2nds without another shot, combo boluses, no math!, etc.) as well as reduced frequencies of lows that any discomfort he might have experienced was a non-issue for jim.

Good luck!

Yikes, you just brought back memories of having to take a shot every time I ate anything with carbs- sometimes I wonder about going back to MDI, but this memory is enough to keep me pumping along!

The infusion set that works best for me is the Sure-T; second best the Quickset. I love the Sure-Ts! It has a tiny metal needle which really does not hurt. One advantage of the Sure-T is that if the spot/site is wrong for any reason, you can move the needle without losing the whole infusion. The disadvantage for some people is that they recommend changing it every two days, which in fact works for me -- I use Apidra, which also carries the recommendation to change every two days.

I got use to being attached, now I am lost without my tubing! And my control is so much better. I always suggest trying every infusion set out there - what works for me may not work for you. Work with your trainer or with the pump manufacturer to get samples of infusion sets to try.