there is nothing better than the pump, in my oppinion. the pump not only gives you 24/7 insulin, but you have soooo much more flexability with it. you can eat when you want and eat almost like a non-D person. you dont get the same kind of control with the pens. the pens are just like a modified syring. the pump is like having a working pancreas that sits outside of your body. i would NEVER go back. i've been on the pump for 11 years and have had D for 25+ years. CANT wait for the next discovery to come along!!!!!
Thank you, everyone!
Your feedback has been very helpful. I have an appointment tomorrow and I will be talking about my options. Hoping to try the pump out!
I still have not started pumping after 37 years. But I did recently get a Dexcom4 CGM and it is really eye opening. Here is my first discussion about whether to switch to a pump or not, there are some really good answers from a bunch of pumpers and some non pumpers as well. https://forum.tudiabetes.org/topics/thinking-about-a-pump-for-the-first-time-in-37-years
I've always been fairly tightly controlled MDI (many tests a day) and thought the pump would be a refreshing way to simplify control.
While it does offer some benefits (press button, get bolus, cool!) there are also some negatives I personally had found. 1.) Cost, the pump stuff needs to be changed every three days and the "stuff" that is uses is not cheap. 2.) For me, having press button control was cool - and my goals of getting closer to an A1C of 5 were closing in, but I also found I was having more lows. Lastly, 3.) having a "tube" under your skin creates scarring, and those sites take a LONG time to heal and become re-usable. So if you do not rotate sufficiently - you can plug your pump into a bad spot and find out 3 - 4 hours later you are not getting any insulin!
For me, MDI was a better deal. The Lantus (or whatever you take) provides a nice baseline coverage, and then the nipping out to a dark spot to take shots is still a MDI disadvantage over the pump (really liked pressing keys and getting insulin) but it's something I would tell you to explore and find out your thoughts on your own.
PERSONALLY, the BIGGEST bang for the buck and most revolutionary aid to my diabetes has been the Sensor - with the sensor I can glance down and see a fairly accurate reading of my blood glucose whenever I want. It was the biggest revolution in my (25+) years of type 1 diabetes.
Sure, the meters got faster and the insulin got faster, but the sensor changed everything for me.
Personally, Pens and Needles are fine and are easy enough to deal with for me. I don't mind them. I still think the needle provides the most accurate delivery of insulin, Pens are a little sloppy and can be a tad off, and the pump is a cool invention, and has helped a great many struggling diabetics.
Enjoy exploring the pump - it potentially can be as life changing for you as I found the sensor to be for me!
Best regards,
drew