There are so many people on here who seem to really love having a pump and can’t imagine going back to needles, which I think is great, but I was wondering when you started to really love your pumps. Was it love at first sight (or first insert), or did it grow on you over time?
I’ve had mine for 2 months and really, really want to love it and feel like I should, but I’ve been finding the tubing to get in the way, the insertions take a bit of time all at once to get inserted and set up, and perhaps adding to my frustration, my A1c is noticeably higher than it had been running for the past few years pre-pump (7.5 vs years below 7.0). I know it takes some time to get set up and that I should expect a bit of an adjustment period, but what were your own personal experiences? How long did you have your pump before you were feeling it was an improvement over shots?
When I first started pumping (in 1999) I loved it immediately, because I’d been doing shots for so long and was SO sick of being stuck to a eating schedule. The pump gave me more freedom from my insulin regime.
I took a break from pumping for several years and recently went back to pumping about 10 months ago. It took me about 3 months to really start loving it again. It took about 2 months to figure out my correct basal rates and such, during which time my A1C did go up considerably (to 7.7). But just two months later once I figured out what my basal rates & carb ratios and correction ratio should be, my A1C was back down to 6.2! Also, sometimes you have to experiment with different tubing lengths & types of infusion sets. That being said, if you have done all of that, and you still don’t love it, I don’t think there’s any harm in going back to shots. You should do whatever you get the best control with, and whatever you are most comfortable with.
Good luck with everything!
It took me about 4 months or so, the first month or two I was ready to hit the pump with anything heavier than a wet noodle, drop it from the tallest building, and shoot it into outer space it drove me crazy. But like Erin said once the correct basal/bolus stuff was figured out and once I sampled all of the insertion sets there was to sample, I wonder why I waited so long to begin pumping! (I also began to feel comfortable enough to begin doing my own basal/bolus/etc changes after about 2 months without seeing my doc/educator. That allowed me to get the pump more in tune with my ever changing schedule and activity level, which resulted in lower A1C and weight loss.)
I liked my pump immediately, for the freedom it gave me. I never did MDI so can’t compare that. I was mixing NPH and R and trying to live my life around peaks and valleys. So the pump offered me a new freedom and better control that I never thought possible, and eliminated so many horrible valleys as well as peaks. I only had one shot a day, and now have one every three or four days so that is a plus. I do know that pumping is not for everyone but I would not give mine up without a fight.
I loved my pump immediately, but that was because I really wanted it, and basically fought to get it. I never, ever liked shots in the least – I actually HATED them, and the pump was a relief.
However, it took awhile to get COMFORTABLE with my pump. It’s like a brand-new relationship, because in the beginning, you really don’t know each other, so you’re kind of nervous and unsure of yourself.
So I learned to deal with the tubing, to the point where I don’t even think about it, and I learned to do insertions much more efficiently to the point where it’s no big deal, and I learned how to deal with at least my usual and customary foods, and figured out how to deal with unusual situations, like wearing a dress! I dealt with tape allergies, and funky questions, like last week at folk dancing, a woman asked “What’s that lump on your belly?” (it was my infusion set). I’m sure I haven’t seen the end of strange situations!
This all took experimentation, and some failures, and some frustrations, but after 12 years, I totally love my pump, and would NEVER want to go back to injections. The only reason I’d give up my pump is if there was a cure. Is that clear enough?
I loved my pump the day I was told that my insurance approved its use. It was on the third request, and only after my endo pointed out to them that my kidney function was steadily decreasing.
Anyway, I was put on insulin right away, and the trainer from Animas must have hit the basel numbers right on the target, because everything instantly improved with insulin control, energy, and an over-all better feeling good. I have lost the roller coaster blood sugar levels that occured daily with a 5-7 shot MDI regimen. I have had no trouble with tubes, infusion sets or error messages.
In the first few days, as my BGs finally stabilized like they’d never stabilized in the 16 years before that…I fell in love Yes, I still have highs and lows…but no more being 300-500 for a week at a time.
I liked shots ok but loved my pump within 2 hours of leaving the doctor’s office. I gave much attention to “how many tacos should I try this bad boy out on…” in my head during the training/ installation process and was very pleased with a post parandial 85 two hours after eating them.
There are things I love about the pump and things I do not. I discovered the things that I love slowly, over time and with a lot of experimentation. For example, only recently did I realize how beneficial my pump was when traveling. I also love not having to get up at the SAME time every day to eat and eat on such a regimented schedule. I am not a huge eater and on MDI I always felt like I was stuffing myself just to keep up with my insulin. I love being able to exercise on a whim (on MDI I always had to plan a day in advance) and I love how I can really fine tune things by making small tweaks in my basal rates. I also love how, when I am out at a restaurant, I don’t have to excuse myself to go to the bathroom to give myself a shot. I can bolus right at the table and no one even notices!! I love that! It makes me feel a tad more normal.
THAT SAID, there are things I initially hated about the pump (tubing and being connected to something 24/7 were the top things I hated). And I also had an increase in my A1C when I first started pumping because we were trying to figure out my basal rates and my endo didn’t want me going hypo, so we intentionally were more conservative.
Over time, I’ve learned to deal with the things I hate about the pump and this has made me hate those things less. For example, I’ve learned many ways to conceal my pump in my clothing yet still have it accessible. This did require some wardrobe modification, but it has been worth it. In addition, my A1C eventually came down and it’s better than it has been in MANY years.
For me, MDI just wasn’t working. I am incredibly insulin sensitive and was not correcting highs that really should have been corrected. The ability to give myself small doses of insulin with the pump has been a lifesaver (it will literally probably add years to my life!)
A lot of getting to a “love” point with the pump involves experimentation. Try different infusion sets and different tubing lengths. Tuck the tubing into your clothes and experiment with wearing the pump in different locations (down my bra and clipped to the inside of my waist band are my favorite places). Over time, I slowly began to feel like my pump was a part of me and now I feel naked when I don’t wear it!
Hi Jackie, well im 4 months now on a pump and must say found it took a bit of getting used to something attached to me all the time, I was worried that my 3yr old twins would catch the tubing, but havent had an issue with that. I now wear my pump clipped on to my bra (in the middle of my boobs!) as I found this to be the easiest place and most comfortable than on my hip.
Ive already had a bit of a love hate relationship with my pump, which has turned to love again! Initially coming out of hospital, I noticed the freedom on not having to eat all the time as Im not a big eater anyway. I also HATED injections and had a few testing moments doing them in a resturant or out and about. So loved it.
Then I hit a low point about a month ago, got really lazy with it, did no testing, guessed my carbs then didnt follow up with BSL reading, didnt upload the info etc, it became something I just clipped onto my bra everyday.
Well a week ago I confessed all to my educator the hard time I was having, she suggested me having a pump holiday if I was having trouble and go back to needles…Well guess what ??? NO WAY !! I just cant go back to that now, I have a new appreciation of my pump and have got back on board with doing the right thing. So I have only just fallen in love with it now I have had the alternative given to me again.
By the way, I was only diagnosed with T1 nearly 4 years ago when pregnant with my twins, then got it back after I had them so I had only been injecting for 3 1/2 yrs but that was long enough for someone who hates needles anyway !!
Anyway, best of luck with it, it is still only early days for you and me, but hope you start to see the benefits of it and learn to love it too.
i’ve been on the pump since febuary this year and it wasn’t until 2 weeks ago that i really wanted to give it a huge kiss haha. i’ve been a mdi’er my whole life until i got it and for the past ten years i’ve been stuck at 7.2…my goal being to get in the 6’s…i’d try and try and never make it…until my last a1c!! 6.9!! i literally took it off my belt and kissed it. before that moment i also had my doubts and frustrations. i had a lot of problems with the sets in the beginning. my first day on the pump i got about 8 no delivery messages which really set us off on the wrong foot but i stuck through it and worked hard and it payed off…now i don’t want to go back
Immediately! I’m on the OmniPod (AMAZING! LOVE IT!!!) There is no tubing, quick change to a new pod (just stick it on a press a button :)) and I don’t remember its even there. Can go in water too. I don’t understand how people can’t love it!
And people talk about on here bad pods…I think that is people venting so it sounds like a lot but if you consider the thousands of people using the omnipod versus the complaints, you can look at statistics and see its not bad at all. Frankly, I’ve never had a bad pod! And I’ve been on it for almost 6months! The only time is when I forgot about it and went through a door really fast and hit it really hard and it alarmed me and I had to remove it and put a new one on. That’s it
Anyway, my A1c dropped from 8.7 to 6.3 in a couple months. So I think you should try the omnipod!
Oh and I just started the dexcom 7 today too! See how that goes! Love it so far!
It wasn’t love at 1st site for me. It really took me about a year or longer b/f I even started to like mine (I’ve been pumping now for 24 years) I had to go back on shots about 2 months ago while waiting on my “loner pump” to get here over the weekend and it was like going back to square 1 for me. (I had gotten sooooo used to pumping that the shots totally took me off gaurd) My pump broke on a Friday and I called MM imeditanly but it didn’t get here the next day it got here on Monday. Nevermind I put up a post here right after it happened & after I got myself back together I read it and actually felt sorry for myself! LOL! I sounded sooooo desparate LOL!
My A1C has been both good and bad on the pump yes a higher bs will lead you into flustration FAST!
OMG, Doris, were you one of the people who had the “brick”? I’ve been pumping for 12 years, and think that my first pump was primitive enough – I can’t even imagine what it must have been like 24 years ago!!!
Yep I had a brick… it wasVERY different… a.ugh…trip back then. That’s the best way to describe it…Now it’s MUCH better. It was even better (smaller) 12 years ago than it was back then but I’ve came up with them Now if I can figure this latest one out we’re rocking LOL!
Hi Jackie -
I have had my pump for over 4 years. I actually hated it at first and now I love it. I think it took me a goood 4 to 6 months to get used to wearing it all the time and the tubing, etc. I used to hate having it attached to my body and hanging off my clothes but now it feels very strange when it is off. You really get used to it and your blood sugars will improve. My A1c has not been over 7 in 4 years and I atribute it to the pump. My blood sugars will go up and down a bit but my sugars are so much better controlled and I cannot even imagine giving my pump up. I actually just got a new one this month. It does get better and you do get used to it.
I just don’t get how a pump is beneficial over shots other then if you really want to eat a lot through out the day its more convenient. Your body has no clue how the insulin is getting into your blood so control should be no different. I think it has more to do with compliance. On the negative you have to wear it with tubes and a needle inserted all the time plus it seems like it requires much more involvement and its more expensive. I’d bet I can get as good control as anyone with shots but I do sometimes take 8 to 10 shots a day depending on how things are running and how much I snack. In fact the only thing I don’t totally despise about having diabetes is taking the shots. I really don’t even think about it much. I just do it like I go to the bathroom. It may sound bizarre but I have no interest what so ever in a pump.
I like my pump because I have very irregular eating and sleeping hours. And I hated to be out and about spontaneously when it was time for my NPH shot, and I didn’t have my insulin with me. And I hated the NPH lows in the middle of the night. And I hated having to snack to cover NPH peaks. It might be different with Lantus or Levemir, but I went on the pump before those came out.
Basal 'log is a much smoother delivery than the NPH I went to a pump from. I never tried Levimir. From threads it seems like some number of users experience peaks, deal with multi shot scenarios, etc.
W/ the 'log, it’s straight and I think that you get slightly better data. I was actually sort of fond of shots, breaking my works out at parties, bars, in line at amusement parks, etc. too but I am certain that the pump was a huge improvement. I totally understand the objections as they sound just like my but the level of control is much better. I didn’t run a lot with shots but I think that they would likely be more practical for that.
I dealt with tape allergies, and funky questions, like last week at folk dancing, a woman asked “What’s that lump on your belly?” (it was my infusion set). I’m sure I haven’t seen the end of strange situations!