I disagree with your statement that pumps ‘don’t keep one’s BG in the target zone any more or less than injections’. Given my Dawn Phenomenon, there is absolutely no way I could attain control on MDI nearly as well as I can on a pump. I was on MDI for 16 years and my best control still only led me to an A1c in the 8’s. With my pump I’m currently maintaining an A1c of 5.9%. I think that if I were to go back to MDI now I might be able to do better than I did in the past, because I have more knowledge. But I’m pretty sure I couldn’t attain anything lower than a 7% with MDI, and that’s being really optimistic…
Don’t forget love handles, if you have them 
They’re one of my favorite set spots!
I think the important thing is someone finds what works for them. I do miss not having to hear alarms to take Levemir. I was really tired the other night & wanted to go to bed early but then had to have my alarm go off at 11 so I could take Levemir. The Dex really helps unless I am sleeping. You never know about Michael – I never thought I would try a pump and did.
Did you ever get an increase in Melissa’s thyroid meds? I know until my levels were balanced out, I was going back and forth between highs and lows. Even Dr. Bernstein that is typical with hypothyroid – I suspected that was the case but his statement confirmed it. I like those 90s also!
I’m following this discussion closely because I am due to go back to my doctor on Friday and want to discuss the pump. I think it might be a perfect option for me, even though I am still producing a bit of my own insulin and have not yet required a basal insulin (although my doc said that I would likely require one soon). I am going to try and get pregnant this fall and I really want to have things as tightly controlled as possible before that happens.
However, here is one issue I wanted to ask - does using the pump increase the amount of “stuff” you have to carry around? Right now, I carry around a couple of pens, my meter, pen needles, snacks, extra test strips, and a glucagon pen. If I’m on the pump, would I also have to carry around a spare infusion set? Extra insulin? I commute into the city each day so there is always the potential that I could get stranded downtown. What do people on pumps have to carry around with them in terms of extra supplies?
Hmmm, that’s dicey but I’m only 15 minutes away from my supply depot/ house so I don’t worry about it. I’ve forgotten test strips a couple of times and just faked my way through the day but I haven’t had a catastrophic failure. If that happens, I’d probably drive home to get a syringe and start shooting .8U/ hour? I think I have less stuff b/c before, I had a bag of insulin/ syringes (this really cool faux Louis Vuitton thing…) and a meter whereas now the pump is so ingrained into me, it’s just there and doesn’t count so I just have a meter and a bag of jelly beans or two.
I’m impressed with the 5.9! I have not been able to get that low, ever, in 20 years with diabetes, and with a pump. But since I’ve been doing reduced-carb, I think my numbers are a lot better – next A1c is in June, so wish me luck.
It might not be a bad idea to keep a spare set and some syringes in your drawer at your office. Also glucose tablets. If you’re pumping, you can always get insulin out of the pump reservoir with a syringe if necessary. And also, keep a spare meter in your desk, but be sure to rotate the strips out, because they do expire. And be sure not to let the reservoir run dry at an inconvenient time – I once did that on the road from Sacramento to Reno, and was without a basal for about an hour and a half. Didn’t kill me, but it really wasn’t a good idea!
I was never attracted to pumps. I did just fine on conventional insulin therapy, not even MDI. For 36 years. Then I got the Dexcom 7+ and saw what was really going on. I saw my BG slowly drifting up. Should I give myself 1 unit to bring it down? Before the dex the smallest correction was 5 units. I had no desire to switch from conventional insulin therapy to MDI. I also could not stand to be out-of-range. A pump could fix the out-of-range issue with the push of a button. I finally broke down and got the OmniPod. It is not all sunshine. Sleeping on it can cause pain and bruising. During the day the pump is short of a miracle. At night I see the dark side. I have no intention to lose the pump. Deeds speak louder than words.
I’ve been doing MDI for ( later this year will be) 50 yrs. I have had a pump available to me free for the last 6 years and have even gone through the learning process with the Pump Educater. For different reasons, I decided against gatting a pump. I am doing Good and am comfortable with MDI, not perfect but Good. It’s second nature to me. Believe me, if my Endo and I were not Happy with my results, I would be on a pump yesterday.
There are many times that I can do a quick inject into a spot and deposit the Insulin and be Fine where a Pumper would not be able to stand the pain for more than 10 minutes maybe. Pumpers have mentioned that lots of times. Especially Ones wiith more muscle than fat. I do not have such severe problems as some others, like DP for example. If a Person is having unsolvable problems on MDI or just wants a pump, then by all means…get a pump. Do what works Best for you. In my case, it ain’t broken, so I don’t need to fix it.
If a Woman is planning on getting or is pregnant then I would encourage the pump use since pregnancy is a whole different ballgame and more help is usually needed.
“There are many times that I can do a quick inject into a spot and deposit the Insulin and be Fine where a Pumper would not be able to stand the pain for more than 10 minutes maybe”
??? this doesn’t make sense? If you have a pump and want some insulin, you push the button and it’s there?
+1
I fell in love with my pump the day I got it, and have loved it ever since. I’ve been on it for a year and a half. For me it’s all piece of mind. My pump does all the I:C math for me and can bolus in increments of units. I used to round down all the time when on MDIs, and would then low ball it further because I was so afraid of lows. Now I don’t worry about lows every time I bolus. I love the combo bolus feature for when I splurge and have a little ice cream or some pizza. It’s more convenient to do correction boluses. I’m also an avid cyclist and have complete control over my insulin levels while exercising, vs having to plan 24hrs in advance when I was using lantus.
I meant putting the cannula in spots where the pain is or gets extreme and the Pumper has to pull it out shortly after or later that day. Too close to muscle or nerves.
I agree w/ all this except I always took extra insulin b/c I was afraid of going blind/ amputations and didn’t mind being zonked out of my gourd on insulin for 20 years…
I know there are people who do gonzo cardio stuff on MDI but to me, it seems waaaaay more enjoyable w/ a pump and even more w/ a CGM. I will admit that the MM CGM needle is a bit gnarly but the data is so worth it!
That has happened to me exactly zero times. 5’11" @ 180-185 lbs? I have had a few issues w/ the mm CGM needle and the sticky stuff but nothing w/ the pump sites.
I’m Happy for you. I’ve been on DOC’s since about 2001-2 and I felt Very sorry for so many Pumpers through the years who have had this problem and still do.
I had 2 backup infusion sets in my purse along with a syringe in case the pump broke. Whether you need insulin or not would depend on how close you are to your cartridge running out. Some people also carried an extra battery with them. It is also a good idea to print out your pump settings - if your pump dies, you don’t want to have to try & figure out what you had for basal rates!
I do keep my settings when I d/l my pump but am a total slacker about the batteries/ sets/ etc. Were I to have an emergency @ work, I’d be able to run home an figure work out on the back end or just go home and take a 1/2 day off or whatever. STill, I probably would prefer not to do that?
I do MDI only because I am not mentally ok with a pump. I know I have diabetes and its not going anywhere, I am not ashamed but I would rather not have something tuck on me like an IV. That would make me feel like I’m a sick person…I did seriously consider it for awhile but then I hear there some complications with pumping. There is a chance the pump malfunctioned or is leaking which would freak me out being that I have already been in DKA. I have heard that it does not really work better it is just more convenient than shots but I dont have a problem with shots at all…I wear figure hugging clothes, I am young, short and curvy so lose clothes would make me look like I am 8 months prego…Trust me, its not cute. So I wouldnt know where to put it without it showing all the time…And the last reason why I do not pump is my skin is sooooo sensative I am allergic to EVERYTHING…seriously, the sun, earth, it doesnt matter, I break out. I know it would irrtate my skin…However with all that said I would try it if my endo really thought it would make a difference…