I have had Type 1 for 2 and a half months, and have been managing my diabetes very well by using Humalog 3 times a day and 13 points of Lantus every night at 10. I have been researching pumps, and they seem to be the best for people who are insulin dependent.
However the thought of having a plastic box on my side bugs me. I’m athletic and always on the move and i would fear bumping into something, or it being torn out at any given time.
I was wondering if people who have experience with a pump could tell me a little bit about how they work, and the comfort/ease of using a pump over syringes.
Marty, it’s not as if a pump makes diabetes go away. In my opinion, it just makes it “suck” less for me. Lots of people on MDI have good results. It’s a lifestyle and total cost of ownership decision.
Operation in a nutshell: you fill the pump with fast acting insulin. It’s programmed to give you a little bit all day and night (basal insulin that you now shoot lantus for) and a larger dose for meals (bolus insulin that you take humalog for at meal time). There is an infusion system which consists of a small cannula just under your skin. there are many styles of infusion systems for various “situations”
you currently cant shut off your Lantus after you take it at night. tomorrow if you go rock climbing or do a 100 mile bike ride, you will have to feed your lantus all day. conversly, if you are sick and watching tv, you will have to make some fancy corrections to keep your bs down. The pump does not use long acting, so you can turn up or down your basal insulin if you need to, any time of the day or night. also, if you really want a bagel at 10 AM, you can hit a button and tell your pump 60 grams of carbs, please, and it’s a done deal. I like pizza, but if I take humalog for it I will go low, and then several hours later I will be high - that’s because pizza is a monster of fat and carbs. I can tell my pump to give me a bolus, but spread it out over 3 hours. I can now eat pizza using humalog if I want to. (Humulin R was better for pizza if you ask me)
so for me, with my highly variable schedule at work and play, and eating times, and travel in and out of time zones, the pump represents more freedom than prison. I also have a lot of other little plastic buzzy ringy things with me too, I dont’ feel I am a slave to my cell phone (or do I) finally, I only have 2-1/2 years experience with my pump, and 29 years on shots. you milage may vary. cheers
hi, Marty. I’ve been pumping since about 1990, and had d for 41 years. I’d never go back to shots. There are lots and lots of discussions here about pumping, here is one that was very popular. I have never torn mine out, because I loop my tubing and put a dressing over the loop so if it gets caught on a doorknob or something, it just pulls on the dressing (IV3000). It’s amazing how quickly you get used to having it around. And most infusion sets these days have a quick release feature, so you can “untether” yourself temporarily for showers, etc.
In my view, the more active you are, the better off you are with a pump. You’ll have better control over you insulin intake to help avoid both hypoglcemia during exercise and hyperglycemia afterwards.
Wearing the pump close to your body, as you would many other sports equipment, minimizes the risk of injuring it. You’re going to bump it into stuff no matter what - it’s sturdy, it can take it. There are plenty of cases available to contain the pump and the tubing to add even more protection. Many people wrap the tubing around the pump and put the pump in a case. Going shirtless could be a problem if it’s attached to your belly because the tube could be exposed, but you can always attach to your hip and your rump and keep the tubing covered by your shorts.
i’m active, too. I run, hike, bicycle and use the gym daily. I have never had a problem with bumping the pump or ripping it out when outdoors and active. The only place those accidents have happened to me are at home, and usually in the bathroom or bedroom.
Marty,
You are not alone in your thoughts, I have been using novolog and levemir flexpens for almost a year now and my endo & his assistant have been pushing the pump. I have read a bunch of the post on here regarding the pump. I mainly read them because I too am skeptical.
I just received the book Pumping Insulin by John Walsh in the mail 2 days ago and started reading it. What you will find on here in many of the forums is that Pumping Insulin is the must read book if you are thinking about the pump. Also you will find Joe and Marie as two of the most willing to offer great advice and share their experiences.
I have also been more hesitant to move to the pump for similar reasons not so much that I am athletic in nature but, I am very active both at home and at work and I was not thrilled about it being attached 24/7. I am leaning towards the pump too for ease and better control.
I have read many posts on here that say the only regret about the pump is that they did not start sooner. I am hoping to be one of those people someday. Right now I am reading and researching and doing the MDI thing.
Good Luck!!!
Ron
Something to consider is the cost associated with it. I am not a pumper, but I know that there are some insurance companies that do not cover certain items required for the pump. Also, and those of you who use it can illuminate me if I am wrong, there are some behavioral requirements such as testing often etc. I have been diabetic T1 for 40 years…in those years, I have seen may changes in the treatment of D. Some work for some and not for others.
Skeptical about switching to a Pump!! Ja, That was me one month ago! now for nothing I will go back to shots!! Go for it no matter what. When I was on shots my BG was controlled! But since on the pump! WOWOW! I’ve seen my number super stable using the pump. I asked my self this question every day: Why Tony, you didn’t switch before!! Its not that will take diabetes, responsibility and all that it takes to be a diabetic away, but for sure will make your life as a diabetic less difficult. About exercise, I’m a Spinning Instructor, I run and do weightlifting and there has not been a single problem using the pump. The pump that I’m using is the Omnipod, but there’s a few pumps model around so make your assignment, do research, analyze the pros and cons, and maybe your decision will be more easier! But I recommend switching to a pump.
My niece was diagnosed at 8 years and went on a pump within four months. At the time we went on the pump, she must have still been in her honeymoon, but just coming out of it. So I assumed the high numbers at night were pump related. In reality, her endo group could probably see she was coming out of her honeymoon and gave us the pump at that time (she had to pass other criteria also). Her blood sugars are erratic because of growth spurts, now puberty. She is corrected and adjusted quite a bit. I don’t think she would be happy if she had to take shots for corrections. I would estimate six, eight shots a day. There are some evenings and overnights when she would need even more correction. In addition, she does not have a flat basal rate (though the variable basals usually occur early evening until midnight, sometimes 1am), so with a split shot, she could still do MDI. In short, too many shots. Probably too many lows due to exercise or unexpected basal drops overnight, as well. She could not use a minus temp basal to give less insulin or take the pump off for exercise, so she would have to eat more before these activities also. She does not like to eat when she is not in the mood to eat.
