Has anyone started pumping during their honeymoon period? Currently I'm taking 6 units of lantus. Down from 20 a month and a half ago at diagnosis of type 1. Also, I've eliminated from a total dosage of 30 units of Novolog to 0. My numbers are great. Every test is 100-150 for the past 2 weeks. Oh yeah, I'm eating 270 grams of carbs a day (I'm pretty active though.)
My endo really is pushing for me to get a pump. In fact, I have a medtronic minimed and the corresponding CGM in my hands. It's just a matter of getting to her office to get started on it. That being said, I spoke with her physicians assisstant and she brought up the question. "Do you truly want to start this now?"
I never thought of that until she brought it up. I was just doing everything as my endo told me. So basically my question is, has anyone started pumping while they were in this period, or taking that small of an insulin dosage? If so, how were you're numbers? Were you running low? - That's my biggest concern - I'm a college student and am student teaching phys. ed. 2x's a week. I'm not always in a greatest position to test!
My son started pumping during his honeymoon, about three months after diagnosis. He was four at the time, and just prior to pumping his TDD was less than 2 units which gave us concern about whether pumping would work.
Although Caleb’s numbers were good, I don’t think he was quite as tight on injections as you are. We chose to pump at that time to improve control and, just as much, to provide eating flexibility for Caleb because he had none on injections.
When Caleb started pumping, his insulin needs changed significantly. The concern of whether pumping would work with his 2 units per day was short lived because his insulin needs rose immediately once he started using only Novolog. So for Caleb, things were very different between the two therapies.
If injections are working for you now, both in terms of control and quality of life, then maybe it makes sense to stick with it. I believe we were able to extend Caleb’s honeymoon because of the tight control that we achieved with a pump, but as I said, I don’t believe he was quite as successful using injections as you are.
I did, and I highly recommend it… as you’ve noticed, your insulin needs can be QUITE variable within a relatively short time, and pumping allows you better flexibility to compensate for that, as well as the ability to fine-tune your insulin usage and give yourself smaller boluses or fractions of a unit that you really can’t match by syringe… imagine trying to take a 0.2 bolus with a syringe - that’s hard, but super easy on a pump. I was using more insulin than you when I started, but there was enough variability in my insulin needs that I just couldn’t get good control on shots.
I had fewer lows pumping than I’d ever had on MDI. It really felt to me like on MDI I had to “deal with” at least a couple of lows a day or if I adjusted the insulin to reduce the lows, I would run ridiculously high instead… on a pump I could fine-tune what I needed (with basal rates ranging from 0.10/hr in the afternoon, to 0.65u/hr overnight), and get more insulin when my body needed it, and much much less when I didn’t.
Don’t be afraid of it… it’s not like your T1 is going to go away, and if you try it and don’t like it, you can always go BACK to shots if you want… most people don’t want to though
That is really reassuring to hear. I mean, I have the pump, CGM and everything I need to get started sitting right next to my desk. It’s just a matter of time before I get an appointment with my endo. Since she’s been away, I’ve been thinking maybe it’s not the right thing to do at the moment. That’s just me though - worry worry worry. This is all new to me and I think I’ve finally got it through me that this is the right thing to do and this really helps hearing from someone who’s been there.
i am still in my honeymoon and i started my pump about two months ago.
last time i was at my endo he told me my body is still making about half my insulin, and that right now the best hope for a cure is staying in the honeymoon as long as possible, and with the increased control from the pump, i can stay that way even longer
I am a college student too, diagnosed last April 09. I was on the pump 6 weeks after diagnosis and I am still honeymooning. I’d say do it – especially since the pump is particularly good for people with low insulin needs.
Right now your six units of lantus are evenly distributed over the course of 24 hours. Once you go on the pump, your basal rate can be adjusted because most people don’t need the same amount of basal insulin all day long. For example I get 0.65 units of basal insulin per hour from 7am to 10am and ZERO units of insulin per hour from 3-6pm! That’s honeymooning for you! I could never get this precise with my basal dosage with shots…in fact, when I was on shots there was always some part of the day that I KNEW I would end up low – with the pump that doesn’t ever have to happen!
Hey Tim. I am using the pump right now, 5 months after being diagnosed, and still in the honeymoon. I have been using it since November, and I am glad because my needs have changed SO much, especially these past two months. I have had to change my rates at LEAST every week, and if I was still on injections, it probably wouldn’t have been so easy to change. For example, I have been going really high during the night, but stay stable with only .075 U during the day. Just last week I had to change my nighttime to .200, which was a big jump for me, since before .050 was working 24/7. My I:C has been easier to change too. I really like having the ability to change my basal rates for different parts of the day because you can really try and get it to work with your body’s decisions to fluctuate!
okay so here is the news. i’m supposed to be starting up on the pump march 2nd during my break from school. that being said, i’m still a little aprehensive about doing so. Even by taking 6 units of lantus with no bolus’s, i’ve had a few low readings the past couple days 81, 80, 70, 79. I know those aren’t soo bad but they were not always at a mealtime - but inbetween meals. I almost feel like I’m eating to avoid a low, but not because I’m hungry.
I mean if I’m taking 1 shot a day and having good readings, do I want to get on the pump? - I can’t come to a decision. Really confused and I can’t make my mind up.
Anyone have some questions I may want to ask at that March appointment?
Anyone else start on a pump with such a small amount? Do you recommend doing so?
