we are two weeks ish into my son having his pump
and yes i know it takes a while to get through all the hiccups
and i so LOVE it and would never go back to injections
that said
i am really feeling the brunt of the stress and anxiety now
i was wondering how other people coped with the start up stress
of course i’m tired
but i’ve had two weeks off of work and i go back tomorrow and i just don’t want to face him being in daycare and all of that stress and work stress on top of dealing with all the rest of the hiccups of being new to a pump
my son is three and is taking all the changes well
he’s adjusting
What you are feeling is totally normal. Going on the pump really is like getting diagnosed all over again. It takes time, months in our case, to really get to where you feel comfortable. And the truth is we are 14 months on the pump (Omnipod) and still making adjustments. But in our experience it is totally worth it for the freedom and better control your child will have. My daughter is 4 now, was three when diagnosed/went on a pump so I know exactly how you are feeling. I still feel like she shouldn’t have to go through this. In some ways it is harder on the parents. Kids are so resilient and my daughter has adjusted EXTREMELY well to everything, as I’m sure your son has too.
Being a working mom is hard in and of itself, so add diabetes and a pump start up and it is overwhelming. Give yourself permission to let some less important things slide for a while. You are doing a great job and it will get easier. Take care of yourself as well because it’s not easy trying to be another person’s pancreas, especially a person you love so much!
I hope the days get easier for you! They will in time.
Wow… you work… have a 3yr old staring a pump! Yes…what you are feeling is expected…the only think I can say is…IT WILL GET BETTER… and you are not alone. The begining is the harded… take time to breath inbetween…
Sleep helps a lot. If you were like us, we were doing all of these basal readings at all times day and night until we did not even know if it was night or day. I have never been so tired. Even when he was an infant we seemed to have grandparents and his Dad to take a turn. But with the pump startup, I was the only one who had been to training and knew the drill. Almost a year later I still check on him at night, especially if he has played hockey.
Consistency also helps. I am lucky that my son prefers to eat the same thing for breakfast and take the same sandwich, baked chips and cookie package for lunch during the week. Once we had the ratios adjusted for those two meals set, his numbers when he is away hardly vary by even a few points. That’s good, because now that he is driving some of his fast food carb counting is challenging. Of course, toddlers are pickier and yours may want what everyone else is having.
thank you to everyone for your thoughts and support
it means a lot to even know people understand
i am lacking sleep big time and i am checking him through the night and all through the day
his eating is not consistent at all but maybe this week i can try a little harder on that
he will be back in daycare and they are very consistent there
so i think that will help with getting things consistent
other than that i am just going to try my hardest i suppose to survive
when he was diagnosed i took time off work, a leave, but now it does feel like he’s just been rediagnosed but this time i’m having to face work too
Maddy went on her pump(Omnipod) right before she turned 3. It took us 4 weeks to get her basal rates and ratios correct _ i remember considering needles again right before everything fell into place. We had also made the mistake of going on the pump the week before Thanksgiving - so the added stress(and unpredictable eating) of the holidays did not help. I did not take off when she went on the pump but I should have(I think I sent her to her grandaprents for a week though). Glad to hear you did - hang in there.
Hopefully in a month or so - you will look back and be so glad you stuck with it.
My heart goes out to you. I remember those days well and still have some days of just stress and exhaustion. We also made the mistake of starting the pump around a holiday, Christmas. We did travel a short distance and Rory ended up getting sick with a stomach bug. It was a mess. And I found the hardest part was testing the basal rates during the day. It still is. It is hard to reason with a 3-4 year old. He will sometimes come down in the morning before we are down here and just get himself a granola bar.
Anyway…I completely understand your stress. I also work, only Per Diem, but that’s enough just to add a little more stress. I am the only one who changes his sites. It is overwhelming and frustating. But SO worth it! It is so nice having more control over his basal rates. We struggled with trying to get the perfect dose of Lantus with injections, but now it is so easy to just make a quick adjustment at a certian time of day.
Just make sure you can catch up on rest and know that things do get better.
Sleep… You have to catch up on it whenever possible. If hubby is home, you can go to bed right after you get home from work, let hubby do dinner and this way you will be able to catch up on all those 2am plus BS checks. So after an all nighter or if you are particularly tired, consider trying this. On the weekends, either sleep late or get a nap. These BS checks will be going on long term… for years; therefore, you need to figure out a way to conserve your strength.
It is a real adjustment…totally worth it but it does take a lot of effort in the beginning. You are smart to find some ways of dealing with the stress because being the caregiver can be exhausting. Is Dad up to speed and able to help out? Everyone needs a back up. I usually turn things over to my hubby when I feel this way. He doesn’t do everything the same way I would, but it still works and I get a much needed break. Plus my daughter appreciates me more later, ha ha. Exercise and Sleep are my 2 best ways of dealing with it. Sometimes a little mindless TV like the Office, or Modern Family helps too
