Hi,
I am seeing my doctor again in 2 months. We will be discussing pumping vs injections. I have started on injections when I was diagnosed 2 years ago, that is thus all I know. Currently I am not too sure what to think about this whole situation. I don’t know if I will be able to adjust to have something attached to me permanently. If you have been on a pump and the normal injections, which do you prefer and why?
It’s no different than wearing a watch all the time. That is attached to you. Or having a cell phone on your person, all the time. It’s not that permanent, because one has to change sites every so many days, too. Always options for change.
@Marlene3, to a person, this is one of the first thoughts any person with diabetes confronts when an insulin pump is suggested. That exact thought held me up for over a year in saying “yes” to a pump. That was in 1986. In 1987, thirty years ago, I went on a pump and never looked back. I found the ability to inject with a pump any time and anywhere to be a great lifestyle convenience. The pump math wizard and its memory are also very nice.
I quickly got over the idea of something attached to me all the time. I see this issue like your personal thought about injecting insulin before and after your diagnosis. Most of us now consider the idea of injecting as “no big deal.”
That being said, an insulin pump is not for everyone. Is there any penalty in giving it a trial, say 90 days? Then you can decide if a pump or multiple daily injections are best for you. Good luck with whatever you decide!
I’ve been on a pump only 2 months. I had the same worry–about being attached to something, about the tubing. I worried about how I would wear it and how I would do all my activities with a pump attached. I can tell you that none of it has been a big deal. I love the pump. It makes things so much easier with the calculations the pump does. No more worried about stacking insulin. And it is so much more discrete when you are out to give yourself some insulin. Not everyone likes a pump, but why not give it a try?
That is a great question that has no good answer. It really depends on what your priorities are and what you want the pump to do.
I was on injections for about 30 years (MDI since mid 90’s) and finally just switched to pumping last month.
I had ok control for many years but was starting to find it harder and harder get the ok numbers. A1Cs were creeping in the low 7’s. I finally got a CGM last year and with the CGM and MDI I managed to get an A1C of 6.3. At this point, the only thing I thought I could improve was my basal insulin. I was on Levemir and found there were always times of the day when the amount of levemir was just not right. My main reason to switch to the pump so I could adjust the basal rate at different times of the day and I could use temp basals for exercise. Last A1C was down to about 6.0 so it looks like I am moving in the right direction and it is definitely easier for me to get better control with less effort than MDI.
At first I did not want something stuck to me, but then after having the CGM on, and loving the results I was getting with it, I decided I didn’t mind another device. I am using the Omnipod so it is really just having two things stuck on. It actually doesn’t really bother me at all, except if I roll over on to it while sleeping 
So maybe think about what you want the pump to do for you, and if it improves your control or makes your life easier, you will not mind so much having stuff stuck to you.
Most pump manufactures give a 90 day free trial period. So maybe my advice is - give it a try, see if you like it. If you hate it, there is nothing stopping you from going back to injections. If you don’t try, you will never have an answer to the question “to pump or not to pump” 
…sorry but I had to.
I have only been on the pump for a bit longer than two months and I have been on injections for 6 years before that, one thing I can say for sure is that I definitely prefer the pump compared to injections, by far. Sometimes I’m that deeply focused on something that I completely forget it’s there. Most times, the cannula doesn’t hurt, but even when it does it only hurts a little bit and I can barely tell it’s there. It also benefits me because I’m hungry a lot and I can eat whenever I want, whereas when I was on injections I only had 3 meals a day unless I was low.
I did MDI for 12 years and have done the pump for 12. Hands down I prefer the pump. One of the things I was most excited for when I started, and one of my favorite things about it to this day, is the Suspend feature. If you are dropping, you can suspend the flow of insulin, which makes it far easier to battle back up. With MDI, once you’ve taken the injection the insulin is on board with no recourse. It doesn’t take me anywhere near as hard of a fight to bring my BG up with my pump. Another favorite thing is going from 4-5 injections every day to one site every three days. LOTS less needles. Also, the auto-inserter for the site–needle goes in at the press of a button.
Good luck with your decision and let us know!!
So I got all the info to start pumping. Unfortunately I can’t afford it.