Hi Everyone! I'm hoping to get some advice/suggestions/comments on switching to an insulin pump. I am a 22 year old active female and was just diagnosed with Type 1 about a month and a half ago. It was VERY overwhelming at first but I have spent a lot of time reading & researching and am getting a better understanding of all of this. A lot of that understanding has come from this website so thank you very much to everyone who is so supportive and willing to help!
The diabetic educators that I see have really been pushing going on the pump. At first I was really reluctant because I do not want to be attached to something all the time and to be honest I was overwhelmed trying to learn about diabetes, I didn't want to learn how to use a pump as well. I didn't like the feeling of being rushed into using a pump as I feel it is a big decision.
I am starting to open up to the idea of going on a pump as I have realized that many people really benefit from using them. The educators at the hospital gave me a sample OmniPod to try out. I have worn it for two days now and have forgotten that I was even wearing it which is great! I love the idea of it being tubeless but to be honest i'm still having trouble with the idea of being attached to it 24/7 and am still a bit reluctant to the idea. The other pump they told me about is the Mini Med.
I would love it if you could share your thoughts with me. How long were you diagnosed with diabetes before going on the pump? What are the good and bad sides of it? I have read a lot about pumps but it would be great to hear first hand how others with diabetes are handling it.
I don’t have a pump yet but I just sent my paperwork in for the Omnipod. I was dxed at 20 and I’ve had D for 25 years. If I had something like an Omnipod back when I was a first dxed, I probably would have jumped all over it. I’ve resisted going over to a pump for all these years mostly because of the idea of having tubing stuck to me.
We’ll see how it works out but I’m looking forward to the change. 25 years of sticking myself was…an experience…but I feel like I’m over it.
I have had type one for 22 years. I’m 24 and I went on the pump 9 years ago.I have a Mini Med.I love it.It does make life easier, and allows you a bit more freedom than injections.You still have to watch what you eat and exercise, but if there is a time where you’re not hungry or say you’re a student in college and a class is running late, you can put off eating for a bit by adjusting the insulin. before I had the pump I had to wake up at 6 am every day to eat,check,and do an injection.Then at 10 am a snack.Noon-check ,inject,eat.2pm snack. 6pm Check,inject eat. 8pm snack. I felt like I was always eating and injecting. It made it hard to control my weight as well. Before I got the Pump I weighed 160, and I’m only 5 ft tall. Now i’m 125. If I have a day where I want to sleep in a bit I can. The only bad part I have come across is the cost of the supply,but I don’t have medical insurance right now.When I did have insurance though I only paid like 100 bucks for a 3 month supply. I have not had the pump ever get in the way of every day activities.I hope this helps and Good luck.
What made you decide to switch from MM to omni pod? I’ve heard they are supposedly coming out with an omnipod that is a bit smaller at beginning of next year (not that the current one is big!) but i’m thinking about waiting to see what that one looks like.
Do you still have to do finger pricks with a continuous glucose monitor?
Thanks for your input!
I have been diagnosed for a year now. On the MM Revel since May. Love it. Have the integrated CGM as well and it works very well for me.
I decided against the Omnipod as you always need the PDM if you want to bolus -meaning if you forget it at home, loose it, it breaks and you are waiting for a replacement or something, you have no option to bolus other than an injection and the insulin is not retreivable from the pod when it is in you (I do not usually carry insulin vials with me if away from the house locally, and the MM reservoir you are able to stick a syringe in it and retreive insulin if needed in an emergency) - I forget everything, so I would be SOL. I also tend to walk into door frames and such and would be ripping off pods left and right.
There are a number of great pumps on the market and more coming.
There are really two questions. To pump or not to pump. Then which pump fits your lifestyle.
Pumping is an additional level of work. You need to manage a pump including developing basal profiles and as your needs change as your honeymoon phases out you will be adjusting the pump. Not that you wouldn’t be adjusting shots too. In exchange you get more options to manage your diabetes. You can tune basal profiles more closely. You can bolus easily and more precisely.
Choosing a pump is a lifestyle thing. Tubing no tubing. Carrying a PDM or not. The size of the set/pod and fashion. Additional features of the pump. I think sets matter and how the feel going in matters. I would suggest getting and RX to wear live pumps with saline for awhile. You will push all the buttons like you will when your are pumping for real. How do you feel about the user button pushing? How does the set feel?
Coming attractions for the Podd and Animas pumps are Dexcom integration and MM has CGM integration now with their CGM.
MM is said to have a patch pump in development. AccuChek is expected to have a patch pump in 2012. There are a few other pumps in development without clear timetables for deliver.
After 26 ½ years of MDI, I started pumping about 6 weeks ago. I chose the Animas Ping. My insurance would not cover the Pod and I liked the Ping because it is waterproof. The big thing for me before deciding to pump was not wanting something attached to me 24/7. I started using a CGMS before getting the pump and it did not bother me so I really did not have that excuse any more!
I was using Levemir before and that only lasted 7 hours for me. I did better on Levemir than Lantus, but I was tired of hearing alarms all the time reminding me that I had to take insulin. I took it at 11 PM & again at 7 AM. Plus, I have DP and my BS would start going up about 5 AM. I like being able to change my basal rates to cover what I need and actually get more than 6 hours of sleep!
The pump is also nice because you can change basals as needed and exercise at times that work for you, not what works for your insulin. If you are going low, you can put in a lower temp basal or suspend your pump. You can also crank up your basal if you need it.
I’m loving the omnipod! Hard to explain, it just feels easier, no digging around for needles and vials I just whip out my pdm and bolus away. Check out the omnipod group on here, there are lots of interesting discussions going on. I choose the pump soley because it’s tubeless, and the fact my insurance covers it. Only reason I would try another pump is if my insurance went away which isn’t happening anytime soon
Type 1 for 9 years before the pump. Been on it for 8 years, but I got mine around the same age, 23. Getting a pump in the first year could add to the overwhelming feeling of being newly diagnosed, but if you can handle it mentally, it is handy.
The worst part about a pump is from 10pm to 6am. (Yes, I get 8 hours of sleep many nights!) Then you really have no idea what your sugar is doing. Still better than taking a long-acting insulin via a shot, but no where near as good as having a CGM also connected to you 24/7.
The best part about it? Taking the appropriate amount of insulin for the food I eat. That is so impossible with shots. But now, if I pass a vending machine AND have money in my wallet, I can get a snicker’s bar, take the exact amount of insulin needed, and watch my sugar stay around 120 with my CGM for the next few hours.
You may want to spend some time with someone on a pump already. Maybe your trainer can hook you up with someone local. Go to dinner with them, and/or see how they handle being overly active, like running or biking or playing team sports. It could help to get that feeling of “I can do this” when you see others doing it.
I have a CGM. I do MORE finger pricks with it. You have to calibrate the CGM readings every 8 to 12 hours, plus confirm them when they start to get whacky.
I use the MM Paradigm, which displays the CGM readings right on the pump. I would NEVER go back to shots, and it will take a lot to get me away from a CGM. (cost…) Thankfully I have good insurance right now that pays for everything.
I agree with this. With the MM SofSet, and some of the other MM infusion sets (infusion set = the tube part) you can remove a small section at the end if it gets pulled out or isn’t working, and you don’t waste much insulin.
i’m on the PING and absolutely love it!! the customer service is excellent, also!
i was on the omnipod for close to a year & didn’t have much luck with it…
Thanks so much everyone. I’m going to see my doctor in a few weeks and I will see what he thinks. I will most likely wait a bit longer to go on a pump. It certainly seems like a good idea to get one i’m just a bad decision maker and there are so many options!
which isn’t happening anytime soon