# Worried about starting on the pump



## Natalie123 (Jan 5, 2012)

Hi All,

I am starting on my pump on Monday and I am getting worried. I have been told to only take half of my levemir before bed to avoid hypos when I start on the pump in the morning. This means taking 20 units instead of 40! I will be up all night taking correction doses and I am worried it is going to make me really ill. Any thoughts? Is this the same as when you all started?

Do you get used to being attached to the pump all the time? I am worried that I wont be the same person with it or something, I wont be attractive or confident with my body. 

Any advice would be great

Natalie x


----------



## Pumper_Sue (Jan 5, 2012)

Natalie123 said:


> Hi All,
> 
> I am starting on my pump on Monday and I am getting worried. I have been told to only take half of my levemir before bed to avoid hypos when I start on the pump in the morning. This means taking 20 units instead of 40! I will be up all night taking correction doses and I am worried it is going to make me really ill. Any thoughts? Is this the same as when you all started?
> 
> ...



Hi Natalie,
Your DSN is correct, you must halve your levemir. Don't forget it only for half a day.  So half a day is 20 units and a full day is 40 units for you. Once you are on the pump quick acting will be going in so numbers will be fine. I assume you will be having breakfast before you go? If so do a correction then. Make a note of carbs eaten and your correction and time. 

I bet after a day you will be checking the pump to see if it's still there as you wont notice it. 
Once you have become used to the pump and sorted out all your basals you will feel great infact a different person. Most people start to feel better within 24 hours.
Have you bought the book pumping insulin by John Walsh? If not it will be the best buy you will ever make. 
Nearly everyone has worries just before they start to pump,it's due to the fear of the unknown.
Take a pen and pad with you to write things down as you will feel a little overwhelmed to start with and wont perhaps take everything in.

Don't forget though there are loads of pumpers here that can and will help you when needed.


----------



## rachelha (Jan 5, 2012)

Hi Natalie.  I did not take any of my levemir for the 24 hours before going on the pump and it was fine, i was on quite a low dose .  I took a couple of corrective doses, my levels were in the teens a couple of times but nothing drastic.

You will very quickly get used to wearing the pump.  Initially I was constantly aware of it but that soon wore off.  I actually managed to forget it last month, I forgot to reconnect after my shower. 

My hubby is not phased by my pump at all which is great.  I normally just have it in my jeans pocket so most people would just think it was a mobile.  My main concern before getting it was sleeping, but this has nt been a problem.  It just floats around the bed with us, and I have got some pjyama bottoms with pockets so when I get up I can just put it in the pocket.

Have you checked out the funky pumpers website, they have all sorts of things for holding them.


----------



## Catwoman76 (Jan 5, 2012)

Natalie123 said:


> Hi All,
> 
> I am starting on my pump on Monday and I am getting worried. I have been told to only take half of my levemir before bed to avoid hypos when I start on the pump in the morning. This means taking 20 units instead of 40! I will be up all night taking correction doses and I am worried it is going to make me really ill. Any thoughts? Is this the same as when you all started?
> 
> ...



Hi Natalie, I know you will get lots of help and support from people who are using a pump.  I don't use one, but I would like to send you lots of good wishes and positive thoughts for Monday.  Try not to worry too much ( not easy I know), it must be very daunting at firs,t but you will do it, I'm sure.

Sending  a hug to you ((((((((Natalie))))))))  lots of love Sheena xxx


----------



## shiv (Jan 5, 2012)

Hi Natalie,

You will be fine  as Sue said, half of your normal dose will cover you for half a day, so it should all line up.

You get used it wearing it really quickly, took me a couple of days before I was totally used to it.

I think I'll see you on the 19th in Walsall? We can chat pump all afternoon if you like


----------



## grandma (Jan 5, 2012)

I was told the same started pump this morning Bgs were 15.0 at 9.30 but by the time I had had the pump on all the rest of the day was ok in the 7.0 and now at 7.45 its 6.1 I was bothered about that as well but looks as if its working ok so good look for Monday hope it goes good for you


----------



## trophywench (Jan 6, 2012)

Natalie, please don't worry my love!

Yes I know it sounds scary - but if you do go a bit high, you will only be high for a few hours, not forever - and in a whole lifetime, that certainly won't cause anything bad on its own.  It's not gonna send you into DKA and that's a certain fact.

I got up about 05.30 am before I had mine and I would have sat and cried except a) my husband would have told me I was daft and b) I needed to keep it all together in order to drive myself to St Cross from home! - and driving you haven't got time to think about stuff other than where you are going and what all the other vehicles are doing.  And at least I was 1000% certain that day I wouldn't hypo halfway along the M6 !  LOL

Test and correct was the first thing we did once we were up and running.  Then you  know it's real ! and you can start breathing normally again LOL

I would ring your DSN tomorrow and ask her if you should correct at breakfast time or not.  Mine took the view that it was only a couple of hours and what I said above.  And I rang her 3 times the week before!  She was very good for me, psychologically, which she always is actually.

I was bricking it pretty much about now too if it's any comfort.  It's alien.  It's not natural.  It's downright weird.  Etc etc etc.  And - I'm scared.  But I also knew - cos I do know me - I'd just hate myself and always regret not giving it a go, if I wimped out.  I got two or three books/series of books out of the bookcase that I really love - eg Bridget Jones' Diary, Harry Potter - and also watched DVDs eg Mamma Mia and cheerful stuff like that just so I wasn't thinking about diabetes in any shape or form for as much time as possible in the last week. Hell - if there had been a wool shop nearby I'd have even started knitting again!

Mine 'roams' in bed too.  You're having the Combo too aren't you? - you should get a 'skin' free with your pump so get that fitted on asap cos it makes the thing softer and warmer, esp in bed, also when you drop it, which you will at some time quite soon after getting it -  it doesn't clunk the furniture quite so hard!  And you'd have to give mine some really serious kinda yank to disconnect it from the cannula, the tubing attachment slides on and goes 'click' very reassuringly as it locks in place.

Honest injun - you'll be fine once you get used to it.  Promise you.


----------



## Natalie123 (Jan 6, 2012)

Thanks all for your reassurance. Jenny - I'm like you, I was saying yesterday that I would be really disapointed in myself if I didn't get it. 

Shiv - I'll be there on 19th. See you there! It would be great to have a chat in the afternoon if you are free, we could get a cup of tea if you like?


----------



## shiv (Jan 6, 2012)

Yes sounds great


----------



## everydayupsanddowns (Jan 6, 2012)

Hi Natalie

I only started in November and can *absolutely* remember the point at which excitement/eagerness turned into feelings of "WHAT ON EARTH AM I DOING?!?!"

You will be absolutely fine. And yes, drop the Lev the night before. My DSN actually forgot to tell me to do that, but thankfully I had caught wind of that requirement in 'Pumping Insulin' so did it off my own bat. I was worried too, so ended up doing a kinda 'manual' rapid-acting basal (1u every 2 hours or so) to cover the gap (I took my Lantus in the mornings so when I went to my appointment it was 30 hours since my last dose).

You will be fine I'm sure. The constant awareness of attachment only lasted a day or two for me, and as soon as you find somewhere comfy/convenient to wear it you only really have to bother with it/become aware of it when getting changed etc.

Keep us posted. Hope it goes well. 

Welcome to Team Pump!


----------



## Natalie123 (Jan 6, 2012)

shiv said:


> Yes sounds great


I will look forward to it  Thanks x


----------



## Natalie123 (Jan 6, 2012)

everydayupsanddowns said:


> Hi Natalie
> 
> I only started in November and can *absolutely* remember the point at which excitement/eagerness turned into feelings of "WHAT ON EARTH AM I DOING?!?!"
> 
> ...


Thanks Mike, I was really excited about it before, it has only been the last week that I have had second thoughts! I will probably do what you did over night because I split my dose and usually go high in the mornings anyway (10-16) so I don't want to be much higher! I will take it as it comes ...


----------



## Monica (Jan 8, 2012)

Yay, good luck with the pump start 
Reading all the answers here, we just had to be different 
Carol took ALL of her Levemir the night before and when the pump was set up at around 11am, they put on a temp basal instead.


----------



## Northerner (Jan 8, 2012)

Good luck with the pump Natalie!


----------



## Pumper_Sue (Jan 8, 2012)

Good luck tomorrow Natalie


----------



## HOBIE (Jan 8, 2012)

You will love it, give it a week & you will be fine !  Good luck for tomorow


----------



## Steff (Jan 8, 2012)

Good luck Natalie,happy pumping xx


----------



## trophywench (Jan 8, 2012)

Good luck Natalie!!


----------



## Adrienne (Jan 9, 2012)

Wooo hoooo Natalie, this is exciting stuff.    

Now you have hit 'oh hell what am I doing stage', the rest of us will do the 'yay fantastic, how exciting' stuff for you.

Just go with it, go with the flow and stay calm.  You know, from reading posts here, that pumps work, it will change your life for the better, can't describe it any other way really.    I'm made up for you that its happening in a few hours from now.

Good luck and enjoy, no injections tomorrows, big WOW


----------



## Phil65 (Jan 9, 2012)

welcome to the pumping club Natalie.....happy days!  .....just be patient with it, it takes time to get used to pumping......but you will feel so good about it i'm sure!


----------



## everydayupsanddowns (Jan 9, 2012)

Fingers crossed for you today Natalie. Hope those first few infusion sites behave themselves and give you a nice gentle start. Don't worry if they are a bit itchy for the first hour or so after insertion (mine usually are), but don't be afraid to change them if they hurt when prodded/poked at either!


----------



## trophywench (Jan 9, 2012)

Natalie won't know this till she gets one in Mike - I find I know as soon as I exert the pressure to remove the introducer needle.  If it hurts and carries on hurting after I've pulled it out, then that's usually it, it doesn't stop.  Oddly though if I do leave it in despite it hurting, cos I'm in a desperate hurry or something it doesn't always affect absorption.  

Early on, I had one where as soon as I delivered the prime dose it was agony and I ripped the whole thing out in one go without unpicking the sticky.  Then cried LOL  

Shan't do that again however much it hurts - always unpick your sticky!


----------



## everydayupsanddowns (Jan 9, 2012)

Ha! I know what you mean!

I seem to be finding so far that they always are a bit tender for an hour, but if still feeling a bit 'splintery' 2 hours later they are often worth swapping (purely for discomfort rather than absorption).

This was one of the things that troubled me in the first few days. I had NO experience of what it *should* feel like, which combined with the early hyper-awareness led to a few "Oh I just don't knooooooow!" moments!

Sure Natalie will take to it really quickly. 

Exciting times!
M


----------



## Natalie123 (Jan 10, 2012)

Hello! I now have my pump  I 'm really enjoying not having to inject, and I woke up with bg of 4.2 this morning which, compared to my usually 12 - 18 is amazing. They have put me on very small amounts for meals though so I am having to correct an hour or so after eating, but hopefully they will change that at my next appointment. 

It is taking me a while to get used to the feel of the canula, it doesn't feel horrible or anything but I am very aware of it and don't like to bend over too much in case it hurts or something! I'm sure I will get used to it soon

Thanks for all your support everyone! I have plenty of questions but will ask them in a new thread so that everyone can see them!


----------



## sofaraway (Jan 10, 2012)

Glad you have had a good start. It took me a little while to not be aware of my cannula. This week I have ripped 2 out by not considering where they are. Ie. leg site and pulled up my trousers too quick and pulled the cannula out. No big deal just a bit annoying. 

My ratio's were reduced by almost half, and I have made some tweeks but still take less than on MDI. Soon you will feel confident to make ratio changes without waiting for your DSN to suggest them.


----------



## shiv (Jan 10, 2012)

sofaraway said:


> Soon you will feel confident to make ratio changes without waiting for your DSN to suggest them.



Definitely - as far as I know, most pumpers don't contact their DSN before making small changes to basal rates, ratios, etc. If you think you know what could resolve the problem, give it a try and test often.


----------

