# Getting my pump



## Barbie1 (May 28, 2018)

i start my pump next Monday - it will be the Roche Insight. The DSN explained that due to reductions in funding we are no longer given a choice, but that seems fair enough to me. 
I think I have read everything possible about pumping, including all the books recommended on here and just about every single thread on the forum!  DSN issued us with a comprehensive workbook last week and showed us what it all looked like, and gave us a basic grounding, ready for p-day next week
So why do I still feel apprehensive and a bit frightened (rhetorical question!)
OH has also read the workbook and decided he just needs to know how to turn the thing off.
I do wonder though if after 50 years of injecting I will forget not to!
So looking forwards to much better control and flexibility.


----------



## Northerner (May 28, 2018)

Good luck @Barbie1!  I think it's perfectly normal to feel apprehensive when changing the way you manage your diabetes after so many years! I hope that everything goes smoothly for you


----------



## everydayupsanddowns (May 28, 2018)

Ah yes! I remember those WHAT ON EARTH AM I DOING!! Feelings well in the week before starting.

Don’t worry - you will soon be used to the routine, though do be prepared to feel a bit ‘newly diagnosed’ for a while. There are lots of things to get used to, experiments to try with various basal options, meal dose delivery choices etc.

You may take to it like a duck to water, or like me you might spend 3 months finding your feet and another 6-9 before you really feel you are getting the hang of it. Either way is fine. Just take your time, don’t worry if you don’t get on with it straight away and keep working at it


----------



## HOBIE (May 28, 2018)

If u where not apprehensive there would be something to worry about. Pumps are so adaptable. After a couple of weeks I really thought why have I not been quicker. Good luck & pls keep us informed.


----------



## Flower (May 28, 2018)

Best wishes for starting your pump @Barbie1 

It is a change but in a good way and you do very soon get into a routine and used to pump menus, cannula changes etc and in no time MDI will be a distant memory- not too distant as you do need to keep all the necessary supplies should you ever experience a problem with your pump and need to swap back. 

I've used a pump for 20 years and I wouldn't want to swap it for MDI although I do give my pump a piece of mind every so often - it's not the pump at fault just diabetes and my misjudgement! I do love it really!

Good luck, please let us know how things go for you


----------



## Matt Cycle (May 28, 2018)

Good luck Barbie.   I'm still fairly new to it myself and don't always get it right (does anyone?) but much prefer it to MDI.  That first week is probably the hardest especially after so long on injections but things soon settle down in time.


----------



## SB2015 (May 28, 2018)

I had only been on injections for five years when I switched to a pump, and remember the first day very well.  It took time to get it sorted to my needs but I am so glad I switched.  Good luck with it all and just ask if there is anything you are not sure about.


----------



## Barbie1 (Jun 13, 2018)

Well I got my pump 9 days ago now and already I want to say to Hobie yes I love mine too! Though I do find it a bit scary changing things like cannula and cartridges and have to keep the illustrated instructions to hand at all times!

Tried my first overnight basal testing last night but failed at first hurdle by reading at 3.9 at midnight so had to chomp a few JBs and abandon test until tomorrow. (What a waste of an alcohol free evening)

I can though already see a much smoother level of bg, and I can almost feel the HbA1c dropping by the hour. So looking forward to the next proper test result proving it is worthwhile.

Seeing others on here struggling to get the pump, I find it totally disspiriting how this postcode lottery NHS works and I am so grateful that I have a totally committed team at the clinic to support me in this.


----------



## jusme (Jun 14, 2018)

Good luck Barbie and I love mine to and hope never to be without it and I am now 54+ years into T1 diabetes and wish the pumps had been around during those years to make life a bit easier.

jusme


----------



## HOBIE (Jun 14, 2018)

Good Stuff Barbie


----------



## Barbie1 (Jun 24, 2018)

Well it’s been two weeks now and I love it. 

It is the small practical things I’ve learnt I thought I’d share 

When I left the clinic armed with pump and ordering list for supplies, I had absolutely no idea how much of whatever it was that I needed to order. (I’m giving that message back to the clinic as I think that would be useful to spend time explaining.) I now appear to have loads of stuff I may not ever need!

I have got through one pack of insulin cartridges in the first two weeks so I need to ask the surgery to increase the prescription level so I don’t have to go back every fortnight. Especially as I take other medication that I get a month at a time. Not sure yet about test strips as I am still using up the oversupply of GlucoRX following getting my Libre.

But I’m disappointed that I cannot add bg test results obtained elsewhere to the pump, though I suppose that is reasonable if it is calculating the bolus on the result, and it has no other way of guaranteeing that result is accurate

I forgot to change the cannula and then couldn’t remember when the last change was and had to work back to a change I could remember and so I have added a three daily reminder into my diary

I am struggling slightly with where to position it as I am not used to using my belly for injections but don’t want to use thighs and bum as much damage already there. Need to experiment with other sites but I do not have vast amounts (some, but not vast amounts!) of spare flesh to aim for.

Have invested in a Spibelt to hold the pump, which is extremely comfortable most of the time, especially when out running, but I still prefer to remove it when I am sitting down for the evening to get a bit of air round my waist

Nothing insurmountable there, and no doubt it’s all pretty obvious to some people. I have to go back in another two weeks with my fasting test results, which I am quite pleased about and I have already made some adjustments to my basal on the back of them.  They did write those instructions down so I do know what to do there!
B


----------



## Northerner (Jun 24, 2018)

All sounding very positive @Barbie1!


----------



## HOBIE (Jun 24, 2018)

Medtronic pumps you can set them to when you change cannulas. Good you like pumps . Good news


----------

