# Help please



## Ste68 (May 29, 2020)

Hi all hope sombody can help, saw my diabetic nurse and i asked about going on a pump(this was after seeing a lady using one on the bus ) she was taking a reading ,i have heard of this type ov testing but dont know anything about it, as we chatted she told me abit more about her testing and pump,to be honest it got my attention as i didnt know much about it at all.she told me how much they had changed her life for the better,i told her how much lantus(48 units) and 12 units of novorapid (when i eat) and she was so shocked at the ammout.So when i went for my last review i asked the nurse if i could go onto this type of medication and she said i was ideal for it and she would speak to the doctor to get me on to it......then after some time i got my appointment to see the doctor and when i asked him about going on it the answer i got was (you ready for this)  if you are teasting about 5 times a day and if you having blood transfusions we will concider you for it ......is this right????? To be honest when i was told this i stopped taking my blood reading as to me it was a waste ov time.?........ anybody who can stear me in the right direction you will be on my Christmas card for life, my reading are normallybetween 15 to 25 i know they are high but this is due to me being a ex drinker(i dont drink now been abstinentfor about 8 years) thanks in advance ste,


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## Ralph-YK (May 29, 2020)

Hello Ste68
Please don't stop taking readings.
I believe the testing process and a pump are stil completely separate things.
There is a continues glucose monitor thing (I've forgotten the name). A sensor often goes in the arm, and you then scan the senser. The sensors last a couple of weeks.

May I ask what type you are?


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## rebrascora (May 29, 2020)

Hi Ste and welcome.

What type of diabetes do you have? Type 1, Type 2 or maybe Type 1.5(LADA) or perhaps Type 3c where part of your pancreas is damaged or been removed or something rarer? The reason I ask is that your diabetes type can mean that you are more likely to be considered for a pump or flash glucose monitor on the NHS. Even if you are the "right type" of diabetic there are still guidelines for who qualifies for these bits of technology as they are pretty expensive so with limited resources they are given to those people who will get the most from them. Your doctor was half correct in that one of the guidelines/criteria is if you test more than 8 times a day in order to control your BG levels.... I currently test about 10 times a day on average and document everything I eat and what I inject and my readings so they can see that I am doing my best to manage my diabetes effectively. My consultant gave me the go ahead for the Freestyle Libre sensors back in Feb but I am still waiting to hear about when I will get the training course and then the sensors after that, so there is clearly a waiting list for these things. As regards the pumps, they are even harder to get I believe although my consultant did suggest I might be considered. I am not sure that I need a pump and that others might benefit from it more than me so I am not pursuing that at the moment but I am keen for the sensors as they provide you with a lot of additional information.

If you work in unsanitary conditions where finger pricking might lead to infection, like on a farm or in sewers for example, you should have a case for getting the sensors. There are other guidelines for sensor prescription but I can't remember them off the top of my head.


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## Pumper_Sue (May 30, 2020)

Ste68 said:


> Hi all hope sombody can help, saw my diabetic nurse and i asked about going on a pump(this was after seeing a lady using one on the bus ) she was taking a reading ,i have heard of this type ov testing but dont know anything about it, as we chatted she told me abit more about her testing and pump,to be honest it got my attention as i didnt know much about it at all.she told me how much they had changed her life for the better,i told her how much lantus(48 units) and 12 units of novorapid (when i eat) and she was so shocked at the ammout.So when i went for my last review i asked the nurse if i could go onto this type of medication and she said i was ideal for it and she would speak to the doctor to get me on to it......then after some time i got my appointment to see the doctor and when i asked him about going on it the answer i got was (you ready for this)  if you are teasting about 5 times a day and if you having blood transfusions we will concider you for it ......is this right????? To be honest when i was told this i stopped taking my blood reading as to me it was a waste ov time.?........ anybody who can stear me in the right direction you will be on my Christmas card for life, my reading are normallybetween 15 to 25 i know they are high but this is due to me being a ex drinker(i dont drink now been abstinentfor about 8 years) thanks in advance ste,


Hi Ste, 
Must admit I do not understand why the lady you were talking to was shocked at the amount of insulin you use. Bottom line is you need as much as you need. It also depends on how much you are eating as well as you should be adjusting the amount of NR to correspond with the amount of carbs you are eating.
It sounds to me as if the consultant was talking about the Libre and not a pump, which are two different things.
The Libre takes your blood sugar when you swipe the meter over the sensor in your arm.

A pump which is a lot of hard work and not automatic unless you pay for the specific sensors for that model of pump is not 100% accurate anyway but getting there.

Your drinking in the past would I doubt have anything to do with your high blood sugars now.
It sounds to me as if you are not getting enough insulin to bring down your numbers, so you need to look into increasing your insulin to achieve this.

I doubt you would be given a pump if you are type 1 due to your high numbers as you would be at a very high risk of DKA.
If you are type 2 then no chance of a pump at all.

If you are type 2 then yes you can have the Libre.


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## everydayupsanddowns (May 31, 2020)

Welcome to the forum @Ste68

First of all HUGE congratulations with beating the drink. that will have done your health a tremendous amount of good.

Sorry to hear about your high BGs though. Reading between the lines it sounds as if you are feeling quite down about your diabetes, and as if there’s not much you can do to make things better? I just wanted to tell you that this is absolutely NOT the case. We have seen all sorts of members join here who are finding diabetes really difficult to manage who have completely turned things around and got to fit diabetes into their life rather than dominate it.

But it does take time and perseverance. and its something you have to do bit by bit.

New technology can help, and can make the fine-tuning easier, but diabetes will still be contrary and annoying, so it won’t fix everything. You will still have to do pretty much all the work I’m afraid.

The best thing you can do is start to make positive changes now - the sorts of things you would need to be doing if you were using a pump. That way you will be more likely to be considered for the funding, and you’ll be 10 steps ahead when you do start.

These would be my suggestions:

Check your BG more regularly, and write the results down (along with notes of what you were doing at the time, carbs in the meal, insulin dose etc. Look for patterns.
Go on a course like DAFNE, or sign up to the online BERTIE course to find out how to manage your diabetes better
Think about the new tech that might help - a half unit pen, a meter that helps calculate doses, maybe a Libre flash glucose monitor or pump
Stay connected here. Keep asking questions, and sharing your struggles. Diabetes can be quite isolating and frustrating to live with, and its good to be able to share with people who ‘get it’.

Good luck with it and let us know how you get on


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