Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by LadyD on April 13, 2012 at 7:38pm

The tube really isn't a problem. Once I tuck my tubing and go I don't even notice it. I was concerned about the tube and sleeping, again a non issue. I clip the pump to the front of my shirt and roll around as I did before I started the using the pump which was only this past Tuesday.

As for wanting the Omnipod my concern for you is if it is unavailable in Jordan, you might have difficulty getting replacement pods as frequently as you might need them, just a thought. I have the medtronic revel and so far so good. The tubing really isn't a problem for me, can't speak from a kid's point of view, but I've seen plenty of children your daughters age on tubed pumps, Best of Luck.

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Permalink Reply by Brian Wittman on April 13, 2012 at 8:51pm

i don't have a lot to add to this discussion except to concur with the others in saying that a tubed pump is not a problem, once the user becomes accustomed to it. I think your daughter will be able to easily adapt to a tubed pump because adapting to situations given to them by their parents, and other special people around them, is one of the many ways in which they learn. Personally, I have an Animas Ping, and like it because of its remote feature with the meter communicating with the pump. I do not believe MiniMed has that option, although I could be wrong. MiniMed is a good pump, and if it is readily available to you, it would be a good choice. I urge you to consider the Animas as well, as it has some features that MiniMed doesn't; such as the remote feature, colour screen and excellent recording software. The Animas pump is a Johnson and Johnson company, and I believe they are world wide. They are both very reliable pumps.

Please give your daughter a great big hug from all of us here, and know that you aren't alone. Good luck in your choice, and keep us posted as to what you decide.

Be well.

Brian Wittman

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Permalink Reply by Layan's mother on April 14, 2012 at 12:16am

Thanks to all your responses. We have in Jordan one National diabetes center ( for all adults and kids type 1's and 2's) but I have to admit that I never took layan there, She was diagnosed in a private hospital, then her pediatric has recommended an endo who is really great but she can’t do it all, she cannot be the educator and the dietician and the product specialist so she gave me a place to start from and the rest lies on me, she told me to read and read and read because there is no organized system that caters for diabetics in Jordan (other than the medical part) and and she told me that I can go to the diabetic center but they have a different treatment system which is the use of the mixed insulin. and since my insurance is just great and fully covers any expenses related to Layan's case , so I did not need to go to the national center and get Layan's insulin from there . But I guess I need to have a visit to this center and try to have a feeling of the different products available. Thanks again, this really is helping, just to be able to communicate with people who do understand. I will keep you posted.

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Permalink Reply by acidrock23 on April 14, 2012 at 5:14am

Wow, that's interesting to me, and a bit scary, to conceive of an entire country (ok, I looked it up, 6 million people!) making everyone use mixed insulin! I'm glad for your daughter you were able to make other arrangements!

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Permalink Reply by Layan's mother on April 14, 2012 at 9:54am

Maybe this was exaggerated a little bit, we do have many hospitals both public and private, but one national center for diabetes that is fully covered by the government, so diabetics who are treated in this center would not have to pay for their injections or oral medications. In general we have excellent doctors in Jordan but my problem is with the supportive system around the doctors which is almost non-existent, and in the diabetes management I think it is very important to have a full system that caters for the patient from the doctor to the nurses to the product specialists, educators and dietician. I am not sure about the rest of the world but from what I read in the different blogs and forums I feel that it is different. At the beginning it was a total mess for me, although Layan was hospitalized for 3 days in one of the best private hospitals in Amman but yet nobody explained to me why she was there, and what to expect. I met the endo in the 3rd day of her stay in the hospital, she is a great doctor, but she had to give me as much information as she could on behalf of all the expected disciplines, and she let Layan out of the hospital with insulin pens, a meter and a book to read and I had to learn all the rest, it was a tough year and I am still learning but now it is much better. Thanks always to all of you

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Permalink Reply by acidrock23 on April 14, 2012 at 10:04am

Ah, that makes sense. I could see people in the USA going totally nutso if the government tried to shunt people into a particular clinic/ system for treatments.

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Permalink Reply by MyBustedPancreas on April 14, 2012 at 8:31am

Definitely get a pump, but are you able to go to Israel in the event that you need/want more specialized care or a second opinion? Tel Aviv is not that far (2 hours drive?) and there are lots of great specialists there from what I understand.

The good thing about diabetes (if there is something good about it) is that you really don't need a whole lot of professional medical advice/direction. A lot of how type 1 diabetes is managed is just through experience (i.e., trial and error). Keep track of all your daughter's readings; learn the effect of foods and activities on her blood sugar levels; and learn how to adjust her insulin accordingly. There's nothing a doctor can do to really help you and your daughter learn how to do this. Rather, it's something you have to learn how to do yourself.

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Permalink Reply by acidrock23 on April 14, 2012 at 9:46am

That's an intriguing suggestion. I've read an interesting book about urban planning in Israel-- "Hollow Land" -- that would make me think that perhaps it would be more complicated to get from Jordan to Tel Aviv than that?

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Permalink Reply by MyBustedPancreas on April 14, 2012 at 10:18am

Nope, it is not. There are several crossing points and Israel and Jordan have a friendly relationship. It's common for tourists visiting Israel to take side trips to Petra (it's really cool). Americans need a visa, which they can get at the boarder for a nominal fee or from the Jordanian embassy.

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Permalink Reply by Trudy on April 14, 2012 at 8:58am

Hi nisreen. One small point: cloth tape can fasten the tubing down quite effectively, just make a little loop of the tubing and tape across it. You can also tape around or across the infusion site itself. Medtronics usually will give you different samples of the type of infusion sets to try; Sure-Ts are often used by children.

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Permalink Reply by Aimee on April 18, 2012 at 3:09pm

My daughter is 7 years old and has been on a Medtronic pump since she was 4 years old. We love it. The tube is really not an issue at all. We went though a saline trial for a week or so before we ordered the pump. They just hooked her up to the pump, we practiced changing the site, and she wore it all the time for that week just to make sure that she would do fine on the pump. No insulin was given through the pump during the trial so we were still using MDI for that week. It really eased my mind. I too had my reservations about the pump before the trial.
My daughter has pump pouches that she wears around her waist to carry her pump; it does not seem to bother her at all. If you do the trial, you may want to get a pouch ahead of time. I recommend Spibelt. Best of luck.

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