Overwhelming ...UGH!
So my medtronic minimed paradigm 522 and cgms got delivered today (woo-hoo). I feel so overwhelmed I don't even know where to begin. The booklets are at least 100 pages, there is a CD-rom and website to visit. I don't know whether to study for my sociology test this monday, or study for my pump session with my diabetic educator (Monday also) haha. Any tips, ideas,or opinions how I can go about doing this? What did you all do when you received your pumps? Did you read all of the information? Did you put the batteries in your pump, turn it on and play around with it?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Kristin on -
I chose the 722 even though I use 30u daily. I prefer it because it means that I do not need to refill the reservoir as often AND the screen is bigger so that if I start to use the CGMS, I think that I will see more (not sure if that is true).
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Permalink Reply by Kristin on
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I think the online training is the most useful and reading the book Pumping Insulin by John Walsh. You can read the manual cover to cover if you want, but I suggest that you pace yourself since you obviously have enough to read!!
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Permalink Reply by Anna Lloyd on -
I used saline in the pump for the first week, pretending it was insulin, using the Bolus wizard. Looking at how much insulin it was suggesting I had, I realised the carb ratio was way out, so I could 'play' with carb ratios for a few days until the amount looked more like the real thing.
It also got me used to pressing all the buttons so I became more confident with it. The online tutor is brilliant and well worth going through. Just start easy, doing the bolus before meals so you get the hang of it. It's actually easy once you start trying but I was terrified I'd do something stupid, and I did! But it didn't matter as it was only saline and I soon learned.
Good luck, once you are pumping you will feel so much more healthy and your A1c will soon plummet!
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Permalink Reply by Bruce on -
I was seeing a nurse that had me on the lantis and a pen for meals. She gave me info on the pump and said to let her know if I would like to go on it. I thought about it and I contacted my doc and he signed the paper and faxed it to medtronic. I received the pump and suppies then I called the nurse to hook me up... she was on vacation. So I read the book and watched the video and thought about hooking it up. So after thinking about it, I hooked the pump up. I had already taken my lantis so I just used the pump for boluses that day. The next day I figured out what the basil rate would be compared to what I was taking of lantis.
So after a few weeks or so the nurse called me and asked if I thought anymore about going on the pump... I said I have been on it for a month. She was shocked and wanted to see me and make sure everything was ok. To make a long story short everything was fine... she was shook up a little. But in your case play it safe and get your doctors or nurses help. Let me know how you make out.Good Luck.
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Permalink Reply by MelissaBL on -
Get them to send you samples of both tubing lengths so you can try them out. I've always preferred the longer, personally, but everyone else I know likes the shorter. You'll never know unless you try 'em.
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Permalink Reply by Bruce on
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I had been on shots for thirty years, for most of those thirty years they didn't have the fast acting insulin . I would give a shot in the morning and one at night and hope for the best and most of the time I felt like crap... sorry for the bad word. I have been on the pump for eight.and feel great. Atleast on the pump you have some kind of control, if you have a high you can give a bolus to bring it down. One thing I did with my pump,was to cut a hole in my pocket and run the tube in my pants to the pump and no one can see it. When I first got it I had it on my belt and kind of felt funny about it. But thats my story, I hope it helps.
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Permalink Reply by Sami on -
Minimed has a thing called "Pump School Online" on their website for the CGM and theat type of pump. I don't know if it is any better or worse than the dvd you got but you might want to check it out. I did the CGM one the night before putting mine on, but there were still a lot of things that my CDE taught me that were not in the books or online.
Congratulations on your new pump and CGM!
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Permalink Reply by nel on
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I would be in overwhelm too ...you have given yourself a lot of " having to stay focussed stuff " to do ; my tip .would be ...one thing at the time ...can you postpone your pump session to a day , where you don't have anything else as important on your mind ..(such as your sociology test ) ? ...you know , what stress does to blood sugars ...I think , both your test and pump session are equally important ,
I had the pump attached to me with saline( 3 days, I recall ) with the help of my pump Nurse , so yes my pump was in " working order " and I got to " play " with it .I am still learning , so either I did not read it all , or it had not sank in ...doing works better for me, than reading , however I have received a lot of info here at TU ...real life experiences .
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Permalink Reply by Gerri on -
The only way to lose weight is to eat less carbs so that you're taking less insulin. You've got to burn more calories than you're taking in. Whether on the pump or MDIs, the theory is the same of insulin covering carbs. You're able to fine-tune doses more carefully when pumping, but still based on insulin:carb ratios.
How much weight do you want to lose?
Congrats on your new toy!
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My experience prior to pump( 2001 ) I weight in at 145 ,now steady at 137 for the longest time( and more muscle ) obviously over ate on my favourite " arrowroot biscuits ", when a LO ,have not touched them for several reasons : cost is one and if I eat a cookie today ,it better has some fiber ...I am with Gerri...what goes in has to come out ...EXERCISE ...now when a LO , I take glucose DEX pill ( s ) .. I have learned and continue to do so .
Pump doing well for you ??
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Permalink Reply by Steve R on -
Woo-hoo!!!!! Study for the Sociology test; you have a busy day Monday.
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Permalink Reply by Steve R on
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Woo-hoo!!!!! i hope you studied for the Sociology test. I am so glad that you have a pump now.
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