Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Teowyn on May 26, 2012 at 7:26am

I'm in the process of getting data on whether a pump/cgm is right for me. My endo has some deal with medtronic, and I have to admit the idea that the two could be integrated is sweet. I'm not that worried about tubing, although I do have a slight fear of adhesive burn--when I was in ICU, I had serious problems with that.

To tell you the truth, I'm leaning more toward a cgm if there has to be a choice, which there might because I'm desperately poor at the moment. What gets me is the cost--right now my copays for prescriptions are $40/month--$10 each for levemir, novolog, 200 syringes, and 300 test strips. But my insurance only pays 80% for durable medical supplies, which would mean something like $220/three months for sensors for the cgm, $155/three months for infusion sets--and I would still have to have the novolog (and still have to throw out more than half a bottle at the end of the month) and the test strips (less quantity, same copay). And that's not even counting the set up charges--which are high because I've not met my deductible yet this year.

The pump sales people are trying to see whether I'd qualify for assistance, but I don't know whether it will be a cost effective solution when I'm really doing fine on MDI.

When the minimed rep saw my bg charts, he was impressed with how often I test.

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Permalink Reply by mwags on May 26, 2012 at 11:34am

I know how you feel; I felt the same way. That was 10 years ago. After going to pump class I decided to give it a try. Scared the daylights out of me & was a huge hassle for about a month...then, love. You may never appreciate it like those of us who were on shots for decades but when I realized I didn't have to be up every morning by 8 to get insulin going and eat within half an hour of when insulins injected hours earlier will peak so dinner can be at 9 or 10 or whenever...freedom! The downside [unfortunately, we still have diabetes] is that pumps are higher maintenance, demand full commitment and sometimes fail, which is a hassle and can become an emergency if you aren't diligent in responding. That said, 10 years, no emergencies & I'm not a highly detailed person. Try it and consider the Omnipod system, you'll forget you even have it on and, as a chick, you won't have to figure out where to hide the tubing & pump.

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Permalink Reply by Trekker on May 26, 2012 at 2:29pm

Since being on my pump, I've had MORE freedom.

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Permalink Reply by Natalie ._c- on May 26, 2012 at 9:08pm

In my case, if they want to take it away, they'll have to pry it out of my cold, dead hands. I've been the whole route with 70/30 (an old pre-mixed insulin) NPH and R, and then Humalog before I got my pump, and I could NEVER get the good control that I now have on the pump. Before I got the pump (13 years ago) I was taking about 8 shots a day. Really a nuisance. And because I'm not a stylish dresser, I usually wear jeans, and the pump just goes in my pocket. In the rare instance that I do wear a dress, I either cut a hole in the seam of the pocket to thread the tubing through, or I wear a leg band, which while not my preferred method, is still better than shots. Of course, if you go for the Omnipod, this is not an issue, but for me, the Omnipod is too big and bulky and I would find it more of an interference with my life than just tucking the pump in my pocket.

I HAVE gone back to injections, but just once. I really didn't like it.

The only proviso, which I'm sure others have mentioned, is that there is a steep learning curve if you really want to take advantage of all the pump's features. Terminology differs, but the square wave or dual wave can be very useful after you learn how. And the ability to set different basal rates and carb ratios and correction factors depending on the time of day or changes in schedule is priceless. You just have to endure less than perfect BGs during your learning period.

Yeah, I'm enthusiastic about it, but the bottom line is that you really won't know until you try it. Maybe you can get a loaner, I don't know, but I think it's worth a try!

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Permalink Reply by breaddrink on May 27, 2012 at 12:31am

My lifestyle is ludicrously changeable.
I'm a cook in a very busy and fast paced kitchen for half the week, and a full time parent for all the rest. I go from working PM shifts to really early starts, and I feel that my pump didn't really pay off until I combined it with a continuous glucose monitor.
Don't get me wrong, I still preferred it to injecting, but it was also allowing me to guess and be a little lazy, as I could grab food and just say "hrm, well lets try *this* many units, and away I went again, not always able to test.

While I think it might be overload to start both together, I really REALLY love the glucose monitor.
I know it isn't as much use for some, and once those little insights are gleaned (night time levels, etc) they can be all but done with the thing, but not me.
As flawed and glitchy as it is, in lieu of a stable and flatline daytime schedule, it allows me to micromanage the hell out of my levels while also letting me know which direction levels are going in.
It makes a very large difference, and I find myself able to make tiny incremental changes of .1 or .2 of a unit, keeping things really in check.

Try doing that with syringes and testing sticks.

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Permalink Reply by acidrock23 on May 27, 2012 at 5:39am

The precision of the dosing makes a big difference. I sort of quesitoned whether adjusting +/- .1 U bolus ratios or .025 U/ hour basal rates would make a big difference but it's perceptable and real. These numbers can be calculated for with pens/ syringes but I suspect that some of it wil be lost, the remainder will get "dropped" or whatever? After using a MM523 for a while, I have seen that using numbers that fine makes a perceptible difference.

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