Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Chris Ott on April 20, 2012 at 9:08am

Hi Robin,

My son is 6.5 and has been pumping for about 2.5 years (dx'd 3 years ago). I feel like we've been through about 2 "rounds" of time periods like the one you're describing where he was fine with it for a while... freaked out for a few months... then fine with it for a few months... then freaked out again for a few months... and now he's been fine with it for about 12-18 months.

He's gotten so good with it now that if he needs it in the middle of the night, we can ALMOST do it without even waking him up.

During those times we've heard the same things... screaming, crying, "I hate diabetes! I don't want a pump anymore!" We've tried logical reassurance "Honey, you don't want to go to the hospital do you? Do you want us to start doing shot again?" I don't think that was a helpful tactic. We've done all kinds of things as a parent tag-team (which isn't always an option - the two of us together!). Sometimes he'll ask if he can squeeze my fingers while mom puts the inset in and I'll pretend like he's really strong and hurting me a little. He seems to enjoy that. He gets small rewards too for putting up with a set change like picking his favorite cartoon to watch during/after the process. Giving him as much choice and control as possible DOES seem to help!

All these things have helped a little... but for the most part I think it was just a time.

I know it hurts, but I'm not really sure that the pain itself was really the problem. It was more like the anxiety that he created about it. He would start screaming and freaking out LONG before the needle was even ready and when it was all over we always ended-up having this discussion like... wow, that' wasn't really that bad was it?

I guess if I were to give you some comfort - just knowing that others have been through this and that it does get better may help?

We have never found help in things like emla cream or ice... it makes him more uncomfortable and lengthens the process which just adds misery to his day. It doesn't seem to calm him down at all when the cream nums his skin-up - which adds weight to my notion that it's more of an anxiety problem than anything.

Permalink Reply by Judy P on April 26, 2012 at 1:47pm

I also have a four year old who was diagnosed almost a year ago when he was three. We just started using a pump about a month ago. We decided to go with the OmniPod as I just didn't feel that a pump with tubing was the right choice for us. So far I am trying to keep a positive and open mind about the OmniPod. We love it in one regard, yet feel discouraged by the way our site/pump changes are going. My son freaks out when it's time to do one and goes into full blown meltdown. With the Omnipod there is a large "click" when it self inserts the cannula. I wore one, and it really doesn't hurt, it's just the click is a little intimidating. Once it's done, it's like it never happened and he feels nothing. I literally had to wait until my husband was home to have him help/hold him down. Bribing him worked for like a second. Last night (after changing sites only three hours earlier) I did a site change while he was asleep. It was the smoothest pump change yet! He woke up and was confused that it was now in a different spot, but was so happy that this one "didn't click"!

Permalink Reply by daneenm on April 26, 2012 at 2:05pm

Have you tried giving him headphones with music playing or some other distraction so he doesn't hear the click? Just a thought.

Permalink Reply by Sophia'smommyLori on April 27, 2012 at 10:03am

Daneenm, I have thought about doing this w/ my dtr as recently after a year and half of "no big deal" on pod changes it's starting to creep up to an issue of fear. And it is totally the "click"!!! Gonna try it, thanks!!

Permalink Reply by Jack's Mom on May 22, 2012 at 3:12pm

My son started wearing a pump at 18 months. Just like you, he was amazing with it until he was about 2 1/2 (he's almost 3). We talk about it everytime and explain why we are doing it, but a 1/2/3 year old doesn't really care. I do anything to distract him, and I have to change the distraction every couple of weeks because it doesn't work anymore! TV, lollipops, straight sugar, chocolate, someone singing and dancing in front of him, etc etc. I am just resigned to the fact it's typically going to be a challenge until he can get big enough and rationalize it. One thing I tell him is that it's OK to cry, and that it can hurt, and that seems to help. I put a pump on myself and it didn't hurt, but my kid is as skinny as a twig and I have fat to spare.

I like the headphones idea though - gotta try that one.

And is anyone as sick as I am when you see a fat chubby baby or toddler, and think wow I would have so many places on that kid to stick a pump or a sensor ....

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