Hi Dana, I wanted to introduce myself because I have just relocated to TN from Manhattan to continue work on my graduate/doctorate degree. I am a pediatric nurse and helping children and families with diabetes is my passion. I have had type 1 diabetes since the age of 18 months, (24 years) and have worn an insulin pump for sixteen. My schedule is very flexible and I have many "free" days this semester. I know how hard it was for my parents to find babysitters/caregivers for my when I was younger- particularly consistenly, overnight, or at the last minute. I just wanted to let you know that if there was/is anything I can help you with I am more than happy to because not only do I truly enjoy working with kids and families with diabetes, but I really like to give back because I am thankful for all of the people who were willing to take care of me when I was younger.
I hope you had a great holiday season and that whether you need help or not we can "talk" soon- my email is Caitlin.L.McEnery@vanderbilt.edu.
Best,
Caitlin
Dana, how are you? How is your experience with the pump so far? I wish you a Happy New Year ;)
We are doing great. BG-wise it's a great start to the year. That's refreshing after several months of trying to fix the basal and ratios and not succeeding that much. I think the relaxing holidays helped ;)
How wonderful to hear from you Dana! I am glad I was of some help to you! You can lean on me ;)
Dana, do what feels right to you and if it feels right to change the sets at night, than don't mind what other people say! Everything in its own time!
I did the night change about 3-4 times and he woke up almost every time (except one time). But the thing is he usually wakes up when we take off the old set, I could wait until the next day to take off the old one (it's almost too mechanical now, we put in we take out, and I tend to forget not to take out ;) ).
You're on the right path ;) You're doing a great job! You must be a little bit more relaxed since the switch!
Hi Dana, it's me that was saying that my son has no fat at all on his tummy and for us the Inset 30 don't work there. They work great on his bum and had no trouble when it's there. Did you try the Inset II (the 90° one)? For my son, it didn't work but could work for your daughter.
For us, the Inset 30 are for babysitting days (if there is a need for a site change). We use the manual Comfort Short and can even use them on his stomach (with no fat at all).
Of course the Inset 30 can be tricky to use because if we put to much pressure towards the front or back while pressing it, it makes a big difference from being in the right position, to close to the skin, to deep... Practice makes perfect, well almost ;)
Like Dana said, you have to try different ones to see what is the most comfortable for your daughter.
Dana, My 18 year old son actually uses a manual infusion set (comfort short) and loves that one. I think it was Gina's son that was having trouble with the belly fat and trying to find the right infusion set. My 6 year old daughter just started with her Animas 2020 yesterday and we were having a bit of trouble with the infusion set as well. We started her off with the Inset II, but both times I tried it in her belly it would kink or bend, so I changed it to her bum this morning and have had good luck since then. I do have a sample of the Inset 30 and was told to try it if the Inset II failed again. Our pump trainer said that sometimes it takes a few different infusion sets before you find the one that works best for your child. My daughter has been "a trooper" through all of the changes so far and I only had to use Emla once and then she told me not to bother with it the next time. Through all of this we as mother's do our best to make it as pain free and comfortable as we can and you have to remember that you are "doing your best" by just being there for your daughter and loving her as much as you do. Good luck with your search for the best infusion set for her and let me know if you find the perfect one!
Take care, Anita
Hey well the good thing about the pump is that you dont always have to give yourself shots. The tubing is not bad i love the pump and i think she should get it. You just have to get a pump trainer to help you. When you go to the pool just put it in a purse or hide it under a towel or something. It doesnt hurt so much just pinch the fat a little bit and it'll hurt less. I hope you get the pump becuase i love it. And when i heard i might get back on shots i was begging my doctor to let me keep it. And if you want to monitor her sugar levels better get the sensor. It beeps on the pump when her sugar is begging to go high or low. But it hurts a bit more. I hope you get it byee.
Hi Dana, thanks for the update! I am glad that the pump helps in stabilizing your daughter's bg. Are you using a manual infusion set or an inserter? We use a numbing cream one hour prior (we use a manual infusion set) and even with the cream, we had trouble for the first month on th pump. He was scared out of his mind almost! Shaking, begging, crying, nothing like we had seen before. The anticipation of pain was too scary for him, but than after 30 days, he stopped reacting that way. I think that the fact that we change it every 2-3 days instead of giving him 5 shots per day, feeling the freedom that the pump brought (sleeping in if he wanted, eating as much as he wanted - yes we were on a strict diet, too strict!), made him see that that 5 minutes was worth it even if it was scary!
Of course, we lost some pounds in the process ;) It's going to get better with time! Good luck! Keep in touch,
Dana,
Did you ever get your pump? I'm from Knoxville, and my 6 year old daughter has Type 1. She's been on shots since she was diagnosed ay 3. On her 6th Birthday she got her first pump. The omnipod! Have you heard about it? Let me just say, it has changed our lives! She is the 1st and only child in Knoxville on it. We know several people in Atlanta that has had great success with it. I was just wondering what you guys went with?
Dana,
We calculate total calories needed/day for the child,60% CHO,we devide to 3 meals& 3 snacks.how many exchange of CHo in each.Total calories are imprtant for children to grow.
Fatty food have glycemic index,so you watch what food will raise BG by experience.
None of my patients are on pumps,they can't afford it.But we use this CHO exchange for local food as a guidline for rapid acting insulin needed with each meal.
What is your daughter dietician recommendation Dana?
Hope things are going well with your daughter. Still considering an insulin pump there is also quite a few things that can make pumping more interesting such as skins for the pump and covers for infusion sets. I know i wish they had half as much as they have now. I was diagnosed at 18 months old.
Your offer of the testing supplies is very sweet, and I really do appreciate it. But I would much rather you donated them to one of the organizations that accepts donations, because I am nowhere near as needy as a lot of people. I actually just got 100 test strips from Health Warehouse (a sponsor of this site) for just under $60, which I think is an excellent deal!
Recently, I went to a support group for parents of diabetics. I went because I have found difficulty finding a group for my age /type 1D. I found the children to be very motivational (some 3, 11 and 15 yo's). I was dx'd at 24 with type 1D and have survived two pregnancies and 16 years of marriage. So with a dedicated parent such as yourself, she already has more support than a lot of people do every day. She is beautiful! Take care and keep in touch! ~~Julie
My "babies" now 4.5, 12 and 44!!!! below:
Hey Dana!! About the working thing. I hear you. When Chloe was diagnosed we ran into some severe finacial struggles. We ended up selling our big house and moving to a completely different state closer to a Children's Hospital with better homeschooling laws. Being originally from Orlando, Fl and living there my entire life, this adventure has been overwhelming at times yet better for us in the long run.....I miss my family, but sometimes you have to do what you have to do....We were lucky since my husband could get a transfer though. A lot of people do not have that choice.
I have never used the 30. I would ask your rep what they recommend. That is what we did when Chloe first started on the pump. Our rep has had type 1 for over 30 years. Alot of the staff with Animas are type 1 so it is very nice working with their reps. Hope this helps you.
At 12:19pm on September 5, 2008, Chloe Slage said…
Hey Dana, my name is Kimberly and I am Chloe's Mom. When was your daughter diagnosed? My daughter was dianosed when she was six. Two years ago. She is using the Animas Pink pump and she loves it! We started home schooling as soon as Chloe was diagnosed.
I was very much like that as well...I started out with only getting injections in my thighs, and even at that, I got so upset at times that my mum resorted to trying to numb my leg a bit with ice before injecting. I eventually was convinced to change to my tummy, which is where I've stayed on and off ever since, but the little pouches are headwrecking and difficult to get rid of. I can understand how frustrating it must be for you. When I think back to some of the tough times my mum went through with me, I don't know how she did it. My only real advice is to keep doing what you're doing, and stay strong. Don't push your daughter too much into trying to do them herself, and don't let health "professionals" push her either. That used to freak me out even more, because I felt like a failure for not doing it myself, and it scared me a lot. At some point, she WILL do it...it'll probably be triggered by something she realises she can't do if she needs you there to do her injection for her. Just give her time and she'll come around. As for not being able to look at the needle going in, I was like that too...it does pass, and she'll be okay...it's just a matter of time I think. Either that, or she might get a pump in the mean time and not have to worry about injections so much!! Stay strong Dana, I think you're great to be able to take care of your daughter like this :)
Above is a photo of Diabetes Hands Foundation’s own Manny Hernandez with the stars of the Diabetes Co-Stars Video, “Strength in Numbers.” In case you haven’t heard the news yet, there is a new video making it’s way through the … Continue Reading
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Hi Dana,
I wanted to introduce myself because I have just relocated to TN from Manhattan to continue work on my graduate/doctorate degree. I am a pediatric nurse and helping children and families with diabetes is my passion. I have had type 1 diabetes since the age of 18 months, (24 years) and have worn an insulin pump for sixteen. My schedule is very flexible and I have many "free" days this semester. I know how hard it was for my parents to find babysitters/caregivers for my when I was younger- particularly consistenly, overnight, or at the last minute. I just wanted to let you know that if there was/is anything I can help you with I am more than happy to because not only do I truly enjoy working with kids and families with diabetes, but I really like to give back because I am thankful for all of the people who were willing to take care of me when I was younger.
I hope you had a great holiday season and that whether you need help or not we can "talk" soon- my email is Caitlin.L.McEnery@vanderbilt.edu.
Best,
Caitlin
We are doing great. BG-wise it's a great start to the year. That's refreshing after several months of trying to fix the basal and ratios and not succeeding that much. I think the relaxing holidays helped ;)
Take care,
Take care,
Dana, do what feels right to you and if it feels right to change the sets at night, than don't mind what other people say! Everything in its own time!
I did the night change about 3-4 times and he woke up almost every time (except one time). But the thing is he usually wakes up when we take off the old set, I could wait until the next day to take off the old one (it's almost too mechanical now, we put in we take out, and I tend to forget not to take out ;) ).
You're on the right path ;) You're doing a great job! You must be a little bit more relaxed since the switch!
Take care and have a wonderful weekend!
Gina
For us, the Inset 30 are for babysitting days (if there is a need for a site change). We use the manual Comfort Short and can even use them on his stomach (with no fat at all).
Of course the Inset 30 can be tricky to use because if we put to much pressure towards the front or back while pressing it, it makes a big difference from being in the right position, to close to the skin, to deep... Practice makes perfect, well almost ;)
Like Dana said, you have to try different ones to see what is the most comfortable for your daughter.
Good luck! It will get easier, you'll see!
Gina
Take care, Anita
Of course, we lost some pounds in the process ;) It's going to get better with time! Good luck! Keep in touch,
Gina
Did you ever get your pump? I'm from Knoxville, and my 6 year old daughter has Type 1. She's been on shots since she was diagnosed ay 3. On her 6th Birthday she got her first pump. The omnipod! Have you heard about it? Let me just say, it has changed our lives! She is the 1st and only child in Knoxville on it. We know several people in Atlanta that has had great success with it. I was just wondering what you guys went with?
We calculate total calories needed/day for the child,60% CHO,we devide to 3 meals& 3 snacks.how many exchange of CHo in each.Total calories are imprtant for children to grow.
Fatty food have glycemic index,so you watch what food will raise BG by experience.
None of my patients are on pumps,they can't afford it.But we use this CHO exchange for local food as a guidline for rapid acting insulin needed with each meal.
What is your daughter dietician recommendation Dana?
Heres some links to some sites for pump accessories
The skins i was talking about our for the Mini Med 722 pump. They have several styles.
http://www.minimed.com/products/insulinpumps/skins/index.html
http://www.groovypatches.com/pickpump.php
http://www.pumpwearinc.com/
http://www.angelbearpumpstuff.com/site/department.cfm?id=FD0258E2-85A8-446C-8011294F1580655D&killnav=1
My "babies" now 4.5, 12 and 44!!!! below:
I was diagnosed at age 10, myself (over 18 years ago). Your little diabetic is BEAUTIFUL.
https://estore.animascorp.com/ProductDetail.aspx?groupid=116&topcategoryid=2&subcategoryid=17
I have never used the 30. I would ask your rep what they recommend. That is what we did when Chloe first started on the pump. Our rep has had type 1 for over 30 years. Alot of the staff with Animas are type 1 so it is very nice working with their reps. Hope this helps you.
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Above is a photo of Diabetes Hands Foundation’s own Manny Hernandez with the stars of the Diabetes Co-Stars Video, “Strength in Numbers.” In case you haven’t heard the news yet, there is a new video making it’s way through the …Continue Reading
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The Diabetes Hands Foundation and Diabetes Advocates Program is proud to announce and congratulate the members of DA who were granted scholarships to attend diabetes conferences in 2013! Thanks to a generous grant from Novo Nordisk, in 2013 we were …Continue Reading
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