I was put on the pump in 2006 and stayed on for a year and my A1c's went from a 6.5 to 10.8 in less than a year and i gained almost 15 pounds. After fighting witht he doctors i went back on the pen lost the weight and my A1c's went to a 8.0 in a year. My family and doctors all said it would be best for me if i went back on the pump and after fighting it for a while i unhappily agreed. Ive been on the pump for 4 months now and even though i new it wasnt right for me i went into it with an open mind and a little bit of excitement just incase i was wrong about it. Anyways, i have gained 6 to 7 pounds on a excellent 900 calorie diet and 5 days of exercise that i was doing all before the pump. i havent changed one thing and i keep gaining weight and im starving. im tired all the time and i get infections from my sites even though i change then everyday. has anyone had this problem????
Ive been using a pump for less than a year; I was diagnosed 36 years ago. Personally, the pump is great for me, although I still try to figure out some of the adjustments I have to make every once in a while. That being said, I still wanted to respond to your post, just to reassure you that indeed, some people simply do not like the pump... and as far as I am concerned, that is absolutely fine!
I believe it is wrong for people to place so much hope into a single technology for all people. It doesn't work like that. Testing if something is right or wrong for you should take priority. If the benefits don't balance out the drawbacks then not using it will come to mind. But be sure that you explore other options within the pump. Get a pack of protective barrier wipes. You are likely constantly getting infections because you are sensitive to the site tape, this sensitivity will rally your immune system and alter your body's response to the insulin being dripped just ender the skin. Barrier wipes will lesson the infections, ultimately allowing your body to use the insulin you use better. I nearly left the pump a few years back for the reasons you are talking about. I blame the protective barrier wipes for keeping me on it. After that have you tried other insulins with it? If you are using humalog why not try Novolog or Aprida?
Another suggestion is pick up "Pumping Insulin" and or "Think Like a Pancreases." Getting the pump to work right takes a lot more effort then what is put in to those classes. These books really helped me out and got my A1c much lower then when I was struggling with the pump without them.
I hope you try these things out. good luck
Hey guys thanks for helping me out with my problem. i will try everything you said why not right? i hope it gets better like it did for you, otherwise, back to the old pen..
I'm glad to hear you say that.
Again, I feel that pump training that we get is never enough. I mean 1 day?? REALLY?? That is all I got and then they sent me on my way. I really suffered on it for a while until I made these changes. My doc used to just shrug her shoulders. -_- is really sucked until I was told to do these things by other members of this site.
It may help if you blog about what steps you are taking or make a game plan after reading these books to design a step by step goal outline. "I'm going to do this first and then do this second, this 3rd, and then this 4th." Make sure that you a lot enough time for each of the changes that you make to see a little results. When I did this I gave myself a crash course and allowed myself 2 months to make 5 changes in my pump using. I need to go back and do it again this time focusing on what still needs more attention to change.
Again, best of luck!