Yesterday was my first day with the pump, I was a bit nervuos but probably more stressed with all the information that I was going to be given. It turned out that the trainer (Medtronic) was awesome, she took two and a half hours to walk me thru all the menus, it was not that bad after all.
Insertion was not that bad, I am used to needles so one more was not going to be the end of the world.
So far is going great, I love the flexibility of the bolus wizard, of course there is some adjustments that need to happen to fine tune it but even without that it is wonderful.
If you are thinking on going to pump, don't!! it is so easy and simple!
Congratulations! It's always so nice to hear/read of a successful, happy, satisfying experience!
I started with my pump on Nov 30, 2008, after 35 years of injections. I was a little nervous at first, but like you, my trainer (Animas) was awesome! I still see her at various diabetes-related events and she always remembers me - well, mostly my two large dogs who loved her! Ha!
The most memorable thing to me on my first day was treating my pump like a newborn baby! I was so careful in holding her and putting her down on a table... even pressing the buttons! Now, totally different story! Poor thing!
Enjoy your pump and the freedom and flexibility that it will allow you! Have you named it yet???
That,s so funny! I'm pretty sure we're not alone either! LOL
I hadn't originally thought of naming mine either, until I started realizing (through Juvenation) that a lot of people do... After all, there is no one in your life that you will spend so much time with and that you will have to rely on quite as much as your pump! Mine is named Chello... and no, it's not a spelling error on the word cello... "Chelsea" was the name of my truly beloved dog who was put down a few years ago (Chel) + I figured the pump would be helping me with some of my low BGs (Lo) + I do lov music, more rock/pop than classical, but nonetheless, it is a bit of a play on the word cello! Now, when I have to refill my cartridge, I usually say I have to "give Chello some juice"! Weird? Maybe! But true!
I've never named my pumps. I am on my second one. I actually felt melancholy when I sent my old pump back to Medtronic. It had broken and was worthless, but it was apart of me for almost six years. I was surprised that I had those feelings. We humans are weird!
I have now been on mine for 1 year after 33 years of multiple shots a day. I love it! I have never thought about giving it a name. What a great idea! I will have to give it some thought.....Suggestions?
Today was MY first day with my new pump - I switched from my Cosmo (after 4 years) to a Medtronic along with a continuous glucose monitor - very cool, but I feel like the president, going out with all this stuff attached to me and in my pocket! I absolutely LOVE looking at the graph of all my blood sugar readings (every 5 minutes) - I feel better about my control between finger sticks, at least for the past 30 hours (since it was hooked up)...I am hoping for more control and fewer lows and highs than I had when I started my previous pump. Anybody else have a continuous glucose monitor?
I just started the pump (medtronic paradigm) & I love it. It takes some getting used to but its just like when you were first diagnosed & learning how to give injections. It takes time & some trial & error but I recommend the pump all the way. Good luck with yours.
I am meeting with my Diabetic Educator next week, to discuss getting me on the pump. I have done research in the past, and I feel like this is the right choice for me. I have been type 1 for 6 years now, and I was diagnosed at age 19 (A VERY rough time for me to start a healthy life). I went throught the denial stage for almost 3 years, got a handle on things, now I am usually all over the board, due to neglect. I hate giving myself the shots, so I don't eat as often. Also, I haven't let myself get into a work out routine since my diagnosis. I have let myself slip into this weak, energy-lacking body that I know I need to get out of. Any and all advice for pumps would be nice!
I think you'll love the pump. Your story sounds familiar; while I've had Type 1 longer (24 years, diagnosed when I was 10), I went through a time in college where I absolutely didn't take care of myself and was all over the place as I just guessed about how much insulin to take without checking my blood sugar or counting carbs. This went on for almost 8 years; not good! But I was never ready to go on the pump and that's key...you have to want to do it. I love my Animas Ping and I resolved to not gain weight when I went on it; I found that I lost weight because I was counting carbs and realizing how much I had been overeating! I'm back into running (something I had been avoiding for a few years) and love the control I have and how I feel. I think you'll love a pump too; while you still have to have an injection whenever you change the set, it's totally better than a bunch every day. It can be overwhelming to learn about all the ratios, targets, and things that you can change; having a good diabetes educator who let's you ask lots of questions is important too.
One funny story about going on the pump is that about 2 months after I went on, I was at the San Diego Zoo (I live in NC) and I apparently locked my pump while leaning against the railing to look at the pandas. For the life of me I couldn't remember how to unlock it; I paged my diabetes educator (it was 9 pm her time) and waited but didn't hear back from her for half an hour which made me nervous so I called the Animas sales rep whose number I had thankfully saved in my phone. Even though it was almost 10 pm at night, he answered and got a kick out of my situation...he was so helpful. I have nothing but positive things to say about the people who work for Animas; my insurance company kept screwing up paying for my pump and the supplies and the Animas people were so understanding and helpful.
So my advice is go for it! Get as much help as you need from your diabetes educator and pump sales folks (that's what you pay them for, right?) and give yourself space and time to learn the ins and outs. Keep me posted!
Just started on my pump a couple weeks ago, and I love it! My ping is amazing! My bgs have been really good since I finished the training a few days ago, and it feels so nice to have more flexibility about when and what I eat. After going a week without snacks, I decided to indulge a little in some treats I haven't had in a while, but I will avoid making a habit of it :)
My first day on my pump was pretty exciting for me. I had to wait a few months before my insurance would approve my pump because they required it to be 6 months after my diagnosis. Although it took me a couple seconds to insert the first infusion set, I didn't feel a thing, and haven't to this day! So far I can't see going back to MDI ever again!