Hello,
I am the mother of a 10 yr old girl who was diagnosed last Oct. She is not on a pump yet (i've been reading some of your blogs and realized the "wait a year" comment is quite common for many doctors) and I am not sure if, at this age, she should get one. Do any of you have any personal insight you can share with me rearding having one so young?....She is looking to me for guidance and i just don't know.
I would suggest trying it. I started on the pump just after I turned 13 and just 3 months after I was diagnosed. I think it makes life easier when you switch early so she isn't too attached to needles and afraid of the change because she's used to the other way. I had no trouble in the switch at 13 and I know of kids younger than 10 on the pump. That's my thought on it. Good luck!
Hi,
My son is 8 and has been on the pump for a year. It makes life soooo much easier!! I do alot of mentoring to new families for JDRF and know lots of mothers with children as young as 2 on the pump. I am a hugh pump advocate!! My Dr. is wonderful and feels kids should be able to be kids. And the pump just gives them so much more flexibility with their eating,when, how much, and what they eat. You are not on such a stringent eating schedule.
I know with my son, he is a skinny little thing and to try and get him to eat a full meal and not have snacks was impossoble!!
Everyone has to make their own choices but I would recommend the pump.
Thank you Carrie for your thoughts. I am not sure how old you are now, but having the pump at 13 tells me a lot. I read so many different oppinions on the vanity of having a pump. One girl said she didn't want everyone to see it or not be able to wear a bikini...etc.... I don't know ANYTHING about it, nor do I know what a girl who is diabetic is going through in her teenage years, but my daughters health is number one. I need to look into it furthur. Thank you for your thoughts!
WOW...that was very helpful too. When you say when, he eats, how much, etc.. you mean he doesn't eat at the SAME TIME every day? What questions should I be asking my doctor because he is leaving it up to me to get info. When I asked about the pump, he said to go to a class. I feel alittle overwhelmed and confused. My daughter is NOT a meat eater (very rarely), yet doesn't like cheese or some of the other "free" foods and I have been spending all my time trying to balance her meals out nutritionally, with what she likes, with what is helpful for her levels (fiber) and coming to grips with people giving me CD's from Dr Pam Popper who was all doom and gloom on the effects of diabetes and the miss information ADA is giving out. Ugh...I commend you for getting involved. I think thats what I may need to do.
No on the pump you can eat anytime. The pump works like your pancreas would,
you get a constant basal rate which is insulin given to your body like your
pancreas would. And when you eat you put in the amount of carbs you ate
and it gives you the amount of insulin it takes to cover what you ate and keep your sugars in range.
I'm not saying you never have ups and downs, but for us it has really helped.
I very much encourage you to find a support system. For me it was the other
mothers I met through JDRF, and I can keep up on all the latest research and developments through them.
Where do you live, if you don't mind me asking?
We are in PA.
No, I don't mind you asking, I appreciate the help. I live in Orange County, CA. My ignorance is showing as I just put the idea of a pump on the back burner because the doctor told me she cannot have one for a year...but then finding this site today, I was reading that there are several Type 1 diabetics that got on the pump sooner than a year. I am just trusting the Endo to guide me, but then I have so many questions and so many people want to give me advice, my head is spinning. I just want to talk to people who are actually going through it or parents get some guidance, and then put together what feels right for my daughter. Isn't that what we do as parents with most decisions?
No, I don't mind you asking, I appreciate the help. I live in Orange County, CA. My ignorance is showing as I just put the idea of a pump on the back burner because the doctor told me she cannot have one for a year...but then finding this site today, I was reading that there are several Type 1 diabetics that got on the pump sooner than a year. I am just trusting the Endo to guide me, but then I have so many questions and so many people want to give me advice, my head is spinning. I just want to talk to people who are actually going through it or parents get some guidance, and then put together what feels right for my daughter. Isn't that what we do as parents with most decisions?
Hey,
I got a pump when I was 11. I was actually the resistant one (I'm not so good with change) but I'm happy my parents pushed me. When it comes to a pump, age in my opinion should not be as much of a factor than maturity. I know 20 year olds who probably shouldn't be on a pump and 7 year olds who are doing great on one. Make sure you do a trial and go to meetings etc. before you decide. There are many resources that can help with this decision making process. Good luck!
It is very overwhelming. Most Dr's do want you to wait till the Honeymoon period is over, but I hear more and more kids going on a pump right away. I think you do have to have a good relationship with your Dr. You are going to be relying on them alot!! I wasn't very comfortable with our first Dr. so switched to another Endo. But it is going to take awhile to process everything, so take a breath and try not to make rash decisions.
Best of luck to you and your daughter.
Are you dealing with a Children's Hospital?
Again, I urge you to find a local support group, wether it is through Juvenile Daibetes Research Foundation or someon else. I will say ADA is a great organization but I find they deal more with Type 2 Diabetes and JDRF are parents of Type ! children.
Hi,
In my humble opinion a pump is the most sophisticated method of control available to diabetics at the moment. Other methods don't have the flexability which a pump offers, particularly for young children who are generally very active and who require a system which can adjust for such activities instantly.
When I was diagnosed over fifty years ago pumps weren't available and insulins weren't quiet so good as they are now. Since I've started using a pump five years ago my control has dramatically improved and my only regret is that I didn't have one much earlier.
I don't know what this 'wait a year' idea has to do with anything. Your daughter will get better control on a pump, and unless she just doesn't want to use one, I would certainly recommend that you give it a try.
I was 13yrs old when diagnosed
I was 9 yrs old when I was diagnosed and there were not pumps around yet. I finally switched to one back in 2001 and it was the best decision I made. I, like the others, would suggest looking into it. My only suggestion is to make sure she is comfortable giving her own injections as well. You never know what will happen and that will be an important skill as a back up. Best of luck!
My son was diagnosed when he was 4 yrs old. He started the pump when he was 7. He is now 12 years old and things are going well. I was alittle nervous when he started just like anything else until you get use to it. It really does make life alittle easier when you don't have to live by the clock. If i were you, i would start talking to people with pumps and get information on the different makes and try to narrow it down. Good luck.....things will work out.
Dwight
I would also ask about the Continguous Glucose Monitoring (CGS) which I wish I had when I was younger (diagnosed 1978). One of the biggest fears with having a child with diabetes is them not being able to detect a low blood sugar when you're not around. The CGS is not perfect but it does have alarms if her sugars go out of the set ranges. I was extremely active (major tomboy) when I was young and the technology was just not available like today. So I really depended a lot on just how I felt. If I felt like I was going low I just would eat something without confirming it first. Also, when I was your daughter's age my blood sugars tended to drop in the middle of the night and I wouldn't wake up. Those alarms would have worked really well on avoiding some of those bad lows.
I'm not sure why your endo would advise not to go on the pump until the honeymoon is over?? The precision that the pump offers is amazing. I went on the pump in 1998 and initially I was amazed at the difference one tenth of a unit of insulin can make. Actually I'm still amazed by it. And you just can not accurately draw up one tenth of a unit where the pump can do hundredths of a unit. Honestly if my son was diagnosed today I would want him to be put on the pump as soon as possible. Not to say that I don't think there's still a major importance for your daughter to learn how to inject herself with a syringe, etc... There are some basics that still must be taught but definitely question your endo about it.
-Jane
The thing that I would be a little worried about is when you asked him about a pump he said to "go take a class." Did he offer any other suggestions tips or go over it with you? He should atleast explain it too you, the benefits and the downside too it. I would say that if you talk to your child and they want one, maybe try a different Endo that would be willing to explain it a little more too you. Also, go and try to find a class and do some research on the internet. www.minimed.com is the website for the medtronic insulin pump. They will have numbers there for you too call and will send you information in the mail about it.
Josh
Hi Susan,
What treatment is your daughter on right now? (What kind of insulin, how many injections, etc.) How has her control been? Does she administer her own injections and how is that going? Has SHE been asking for a pump? Does she have any diabetic friends who are on pumps (or not)? The reason I ask is because if things are going well, I wouldn't be so quick to confuse her with something entirely new. If, on the other hand, you're having problems with the injections and her control, this might be a good time to try a change.
Paul
Hi Paul,
Thank you for taking the time to inquire...I actually am amazed at all the support and willingness of people to take the time to help out. It is exactely what I need considering I was feeling all alone in this (granted, I haven't reached out to support groups, etc..) She is on Humalog, Humalin and Lantus. She takes an am injection and a pm injection. He bs have been all over the board (360 at lunch yesterday and 66 at dinner) I am having a hard time controlling, but the doctor says thats because she is in the honeymoon faze..it's been 7 months. She is administering her own injections, but only in her legs. She tried her tummy last night in 3 different areas, but wasn't successful and it was extremely painful (left marks). We give her them in her arm, but all spots are becoming more and more difficult do to scare tissue. Thats a whole other Oprah. Anyway, she IS NOT asking for one (but curious) and we have no other friends that are diabetic. See why I'm so confused :-)
For me, the pump has helped me obtain an even tighter control over my bg (my #s were good before the pump, but they've been less swing-y since I went on the pump 2 years ago.
The thing you should remember is that it can't hurt to try a pump. You can always go back to injections if your daughter (for some reason) hates the thing. But when you try it, you have to try it--- one day isn't long enough. I'd recommend you look into pumps more, how they work, what options you have (because there are a lot) and talk to your daughter's endo, and seriously consider having your daughter try the pump. I wasn't sure at first, so she may need some encouraging, but unless she's absolutely against the idea, give it a try!!
Hi,
I was diognosed when I was 9 and got on the pump when I was nine...... The pumb is SO much easier than giving shots everytime I ate......... and it has taught me to have more responsibility.... like if I am at a friends it is soooooo easy just to press a few buttens and give yourself insilun then it is to go into the bathroom to give a shot... and if the friends parents don't know much about Type 1 they don't have to do much... So the person on the pump is more independent.
Kenzie, 12
i was diagnosed about 4 months ago and i started off with the shots and they really are a hassle for someone my age with school and all the activities that go with it and just being a teenager makes it hard to manage it all. i got my pump about 2 months after i was diagnosed and since i got it diabetes has gone from controlling what i do all the time to just being a small annoyance when i eat. i highly recommend a pump for whoever doesnt have one, my life is now back to what it used to be and im not the kid who has to give himself shots all the time anymore.