I recently got approved for an insulin pump (YAYY), and hopefully I’ll be starting in the next few weeks on the Minimed 530g with Enlite. I am extremely nervous because I don’t know any type 1 diabetics, let alone anyone that uses a pump. I was just wondering if there is any advice that you all can offer? Like what tips can you think of? Also, are there any recommended supplies that I need that don’t include pump supplies?(Like how to organize my things, a travel bag, casings, ect.)
hopefully I’ll be starting in the next few weeks on the Minimed 530g with Enlite. I am extremely nervous because I don’t know any type 1 diabetics, let alone anyone that uses a pump.
What to say? I fear my tendency is always to run away with my mouth, mostly I think because I just like to hear myself talk.
It might lead to a better discussion if you provided a tad more information about your situation. I’m thinking things like what sort of guidance, if any, you have already received or expect to receive from your medical support “team”. Also, if you could try to better describe what/why you think you are “extremely nervous” about?
Primarily I ask because I am really quite clueless about anxiety when starting the pump.
First, I started using a pump about 20 years ago in December 1996 so I tend to take using one as just part of life. You get up, you brush your teeth, shower, and every 3 days or so you change your infusion set.
Second, my experience starting was a bit different than many I read about these days. My pump was delivered to my house by FedEx. I opened it up, read some parts of the enclosed (at the time) book about pumping, filled up a reservoir, primed & inserted an infusion set, and took it from there. Both my “diabetes educator” (?) and I were apparently surprised, albeit for different reasons, when I showed up for my next appointment already wearing & using the pump. To her credit she handled it very well.
I’m not really looking for anything specific, I’m the type of person that’ll take anything given and then I decide where to take it from there! My team hasn’t been really communicating with me, but at the same time it’s a new one because I moved although I plan on going back to my old team.
I’ll take any kind of tips like suggestions on dealing with public situations with my pump, sleeping with it, or even how to make it fashionable. Anything helps!
As far as the nervousness, I feel like its kind of normal for me. Any time I start something new, and don’t know a lot, I get nervous.
I think most of us come to the online forums … or what is sometimes more widely referred to as the “Diabetic Online Community” or #DOC … because we are looking to share with people who better understand what we live with physically and emotionally each day.
But over time one of the other important things I have taken away from the #DOC is an awareness of just how different we all are as well. We have things in common, but how they will affect us and how we prefer to deal with them varies. What works for me can be for many others, maybe, not so much.
That’s why I encourage(d) you to provide whatever context about yourself you feel comfortable sharing. I suppose there is some sort of universal advice to be given. But often issues which may matter very much to some, others might not even notice. What sort of advice one might offer can often be improved by better understanding the shoes another person is actually walking in.
And beyond all that, I’m not really sure where to start. For me it’s somewhat as if you had asked me for special tips or suggestions about getting dressed in the morning. I’m sure things will come to me, but others will probably be more helpful for you about that first.
My team hasn’t been really communicating with me, but at the same time it’s a new one because I moved although I plan on going back to my old team.
I’m a bit confused. If you have moved, how do you plan on going back to your previous people?
The sort of assistance and support you can get can really vary. It’s another reason people tend to reach out to the #DOC. It’s an opportunity to compare and contrast your experiences with support to that of others.
I’ll take any kind of tips like suggestions on dealing with public situations with my pump, sleeping with it, or even how to make it fashionable.
Some thoughts which have managed to pop up after reflecting on your situation a tad further.
A question. What sort of T1 kit/supplies do you currently carry around with you? I'm just thinking you probably already carry most or all of what you'd "need" to if you are currently using MDI (Multiple Daily Injections).
<li>Often people using a pump will not surprising <strong>also</strong> carry at least one or more infusion sets and an inserter (if they use one) with them as a "just in case". How much "backup" to carry is always a personal preference. When you start using your pump and are still acclimating to it, you might want to lug more backup supplies with you as a "Oh, my God! What now!" sort of backup. I actually don't usually carry anything extra beyond my BG meter. (This is probably a bad habit which I should try to improve on).</li>
<li>Oh, speaking of infusion sets. There are different choices in terms of cannula length, insertion angle, and length of the tubing. If your med team does not suggest you try different types of sets when you start, you might want to consider pushing to do this. Again, it's personal. Some people have preferences. Other have other problems such as allergies. It's not a problem I would expect you to have, but it's worth mentioning as something to think about.</li>
<li>If I had it to do over again, I would not just accept being pushed into accepting 3 month supply of the first type of infusion set my med team wanted to push at me. Also, once you are registered with Medtronic as a customer you call their HelpLine and request a "sampler pack" of infusion sets from them. That might be a good way to go when starting out. It's always nice to have options if you do happen to run into set problems.</li>
<li>Sleeping and/or sex are again very personal preferences. I think usually people just "wing it" by trying different approaches to discover what seems to work best for them. I wear my pump pretty much clipped to the waistband of the shorts I wear to bed. Others say they just let the pump "float". YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary). <em>Aside: ask back later about getting "Weak Signal" from your CGM while in bed.</em></li>
<li>How to wear/carry a pump is another very personal preference. My belief is that this usually is much more of an issue for women than to men. Obviously women have more choices/considerations in what they wear so they have more situations to consider. But there can also be additional work & social pressure/expectations ... and, well, "body image" can often be more of a concern for women than for men. :( </li>
<li>If/when you test your BG and then use your pump while in public, I expect no one will even notice. If they do notice, they are most likely to just ignore it. Of course, that's a male perspective. I'm not sure what reaction a woman who happens to be carrying her pump clipped to her bra or stapped to her thigh will receive if she digs it out while in public. I expect most women pumpers simply don't do this.</li>
Sometimes I most truly and fervently loath the infrastructure of this forum. The tools here have got to be the most difficult & unfriendly of any discussion board I have used. I have no idea why the list formatting in my previous post was ignored when it was posted. I went so far as to test it in an online HTML editor and no HTML syntax errors were found.
I am going to post it once again after some minor tweaks and while crossing my fingers in the hopes that this time it will work. But if it doesn’t, then I guess I am just out of luck since shortly after posting it I will not be allowed to edit it and only an administrator can delete any duplicate posts. Sheesh. Big time.
I’ll take any kind of tips like suggestions on dealing with public situations with my pump, sleeping with it, or even how to make it fashionable.
Some thoughts which have managed to pop up after reflecting on your situation a tad further.
A question. What sort of T1 kit/supplies do you currently carry around with you? I'm just thinking you probably already carry most or all of what you'd "need" to if you are currently using MDI (Multiple Daily Injections).
Often people using a pump will, not surprisingly, also carry at least one or more infusion sets and an inserter (if they use one) as a "just in case". How much "backup" to carry is always a personal preference. When you start using your pump and are still acclimating to it, you might want to lug more backup supplies with you as an "Oh, my God! What now!" sort of backup. Personally, I actually don't usually carry anything extra beyond my BG meter. (This is probably a bad habit which I should try to improve on).
Oh, speaking of infusion sets. There are different choices in terms of cannula length, insertion angle, and length of the tubing. If your med team does not suggest you try different types of sets when you start, you might want to consider pushing to do this. It's personal, but some people do have preferences. Others have problems such as allergies. It's not a problem I would expect you to have, but it's worth mentioning as something to possibly consider.
If I had it to do over again, I would not just accept being pushed into being prescribed & accepting a 3 month supply of the first type of infusion set my med team wanted to push at me. Also, once you are registered with Medtronic as a customer you call their HelpLine and request a "sampler pack" of infusion sets from them. That might be a good way to go when starting out. It's always nice to have options at hand if you do happen to run into infusion set problems.
Sleeping and/or sex are again very personal preferences. I think usually people just "wing it" at first, trying different approaches to discover what seems to work best for them. When I sleep I wear my pump pretty much clipped to the waistband of the shorts I wear to bed. Others say they just let the pump "float". YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary). Aside: ask back later about getting "Weak Signal" from your CGM while in bed.
How to wear/carry a pump is another very personal preference. My belief is that this usually is much more of an issue for women than for men. Obviously women have more choices/considerations in what they wear so they have more situations to cope with. But there can also be additional work & social pressure/expectations ... and, well, "body image" can often be more of a concern for women than for men. :(
If/when you test your BG and then use your pump while in public, I expect no one will even notice. If they do notice, they are most likely to just ignore it. Of course, that's a male perspective. I'm not sure what reaction a woman who happens to be carrying her pump clipped to her bra or stapped to her thigh will receive if she digs it out while in public. I expect most women pumpers simply don't do this.
Congratulations on moving to a pump! I can understand your nervousness, because it’s a little overwhelming to be totally changing systems and starting from scratch a bit. However, you will be in good hands with your trainer and/or CDE, just be prepared to hunker down for several weeks and do lots of logging and regimented eating. It’s tedious, but necessary to get your levels set right so you can start living life more fully with your pump. You will love the flexibility, ability to fine-tune, and ability to adjust your insulin rates for things like exercise, illness, stressful times, or just sleeping in.
Other than the stuff that comes with it, my favorite accessories are my pump belt that I order from Angel Bear Pump Stuff. She custom makes them in a variety of soft cotton fabrics you can choose from, and they are great to sleep in, and can be helpful when you’re wearing dresses, or I just clip it to my bra between “the girls”. I have an extra one I keep in my suitcase for traveling. I also order pump skins from the Minimed site, which come in lots of fun patterns, and you can even order custom ones. They aren’t cheap at about $18 each, but they last for months, maybe years.
I use the Silhouette 30-degree angle infusion set, and I use the Sil-Serter device to inject it because I’m a big weenie when it comes to sticking myself with a big needle. It’s not gentle but it works great, and I call it my “rocket launcher”. I can’t really think of any other supplies I’ve needed. Some people are naturally sweatier and they need extra adhesive to keep the set from peeling off their skin, but your trainer can discuss that with you. Have fun!
You have recv’d some good advice. There is no way to learn but to live with it.
>there are a ton of gadgets on line to wear your pump. I use a spibelt to sleep at night [available on line]. I have a thigh strap I wear with dresses [from pumpwearinc.]. Sometimes I just put it in my jeans pocket or tuck it in my bra. It all depends. Have only pulled out my infusion set once in over 10 yrs of wearing one -caught the tubing on a door handle. My fault.Then one time my kitten was in bed with me and chewed thru the tubing. Again, my fault. She was “teething”. lol
> This site is great to know “you are not alone”!
> If your team does not answer your questions or fit your needs, find another team!!!
> A Certified Diabetes Educator is wonderful. A DCE may be a doctor, nurse, dietician, pharmacist. They have to have extra training and pass a national certification exam. They can help you with everything to do with the pump.
> Yes, the people at Minimed are GREAT! A large % of their employees are Type 1 and wear the pump so they know what you live with each day.
> If no one on your team is a CDE, ask around- hospitals, doctors’ offices, friends who might be/know a nurse or dietician.
> Check for an Insulin Pump Support Group. GREAT way to talk to those who really identify with your problems. I learn as much from others as I do from my physician.
GOOD LUCK! You won’t be sorry you went on the pump!! LIR
