Hello All,
I am new to the site. I am a mom with a 10 year old D1 daughter who will soon go on pump training (next week actually). This will be her 2nd time (our first try was 8 years ago) and it didn't work out :(
I have recently created a new website called "My Life On A D List", dedicated to my daughter and all kids who have the disease. I would like to invite you to come see it, read our stories, and share yours :) http://www.mylifeonadlist.com
Thank you!
~Marie "D List Mom"~
hi Marie, welcome!
soooo, what happened the first time ?!
good luck the pump's been great for me. so has the cgm, we've come a long way since NPH and Regular.
Our initial pump training was 8 years ago, Regina was 3... I guess age was a big factor for us. It was also really difficult for me to get it "right". Needles have to be inserted manually and they're about 2-inch long. That alone was a challenge for both of us. On top of that, 2 days straight she wasn't getting any insulin and the doctor just kept telling us to redo it. Finally I said that's it. Regina was traumatized for the longest. It is a lot more advanced now. She decided to go for it again coz now she's tired of the shots. Hopefully it goes well this time.
I am also considering cgm for her. How long have you been on the pump?
[quote user="Marie"]
Our initial pump training was 8 years ago, Regina was 3... I guess age was a big factor for us. It was also really difficult for me to get it "right". Needles have to be inserted manually and they're about 2-inch long. That alone was a challenge for both of us. On top of that, 2 days straight she wasn't getting any insulin and the doctor just kept telling us to redo it. Finally I said that's it. Regina was traumatized for the longest. It is a lot more advanced now. She decided to go for it again coz now she's tired of the shots. Hopefully it goes well this time.
I am also considering cgm for her. How long have you been on the pump?
[/quote]that's tough. the infusion systems are better now. I use a teflon cannula that's only 6mm deep. I would know what to do with a 2 inch long infusion set. even the pod only uses a short cannula, though I do not know it's length.
=) I have been T1 31 years total, 29 years of MDI, the last 2 and a little bit years pumping (minimed 722), and 2 whole weeks with a cgm.
Marie,
Thanks for joining the site and for sharing your website. I love the cartoons! So Adorable. Sometimes pumping takes a little time. I have been on a pump for 7 yrs and I am still learning stuff all the time haha!
I have a question what do you mean you have to manually injectt you cant use a serter device?
hope the pump goes well, nice website :)
Hello Gina,
Thanks for the warm welcome :o) When we went for our first pump training 8 almost 9 years ago, Regina's endo wanted all trainees to start with the traditional manual insertion. The needle was 2 inches long and he also preferred the harder needle vs the softer ones. That alone traumatized both Regina and I. I know there's been a lot of advancements since then. I'm sure it'll work out fine this time around. We'll definitely stick with it this time!
Hi Cesar,
Thanks for visiting us on the web. Our training is this Wednesday. Regina and I both anxious and excited!
Joe,
Regina and I are leaning towards MM722 or the Ping. We'll see this Wednesday when we go to training. How's the CGM been for you the last 2 weeks? We will definitely look into that also.
I have the MiniMed 722 and I love it! There are so many cool colors to chose from! I put some stckers on mine :)
[quote user="Marie"]
Joe,
Regina and I are leaning towards MM722 or the Ping. We'll see this Wednesday when we go to training. How's the CGM been for you the last 2 weeks? We will definitely look into that also.
[/quote]good luck the 722 has been priceless to me. never regretted that decision, ever.
The CGM is a good tool for me. I have a lot of experience, and I have a "great" sense of both high and low blood sugar, but I wanted to get better control of my trends. I find the sensor can be a challenge for a couple of reasons.
1 - you have to calibrate it (sounds arder than it is - you just do a blood test and tell the sensor the result and hit ack) when your blood sugar is steady. I like the morning and before dinner. calibrations when your bs is swinging makes the sensor useless.
2- the sensor lags behind reality: I was treating a hypo and I saw the CGM sensor drop, drop , drop, well after I "felt" my blood sugar rise. it would have been very unwise to stare at the CGM and overtreat the hypo. sure enough, 20 minutes after I felt better the cgm showed a fast climb to normal.
3- it's a little much to wear, add the high and low alarms, the lag behind reality, you have to charge the transmitter every 7-10 days and "change" the sensor every 3. (ha-ha the minimed sensor is easily fooled and I got 9+ days of decent readings out of it) to the infusion set change with the pump, and the finger stick tests and it can be, a bit too much. ...and I found that I was not interested in wearing it all the time, but occaisonally when I need more data.
4- cost (for some). now I know I am lucky. I got my whole set (transmitter, sensors, they even threw in the guardian reciever which I didn't need) for $40, including 40 sensors. no deductable. some people have hundreds of dollars and big fights with the insurance just to get their hands on one.
okay that's it for the complaint department - the fact is that the trending info was a great way for me to get my arms around my current weakness: my after dinner numbers have a high standard deviation. all it means is that I need to watch fats at dinner, and guess less and carb count more. my numbers fell right into line with a little effort. the trend data can show hourly and mealtime statistics, for example a low standard deviation but high after breakfast sugars means a new breakfast carb ratio is in order, etc. I challenged myself to have normal blood sugar (80-100) for 2 days straight no crap and no excuses... and got it! the cgm was very helpful in that little adventure.
god luck if you ever need to talk feel free!
Hi Natalie,
We received our MM722 yesterday and we're going to our final training next Tuesday. Regina will be coming home that day with the pump on! We're really excited :o) She's definitely going to want design on - whether the glitter stuff for cellphones, faceplate, or even stickers. Whatever makes her feel happy!
Congrats on getting her pump. If you have any questions about it let me know. I am currently also using the 722 and just started on the CGM a couple of weeks ago. Please feel free to ask any questions you have.
Good Luck!
Josh