Looking for some advise, my 10 yr old son was diagnosed on 3/7/11 and you can't even mention the pump to him. He doesn't want to hear it. I think it would be great for all of us, from what I have heard. It sounds so much easier. Me and my husband both work and kids always have some activities, we are always on the go. We have had made may adjustments to be able to make sure Joe checks his blood sugar and eats his meals and snacks. Things are so new right now that we have to live by the clock with scheduled meal times.
I just wish I could at least get him to consider it. I know it's early and maybe he will come around eventually just wondering if anybody who is on the pump now felt the way he does and what made you consider it.
I am glad you asked about this. I have been on the Paradigm Minimed insulin pump since my freshman year of high school (2005). I was diagnosed with Type 1 in May of 2005. I was on syringes for the first little while after I was diagnosed, then was on the insulin pen for a while, and then went on the pump. I do not remember exactly which month in 2005 I went on the pump but I definitely remember being both excited and scared at the same time. Going on the pump is definitely a big change and you need to make sure that you do not take too much advantage of the easiness of using the technology of the pump. It is also quite a bit of a financial factor. It is quite an amazing technology and I would recommend it to anyone with diabetes. He is also fairly young. It is up to you but I would suggest consulting with his endocrinologist.
I was timid about getting a pump. I don't usually like change and my parents said that if I got it, I kept it (as least for the 4 yr warrenty that came with it). I think he's going through a lot of changes anyway (from "normal" life to life with diabetes) so that might be a part of it. It's all so new and strange, it's hard. Has he said why he doesn't want it? I would definitely recommend getting one. It has changed my life for the better. A lot more freedom, etc.
Another thing I was scared of was the idea of having something attached to me all the time. It is a little hard of a transition, but you get used to it. It kinda becomes a part of your body. :)
The reason I like the idea was less needles poking me....
I was mostly excited to go on the pump. I switched to a pump a little over a year after I was diagnosed. I hated having to schedule my meals. My endocrinologist initially put me on a 3 meals a day regimen and I was used to eating smaller meals more often, so I would get hungry in between meals and absolutely hated not having the freedom to eat when I wanted. Of course, I did not enjoy giving myself shots, so I did not want to eat 5 or more small meals/snacks a day and have to give a shot each time.
So for me, the pump gave me a lot of freedom to eat when I wanted, and instead of multiple daily shots, I now only switch out my injection site once every three days. It has also helped with exercise and day to day life in general.
My only concern was having it on me all the time, but that is something I got used to and it is definitely worth it.
It sounds like your son is so new to diabetes that maybe it is just overwhelming for him to think about. Maybe give it some time and let him get the hang of managing it for a while before introducing the pump. I don't think I would have wanted to go on the pump right away either, to be honest. Once he has a good grasp of his diabetes, the pump will only make managing it easier. Also, I don't know what his maturity level is, but it is a big responsibility to have a pump, so make sure he is prepared to handle it.
I've been on a pump since I was 10, but I was diagnosed when I was one. I know some people, especially kids really don't want people to know about their diabetes, and a pump is normally at least seen to a point. Plus, since he's so new to everything it's probably even harder for him. Try to get hime to know that it's ok, and he doesn't have to be embarresed about it, but in the end it will probably just take time before he's willing to go through another change, but it will come, pumps are just so much easier, and as he gets older he'll want it to be easier, because he'll want to be able to go out with friends and eat whatever he wants, whenever he wants without having to inject. just be patient. Also, if you can meet somebody his age, or even an adult with a pump it might help. That way he can see what they do and then he also knows he's not alone. Good Luck! =)
He'll probably want to try a pump at some point in the future, so use this time now to get a really thorough understanding of carb counting, how specific foods affect him, and the time short acting insulin is active in his system (can be 2-5 hours). Having these skills and information will make the transition to a pump much easier whenever he's ready.
The idea of a pump is way worse than the reality. I had been freaked out by the idea of being attached to something 24 hours a day and of having a needle in my skin all the time. Turns out that stuff didn't bother me at all once I got a pump.
Make sure to send your son to diabetes summer camp. He'll have a good time and seeing other kids his age with pumps might help him see how they fit into real life. John Walsh's book "Pumping Insulin" is also a great resource.
Hey. Okay so I was diagnosed when I was ten also and just the word pump made me cringe. Now I am seventeen and I am on omnipod for 3 years now and it's the best decision that I ever made. I would not push into it, my parents tried and tried and it made me move further away from the idea. The reason was that I didn't want classmates to question or judge because I was newly diagnosed and at that age i was irrational and thought people would treat me differently. The one price of advice I would give is to make it his decision. Whether or not you are influencing it, he has to make the decision on his own. As embarrassing as it is, when I saw my tween idol Nick Jonas wearing one and was so open about it, I told my mom to get me on it before I change my mind. There are actually many famous people who are not shy about wearing a pump, many of them are athletes and if you introduce your son maybe he can see that wearing a pump puts him at no disadvantage. The sleek look of the omnipod also was a big help. I would have never gone on the omni pod if I had to wear a huge beeper on my belt with tubes going through mug clothes. At that age, it's the way beginning of the phase where reputations are a concern and at that point you will do anything to blend in with the crowd.
So that is what pushed me, make him see something relatable in the pump. Things that he is like or better at because he is wearing it. (I felt like somehow I would impress Nick Jonas and that if he is a rockstar wearing one, then why couldn't I, a normal girl, wear one)
Thanks everyone for the good advise! We have just completed a carb counting class and it has made things a little easier. I am really proud of my son for everything that he has gone through in the past 5 months. I am sure with time he will figure it out on his own what he wants to do.