so i went to my endo. today.. and i asked her about a pump.. (this was the first time i had seen her) and she said i could get one now if i wanted. i thought this was a little odd because i'm still in the honeymoon period and she had just said that she usually uses the pump for when her patients are getting sick of having diabetes and want something new.
so i can get the pump whenever i want (my parents have to agree too) and i was wondering if i should get one.. any thoughts on this one?? i know i can always go back to MDI ands such..
is this odd for a doctor to offer up a pump so fast? everyone else that goes to the same hospital/group has been told to wait 6 months to a year..
Yes, definitely go for it. The benefits definitely outweigh the drawbacks. And come to think of it, I can't actually think of any drawbacks. I have the OmniPod and I love that no one has any idea that I'm a diabetic, unless I tell them. I can just pull out my wireless PDM, give myself a bolus, and no one has any idea. I could be checking my blackberry for all they know.
And since I've been on a pump, I've got WAY better control over my A1C's. I'm usually in the high 5s or low 6s. I've never had an A1C of over 6.4 since I've been on my pump.
Good luck with whatever decision you make.
ps - I have no idea why any endo's would suggest waiting 6 months to a year....seems to me that they should want your BGs to be as stable as possible, as quickly as possible and pumps definitely give you that control!
pps - I'm from the Boston area too, although now I live in NC. What part of MA are you from?
I am personally about to go on a pump for the first time (been diabetic for 9 years). There is a lot of research that shows they provide better control, but you have to consider what you want personally. I played water polo all my life until a couple years ago, so I never went on a pump because I didn't want to deal with detatching it all the time. So, you just have to figure out what you think would work better for you.
As far as your dr encouraging you to get a pump right after diagnosis it may just be because it takes a while to get everything together before you actually get a pump. You have to decide which one you want, and often for insurance you have to have a 3 month blood sugar log and proof of carb counting for their approval. That and many Dr really like pumps :)
I think that pumps are an excellent way to control your blood sugar, but make sure to consider the rest of the things going on in your life to decide which method is best for you.
Go for it. I've been on the pump for 7 months now and i absolutely love it! For 5 of the months i've been on the pump i was still honeymooning and it has worked out great. I love it but it isn't for everybody. I say go for it!
You will notice a huge decrease in mood swings. Before I went on the pump I was struggling with an A1c of 8.1, 8.2, 8.3....i just had blood work done yesterday and i have an A1c of 5.4 (thats NORMAL!). You will also feel more rested after a nights rest than you did when you werent on the pump, just little things I've noticed but they are big things when you feel better from them :)
PS
I have like no body fat and it isn't a problem for me.
Another thing I should've mentioned in my comment was that it's great to have the ability to turn off (or 'suspend') your pump when you're having a low and you don't happen to have any snacks handy. I actually like it as an alternative to having to eat/drink something when I'm low.
A pump is a really big responsibility so you have to be willing to take that on. If the pump fails for some reason, you have no insulin reserves in your body because you are no longer using long-acting insulin, so your blood sugars can rise very quickly. Because of this, it is necessary to check your blood sugars more often to avoid dangerous highs. It's a trade-off: no shots, more blood tests. There is also a greater risk of infections with a pump, so it's also important to keep things sanitary when changing your pump site.
There are pros and cons to every method of therapy. Some prefer a stricter schedule as with MDI and like having their day planned out. Others like the flexibility of a pump and being able to change plans at the last minute.
I have used a pump for 10 years. I graduated college twice and while I work full-time, I have no regularity to the shifts I work. For me, a pump is better because I need flexibility as my days are always changing and meal times are different. I started a pump when I was in high school. I participated in a competitive dance group and we would travel long distances every weekend to compete. I needed the flexibility then because of the early mornings and late nights.
Before starting on a pump, you need to have a handle on how to treat your diabetes using MDIs. If your pump fails, is recalled, or stops working, you will need to go back to MDI until a replacement is shipped to you, so you need to be comfortable using them. There are LOTS of different pumps out there. I STRONGLY encourage you to take a very close look at all of them. When I was first searching for a pump, I was allowed to take one home for 3 days and test it out to see how I liked it. I would talk with your doctor and educators to see if they offer that for you. Each pump offers something different and unique. There will be certain features you like and certain ones you dislike. Pumps are also VERY expensive (about $5000 each before insurance), so don't take the decision lightly. It would be a terrible waste of money to purchase one and decide you don't like it.
I would definitely go for it! The pump will make your life so much easier. I've been on the pump (Minimed) for a little over a year now and I absolutely love it. I would never go back to shots. Since starting on the pump I have had significantly better control over my sugars. Plus, with the pump, I feel like I don't think about diabetes all the time like I did with shots. You just punch everything in and it takes care of you from there! I really hope you decide to get one!