I've been on the Medtronic insulin pump for seven years now and I love the convience of it, but now that I'm starting to get older, I'm thinking about switching back to shots. I've had about 20 different teachers tell me to put my i-Pod away or stop texting when I'm really bolusing. It feels like I've been finding more and more cons than pros about the pump. I don't really mind shots, so the pain won't be a total con. I think that now that I'm getting to a point where guys are getting more interested in me, I don't want them to be turned off immediatly by the cords hanging off of my body. Please help me! What are some pros and cons of both the pump and the shots?
I was always against the pump. Dr.s for years have been telling me to consider the pump as my sugars were all over the place and they were. I am a diabetic for 36 years and just started the pump 2 years ago and believe me I can kick myself in the a__ for waiting so long. Please don't go back to taking shots as its not the answer.
[quote user="Joanne Deegan"]
I was always against the pump. Dr.s for years have been telling me to consider the pump as my sugars were all over the place and they were. I am a diabetic for 36 years and just started the pump 2 years ago and believe me I can kick myself in the a__ for waiting so long. Please don't go back to taking shots as its not the answer.
[/quote]
I wouldn't jump to the "don't go back to taking shots as it's not the answer" so quickly Joanne.
There are a LOT of diabetics who don't use the pump and can control your levels the same as someone on the pump. It's not for everyone.
If she wants to try going back to MDI, that's her personally choice and no one can or should tell her that it's "not the answer" except for herself.
I'm not on the pump and while my control isn't as tight as I want it to be, I've gone 15years without complications or DKA or any major problems. I am going to try the pump..mostly because I've been pressured into it by people with your way of thinking, once they get on the pump, that it's the only way to take care of your diabetes, and also because I have insurance that can cover it..but if i do try the pump and my A1C doesn't get better, I'll be switching back to MDI because I'm more comfortable doing injections and it'll be the right choice for me.
Button, if you want to try going back to MDI...then do it! It's not as if you can't go back to the pump if you decide it's not working for you! A lot of pumpers on here have mentioned going on and off the pump for long periods of time, depending on what stage in their life they are at!
only you can decide if this is the point in your life when you want to give MDI another chance and take a break, forever or not, from the pump!
I'm on MDI too. When I went on the pump a few years ago, my a1c acually went up. My a1c's are in the non-diabetic range on MDI. So, I have to agree that I get annoyed when people say the pump is the only way to go...
BUT ... in your case, I wouldn't be so quick to go back to shots. If you've been using the pump successfully for so many years, why change? The cons you mentioned seem like they could be dealt with in other ways. I mean, can't you speak to your teachers, send them an email, and remind them that you have an insulin pump and it embarrasses you to be called out in front of everyone about an ipod? Maybe they forgot or didn't understand? With D, you have to stick up for yourself!
Also, I've always been "out" about having D and it never affected my dating life. If you're embarrassed, disconnect it after bolusing. But, even on shots, it's going to come up, it's just part of your life. I met my now-husband when I was 18. He was so impressed by how open I was about my D and how I dealt with it, he asked me out on a date. The rest is history... (:
Many pumpers will take a "pump vacation" from time to time. I see nothing wrong with you putting the pump away and going on injections. If you decide that the pump really is the better choice for you, you can always go back on. It's not like you're going to toss it in the trash!
Pump Pros:
Easier to take insulin no matter where you are
Ability to dose in very small increments
Ability to turn the basal up or down depending on activity, illness, dawn phenomenon etc.
If you can't remember whether or not you took insulin for your food, you can just check the bolus history
Pump Cons:
Something attached to you 24/7
Sometimes it can be hard to figure out where to put it depending on the clothes you're wearing
Greater risk of DKA if something happens to your infusion set and you're not aware of the problem
Injection Pros:
Pens are easy to use, even in public places (not so much with a vial + syringe!)
Less stuff to carry around
Injection Cons:
You need two types of insulin, long + fast acting
Once you inject, especially long acting insulin, it's in and there's nothing you can do about it.
Greater chance of lows during exercise/activities
Harder to control dawn phenomenon
Easy to stack boluses without realizing it, so a greater risk of lows (especially bad if you're a heavy snacker)
december 15 of this year i will have had my pump for 2 years, as there are cons to wearing it: having in on your side all the time, taking 5-10 minutes to change your site, etc. there are a lot more pros in my opinion. with shots, i found that i had to take more time out of my day (3 or 4 times) to put a needle in my leg. i hated that and only did it for 4 months before switching. after a while, i might switch for a month or so, but i think that in the end, nuisance or not, the pump is a great advantage to your body and you need it, like it or not.
I really have no desire to go on the pump, at least at this phase of my life. I've been injecting for 13 years and have had no problems, that weren't my own doing, with injections. I don't mind shooting up in front of people, it can lead to stimulating conversations, and carrying my stuff around isn't a hassle to me. I just know that I would end up breaking the thing with the crap I pull in everyday life. The only real draw back I have is the rate at which my sharps container fills up.
[quote user="CHLjoe"]
I really have no desire to go on the pump, at least at this phase of my life. I've been injecting for 13 years and have had no problems, that weren't my own doing, with injections. I don't mind shooting up in front of people, it can lead to stimulating conversations, and carrying my stuff around isn't a hassle to me. I just know that I would end up breaking the thing with the crap I pull in everyday life. The only real draw back I have is the rate at which my sharps container fills up.
[/quote]I love it! I call it shooting up too! But I too have been pressured to go onto the pump and I will not as of yet. I just feel I can better control my diabetes with shots & a CGM. I am just so fearful that the pump will malfunction and either give me too much or too little insulin. The hardest part about the shots is finding different spots to stick the needle in. Me, I have only used the sides of my abdoman for my diabetic life and you can easily tell. I should really look into alternating sites...