Question about Insulin Pumps?!
Question: Question about Insulin Pumps!?
Been T1 for 3 years - last 12 months have been a bit of a roller coaster!. Current HBa1c = 13!.8!. Am starting with an Insulin Pump next week!. Are they easy to use and how long before you see an improvement in BG control!?Www@Answer-Health@Com
Answers:
Congratulations for getting on here and asking some questions because the more knowledge that you have the better you'll be!.
Because you have been diabetic for 3 years already I'm sure you have a pretty good grasp of the concepts of insulin and food intake, which are the most important aspects of using the pump!.
The advantages of using a pump is that people who work hard at their diabetes but still have unstable BG levels and suboptimal overall control (which sounds like your current problem) can experience smoother BGLs and a fall in HbA1c whilst using the pump!.
You'll also have more flexibility during the work day and you can easily adjust doses during sick days!. I'm sure this is why your very well educated endocrinologist has suggested the pump for you!
The disadvantages are more frequent blood glucose testing (you need to be prepared to do ALOT more testing) and a greater understanding of the amount of carbohydrates in the foods that you eat!. That way, if you know how many carbs are going to be in a meal you can program it into the pump and it will give a bolus dose according to how you've set it up!.
So as you can see, they take a while to get used to but the results should appear pretty soon after you commence on the pump (ie at your next 3 month check up)!. However, you'll have to make frequent phone calls to doctors and nurses to answer any questions that you may have and do lots and lots of reading!.
Good luck, hope it works well for you!. Www@Answer-Health@Com
Because you have been diabetic for 3 years already I'm sure you have a pretty good grasp of the concepts of insulin and food intake, which are the most important aspects of using the pump!.
The advantages of using a pump is that people who work hard at their diabetes but still have unstable BG levels and suboptimal overall control (which sounds like your current problem) can experience smoother BGLs and a fall in HbA1c whilst using the pump!.
You'll also have more flexibility during the work day and you can easily adjust doses during sick days!. I'm sure this is why your very well educated endocrinologist has suggested the pump for you!
The disadvantages are more frequent blood glucose testing (you need to be prepared to do ALOT more testing) and a greater understanding of the amount of carbohydrates in the foods that you eat!. That way, if you know how many carbs are going to be in a meal you can program it into the pump and it will give a bolus dose according to how you've set it up!.
So as you can see, they take a while to get used to but the results should appear pretty soon after you commence on the pump (ie at your next 3 month check up)!. However, you'll have to make frequent phone calls to doctors and nurses to answer any questions that you may have and do lots and lots of reading!.
Good luck, hope it works well for you!. Www@Answer-Health@Com
You won't ever see an improvement if you do not gain some self-discipline!. And with an A1C of 13!.8, that shows that self-discipline is really absent!.
An A1C if 13!.8 shows that your AVERAGE blood sugar reading is about 350!!! J---C-----, you're lucky you're not in ketosis, or dead!.
It appear that you may be using insulin as a "compensation" for what you eat!. This is absolutely wrong! The goal is to keep your blood sugars as normal as possible for as long as possible!. That means STRICTLY watching of your diet, and proper application of your insulin injections -- things which the A1C clearly show that you are not doing!.
Due to the design of the pumps, most of them require that you prick your finger at least once an hour, during the hours that you are awake!. Do you have the self-disicipline to do that!? if you do not, you are going to have massive hypoglycemic reactions!. Make sure that everybody around you knows the number for 911!!!
And you must also keep exact track of what you eat!. Most pumps need adjusted every hour, based on what you ate and your finger stick readings!. if you can't develope the habit of counting yoru carbs and keeping STRICT control of your diet, you're not going to see an improvement in your blood sugar!.
Frankly, I'm a little surprised that the doctor recommended a pump!. The doctors I've worked with won't recommend a pump until the patient has a reasonably good control of their blood sugar BECAUSE the pump take a great deal of self-disicpline!.
I'm glad your doctor thinks enough of you to let you do this, but it sure sounds like you're going to have to gain some mental maturity if it is going to do any good!.
Follow the doctors orders, take the training classes, have the doctor send you to a nutritionist, AND DO WHAT THE DOCTOR SAYS!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
An A1C if 13!.8 shows that your AVERAGE blood sugar reading is about 350!!! J---C-----, you're lucky you're not in ketosis, or dead!.
It appear that you may be using insulin as a "compensation" for what you eat!. This is absolutely wrong! The goal is to keep your blood sugars as normal as possible for as long as possible!. That means STRICTLY watching of your diet, and proper application of your insulin injections -- things which the A1C clearly show that you are not doing!.
Due to the design of the pumps, most of them require that you prick your finger at least once an hour, during the hours that you are awake!. Do you have the self-disicipline to do that!? if you do not, you are going to have massive hypoglycemic reactions!. Make sure that everybody around you knows the number for 911!!!
And you must also keep exact track of what you eat!. Most pumps need adjusted every hour, based on what you ate and your finger stick readings!. if you can't develope the habit of counting yoru carbs and keeping STRICT control of your diet, you're not going to see an improvement in your blood sugar!.
Frankly, I'm a little surprised that the doctor recommended a pump!. The doctors I've worked with won't recommend a pump until the patient has a reasonably good control of their blood sugar BECAUSE the pump take a great deal of self-disicpline!.
I'm glad your doctor thinks enough of you to let you do this, but it sure sounds like you're going to have to gain some mental maturity if it is going to do any good!.
Follow the doctors orders, take the training classes, have the doctor send you to a nutritionist, AND DO WHAT THE DOCTOR SAYS!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Depends on what brand pump you get but none of them are that hard!. As long as you do proper carb counting and test regularly, you will do awesome on the pump!. I just started using one this summer and my latest A1C was 5!.8!. Now I can eat more of what I want and control my sugars better!. I saw an improvement in blood sugars within 1 week or so (that is how long it takes to get your basals set)!. They key is to test your sugars all like 8 to 10 times a day until you get your basals set right!. A basal setting is the amount of insulin the pump gives you through out the day!. A bolus is the insulin you give when you eat!. Hope this helps! Www@Answer-Health@Com
I am in the Animas pump!. This is my first pump and i've had it since February of 2007!.
Depending on what pump you are using, a instructer should come to your house and help you set up the pump!.
It might take a while to figure out what basal rate is right for you!. The basal rate is the amout of insulin that the pump realeases on a hourly basis!.
For me, it took about 1 month to get back on a normal schedule, but everyone is different!.
Besrt of luck to you, and your pump!
Www@Answer-Health@Com
Depending on what pump you are using, a instructer should come to your house and help you set up the pump!.
It might take a while to figure out what basal rate is right for you!. The basal rate is the amout of insulin that the pump realeases on a hourly basis!.
For me, it took about 1 month to get back on a normal schedule, but everyone is different!.
Besrt of luck to you, and your pump!
Www@Answer-Health@Com
i have the minimed and i love it (ok not really its a bit of a pain because i play so many sports and have to keep reataching and detaching it) but otherwise its really helpful
but heres just a thought with the fear of hypos your not going to pass out untill your blood suger is like under 20 (sports shoot my blood sugers down to their kind of more than is good and i have yet to pass out)
but ya you need to get that A1C down mine is like 7 and my doctors up my *** about it
just be carefull and stay healthyWww@Answer-Health@Com
but heres just a thought with the fear of hypos your not going to pass out untill your blood suger is like under 20 (sports shoot my blood sugers down to their kind of more than is good and i have yet to pass out)
but ya you need to get that A1C down mine is like 7 and my doctors up my *** about it
just be carefull and stay healthyWww@Answer-Health@Com
Gary B wwoah slow down bud!. We have no clue what is going on!. I do agree with you but please be calm!. To answer your !? my son has been on a pump for 4 yrs and love it!. There is slight pain sometimes but it is alot better than shots!. Please get some help setting up your pump and get those BG numbers down!. there are factors in getting BG numbers TEST TEST TEST 1 carb intake 2 exercise 3 sickness 4 liver factor 5 protein!. worry about 1&2 and 8 bg checks a day to help see where your at or get your DR to set you up w/ a CGMS for a 2 week period!. it is easy to get in over your head w/ a pump and you should see results right away if you calibrate your basals and bolusesWww@Answer-Health@Com
i dont know about insulin pumps but i would really like to!. my hba1c is 8!.0 :)Www@Answer-Health@Com