Insulin Pump Users

Has anyone tried and what were your impressions? I’m Going to be
trying it in the next month or so.

Today is my ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY on the Pump!!! I can’t imagine EVER going
back!

I was diagnosed at the age of 5 years back in 1960. I clearly remember
the old glass needles. Most scary back then. The tubes the tablets were
put in,then urine to see just how much sugar was being spilled. What I
do remember using test tape. Much like a tape dispencer. My first meter
was about the size of a paperback novel. Accucheck, I think.
I don’t think back then they did a1c’s like they do now. Used to have
to go
every 3 months to children’s hospital in Philadelphia for check ups,and
then have blood drawn from glass needles. Also remember the u-40 beef
and pork insulins too.
We certainly all have come a long way.
Kathy Buchecker.

The FDA has approved the long term basal insulin from
Aventis Pharmaceutical. This is a onetime daily injection
that has a slower and more prolonged absorption. This
gives a relatively constant concentration overtime for
twenty-four hours with no pronounced peak of activity.

It has somewhat higher discomfort at the injection site
but this does not seem to have any other significant
problems.

This is our first true basal insulin. We will see how it works.
What this seems to suggest is that it could act as we had
long hoped that ultralente would. As some refer or to it.
"the poor man’s insulin pump".

(more…)

Hi all,

Another oldie, ben injecting since 1951 when I was 4. Things sure
have changed - but was a good excuse at school then if you didn’t
want to do an exam - put you head down on the desk and the teacher
panicked because you were the only diabetic in the school and sent
you to the nurses office!! Been on the pump for 3 months now, still
not perfect at if but getting there. Have a question though, I have
had the HCA1 (or whater they are called that are done every three
months) and have never really worried about the results as before the
pump my BSL’s went from 1.7 to 30.00 sometimes in one day, but am
trying to find out and have had very little success in what the
results actually mean.

Have been told by about 4 emails that it reads the no. of high BSL’s
(more…)

Wow, guys, thanks for all the "shower" replies! This is so cool, having
real-life people to ask practical questions.

The discussion of how things USED to be took me back to 1959, when I was
diagnosed at age 3, and the way to check sugars was to collect a test
tube of urine, drop a tablet in it and wait for the color to change.
Blue meant "negative," purple meant "high sugar." That was it.

Then in the 60s, a tremendous breakthrough: TesTape, which you’d peel
off a roll like Scotch tape and dip in urine — the darker the green
color, the higher the sugar.

Now I feel like one of those codgers who used to hike to school ten
miles in the snow uphill both ways!

(more…)

How would food poisening effect your glucose levels. Looks like I got
a bad batch of baked clams last night and have been sick all day.
Headache, nausea, vommiting, the whole nine yards. I know it is food
poisening cause the person I went with is sick to. My levels are off
the board, I just pulled the set and I’m finaly feeling better now. =)

Frank

Hi Laurie,
Glad you are being able to go on the 508. I’m thinking also of going
on the same one. Doctor thinks I will do better with the new type
instead of the 507.
I f you don’t want to use the quick release on the pump, you could
get the long length of tubing and have it hang over the side of the tub

and set the pump on a small foot stool.
I haven’t found a difference in my readings after un doing the
pump. What I sometimes do is test when I hook back up,and if
it does seem to get high, then I would adjust it. But there hasn’t been
any problems so far. I too like to stay in the shower for a good 30
minutes
or so. The same with swimming in the summer time. Just check sugars
when you hook back up. Hope this has helped in some way.
(more…)

Okay, it looks like I’m gonna get set up with the MiniMed 508…still
doing all the paperwork and pre-training. But one question came up that
I wanted to run by more experienced folks:

The educator says I can take the pump off while in the shower, because
in five minutes I’d only miss a fraction of a unit of insulin. But I’ve
been known to stay in there for as long as half an hour, and didn’t
think to ask — IS there a big difference between missing 5 and 30
minutes worth of insulin?

Anybody?

Laurie, who loves reading in the bathtub

Hi Gang,
I will be no mail for about nine days starting tonight. Will be gone on
vacation. I would appreciate if something is posted I should know that
someone save it and forward it to me when I get back.
Will miss all of you.
Gail