Hello!
Hello,
I just signed up for the group. My name is Julia, I am 29 and have been a
type 1 diabetic for over 21 years. My husband is in the navy, and we have 5
children so far, whom we homeschool.
I will be starting pump training on Friday. In all honesty I know very
little about the pump. For the most part I have been very blessed and had a
very easy time of controlling things. Within the last couple years it has
not been quite as good, but nothing devastating. Recently however I have
been experiencing far to many lows and within the last 2 months my morning
sugars began to creep up to unacceptable levels. After several weeks of
trying to figure it out on my own I went to my PCM and he also tried a few
things, but to no avail. He asked me then if I had considered a pump, and I
told him no I hadn’t.
He then referred me to endocrinology, which I saw last Friday. After
learning a bit more about me, how I managed my diabetes and what my
lifestyle was like, Endo said the pump sounded ideal for me if I was
interested. I was a bit hesitant, most of it sounds great, but there are a
few things I am not so sure about. My husband and I looked over the
materials I was given. He was very excited and said he thought it sounded
perfect for me and I would probably love it. Still I was a bit unsure,
however after another bout of low blood sugars over the weekend I decided to
call on Monday and get things started.
At this point I am not sure what to expect. About the only thing I know is I
will be getting one of the Disetronic pumps, I am leaning toward the D-tron.
I have no idea when they will actually send me home with a pump. From what I
gather though it will not be long, basically as soon as I can work it, so
maybe by my second or third training session. Today I plan on going out and
getting the book Pumping Insulin as well as a carb content book. They
started me on carb counting during my visit last Friday.
Guess I’ll wrap up this book now. : )
God bless,
Julia
December 31st, 2006 at 10:15 am
Julia,
Welcome to the list! I remember taking a year to decide on pumping - and that
was with a pump the size of a checkbook box! Quite a few things have evolved
since that time close to two decades ago.
I’m am sending The Top 10 Reasons to Pump written by another pumper (37 yrs
DM, pumping 1 year):
1. I can sleep until noon on the weekends without doing anything special and
when I wake up I’m 115.
2. I can skip a meal, eat later, eat earlier, or eat sporadically all the
live-long-day and just change my boluses.
3. I can give an exact amount of insulin (tenths of units aren’t available
with shots).
4. I can decide to exercise at the spur of the moment and just change my basal
rate without having a severe hypo
5. I can decide what I’m going to eat when I see it instead of trying to
predict what I’m going to feel like eating four hours from now.
6. I don’t have ANY night hypo’s anymore. (I used to pop out of bed 4-5 times
per week).
7. I don’t have daily hypos anymore & I don’t have to stay over 150 in order
to do it.
8. I don’t get headaches all the time from the roller coaster of going from
387 to 43 in one afternoon.
9. No brainer: no more shots.
10. I feel good/optimistic about tight control for the first time EVER.
BTW, Julia, did you bear all 5 of your children? I admire you no matter how
they came into your household! (~_^)
December 31st, 2006 at 8:42 pm
Welcome to the group Julia!
I am Sheena Ratz, I have had diabetes for about 3 years and have been on the
pump since May 1st 2000.
The pump was one of the best choices I ever made in my diabetic life.
No one knows that much befor they start pump training.. It’ll come.
Again, Welcome.
Sheena Ratz
January 1st, 2007 at 10:00 am
I have the HTRON Plus V100. I would love to chat about it if you would like.
Hello,
I just signed up for the group. My name is Julia, I am 29 and have been a
type 1 diabetic for over 21 years. My husband is in the navy, and we have 5
children so far, whom we homeschool.
I will be starting pump training on Friday. In all honesty I know very
little about the pump. For the most part I have been very blessed and had a
very easy time of controlling things. Within the last couple years it has
not been quite as good, but nothing devastating. Recently however I have
been experiencing far to many lows and within the last 2 months my morning
sugars began to creep up to unacceptable levels. After several weeks of
trying to figure it out on my own I went to my PCM and he also tried a few
things, but to no avail. He asked me then if I had considered a pump, and I
told him no I hadn’t.
He then referred me to endocrinology, which I saw last Friday. After
learning a bit more about me, how I managed my diabetes and what my
lifestyle was like, Endo said the pump sounded ideal for me if I was
interested. I was a bit hesitant, most of it sounds great, but there are a
few things I am not so sure about. My husband and I looked over the
materials I was given. He was very excited and said he thought it sounded
perfect for me and I would probably love it. Still I was a bit unsure,
however after another bout of low blood sugars over the weekend I decided to
call on Monday and get things started.
At this point I am not sure what to expect. About the only thing I know is I
will be getting one of the Disetronic pumps, I am leaning toward the D-tron.
I have no idea when they will actually send me home with a pump. From what I
gather though it will not be long, basically as soon as I can work it, so
maybe by my second or third training session. Today I plan on going out and
getting the book Pumping Insulin as well as a carb content book. They
started me on carb counting during my visit last Friday.
Guess I’ll wrap up this book now. : )
God bless,
Julia
January 3rd, 2007 at 2:38 am
— In Insulinpumpusers@y…, "J Hughey" <jhughey@c…> wrote:
> I’m am sending The Top 10 Reasons to Pump written by another pumper
<g> Those sound like msny of the good reasons to use ones I have been
told! I hope they end up being true for me too.
> BTW, Julia, did you bear all 5 of your children? I admire you no
matter how
> they came into your household! (~_^)
No, I didn’t help make all of them only 3. : ) We have 4 girls (12,
11, 9, and 2) and one lone little boy who is 4. Our desire to have
more children (I know most people think we are a little crazy <g>) is
another big reason I have decided to give the pump a try. Pregnancy
was always so frustrating and difficult to deal with, and I have been
told being on a pump makes things much easier. I know it won’t make
it perfect, but I think it will definitely put me ahead of the game
if we are able to have another baby.
Julia
January 3rd, 2007 at 10:46 am
— In Insulinpumpusers@y…, "Sheena Ratz" <minimed508girl@h…>
wrote:
> I am Sheena Ratz, I have had diabetes for about 3 years and have
Hi Sheena,
In many ways I feel like I am learning everything all over again.
It’s been so long since I was diagnosed! For me it had always been
the exchange diet, can’t eat this, don’t have that. Now so much of
that has changed.
I can recall years ago the doctors used to get all over me when I
would take extra insulin when I knew I would be in a situation where
I might eat more than normal, such as a birthday party etc. Now using
a bolus before meals seems to be the way to go!
After really avoiding doctors and the healthcare system for so long I
am very thrilled to find they are much more open and flexible in the
approach to care, and much more positive about diabetes in general.
It gives me a lot of hope. : )
Julia
January 3rd, 2007 at 7:32 pm
I find that many still aren’t up-to-date in their methods. Frustrating. Also,
some of the hardest people to convince you can eat something are other DMers.
Many think taking insulin to cover what you eat is an absolute sin. But, if a
person who is not a DMer (I refuse to call them *normal* cuz sometimes I think
I’m more normal than they are) eats anything, their pancreas will produce
insulin to cover it. We cover it with insulin too. A carb is a carb is a carb.
(~_^)
January 4th, 2007 at 3:01 am
— In Insulinpumpusers@y…, "Catie Andrews" <catie@e…> wrote:
> I have the HTRON Plus V100. I would love to chat about it if you
would like.
Hi Catie,
Yes I would enjoy that, seems the majority of pump users I have run
across appear to use the Minimed pumps.
As far as I know I don’t really have much choice in which pump I
get. The information I got from the Naval Hospital was for the
Disetronic pumps which I think is all they issue. From what I have
read though the Disetronic pumps look like good pumps.
I should know more about what I can get tomorrow after I come back
from my first training.
Julia
January 5th, 2007 at 11:21 am
Hi Catie,
Yes I would enjoy that, seems the majority of pump users I have run
across appear to use the Minimed pumps.
As far as I know I don’t really have much choice in which pump I
get. The information I got from the Naval Hospital was for the
Disetronic pumps which I think is all they issue. From what I have
read though the Disetronic pumps look like good pumps.
I should know more about what I can get tomorrow after I come back
from my first training.
Julia
January 9th, 2007 at 9:51 pm
Hi Julia: Welcome to the list, and don’t worry, we’re all with you. I
would check out both the H-tron and D-tron and see if you really need all the
features. Will you be happy with "an SUV" or a "Cadillac". I like the
H-tron because it’s relatively simple. No, it doesn’t have a square wave
bolus, but it does have temporary bolus features which can be just as helpful
once you get the hang of it…..Joan:)
January 16th, 2007 at 3:35 am
> H-tron because it’s relatively simple. No, it doesn’t have a square wave
> bolus, but it does have temporary bolus features which can be just as
helpful
Thanks for the support!
One of the biggest reasons I am leaning toward the D-tron is because I will
be able to upload my information to the Disetronic site, along with readings
from my glucose meter and track everything online. For me that will be a big
plus and make it easier for me to log what’s going on. I already have a
program that came with my meter which tracks my sugars, but I have to enter
all insulin information by hand.
I did read somewhere that the D-tron has an "extended bolus" which I think
might be like the Square Wave. How does the temporary bolus feature on the
H-tron work?
Julia
January 18th, 2007 at 5:11 pm
<<
I did read somewhere that the D-tron has an "extended bolus" which I think
might be like the Square Wave. How does the temporary bolus feature on the
H-tron work?
Julia >>
Hi Julia: the temporary bolus is initiated when you stop the running of the
pump and then hit the "m" button. The rate is adjusted up or down by
percentage points. It will last 11 hours. I’ve used it with the "heavy"
meal that’s going to take longer than normal to be metabolized.
Read John Walsh’s Pumping Insulin….it’s your best reference, and good luck
with the D-tron….Joan:)
January 19th, 2007 at 11:45 pm
Cadillac!! I love those just bought one in December and it’s fantastic.
LOL
fp
> features. Will you be happy with "an SUV" or a "Cadillac". I like the
> H-tron because it’s relatively simple. No, it doesn’t have a square wave