Insulin pump

canulas can cause more damage because you have something inserted in you all the time and can cause infections if you leave it in too long, which i made the mistake of doing once i had a nasty infection! also with the fatty bumps you need to be careful because your pump will sometimes not absorb the insulin and not warn you of an occlusion which has also happened to me many of times and ended up in hospital with dka, to be honest i was on injections for about 14 years and eventually didnt work for me so went on pupm which have been on for 4years now and im constanly having problems with canula sites im always changing sites but end up occluding, bending, blleding out etc its a no win situation!! sorry for the doom and gloom but could do with some advise

tcmonkey80 said:
Yes they are. I did try the top of my leg but that was painful for a few days. You always have an area that favourite site and yes mine was always lower tummy.
Have you started the pump now?

That happened to me with the saline doesn't happen with novorapid. The weirdest thing I've had is when I have taken the canula out I have bleed, little like if u hit a vein with pens. Did take my breath away lol

Sarah I totally know where your coming from. The pump is brilliant when it works ha ha wish they could make something that was full proof
My nurse wants me to try metal canula but o haven't got the nerve for them tbh.

Sarah I totally know where your coming from. The pump is brilliant when it works ha ha wish they could make something that was full proof
My nurse wants me to try metal canula but o haven't got the nerve for them tbh.

I went on to a pump last July, mainly because of problems with hypos and difficulties with exercise. Other than these issues, DAFNE had been working for me. In practical terms the pump wasn't a problem and the support from my hcps was really excellent. I mastered canulas and got to grips with calculating background basal rates and bolus amounts. I found temporary basal rates really useful for my lifestle, and extended and multi-wave boluses added a frison of excitemet! I confess I did find the minutiae of making changes to pump settings a bit tedious (with DAFNE you work it out and simply change the ratio/amount you inject, with the pump there are a range of options - which is why it's so flexible - which require some patience and perseverance, certainly in the early stages).

For me the down-side was being reminded 24/7 that I have diabetes. I found wearing the pump in bed, taking it off for showers / baths, and noticing it everytime I dropped my trousers (I know - too much information) became very wearisome. It did largely address the hypo issue, but I damaged my knee and wasn't able to properly test any benefit re. exercise. Because DAFNE had worked pretty well for me I didn't see any benefit in reduced HbA1c - in fact my HbA1c was raised over the five and a bit months of pump useage.

Eventually, after a lot of discussion with my hcps I decided to come off the pump and return to DAFNE. Again, this wasn't straightforward and it has taken just over a month to get back to roughly where I was before embarking on the pump. My hcps were incredibly supportive, and worked hard to overcome any sense of "failure" on my part. Any guilt is eased by knowing that my pump will be recycled and will give someone else the chance to benefit.

So, I suppose I'm saying what my hcps said all along. Pump therapy isn't for everyone! I am glad that I gave it a real go, but am much happier now that I'm back with DAFNE. It wasn't the practical aspects of the pump as much as the emotional effects that tipped the balance for me. Clearly pump therapy provides lots of benefits for the vast majority of those that get the chance to use it, but bear in mind that for a small number of users it doesn't work out, and it isn't the end of the world.

Good luck to anyone embarking on pumps. I'm still in touch with some of my DAFNE graduate colleagues from 2007, two of whom are now on pumps and they are really happy with the experience.

Stew

@novorapidboi26,

Hope all goes well starting the pump on insulin today

Hi stewb,
Thanks for your post, its nice to know im not alone feeling I cant cope with the pump. The only reason I have the pump is for pre pregnancy, I know this is something to really aim for but to be honest I am struggling

Sarahfergo, when u say messed up are you have the whole fatty lumps? I guess in the long ru the pump isnt great then?

Derek Brown said:
@novorapidboi26,

Hope all goes well starting the pump on insulin today