My name is Rachel. I am a 27 year old system process manager and I have been diabetic since I was 10 years old. I have recently been traumatized by starting an insulin pump. I am not one of those people who has a difficult time with diabetes. My A1C is usually from 6.9 - 7.1. I am a little chubby, but overall I am pretty healthy.
My problems began when I decided to get married. I am getting married in 3 weeks and we want to have children. My doctors and nurses at the Joslin Clinic in Boston have suggested that if I want to have children to go on the insulin pump. I want to have healthy fat babies so I have agreed to this creepy cyborg thing stuck to me.
Day 1: I was told to check my blood sugars every 3 hours, starting at midnight. I am tired cranky and have had a low blood sugar twice now since midnight. So far I say the pump sucks. I feel diseased now whereas I knew I had diabetes before, but now I feel like I have it, which hopefully makes sence to someone out there.
I am going to blog about my experience with the pump and see if my opinion changes, an if being a cyborg turns out to suck, or a good thing.
i'm going through a saline trial with the pump after 15years on shots(and in love with my shots too) and being anti-pump since my endo first suggested it years ago.
it's weird for sure and i'm not sure how i'm going to handle the pump when its actually giving me insulin and i gotta deal with the transition like you are!
Guys I think you may love it after you get used to it. When first going on it sucks. The more you read and try to learn about it, the more you will proably learn to love it.
I went off mine for about 2 trs and just recently went back on it. So awesome, my sugars went from 200-300s on a normal day.(not eating much) to eating normal amounts and sugars of 75-90 range. I'm not used to that but am loving it. My basal is 1.5 units an hour and take a bolus of 7-10 units with bigger meals or 5 units with reg meal.
I'm on sooooo much less insulin daily it just blows my socks off.
Now the weight of my medtronic 712, now thats another story. But its sooo worth it I can totally deal with it. Best of luck to you both with ur transitions. I look forward to reading your blog. ;)
i was scared to use it at first, but i have now had the pump for about 6 months, and the amount of insulin i use has gone down substantially. i used to use 34 units of lantus, i now have a basal rate of .7 units/hr (16.8 units/day). i also used to use 1 unit of insulin for every 6 cards, not its 1 for 10 and my correction used to be 1 for 15, now its 1 for 32. I was 5'8 and 105 lbs when i was diagnosed, with in 3 months, my weight went up to 160, i was so depressed about it, so i started exercising and it helped, but insulin makes you gain weight, so after starting on the pump i lost like 15 lbs in a month and have been consistent ever since, the pump has changed my life for the better, and even though it is difficult to wear it under formal dresses, or dresses in general actually, i love it!