[Subby]

Hi betty, I injected for 15 years and now on pump for 4 months.

Finger prickng - there is no difference between the two therapies here. In fact I probably take more finger tests now on the pump becuase I can effect change more easily (eg, corrective dosage with a few button presses, making a mid-afternoon test more actionable). I take between 8 and 14 tests per day. As Bluesky says it is a nuisance and non invasive forms will be great - but I think many diabetics agree that having out of control BG levels are a much bigger nuisance.

If you are talking about pumps with CGMS systems you might need to do some more hunting - people with both are around but it certainly isn't common yet due to cost and dificulty getting medical coverage. Such systems require multiple daily finger tests to calibrate the sensor, so do not negate finger pricking.

Injections:
Again talking for myself injections are a nuisance but not much more than that. I used to, and still do, hate shaving more than injecting. I never felt a stigma either. Of course for many other people injections are far worse and hopefully one of them will comment! Unfortunately, now I've been on the pump I would not see it as much better physically, but of course the stigma and most of the actual injections are removed.

With multiple injections you have the need to keep rotating sites to avoid scarification buildup under the skin. This is a bit like a war of attrition: if you are winning and managing it's ok, but if lots of useful sites get affected it can become a bigger problem. I really started to run out of effective sites as I seem to get lumpy quickly.

With pumps you put a new infusion set every 2 or 3 days. This is a large-needle guided cannula which I have to say is much more imposing than the typical MDI pen or syringe. You still have these "site" issues to contend with, although the rate of injection is much less. However, with a cannula stuck in you constantly, as you can imagine the sites can be a bigger deal. Problem infections don't seem to be an issue if you stick to 2 or 3 days maximum - but sites are often sore like a nasty pimple for a day or so after, for me. I havn't been going long enough to have a real estate problem, as it were.

With pumps there is a whole new range of livability issues that come in. Wearing it constantly, can be physical and psychological challenges. There is so much variation between people here: some people of course can't stand it, its a hindrance, reminder of their condition, etc etc. Others, like me, don't mind it because they "love" their pump - it's a burden gladly worn. Others of course fall in the middle.

One last thing I would say here - being on the pump does require being intimate with it on a daily basis.... it needs to be part of your life, mainly because many of us do find our needs change rapidly and we are need to be in a state ready to adjust settings, regularly. It is by no means "set and forget"... over a week or two for me, it's more like "set, keep an eye on, enjoy, adjust, enjoy, adjust, keep an eye on, enjoy..." Pump infusion systems have more complexity, more potential points to go wrong, to troubleshoot, etc. You need to be just as if not more patient with them! But my experience so far is that on balance they bring more ability to interact with your blood sugars, provide fine tuning, and make progress, that outweigh the negatives.