Has Anyone Started Pumping, Then Quit?

[belyro]

I've been reading a lot posts lately from people who seem to loooove pumping. I'm considering it, and I want to know both sides of the story.

So....is there anyone out there who started pumping and then decided it wasn't for them and quit (or is thinking of quitting)? If so, why?

Do tell.....

[JediSkipdogg]

There are quite a few people that quit. Depending on the reason, sometimes I get upset as it's one reason healthcare dollars are so high. I have thought of quitting, but never have.

The reason I know alot quit that is a VALID reason, is that they are having numerous site problems. It can either be from they are just too skinny to pump, or they leave sets in too long and build up scar tissue, or their body just doesn't like them.

Then there are the ones that quit because they don't like being attached to it 24/7. Personally, that's what calling a company up and trying it out for a week is.

But if a person has a pump for a month, then quits, that just drives me crazy.

[belyro]

There are quite a few people that quit. Depending on the reason, sometimes I get upset as it's one reason healthcare dollars are so high. I have thought of quitting, but never have.

The reason I know alot quit that is a VALID reason, is that they are having numerous site problems. It can either be from they are just too skinny to pump, or they leave sets in too long and build up scar tissue, or their body just doesn't like them.

Then there are the ones that quit because they don't like being attached to it 24/7. Personally, that's what calling a company up and trying it out for a week is.

But if a person has a pump for a month, then quits, that just drives me crazy.


How long does it take to get used to it?

[JediSkipdogg]

How long does it take to get used to it?

No time at all, less than a week. Just takes time learning how to fully use it, get it set up for you, and then figuring out where to put it with what you wear and when you sleep.

[spike]

Jedi, every stat I've ever seen on pump dropouts cites very low figures. why are you saying "lots"? Percentage wise, it's a very small percentage. I tried to find a cite just now, but couldn't. I do remember reading about the stats and it is a small pecentage who give up pumping.

some folks try it on a lark, because it's free

others have site problems that can't be resolved to their satisfaction

others dont' need to pump--their control on MDI is "good enough

others don't like being tethered (something that never bothers me)

[parrotletzoo]

I quit, but I moved on to bigger and better things like donor islets. :-

that being said, I loved my pump when i was on it, just not enough to say no to a transplant when it was available.

[ramrummy]

There are quite a few people that quit. Depending on the reason, sometimes I get upset as it's one reason healthcare dollars are so high. I have thought of quitting, but never have.

The reason I know alot quit that is a VALID reason, is that they are having numerous site problems. It can either be from they are just too skinny to pump, or they leave sets in too long and build up scar tissue, or their body just doesn't like them.

Then there are the ones that quit because they don't like being attached to it 24/7. Personally, that's what calling a company up and trying it out for a week is.

But if a person has a pump for a month, then quits, that just drives me crazy.

A bit strong I think. Here we don't have trials, and we have to pay (or our health companies that we contribute to do) and its about $8000, so we think long and hard about the pump. Pumps are expensive because they are newish. More health dollars are wasted looking after people who don't look after their diabetes. I dont think that you can blame people who quit the pump.

I don't think anyone sets out to quit, people might think that they can cope with being attached (in theory), and then find out they can't handle it - it's not a crime to admit you can't do something and if you have paid for the pump, then it's your loss. The cost of the techonology is so great that people are put through so many hoops and that is also why there are so many people on this forum complaining that its so hard to get a pump. I dont think that there would be many who went through all this and then quit, but if they did, that's their choice.

All reasons are valid if you can justify it to yourself.

My son has been on the pump for about 6 weeks and its been very hard work, his BGLs still swing from extreme to extreme, only a little less and not so radical. He is lean and it hurts to put a site change in, but he gets over it quickly and the great thing is that corrections can be made easily.

There are a lot of people on this forum who promote the pump, because it works for them and thats great, but I have a husband who would never contemplate a pump as he is fine with the needles. We have the pump for my son only for improved control, but if he chose to come off the pump, my only concern is for his well being, emotionally and physically, and the cost would come second.

[JediSkipdogg]

Jedi, every stat I've ever seen on pump dropouts cites very low figures. why are you saying "lots"?

I never said lots, I just said quite a bit. Yes, it's a small percentage, but it's not a low number either, not like 5 a year.

[spike]

I quit, but I moved on to bigger and better things like donor islets. :-

that being said, I loved my pump when i was on it, just not enough to say no to a transplant when it was available.

:) Your reason for quitting is the best!

[duck]

Jedi, every stat I've ever seen on pump dropouts cites very low figures. why are you saying "lots"? Percentage wise, it's a very small percentage. I tried to find a cite just now, but couldn't. I do remember reading about the stats and it is a small pecentage who give up pumping.

some folks try it on a lark, because it's free

others have site problems that can't be resolved to their satisfaction

others dont' need to pump--their control on MDI is "good enough

others don't like being tethered (something that never bothers me)

I agree...I wouldn't say "quite a few", but I do know of two turn coats here: jen_slc and Mark-TN...There's another but I can't remember off the top of my head...





(oh, and I think the world of both turn coats, actually) :-

[belyro]

I quit, but I moved on to bigger and better things like donor islets. :-

that being said, I loved my pump when i was on it, just not enough to say no to a transplant when it was available.

How are the islets working for you? How about the anti-rejection drugs? I'm so interested in this, but so scared of getting my hopes up.

[RLK]

How long does it take to get used to it?

For me, getting used to pushing buttons and being attached only took a week or so. The suggestion to wear a trial pump if possible is a good one. Getting my basal rates and carb ratios nailed down took forever (ok, about 6 months). As you contemplate pumping, please keep in mind that it may take a little while to iron out the wrinkles- just like it did when you first started insulin. A good pump trainer or CDE is worth their weight in gold during this process, and of course there's lots of experienced, helpful folks here at DF.

Good luck with your decision!

[momof6]

How are the islets working for you? How about the anti-rejection drugs? I'm so interested in this, but so scared of getting my hopes up.

I'd like to hear more too!! I didn't know they were doing this on humans yet!!

[JediSkipdogg]

I'd like to hear more too!! I didn't know they were doing this on humans yet!!

They've been doing it since about the year 2000 on humans. It's all still considered trials though which is why only one or two places in the entire country do it.

[Funnygrl]

They've been doing it since about the year 2000 on humans. It's all still considered trials though which is why only one or two places in the entire country do it.
I'm pretty sure there are more like 10 places doing it. I can think of three off the top of my head. But for some of them you need to have already had a kidney transplant.

[dgrilli]

The only way that I would quit pumping is when they prye it from my cold dead hands.


That is how superior the pump is over MDI. My Opinion of Course.

[Dobson]

It took me about two or three days to get used to being attached to it. When I first hooked everything up, I was extremely cautious. I thought I would bump into something and break the pump. Within a few days, you won't notice it.

It's the best diabetes-related decision I've ever made.

[DeusXM]

I'd like to hear more too!! I didn't know they were doing this on humans yet!!

Essentially the problem of transplanting islet cells has been cracked. Surgeons are now quite capable of transplanting islet cells without any major problems.

The issue though isn't with the actual transplanting; it's the getting the transplant, and keeping it going. Even with anti-rejection drugs, the transplanted islet cells still eventually die off, and most people who've had transplants still need to inject a basal insulin.

That's why stem cell research is so promising - theoretically it means we would be able to grow islet cells that won't need anti-rejection drugs. Although there's still a lot of work to be done on that, and there's also the aside that even cloned islet cells will be destroyed by the same mechanism that caused T1 in the first place. But they've got a drug for that too now, which is currently in testing stages, along with another drug that stimulates islet cell growth.

[Tricia452008]

there are some great pros to going on the pump....personally for me i would NOt go on it because i hate having something attached to me 24/7...

but i have heard of soo many people who are on it and love it...i would personally test it out before seriously considering it. But you may love it too...you will never know until you try.

[spike]

....personally for me i would NOt go on it because i hate having something attached to me 24/7...
.

Tricia, I have to ask the obvious question: what did you have attached to you 24/7 that you makes you say you hate it? :)

[Sweet&Sour]

I was more worried about it being to convenient when I decided to go on it
in(2001)... Being able to eat when and what I wanted...At that time it was covered 100% by my insurance, since then my insurance has changed and has such a high deductible and and low cap that I am determining going back to MDI,as my cost for a new pump(512 died) that they only want to pay 2500 and supplies for it for the year is 1600 that I have to pay,(as deduct is 2000) is just to costly for me at this time..I am not dealing well with this at all as having a busy schedule my pump allows this, and with the MDI, it is going to be harder to control.
I find it ridiculous how insurance companies can consider a pump and supplies DME equipment and are able to put such a high deductible, and caps,on them even though it is diabetes management...

[Tricia452008]

hahah nothing because i am not on the pump....what i am saying is after what my docs said it was not something I wanted to try...i feel better on my pens anyway

[JediSkipdogg]

I find it ridiculous how insurance companies can consider a pump and supplies DME equipment and are able to put such a high deductible, and caps,on them even though it is diabetes management...

That's the same thing one of those IV machines and pretty much all home machines fall under. It's because it's very easy for one machine to go over what they make in a year or 5 years for what you/your work pays in premiums. If every diabetic received a pump, insurance rates would most likely double just from that purchase.

[Sweet&Sour]

That's the same thing one of those IV machines and pretty much all home machines fall under. It's because it's very easy for one machine to go over what they make in a year or 5 years for what you/your work pays in premiums. If every diabetic received a pump, insurance rates would most likely double just from that purchase.


Understandable,exept for the fact that if I have to go back to MDI, I will be costing them more money in the long run, as everything will fall under prescription plan so I will only be paying copays, and there is also more room for error in ending up in hospital....My plan pays nothing until my 2000 deduct then they have a 2500 cap so what are they payin for?If I didnt have to get a new pump they would contribute nothing except insulin,and strips towards my management.I beleive that is why it is harder to get a pump now..

[spike]

I was more worried about it being to convenient when I decided to go on it
in(2001)... Being able to eat when and what I wanted...At that time it was covered 100% by my insurance, since then my insurance has changed and has such a high deductible and and low cap that I am determining going back to MDI,as my cost for a new pump(512 died) that they only want to pay 2500 and supplies for it for the year is 1600 that I have to pay,(as deduct is 2000) is just to costly for me at this time..I am not dealing well with this at all as having a busy schedule my pump allows this, and with the MDI, it is going to be harder to control.
I find it ridiculous how insurance companies can consider a pump and supplies DME equipment and are able to put such a high deductible, and caps,on them even though it is diabetes management...


We had low DME coverage last year, so I encouraged my wife to complain to management at her 100+ employee company. They listened and upped our DME coverage to 5K, making our OOP just $449 for a new pump. By the time I got my $500 trade in allowance and ordered a few supplies, I got a $2 CREDIT on my account. She also received a new pump this year under the better coverage plan. :)

ie it never hurts to ask your employer to change their DME coverage.

[Sweet&Sour]

I already have that request in, MM says that I should have no cap becuz of a Az mandate but UHC is not abiding by it, Our sales rep is researching it,as of yesterday was calling headquarters of UHC,They reprocessed my claim but now are stating MM is not in network (duh)..I am looking forward to my new career and new insurance!!!!(4 months)

[belyro]

This U.S. Insurance lingo has me all befuddled.

[Funnygrl]

I was more worried about it being to convenient when I decided to go on it
in(2001)... Being able to eat when and what I wanted...At that time it was covered 100% by my insurance, since then my insurance has changed and has such a high deductible and and low cap that I am determining going back to MDI,as my cost for a new pump(512 died) that they only want to pay 2500 and supplies for it for the year is 1600 that I have to pay,(as deduct is 2000) is just to costly for me at this time..I am not dealing well with this at all as having a busy schedule my pump allows this, and with the MDI, it is going to be harder to control.
I find it ridiculous how insurance companies can consider a pump and supplies DME equipment and are able to put such a high deductible, and caps,on them even though it is diabetes management...
My insurance did consider my pump diabetes supplies. I had the same $10 copay I had for strips, insulin, lancets, a meter, or syringes.

[parrotletzoo]

belyro,,

Islets are doing great. My blood sugars are good for the most part. If I over do the carbs my bs will go up to around 160s at 2hrs post prandial but it always comes back down by 3-4hrs p.p and my drs don't seem concerned about it. My nsulin levels are good it just takes me longer for the islets to catch up to what I'm eating. kind of like a lot of ppl with pre-diabetes.

As far as the anti-rejection meds go, I've only had a couple of minor side effects. One is mouth ulcers. I've have very few of them but wow they hurt for a couple of days. Another is minor anemia, which shows up in bloodwork but hasn't effected my energy levels. and the last one is leg cramps which the doctors aren't positive is caused by the antirejection meds. I"m on lipitor which also causes leg cramps so they're looking into it.

over all I'm happy with the results. We'll see where I'm at in a couple of months. who know. there are no guarantees ;) if all else fails I'll go back on my pump

[rzrbks]

belyro

This U.S. Insurance lingo has me all befuddled.

Same for most people too.


I'd like to hear more too!! I didn't know they were doing this on humans yet!!

Actually, there is some question as to whether the proceedure HAS been done on real people :rofl:


there are some great pros to going on the pump....personally for me i would NOt go on it because i hate having something attached to me 24/7...

I am SO glad that not everybody has to be the same, or even think/believe the same. What a DULL world it would be if we were.

[jen_slc]

Hi Bethany,

yup, I'm a turncoat, :wavey:, I pumped for about 7 years (from age ~17-24). Before pumping I was doing MDI (Ultralente & Humalog) and when I stopped pumping I went back to MDI but this time with Lantus and Humalog. That was almost 4 years ago. Since then I've switched to Novolog and then again to Apidra and I have never once regretted my decision to stop pumping.

I loved my pump for about 6 of the 7 years I was pumping. It was perfect for life during college - less to worry about, a whole lot more convenient, etc, etc. But the problem I had was the lack of sites to insert my infusion sets. I couldn't use my arms being on my own and inserting the sets in my legs was way too painful and uncomfortable. So I was pretty much limited to my abdomen/hip/butt area, which sucked because that's the part of me with the least amount of fat. After 6 years of inserting sets around my waist, I built up a lot of scar tissue, even with proper rotation of sites and changing out sets every 2 days. Scar tissue = bad absorption & pain.

It became more and more difficult to inject sets because of the pain and the force needed to get the set into my skin - half the time they wouldn't even go in all the way, and that was using the automatic self-serter contraptions! I like to think that I have (had) a high tolerance for pain, I think we all do here, given what we have to put up with, but I don't think I can describe the intensity of this pain properly - it was incredible. It would have me curled up in a fetal position on the floor crying and bleeding all over the place. "Gushers" are going to happen every once in a while when you take out a set, but it happened to me with increasing frequency until it happened every time. I got scared to change out my set, so I would prolong my sets as long as I could, and of course that didn't help things! It would take me sometimes an hour to psyche myself up to insert another one. Just thinking about that action makes me cringe and pull my body away.

After my dad witnessed one of my nasty set-changing moments and how much distress it brought me, he suggested I talk to my endo about coming off it. That thought had never occurred to me - that I could be allowed to stop. I thought I would have a lot of resistance from my diabetes team, but it was exactly the opposite. I went into my appt with my pump and came out with Lantus and Humalog, no big deal.

I was so much happier after that and my A1c came down - I could never get it below ~7.5 the whole time I was pumping. I know it sounds ridiculous to be happier injecting 8 times a day rather than once every 2 days, but I am. I am not afraid of the short thin syringes like I'm afraid of sets, and I can use all of my normal injection sites, not just my abdomen. Ok, life isn't as convenient as it once was, but it's better for me this way. And I don't mind shooting up. My absorption is much better, thankfully the skin around my abdomen/hip/butt has recovered and my A1c is doing well (6.6).

I can honestly say that I am 99.999999% certain I will never pump again. I still have the pump, it was a Minimed Paradigm, just in case. But I seriously doubt it. I'm too scarred, both figuratively and literally, LOL. Because of the problems I experienced, I came to hate my pump and subsequently hated being tethered to it 24/7. During my good pumping years, I didn't mind the tethering too much (I thought it was cool at first), but even the possibility of better control isn't enough for some people to be tethered like that. Lantus isn't perfect and I know the pump could address some of my control issues, but oh well, too bad! :D I'm sticking with it.

So...after all that, I hope I haven't scared the life out of you... I really would recommend trying the pump for anyone because it can be life-changing. Just not for me. And Mark-TN here. And my old endo who was diabetic and stopped pumping too (but didn't know it at the time), he was the one who put me on the pump in the first place. But there are individuals, albeit it's a small percentage (3%?), for whom it won't work. I mean, that's a possibility for everything in life, right?

[KickStart101]

Hi Jen: I'm not on the pump but thanks for saying your peace.
My 2nd Cousin agrees with you wholeheartedly. He tried his
darndest to accomplish the pump to get better control. After
2 1/2 yrs. he finally dumped his Animas pump. He's on Lantus
and Humalog and Happier now. Technlogy is not for everyone,
I guess. His pump is still available to his 2 younger Diabetic
Brothers. The middle one seems to like his okay although the
younger one isn't ready for a pump yet.

[spike]

Hi Bethany,

yup, I'm a turncoat, :wavey:, I pumped for about 7 years (from age ~17-24). Before pumping I was doing MDI (Ultralente & Humalog) and when I stopped pumping I went back to MDI but this time with Lantus and Humalog. That was almost 4 years ago. Since then I've switched to Novolog and then again to Apidra and I have never once regretted my decision to stop pumping.

I loved my pump for about 6 of the 7 years I was pumping. It was perfect for life during college - less to worry about, a whole lot more convenient, etc, etc. But the problem I had was the lack of sites to insert my infusion sets. I couldn't use my arms being on my own and inserting the sets in my legs was way too painful and uncomfortable. So I was pretty much limited to my abdomen/hip/butt area, which sucked because that's the part of me with the least amount of fat. After 6 years of inserting sets around my waist, I built up a lot of scar tissue, even with proper rotation of sites and changing out sets every 2 days. Scar tissue = bad absorption & pain.

Not everyone who pumps develops significant scar tissue. I'm almost up to my 11th year and I've got almost none. I had hardened spots on my abdomen from doing MDI with Regular and Lente (both Purified Pork) for 18 years. All those spots have resolved over time since I began pumping in 1996.


It became more and more difficult to inject sets because of the pain and the force needed to get the set into my skin - half the time they wouldn't even go in all the way, and that was using the automatic self-serter contraptions!

Sure-T sets slide in effortlessly, identical to the ease of a modern syringe. Cannula type sets are .026" and Sure-T's are a slim .016" in diameter.

I like to think that I have (had) a high tolerance for pain, I think we all do here, given what we have to put up with, but I don't think I can describe the intensity of this pain properly - it was incredible. It would have me curled up in a fetal position on the floor crying and bleeding all over the place. "Gushers" are going to happen every once in a while when you take out a set, but it happened to me with increasing frequency until it happened every time. I got scared to change out my set, so I would prolong my sets as long as I could, and of course that didn't help things! It would take me sometimes an hour to psyche myself up to insert another one. Just thinking about that action makes me cringe and pull my body away.

Geez, what kind of sets were you using, anyway??


After my dad witnessed one of my nasty set-changing moments and how much distress it brought me, he suggested I talk to my endo about coming off it. That thought had never occurred to me - that I could be allowed to stop. I thought I would have a lot of resistance from my diabetes team, but it was exactly the opposite. I went into my appt with my pump and came out with Lantus and Humalog, no big deal.

I was so much happier after that and my A1c came down - I could never get it below ~7.5 the whole time I was pumping. I know it sounds ridiculous to be happier injecting 8 times a day rather than once every 2 days, but I am. I am not afraid of the short thin syringes like I'm afraid of sets, and I can use all of my normal injection sites, not just my abdomen. Ok, life isn't as convenient as it once was, but it's better for me this way. And I don't mind shooting up. My absorption is much better, thankfully the skin around my abdomen/hip/butt has recovered and my A1c is doing well (6.6).

I can honestly say that I am 99.999999% certain I will never pump again. I still have the pump, it was a Minimed Paradigm, just in case. But I seriously doubt it. I'm too scarred, both figuratively and literally, LOL. Because of the problems I experienced, I came to hate my pump and subsequently hated being tethered to it 24/7. During my good pumping years, I didn't mind the tethering too much (I thought it was cool at first), but even the possibility of better control isn't enough for some people to be tethered like that. Lantus isn't perfect and I know the pump could address some of my control issues, but oh well, too bad! :D I'm sticking with it.

So...after all that, I hope I haven't scared the life out of you... I really would recommend trying the pump for anyone because it can be life-changing. Just not for me. And Mark-TN here. And my old endo who was diabetic and stopped pumping too (but didn't know it at the time), he was the one who put me on the pump in the first place. But there are individuals, albeit it's a small percentage (3%?), for whom it won't work. I mean, that's a possibility for everything in life, right?

No question, pumping isn't for everyone. Some, like yourself had a lot of issues with the sets. Now that more sets are available, current pumpers have a better chance of finding a set that's ideal for them.





see in line comments in bold

[dgrilli]

Looks like there was a Happy Pumper for at least 5 years.

I loved my pump for about 6 of the 7 years I was pumping. It was perfect for life during college - less to worry about, a whole lot more convenient, etc, etc. But the problem I had was the lack of sites to insert my infusion sets. I couldn't use my arms being on my own and inserting the sets in my legs was way too painful and uncomfortable. So I was pretty much limited to my abdomen/hip/butt area, which sucked because that's the part of me with the least amount of fat. After 6 years of inserting sets around my waist, I built up a lot of scar tissue, even with proper rotation of sites and changing out sets every 2 days. Scar tissue = bad absorption & pain.


I wonder if this is common for pumpers to obtain these problems?

I was thinking of the scar tissue build up.

[spike]

Looks like there was a Happy Pumper for at least 5 years.



I wonder if this is common for pumpers to obtain these problems?

I was thinking of the scar tissue build up.

Think of how different one person is to the next when it comes to scars, bruising, etc. Some will bruise at the slightest provocation, while others need quite a trauma to bruise. Others, when wounds heal, develop keloids. Same thing with scarring from pumping.

Don't assume that everyone is going to develop intractable scarring problems from years of pumping--they aren't. SOME will.

[Funnygrl]

Geez, what kind of sets were you using, anyway??

Sounds like silhouettes to me!

[spike]

Sounds like silhouettes to me!

That's what I was thinking too. <g>

[jen_slc]

Geez, what kind of sets were you using, anyway??

I used quick-sets and sof-sets, the 6mm cannulas. I think I maybe tried out the Silhouette's but I didn't end up using them because they didn't offer any improvement. I believed that my diabetes team offered me every possible set out there to test and hopefully find a good fit but none of them were any good. Maybe there are more sets available today that would work beautifully for me but though I still have my old pump, the whole experience left a bad taste in my mouth and I still hate it. I'm not willing to go back to that.

Bethany, there's no way to know exactly how your body will deal with a constant infusion, but most people do fine, I mean, look at all the happy pumpers here! The odds are definitely in your favor.

[spike]

I used quick-sets and sof-sets, the 6mm cannulas. I think I maybe tried out the Silhouette's but I didn't end up using them because they didn't offer any improvement. I believed that my diabetes team offered me every possible set out there to test and hopefully find a good fit but none of them were any good. Maybe there are more sets available today that would work beautifully for me but though I still have my old pump, the whole experience left a bad taste in my mouth and I still hate it. I'm not willing to go back to that.

Bethany, there's no way to know exactly how your body will deal with a constant infusion, but most people do fine, I mean, look at all the happy pumpers here! The odds are definitely in your favor.

I absolutely understand where u are coming from on the pumping issue. I had a couple of months early this year that saw me have one kinked cannula after another, to the point I told MM to give me a solution, or I'd go with another pump. They gave me samples of Sils, which didn't work for me (my tolerance for pain goes only so far). Shortly after that, someone on line mentioned the Sure-T's. I called MM for samples, which they provided, and now I'm doing fine again. It's a shame you had unresolvable issues.

[melissata]

When I read about someone that has had to go off the pump because they have lost their job/insurance it makes me very sad. I think that the docs should make certain that the person is making an educated decision, but that anyone that wants a pump should be able to get one.

[Jackets]

My personal preference is that I won't go on a pump until they develop a "closed-loop" system. It's amazing to me with all the technology out there that they haven't created a reliable simulated pancreas. I call shenanigans on that.

[JediSkipdogg]

My personal preference is that I won't go on a pump until they develop a "closed-loop" system. It's amazing to me with all the technology out there that they haven't created a reliable simulated pancreas. I call shenanigans on that.

There is 100% of the technology there. The problem is it can't be done subcutaneously. One reason something like Novolog has a 15 minute delay and 4-5 hour duration is because it sits in fat. For fastest results, insulin needs to get into the bloodstream or into the pancreas to be give out like normal.

The problem then you now have an implanted machine in you. I don't know many people that have one pump work over 2 years. 2 years seems to be the average warranty claim (jsut my observation) so do you want a device in you that can fail in a night and you have to be rushed to the ER then to the OR to fix it? Most likely no. Especially since I doubt hospitals would have standby pumps on the shelf.

There is also the problem of getting insulin into the body. They have come up with a few "ports" that insulin can be given into but the problem is the body temperature is too great that it usually causes the insulin in the input tube to crystalize and eventually clog. Adding yet another problem to the shelf. THere is also some reports that scarring could happen around the insertion site where the port would be. So now you have to deal with that or it would turn into permanent scar tissue and cause more problems later on.

Then, there's how do get a BG? Right now, the way current CGMS works is not very effective. Studies have shown an average 8 minute delay in BG readings (not sure how 8 is possible when they read every 5 minutes) and sometimes can be off by as much as 20 minutes. That's not very effective in helping when you eat something like a cake. Most need the insulin before they eat the cake because of how fast it reacts. Well, if you let a delayed BG reading device do that for you, you might actually then get worse control.

So, yet again, an implanted glucose meter would need to be inserted. Animas has one under developements but they are finding they have about a 5 year shelf life then guess what....an operation to replace the batteries. So now, instead of saving any money, diabetics would be racking up $10,000 hospital stays every few years to maintain the devices through some sort of surgery. So, a loss for insurance to even consider. $10,000 over 40 years is $400,000....one lost arm at age 60 (if it happens, which people with diabetes 50+ years still have no complications), about $50,000 in life insurance payouts and medical bills.

That is why a closed loop is not possible at this time. The machines and devices are there. Getting them to work with the human body, not there.

[talibrown24]

i was on the pump for about 2 months, then my insurance pulled out and left me hanging...i was mad as all get out. so now im back to injections which i don't mind. i feel like i have more control i guess...but my numbers were great while on the pump...

[spike]

i was on the pump for about 2 months, then my insurance pulled out and left me hanging...i was mad as all get out. so now im back to injections which i don't mind. i feel like i have more control i guess...but my numbers were great while on the pump...

"More control" as compared to what? pre-pumping days, or pumping?