Please reply if you use a pump!!!!!

[new pumper]

Do you think that the short term costs of pump therapy outwiegh the long term benifits?

[JediSkipdogg]

I think that totally depends on the individual. I'm a pumper, but I do believe that I could have the same control without pumping. I use a pump more because of not wanting to have to give shots everytime I eat. One needle every 3 days is more comfortable than 3-5 needles a day from shots.

I know some though can't get what they need out of shots. I'm partially one of them because I have a very eratic basal rate, however, with NPH and Lantus I believe I could get something equal to what I'd need with shots. Others may not though.

I had to vote no though because I know in MOST cases, people get pumps as a convenient option, not as an ultimate control option.

[Mich]

I voted yes bacause I believe the basal delivery is more steady and provides better absorption. More like the body's natural mechanisms. I had very good control with MDI before pumping.

[tanyatype1]

Same for me!

[statdeac]

Hey Newpumper,

So if I answer "YES", does that mean that I believe the long term benefits of pump therapy are NOT worth the short-term added cost of pumping supplies over MDI? Just want to make sure I understand here because it seems like people have various interpretations of what this poll question is asking.

Thanks!

[jenet]

I tried for almost 10 years on MDI while seeing both an endo and CDE (often as frequently as every 6 weeks), and never got good results. And when I say MDI, I mean "MMMMM"-DI. I tried various insulins, I added more injections, and I did lots of finger sticks. By the time I gave up on MDI, I was doing at least 8 injections a day (wake-up, BF, mid-AM, lunch, mid-pm, dinner, evening, bedtime) and still had a very consistent A1C of 9.2-9.4. :(

I believe the pump is essential to my new-found control, and my A1Cs prove pumping works better for me. It wasn't until I started pumping in Feb 2006 that I was able to achieve better control. Nine months later in Sept, my A1C was 7.5. Now, with the help of CGMS, I hope to drop my A1C further this year and have something in the 6's. Long-term, I'd like to have one in the high 5's - a goal which until the last year seemed absolutely, positively impossible for me. :)

Do I think the short term cost is worth it? You bet! I want to live a long and healthy life. :D

cheers,
j

[Lloyd]

The pump is the ONLY way I know of to cure a bad case of dawn phenomenon, for one thing.

My control went from an A1c of 6.9 to a 5.7 in 3 months.

-Lloyd

[xMenace]

No, I think, at least not for me. Roller coaster basals can be matched with lot of work, but I don't know any sane way to treat nasty DPs that start at 4 or 5am like mine. For me the pump is priceless.

[cheryl]

Umm for me no, sorry, the pump is just as much **** as the mdi for me.....while if you don't have to worry about certain things, you have to worry about other's I didn't think sets could cause an impending death or coma.....if I could get the right sets i might feel differently.

I didn't get it for convience reasons i got it for ultimate control, but if sets suck, i am better off on mdi.....well I am trying sils now....so here's to hoping my answer might be yes again.....and also since basal's are so perfect sometimes I think it is more a pain in the rear, in my opinion but I am still a bit new and had lots of issue's with sets so far, so I am no good with this one......

Cheryl

[duck]

Agh, I voted wrong. My intent is to say pumping is worth it...

[notme]

I am having a hard time understanding the question. Blonde here..... :D

[catgalla]

Yes I use a pump and have been since 2000. Love it...

[barbarac]

Think pump would be great if we could ever get it regulated!! A1C still too high, readings are all over the place and it has still be over a year. We seem to change it every 3-4 days, but doesn't seem to matter. I am doing better than with needles, but not what I expected. It is OK, and easier than shots I think, but results don't seem a whole lot better. I honestly think it could be if we could ever get the basals set right.

[new pumper]

hey guys,
thanx for your answers they have been great to read and have given me a new view on poeples experiences with pumping.
For those that are stuck on my question, i simply wanted to know if you thought that the short term costs- financial, emotional etc were insignificant compared to the long term benifit of pump therapy eg reduced complications, better hbA1c etc.

[notme]

ahhhh not I get it. hehehehe. ABSOLUTELY!!!! I love my pump and would now pay just about anything to keep it. The cost for the pump was about $150.00 initially. The supplies cost me more, but I would not go back to MDI unless there were no other choice. HbA1c are dramatically improved and quality of life has been great improved.

Thanks for pulling out the crayons and drawing some pictures for me.:stupid1:

[KAnderson]

I couldn't imagine going back to MDI (5 a day) and the erratic control I had with it. I agree with the above responses as to my pump being priceless.

Ken

[rzrbks]

duck

Agh, I voted wrong. My intent is to say pumping is worth it...

As Chico noted, more than once, "Why a duck?"


It depends on what works best for YOU.

You have to do what makes your life better.

On MDI, I've stayed dead-smack-on 5.5 average, others might not be able to. If so, they should give pumping a try.

[evil636]

my biggest issue with the pump was my lifestyle, buuuut ! going from 8 shots a day and absolutly no control to the pump and maintaining **** near perfect control in a matter of a few months is worth it alone. not getting on the pump sooner is my only regret.

[artwoman]

Yeah, I got my answer wrong too. I don't thenk the costs outweight the benefits, that is I think thd benefits are far greater than the costs. And eventually the costs will come down. My biggest benefit is the teeny tiny doses you can get with a pump. No eating up to insulin, no need to wait for my bg to be high enough to warrant an injection, and less total insulin for me = better A1C

[bajpeg98]

Absolutely, its really not that expensive if you priortize it, which you should since it effects your livelihood. MDI is the VHS of insulin therapy.

[ubergeek]

I've been on the pump for about 6 months now, and it has really changed my life for the better. I wouldn't want to go back to MDI unless I really had to.

A good friend of mine who is on a pump talked me into it and I'm glad she did.