Does anyone else miss shots

[cheryl]

Ok, I know the love obsession that I see so many say of the pump, but I dunno anymore, I wish there was a way for me to flip back and forth at times.

I got tons of lows on mdi's when I was finally taking care of myself the right way, but I think I was still on too much lantus, and I like the fact that I don't get low anymore and I don't have to remember if I took my shot or not, or worry if I took the wrong insulin and that it adds how much i have to take per carbs....butttt.................

I hate the thing when I have intimate relations, not the pump part the site, I feel nervous if my site gets rubbed up on or something to that effect, then i get nervous at every site change wondering if, it is in the right way or it will kink or it is not in a good absorbtion area, that is nerve wracking.....I am afraid sometimes to eat too many carbs because of this, like unless it is the second day of the site change i rarely go over 25 carbs a meal, cause the thought of it kinking or messing up and I will go too too high, I am down to 110 pounds and I hate it absolutely hate it. I liked when I was in the 120's but this is ridiculous, I am loosing my womanly curves and it bothers me, I am nervous about being to intimate and close or I have to think when I pick up my baby....and which side to put him on. or I cringe when the kids try to hug me because i am afraid they will hit the spot, and something will happen to it.....

Any of these fears anyone else experience and do the eventually go away..........I find myself missing injections because I actually felt more freedom.....I mean I like that i don't have to worry about the lantus in the evening and I can just plop into bed, but I am tired of living by my machine constantly because of a elevated sugar and I am thinking it is the site.....

I thought this was supposed to be much easier and carefree, and I am not saying with keeping me level I understand you still have to do all the work, I mean the stupid sites and changes and this **** it pisses me off to no end.....oh well....

Cheryl

[kgm0612]

One word sums it up for me: NO!

[cheryl]

Well, i wasn't scared of needles or things like that, nor did I ever have issue's with even NPH, just hated the schedule you had to be on, I liked my lantus too....

Maybe I just really need the sure t's when I was on them I wasn't so nerve wracked because if god forbid it got pulled out or touched or anything you can pop it into another place.....and no kinking that is probably the best one's for me....i am doing the sils right now, and so far no problems but since it is a plastic cannula it is still making me nervous....

I dunno I guess I just had like bad experiences on the quicksets, lots of kinks, so i won't go back to those, I just hate the fear of you can DKA so much quicker on this thing, if everything ain't right, and I refuse to ever get sick so call me a bit anal....

Cheryl

[w5wjp]

Nope ....not in the least.

[cheryl]

Ok so no one has any fear I am the only one.....great, nothing ever works out for me normally LOL.....I always got to go thru some kind of ****......I guess that keeps me balanced.....

Cheryl

[johgn]

I don't miss shots either but my biggest "thing" about
being a diabetic is a fear of hypos so the pump is good
for me.

You don't HAVE to like the pump you know.

[cheryl]

I don't miss shots either but my biggest "thing" about
being a diabetic is a fear of hypos so the pump is good
for me.

You don't HAVE to like the pump you know.

It is not the pump itself, I don't mind the pump, I can sleep and do all these things just fine, and all, it is the sets that freak me out and if they are gonna be good enough, I just had bad experience I guess and I need to get over it....The pump is fine the actual machine is fine, it is sets that is making me a little nerve wracked....

Cheryl

[notme]

I never looked back. So...my answer would be NO also.

[tcc123]

I have the exact same feelings as you. Sometimes I am just tired of the work the pump takes and having it on me. So ill take it off and use lantus for a couple of days. I have been doing this almost every other week whenever I go to the lake. And so far I haven't had any trouble with blood sugars. I make my lantus dose the same as my total basal on the pump and then use carb ratios for novolog..

One thing I have learned is you don't have to force yourself to like the pump just because you paid for it. Don't feel like you owe it anything. If you don't like it switch to shots for a little while.

Cary

[DPURunr05]

I also agree with you. The pump has caused me a lot of problems, although it has given me slightly better control.

I'm pretty skinny (runner), so finding sites is tough, and sometimes it hurts a lot, but I don't want to waste supplies/insulin, so I just leave it as it is. My control is fine, so I deal with it. But it sucks. Unlike a lot of people here, it bugs me like crazy when I sleep.

AND I was really excited about the pump and exercise, but I run a lot (40-50 miles a week), so after about 8 miles on the trail, my site starts to get irritated. When I take it off, there are tons of scabs. AND I still go low when I excercise, even when I set my basal down 1.5-2 hours before exercise to 25%. Or sometimes I'll go high. Even when following the same patterns. I am thinking of doing what some of the people do no the DESA website and disconnect the pump, take some Lantus, go on my long run, and reconnect after the run. If that's what it is going to take to solve my skin issues... I'll do it. But what a pain!!

It was a pain in the @ss on our honeymoon in Hawaii (I have a MM 522, so I constantly had to disconnect for water activities because the pump isn't waterproof. I think this is unacceptable on MM's part).

The fact is, for me, it just hasn't done the job the way I was hoping it to. I'm probably going to stick with it because I am optimistic that technology will get better, particularly in the way of CGMS's. One of the main positive things I feel that I have received from the pump, is some really awesome training/management. The classes were the best part I think. Also, I have gone from an A1C of 6.6 (MDI) to 6.4. And I have also eliminated harsh lows.

I don't want to offend anyone with my my statements - I know a great majority of people on these forums are for the pump and the convenience it provides, but for me, it has a lot of shortcomings.

Shots never really bothered me (17 years of them). I had it down to a science; I could give myself insulin very quickly. I still carry around the same amount of supplies, more in fact. I just went low a lot, and I wonder, with the training and knowledge I now have, could I eliminate those?

In conclusion, I, like you, also have issues with the pump, but like many have said, it's a personal choice, and one that I think I'm going to have to live with, at least for now.

-Chris

[johgn]

I'm pretty comfortable with my sets once I'm confidant
they've been inserted properly. I've never had one go bad
after that, yet.

[condensr]

For me, it did get easier - but not right away. Starting on the pump is a lot of work and commitment, and it can take months to get things just right. I recommend trying every set you can, and find the one that is most comfortable for you. It may be more than one: depending on where my site is, I use different sets. One that I find the most comfortable for me was the one I thought would be the worst: the needle-based contact detach set. Go figure!

I used to be pretty wary of things getting near my site, but I'm a lot less 'punchy' about that now.

Also, as others have stated, you can change back to shots at anytime, then back to the pump if you like. Pumping should be a good thing, not a cause of worry and stress, and as I am sure you have seen in some older posts here, it's not for everyone.

If I were you though, I'd try and stick with it for a couple more months, try some more sets (or go back to your Sure-Ts), and re-evaluate.

[poper77]

I also used to be really worried about my sites especially when I was using the quicksets. I have found that using the silhouettes has elmininated any site problems as far as kinking and insulin failure delivery. I have also seen that the first time I used an area with a quickset I ran high for the first 1/2 day, the next time I used that area (1 or 2 weeks later) I had no problems...I am not sure if it was something like that area of my body had to get used to having a set in it??? Also I have had quicksets ripped out by mistake but NEVER had a sil. ripped out. I have learned that if my site turns red, no matter how long it has been in, I need to change it - I understand what your feeling, but I have found my benefits far outway my negative feelings.
You need to do what is best for you. I think there are a few people on here that switched back to MDI. There is a thread floating around on why they did. HTH :o

[xMenace]

NO




.

[Lizzy]

I would never go back to MDI. I use the Insets and have no problems with them. I am active including with the grandkids and have never had any problems with them getting knocked off. Hang in there Cheryl, why don't you stick with the Sure T's? It sounds like you like them the best.

[cheryl]

Thanks for all the lovely responses, I guess those quicksets did a number on me personally with trusting that issue. I love the pump itself because I don't get bad low's at all, but I wasn't scared of low's on mdi's just a pain in the rear, I had a difficult time in the beginning on the pump because of getting the correct settings because how do you know when to do a temp basal rate and all the **** they tell you to do if you don't even know what your rate really is at first LOL.....

I have a lot more confidence in the pump, my blood sugars look so much better since I learned so much and have my basal rate's pretty much on target, I can honestly say I am comfortable now with playing with temp rates and the features and the reason why I got the thing in the first place....

But the sets drove me nuts.....after a while the more weight I lost the worse the quicksets got for me.....so i got this sample of sure t's loved them everyone can bang into me, got tugged wasn't scared at all, those ran out, someone who is so great sent me 6 boxes of sils with resevoirs cause I am really financially strapped right now, that is why I haven't places any orders for sure t's as of yet......after the last kink i had Father's day morning on the quicksets I got brave and did the sils, with the help of my friend on a web cam.....so far so good except my third sil I had a stubborn blood sugar day till the evening and by bedtime I was fine.....so but the other night just being intimate made me nervous for some reason, I guess cause i was still not trusting the new set even by bedtime when my bg was only 110....

I really don't want to give up on the pump it has helped me so far figure out what to do with low's and highs, I rarely go over 220 which is a big accomplishment for me....and rarely go below 50 so that is also a big to do....mostly i am on target, as I am learning more and more how I react.....like i know that i have to wait to eat after a bolus for breakfast and as long as I am not lazy my bg is gorgeous.....if I am i use a temp basal rate and will have a great number.....I like now that i am learning officially how to think like a pancreas, which was harder at the beginning because my day to day activitiy varies so i decided for two weeks to do just normal activities not lazy not over doing it got a pretty good basal out of that, and now fix if i am overly active or under active.....

Sorry to go on and on, I just miss shots i guess because I could 100% trust the insulin going in each and every time....that is the one thing the securtiy of that is what I miss, but the low's and high's and not being able to control once that lantus is in was killer, that was my main reason on the pump is to be the outside pancreas.....which is getting fun once i get over this set issue.....

By next month we should be back on track and i will definately be placing my order to sure t's.....cause i felt the most at ease with them, but so far the sils have done great really they have just got nervous on Sun because it was stubborn, but I also realized i was about to have a middle cycle hormone day, so it could of been that too, i guess tomorrow will tell if i have an issue after another site change.....but so far so good.....

I'll stop whining now, i guess i will get a bottle of lantus and have it around when i want a break for a few days and flip back and forth, too, cause like I said, I didn't have a hate relationship with mdi, I just wanted to be in control.....and I guess when i can trust my sets i will feel that way....

Thank you all you made me feel better...
Cheryl

[ubergeek]

I missed needles so much I started on Symlin...

No seriously.... I just don't worry about it. My kids have yanked on my set before and it didn't come out. If they yank it out, I'll bite my tongue and put a new one in, then explain that they shouldn't do it. They all know it's "daddy's medicine" and don't bother it.

I figure if my wife doesn't like it during those intimate moments, then it's her problem and not mine. She's just happy I have it and am getting much better control than I was with shots.

I think that now that I have gotten a grasp of what I need to do to have control with the pump, it's easier. But it was frustrating for a while.

-Brian

[Penny]

I am getting tired of shots! I have black and blue places all over. Even the Novolog pen is bruising me anymore. I move the shots around, but it doesn't help. My 3 month check is tomorrow, there is no way the doc can miss the bruises, don't know what I can do that I am not already, but I am so ready for something else.

[Cyborg]

For me, there's downsides to both MDI and pumping regiments. I have extreme DP and the pump has given me control over that and given me more freedom than MDI. Variable basal rates are awesome. Even with the pumping issues, such as bad sites, sleeping, etc., I will still stick with the pump over MDI.

[NoelD]

I agree Michael. I left MDI and haven't looked back. Sometimes when a site gets gnarled up in 2 days it's irritating, but that's life eh? Nothing comes easy.

[dgrilli]

I really miss all those shots. I couldn't contain myself of the expectation of the upcoming meal and getting my gear out. Oh how miss that cold smarting pinch in my abdomen waking me up. Yes and all those little marks and black blue places at times looked really cool in the mirror.



No No No I was just kidding.

I fianlly got a life.

Pumping all I can while the gittens good

[Keezheekoni]

Oh, not just no, but **** NO!

Of course, I do miss the fact that I had to run up and down my stairs to get to the fridge every time I wanted to eat something so I could shoot up...my endo warned me I was going to gain weight on the pump. I just didn't know that was the reason why! :rofl:

Oh and I really miss the days of forgetting whether I'd already drawn up the lantus and injected that or did I inject humalog thinking it was the lantus...oh those were the days! :rofl:

Seriously, I just had to find a set that stuck without extra IV3000 or tegaderm. I did. I'm happy. It sticks while sweating, in water, doesn't tend to kink (except for that one bad box I got which they replaced), and more often than not lasts more than 3 days (no, I don't leave it more than that usually...) I use the Cleo's.

[cheryl]

I guess I am just odd ball...I could care less what i did shots or pump, but i had been doing shots for 16 years and it was my life and never a big deal at all.....

But i now my new sets are making me happy so I am good for the time being....

Cheryl

[Cyborg]

Oh and I really miss the days of forgetting whether I'd already drawn up the lantus and injected that or did I inject humalog thinking it was the lantus...

I hear ya! Once you accidentally inject 40 units of Humalog instead of Lantus, you never want to do that again!

[johgn]

I hear ya! Once you accidentally inject 40 units of Humalog instead of Lantus, you never want to do that again!

I did 70 once and my doctor was too dumb to explain to me why I wasn't going to die, my current doc did and it makes sense but that freaked me out for a while.

[Cyborg]

I did 70 once and my doctor was too dumb to explain to me why I wasn't going to die, my current doc did and it makes sense but that freaked me out for a while.

Yikes! So why would you not die without intervention? Liver dump?

[cheryl]

Well you can down a whole bottle of syrup that works, i once gave myself humalog instead of lantus and it was about 36 units because, i was prego....anyway after trying to eat the house down my 1 hour mark hit when humalog really hits, So i felt horrible.....the room was spinning and brent looked fuzzy i told him to call the EMS, well the bottle of syrup was sitting next to me and my meter says 40 and It was like my body just wanted it.......i mean i guzzled it down, gross but at that point it wasn't gross it was like i need this now.....

Anywho, after it all I drank about half the bottle and skyrocket like 3 hrs later too 500, but i had forgottent to take my lantus and let me tell prior to the syrup I had some pie 3 pepsi cans two snicker bars, peanut mm's.........and spoons of syrup here and there....so god know how many flipping carbs i ate LOL.....

But syrup is a life saver, if you ever overdose just go for the syrup if you don't have a glucogan shot...

Cheryl

[ubergeek]

Oh and I really miss the days of forgetting whether I'd already drawn up the lantus and injected that or did I inject humalog thinking it was the lantus...oh those were the days! :rofl:



LOL - I'm glad I'm not the only one. I've caught myself more than once with the vial of Humalog in my hand...but luckily I always caught myself before I did it. :eek:

[Dee]

I overshot my novalog one morning before work. It was kinda nice to be able to have coffee and donuts with my co-workers that morning :) Cream and sugar anyone? Is there any white donuts in that box, oh, you got chocolate covered jelly with sprinkles...

Did not know you could get scabs from your infusion sites. I never have so much as even an insect bite with the OmniPod.

I guess we Onmipod users do not qualify as pump users considering we have none of the issues you guys seem to talk about.

[nancyhal4]

This is my first time in these forums. I am 52 and was diagnosed with type 1 about four years ago. I have been on the pump for three years. I have been going through seven vials of novolog in a month. Is this unusual? I find myself having to take shots for my meal bolus or my blood sugar soars to 300 to 400. I keep running out of supplies. My pump manufacturer acts like its all my fault. I know I didn't have these problems until this year. I am getting a new pump from a different company if my insurance company will okay it. Thanks. Nancy

[Cyborg]

Did not know you could get scabs from your infusion sites. I never have so much as even an insect bite with the OmniPod.

I guess we Onmipod users do not qualify as pump users considering we have none of the issues you guys seem to talk about.

:hmmmm: I know there's no tubing, but there's still a cannula...

[mark_in_toronto]

Count me as one of the rare diabetics who would go back to shots. Problem is, I've invested so much time and $$$ into the pump (only 3 months, newbie) that I don't want to give up just yet. In Canada with the pump you can now apply for a "Disability Tax Credit" which would net me quite a few bucks.

Probably not a good time for me to post as I just went through a weekend of bad sites, I changed it 4 times from Sat morn to Sun night before finding a good site. Went out of town for weekend and while I brought 4 infusion sets with me, I started thinking I might have to go to the town emerg to get an injection of insulin with VERY high sugars - small town, no 24-hr pharmacies....I HAD syringes, but only had NPH as a long-acting insulin to cover overnight, but with summer heat I think it had been tainted (along with my pump insulin, Novorapid)....I injected Humulin N and R but sugar didn't go down! I'm gonna get more as a backup, and make sure they're cooled while travelling..

I'm short and muscular, seem to have problems finding good infusion sites...complicated with short supply of sites (my upper legs and lower abdomen)...Doc and pump company (oh it MUST be scar tissue)don't seem to have answers why I have so many failed sites - nurse CDE says "seems to be a problem" (THANKS FOR THE INSIGHT, EINSTEIN!!)...Only find the RARE bent cannula, inexplicably....Wanted to give up but then I found a good site (for now) last night, so all's well again....

[Cyborg]

I'm short and muscular, seem to have problems finding good infusion sites...complicated with short supply of sites (my upper legs and lower abdomen)...Doc and pump company (oh it MUST be scar tissue)don't seem to have answers why I have so many failed sites - nurse CDE says "seems to be a problem" (THANKS FOR THE INSIGHT, EINSTEIN!!)...Only find the RARE bent cannula, inexplicably....Wanted to give up but then I found a good site (for now) last night, so all's well again....

After about about 16 months of pumping, I'm wondering whether I'm also starting to have site issues. I've found that if I wait about 6 hours after changing a site to eat, that things don't get too far out of whack and I start to come back into alignment...

[Funnygrl]

I've never missed shots, but once in awhile I hate my pump.

[Alice]

I fully appreciate why people love their pumps. But I know from personal experience, it just all depends on where you are coming from...(I use Pens for Lantus and Humalog)

If I were a male, I would probably be the first one out the door to get a pump...men don't have an easy way (purse) of carrying pens around with them. Pockets are ok, but not the most secure.

I think women have an easier time of carrying pens and meters...with the exception of brief cases, man purses, lunch boxes/bags, etc.

Also, I don't have a "fear of needles" or a "dread of needles". My tiny little pen needle is such an improvement of days of old, I happy with the flexibility of MDI. I've been taking insulin for 40 years, since second grade. I think it's easier now than ever.

Other than the basal delivery, the MDI on boluses is the same. I'm not opposed to pumps and may someday try the OmniPod. (tubing annoys me) I have a bigger issue with tubing than I do with pen needles, I guess. So, it's all personal. It would be nice if you could go back & forth between the two, wouldn't it?

[rzrbks]

Does anyone else miss shots

I was wanting to ask, how do you miss shots?

I know that I'm large enough so that when I aim at my stomach, thigh or posterior, I hardly ever miss.

:rofl: :rofl: