I pump. Used a Minimed from August '08 to October '10, and since then I've used an Animas Ping.

My advice? Test frequently. While a pump can lead to better control the key is to be sure you know what your blood sugar is!

Welcome!
I have been T1 for 39 yrs and I am now on a pump as of November 2011. I was able to get the OmniPod. It is a wireless, tubless pump system. I also use a CGM. If you have any questions, you can friend me and we can chat. It takes a while to get all the right settings, at least it has for me but overall I am glad to be on it.

OmniPod was amazing; however, I developed an allergy to the adhesive and sadly had to quit the pump.

Klk I'm on the minimed.. y did u switch?

Thx to u both for the advice!

I've been checking like crazy today!! But wow I already feel better!! ;-)

I was having a ton of issues with the MM reservoirs. I'd fill one and then my pump wouldn't prime. Getting all kinds of no delivery errors. MM just kept telling me it was 'user error' even though I'd had no issues the first year I was on it....

I got fed up and started looking at other options. I liked that with the PING I can initiate a bolus from my meter, so I don't have to take the pump out - which works nice for the occasions where I am wearing a dress and have it tucked away somewhere that isn't easily accessible in public.

Plus I can wear it while swimming because it's water-proof. MM is only water-resistant (can withstand some splashing, but shouldn't be fully submerged).

Hi!

I've been a Type 1 for 38 years. I've been on an insulin pump for 3 or 4 years now. My endo put me on one because (her words, not mine) I'm "in too good of control."

I was having almost constant low blood sugars for which I was close to unconcious. The pump has helped that so much that I can't tell you how happy I am to be on one.

I use an Animas Ping. I chose that one for the waterproof aspect. We vacation in Mexico and like to be in the pool all day.

I am lucky and my endo and pump nurse are both diabetics and wear a pump. They were very quick in creating settings for me that worked pretty much right from the get go!! They are also right on when my life changes and we need to readjust.

Don't get discouraged as it takes time to get the setting right for most people. You may have to do some fasting tests to get your basal rates right. Once you get everything right, you'll love it! It sounds like you are already feeling an improvement.

You'll love the idea of doing what I think your pump calls "square wave" boluses. This helps with high fat meals like pizza or mac & chees as it delivers your insluin and a longer inverval. Animas calls this a "combo" bolus. I can take 10 units but deliver out percentages of it over time (maybe 25% now and 75% over 2 hours etc.). LOVE THAT!!

I'll send you a friend request as well.

It sounds like you will be getting much better HA1c results with this pump!! Nice job getting those blood sugars down.

I think you are right. . . you need more basal overnight. I go up to 1.4 units an hour at 2 am now a days to get rid of those morning highs.

The big problem I'm having now is that since I started exercising and eating right, my blood sugars are way too low! I've adjusted my setting down quite a bit but it seems I'll need to keep going down. I had a 45 this morning when I got up! Not good.

Keep up the good work!! I'm glad you love your pump. Many people get anxiety about being "connected" to something all the time. I like the aspect that I always have a handy clock around! All my frieds know to ask me what time it is since I'm never without it!! HA!

It sounds like you will be getting much better HA1c results with this pump!! Nice job getting those blood sugars down.

I think you are right. . . you need more basal overnight. I go up to 1.4 units an hour at 2 am now a days to get rid of those morning highs.

The big problem I'm having now is that since I started exercising and eating right, my blood sugars are way too low! I've adjusted my setting down quite a bit but it seems I'll need to keep going down. I had a 45 this morning when I got up! Not good.

Keep up the good work!! I'm glad you love your pump. Many people get anxiety about being "connected" to something all the time. I like the aspect that I always have a handy clock around! All my frieds know to ask me what time it is since I'm never without it!! HA!

I've been a type 1 diabetic since 1990 and using an insulin pump since 1996, always minimed. I love it, but wish it was waterproof.

I agree that the bolus needs to be higher overnight. I have mine set to get higher at about 8 pm and then it goes up again at 2 am.

However, like you, as I'm losing weight I keep having to turn it down lately. I've woken up with it in the 40s a couple of time in the past few weeks.

But then, I'll do an ab intensive workout and it will go up to around 300 (apparently ab workouts "twist" the infusion set).

Becka,

What kind of infusion sets to you use?

I changed from the plastic canula to steel needles for that reason. Mine would get kinked all the time (way before I started exercising!) so I gave up on them completely.

Will Minimed send you samples to try? I think they should (Animas does). Try some steel sets to see if that helps with ab workouts. I don't have any issues when I use my abs for a site and do "tough" workouts. I also use my arms and legs as sites and have not had any issues when I lift weights either. Those steel needls are not going to bend or twist or get kinked.

Not everone likes steel sets and they can be hard to get used to if you use an insertion device now. They don't have those and you basically just stick yourself like you did with a syringe. My husband says, "Jam it in and let's go!" when I'm doing a site change. HA!

I mostly use the silhouette infusion set. I tried minimeds quick set (I use an insertion device for that), but that seems to get kinked worse than the silhouette.

Actually after reading the posts, I'm considering asking my doctor about switching to Animas. I like the silhouette and the quick set because they disconnect right at the insertion site. So, there aren't any hanging pieces when swimming/showering etc. With a waterproof pump, this wouldn't be quite as important.

Hi there, I've been on the Minimed pump for quite a few years now. My advice would be to stick it out through the hard times. It took me a month to get comfortable with set changes and figuring out how my body and blood sugar would work on the pump and I'm not going to lie - the first month was a nightmare! But, once I figured it out, it was all totally worth it. The control I've gained is amazing! Also, make sure you test frequently and use the meter that transmits wirelessly to the pump if you have one. That data will help you to fine tune your control. Best of luck! - Amber

Welcome to the club . I've been on a pump for about 9 years, (started with a Deltec Cosmo), but went off it because I was getting a lot of blockages and annoyances that kept my A1C around the 8s. I got a Minimed pump (been on it for about 3 years now) and at first wasn't having good sugars mostly due to my own carelessness. Earlier this year, I had a bit of a scare (false positive albumin testing) and have since tried to control my blood sugars to the best of my abilities. My recent A1C was much lower! yay!