Anyone use an insulin pump? If so what kind and what are your experiences? The wife's endocrinoligist says she should switch from injections to a pump, so we're trying to track down some real world feedback on the various pumps out there. Thanks for any insights you've got.

 

Although I do not have one of these pumps, a friend of mine has had one for a while now and he likes it better than the shots 3 -4 times a day. I cant really give you any more info than that. Sorry

 

Where do you connect it to the engine? Does it make more power?

 

My aunt who has been a lifelong diabetic has been using one for about 3 years. She brags about it constantly. She recently upgraded in the last 6 monts or so and says this one is even better than the last (feature-wise).

They live a ways away so I only see her maybe once a month or so. I have noticed a huge increase in the energy she has. When I brought it up to her she told me that it had to do with the small doses she gets between meals during the day.

It's no cheap piece of equipment either, it's made well. Plenty of back up features, in case it would fail, etc.

If you are interested in more of her experience, let me know and I'll see if she'd be willing to talk to you via e-mail.

I say go for it.

 

From what I understand the pump is a much healthier alternative than shots as the dose is given continuously instead of all at once. It eliminates the insulian level spikes which are potentially damaging to her health. Its worth the bucks. Good luck.

AND, they give the husbands a remote that you can use for "mild" corrections when she is misbehaving!

 

Now THERE'S a thought!!

Thanks everyone. Money's not a factor in this call because insurance will cover the entire thing. It already pays for insulin, syringes, blood testing meter and strips. I think they're all in the same ballpark pricewise anyway.

She's looking specifically at the Cozmo model because it's waterproof. That way, if we're outside mt biking or something and it rains (or she takes a spill into a puddle) there won't be any issues. But the Doc she sees is more familiar with another brand. There's no pressure from the Doc and all the companies seem to be outstanding in their support to their patients, so she's just trying to see what experiences others have had with the various pumps out there.

Other than the possible insurance benefits to me I don't think more power in an insulin pump is necessarily a good thing!!

 

Ya know............ maybe you could get the Dr. to add alittle "something" to her meds to ...ya know..... help her get in da mood?
Us men as soooo bad!

Seriously, you and your wife should be commended for taking care of her health. Diabetes can be a very serious problem if it is not kept in check.

 

I have no direct personal experience with them. However, I have several close friends who have pretty much the same praise to say for them. They will all tell you that it is the best thing that has ever happened to them. Quality of life is a huge benefit according to them, not to mention the ability to manage their diabetes much better.

I am not sure the brand and what not, but the two people that I am most familiar with have the same kind. They are about the size of a pager, worn on the belt. Blue in color.

Matt

 

I have used a Minimed (Medtronic) insulin pump for about 4.5 to 5 years now. My doctor wanted me to switch to the pump for years before I finally did. Best move I ever made. I should have done it when he originally brought it up. It's a lot easier and you do feel a lot better. Obviously there are ups and downs to regular injections and the pump but i would never go back to shots 3-4 times a day now. I've had a lot of problems with my eyes, etc but since getting the pump, my eye doctor has been blown away by how my eyes have actually IMPROVED.

I think that anyone who's diabetic should seriously consider getting the pump. Especially if insurance will cover it. When I got mine I think it cost around $5000 or so and insurance only covered 80%. But it was/is totally worth it. I think you can sort of tell my opinion on this topic, huh? Anyway, at least check out some of the websites and possibly have your wife talk some more with her doctor. I'm sure he would set her up with another patient who has the pump to get some more insight or whatever and answer any other questions she and you have.

Just my 2 cents but this is a topic I actually have some knowledge about.

 

Thanks Amos. Her doc and several other healthcare professionals (nutritionist, local diabetic nurse at the base hospital) all have references they're going to set her up with. She's been looking at the Mini-med and a Cozmo system as well as Animas. I guess the new doc's office is most familiar with the Mini-med, but the Cozmo is waterproof. And uses a universal infusion set vs Medtronic's propriatery one. We'll see... it's her call, of course, I'm just trying to help her with as much information as we can get..

 

My son has had both types of pumps and he likes the Cozmo pump a little better. It allows the user to enter the amount of carbs and it will then automatically supply the correct amount of insulin for the user. There is an adjustment period where the user has to make corrections to the program. Sampling the blood sugar more often and monitoring of cabs will help to dial in the setup.

 

My youngest son was dianosed at 18 months, he was put on a pump within 5 months of him being dianosed. Of course he cannot speak very well yet, but my wife and I saw drastic improvements after the first week or so. He is on the Mini-Med and we change his line every two days and have not had the first problem yet. He is still in diapers so we have to be very careful about his site, it can get kind of messy back there from time to time. We still struggle at times but it has been easier on him (and us) since we switched to the pump.

My best friend recently passed away who was diabetic from 11 years old, long story short, the pump can make living with diabetes easier, if you put forth the effort. I wish he would have tried it before it was too late. If youhave any questions, feel free to contact me anytime.

Curt

 

Thanks everyone. We/She decided the Cozmo would be best for her, so that's the one we're going with. Another lady here has one and she was kind enough to show her the whole deal, including setting up an infusion site and stuff.

We reviewed the features together of the various pumps and, for her, decided the Cozmo offered the best set of options/features.

Just waiting on all the insurance paperwork to make it through now. She should hear directly from the company in the next week or so to get one delivered and training set up.

And it looks like we'll be staying put here now for another couple of years, so all her docs and medical care will be stable, which is always a good thing.