Sunday, March 19, 2006

To stay pumping or not?

I am really struggling with my thoughts right now. As I told in my earlier posts, I am really frustrated with pumping right now. I am sick of the site changes and all that go with them. The skin irritations, the pain, the irritating bubbles, EVERYTHING! I am sick of all the BEEPING! Granted, the beeping is there to help me. I am the one making it beep. I set the alarms to remind me to check after a high, etc. etc. etc. But its the ones that I can't really control that I am getting sick of. I was sitting in church today when the low cartridge alarm went off. And off, and off, and off. It just kept beeping every few minutes or so. It was in a pocket that wasn't really accessible. Finally, after some looks from the woman sitting next to me, I finally got it out and shut the stupid thing up. Now, I could have put it on vibrate, but I hate that I have to think about it. I just want to GO. I am sick of the dealing with the tubing, the complicated procedure of changing clothes and the mechanical failures.
So tomorrow I am going to talk to my endo about going back on shots. I think. I just can't make up my mind. I am fully aware that they won't solve all of my problems, I'll just trade them for new ones. I don't think my meal times will be affected on Lantus, but I don't know. I went from NPH to the pump. Lantus wasn't out when I started pumping. Lantus is a whole new world for me. I will have to take a shot every time I eat. I know that, but I'm OK with that. For now. I also plan on talking to him about different sets, and any other suggestions he may have. Oh, and I get my A1c. I honestly have no idea what it will be, which is kind of frightening. Wish me luck. Hopefully by this time tomorrow I will have some sort of solution, no matter what it may be.

*PS* I just found out that Cozmo just came out with their new clip. It's ABOUT TIME!!! Cozmo users just have to go to Cozmo's website, take a short survey, and they will send you a new clip, for FREE! Yahoo!

7 comments:

Penny Ratzlaff said...

Good luck. Just know that whatever you decide is not permanent. If you go to Lantus for a few days and decide you don't like it, you could always go back to the pump. That might be just what you need to make you appreciate the pump more or it may make you realize why you hate. Best of luck with whatever you decide.

Penny Ratzlaff said...

it, I meant to say "why you hate it"

Christine said...

Sounds like you need a pump vacation. Go on Lantus for awhile. See how you like it. Get a break from all those fraustrations for awhile. But don't throw up your pump just yet. When/if you decide you want to go back on it, do so.

Scott K. Johnson said...

I agree - the pump is simply another tool. It may not be the best tool for you right now.

And like Penny said, nothing it permanent (well, except the damn diabetes - that's what *I'd* like a vacation from!).

It would be a great thing to add to your arsenal in terms of having another option to go to.

Best of luck with whatever you decide to do.

Shannon said...

Penny took the words right out of my keyboard.

I don't know much about Lantus either because Brendon was on Humalog and NPH before the pump, but everyone I know who is on it seems to do well with it.

caren said...

What you said was me about 10 years ago! I was on the pump in college and hated it. I went back on shots and managed quite well with Lantus. They call Lantus the "poor mans pump" because you take it once a day and bolus with humalog at meals. Sounds like you need a break. Go for it... BTW, after my 10 year break, I just went back on the pump.

I was apprehensive about going on the pump, just as you are about going to shots. My dr said- it's like changing from a sedan to a minivan, both will take you down the same road, just a different way to get there.

Good Luck!

Kerri. said...

I did Lantus for 2 years before I decided to go on a pump. (After 15 years on every insulin known to mankind.) It's essentially the same premise: one inejction for a 24 hr basal and then bolus for meals and corrections. It wasn't until I was on over 9 shots per day that the Lantus bit was too much for me.

I can understand your desire for a Pump Vacation. I've wanted one at times over the last two years. But that's the beauty of pumps vs. a myriad of insulin types: you have a choice. That's a far cry from our days with Regular, NPH, and scheduled meal times.

Good luck with whatever you choose.