So i know that this subject has been talked about from time to time but i need some opinions. i have been type 1 for 15 years mdi and i am looking to lower my a1c which constantly stays around 7.5-8.5. the problem is i have a very active lifestyle. i am a agricurural teacher so i am around animals, cows pigs sheep, as well as farming and equipment lots of dirt greese even sheep shearing . so there is a lot of super physical activities that i do and i want to go on a pump but i am not sure how it will work with my lifestyle. i have also looked at the tubeless but i i find is negative feedback about them and how big they are and that they fall off alot. does anyone have a similar lifestyle and have some suggestions on pumps
I use a Medtronic Minimed and they're pretty tough. Although I grew up on a farm, I didn't get the pump until later in life after I was living in town. The pump shouldn't get in your way as long as you can tuck it into a pocket.
I'm in Oklahoma where it's very hot and humid. A man I met once at a pump demonstration class was a rancher and said in the summers he used special adhesive so he wouldn't sweat off his infusion site. Other than that, he had no problems wearing his pump and dealing with livestock.
On a personal note, pumps are wonderful. You can skip meals, turn it off if you feel your blood sugar dropping, or easily correct a slightly high blood sugar. I rarely have lows anymore. And though I'm busy and pretty lax with my diabetes, I have a 6.5 A1c without much effort. Never got anywhere near that when I took shots.
T1 since 1977 Minimed pump since 2002
thank you that is good to hear. it is a hard thing to decide on, my job is lots of physical work and i am always bucking bales or messing with animals but if it can take the heat from a rancher i will try. it would defiantly be nice to get my a1c to 6.5
My tough pump story goes like this.....I had my pump for two weeks and was pitching batting pratctice to my daughter's softball team. Well, a line drive came right at me and hit my ping insulin pump square on the screen. It scared the you know what out of me. To my dismay, the pump survived with flying colors. Not a scratch. Three years later, it has taken a couple of licks like that, but none that hard, and survived.
Often times it is the infusion site or tube that gets caught on things, or pushed against. But the pumps themselves seem tough enough. Plus the companies are good about replacing them if damaged and homeowners insurance may apply if they won't. The infusion site can be painful, leave a bruise or possible leak blood if constantly getting bumped, etc. I'm totally glad to have switched to the pump after mdi for 17 years.
Jason in Orlando
thank you for your help. it is good to hear that the pumps are tough and i am more worried about the tubing than the pump but i think i can adapt. the problem is something like batting practice is vacation for me and i have a lot of places and things to catch the tubing on. i have herd lots of suggestions on how to keep it from getting caught so i guess i will have to learn how to not get it caught