Insulin Pump - Recent Threads

Pump stopped vibrating

MaggieJo — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 01:39:22 GMT

I dropped my insulin pump on the tiled floor in the bathroom today. Didn't think anything of it because it wasn't the first time and there weren't any obvious signs that it was broken or damaged. At lunch I noticed when I input my BG and carbs that it wasn't doing the little buzz each time I pressed ACT. The vibration capability seems to be completely dead. It will make the chime sounds if I put it on that setting but I prefer the vibrate setting. My BGs have been fine/normal all day so I didn't think there was any problem, just inconvenience, especially when I reconnect my CGM (I only wear it part time ) as I won't be aware of any alarms. So I called Medtronic and they asked if there were any cracks in the pump. Yes, there have been some cracks around the battery screwcap and a few more small ones around the screen for at least a year. Is that a problem? They told me to immediately disconnect, instigate my pump-free protocol (which I don't have...) and they will send a replacement. The cracks weren't the issue I was calling for. They were concerned about the water-tightness. I am mainly only concerned about the vibrate feature and not being aware of alarms. So, 6 months out from the end of my warranty when I'm able to get an upgrade, I have to replace my pump I've had 3.5 years. I have a somewhat sentimental attachment since it's my first pump.

New pump user question.

Mtguy12 — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 20:49:03 GMT

Hello, I was poking around on the internet trying to determine the reasoning behind my doctor's (well his "care management" nurse really) decisions regarding he settings on this pump I got about 4 months ago when I found this forum.

As a little background; I had a hypo- episode about a year ago while driving and while pulling over broke a fence post and a bench (something like $300 worth of damage). Subsequently someone called the police who proceeded to cause about $1,100 worth of damage to my vehicle by kicking the drivers door the wrong way, popping the hinges and causing a dent etc followed by slapping the cuffs on, writing four tickets the whole works. After a second officer arrived on scene and called the paramedics who proceeded to have a heated argument with the first officer that I was not "drunk off my ass" or "high as $%^&." As a result of this, in largely an effort to calm everyone else in my family down I went and got a pump. Initially my A1C went from a 6.5 to a 6.1 for the first three months.

In any event my question to people with more experience with a pump than I is this: I did two or three basal tests to cover all hours of the day at least twice approximately two weeks apart and the rates were adjusted accordingly. Approximately 6 weeks ago before going out of town for a month between them they had me lower all of the rates (there were 5) down anywhere from 15% - 30%. At the time there were the infrequent largely expected lows and highs and according to them the average was 131. Now it's 141 and climbing since the Care management nurse returned and there are frequent highs all throughout the day. I've said this and their solution is to further lower the basal rates for at least a third of the day (incidentally the day that is the most stable and in range) in order to "fix the high occuring at night around 2:00am" and in addition to lowering the base rate start doing dual wave bolus and take more for meals and correction.

I am reluctant to do this because taking larger boluses seems like it would cause more issues due to error or overcorrection. In addition to this I am unclear why if the base rates were satisfactory and needed a few minor adjustments before to keep bgs in range how can changing them so drastically for the sake of a "60/40 bolus/basal" split be justified? I already had some problems with "minor kidney damage" which has dissipated from when I was younger and I did what the doctors and my parents wanted (which seemed to be the usual disregard for long term damage in order to avoid the potential short term headaches...) I already got away with it once and I have no interest in seeing if it heals again. Any ideas as to why they are doing this because I am at a loss.

Hard to move cartridges

Terry — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 00:33:23 GMT

We have a box of Animas cartridges that are really hard to prime. The reservoir is so tight on the plunger thing that I can hardly move it up and down to

prime it. The lot number is 201754. It is not in any recall that I can find.

I am worried that they won't deliver insulin properly.

ANyone else ever have this problem?

Pump accessories

JimDan — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 17:21:08 GMT

I recently ordered the Tandem t:slim insulin pump. I am an adult male and am wondering what containment accessories (cases, clips, etc,) work best. If I can't carry it in my pocket, I'll need something for my belt. Anyone have one they would recommend?

Artificial Pancreas Research in Canada

Ebgineer — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 09:35:10 GMT

Ran across this recent news article:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130128151928.htm

The study compared glucose control in an artificial pancreas system containing both insulin and glucagon to a pump with insulin only. The results show improved control including reduced incidence of hypoglycemia using the dual-hormone system.

Wireless pumps

Lauren Rose — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 21:39:48 GMT

Hi all- I have been T1 for 11 years and am currently doing shots. I used to use the Medtronic pump for about three years but switched back to shots. Recently I have been looking at getting a wireless/cordless pump. One brand I am interested in is the Cellnovo but I don't know much about it. I would love to hear any advice about cellnovo or wireless pumps in general! Hope you can help me out :)

Running out of infusion sites?

ABQLaurie — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 06:27:17 GMT

Hi there,

I'm new here, but am not new to t1d (40+ years) and am not new to pumping (20+ years).

It seems clear to me in recent months that I need new infusion sites on my body. Like many with t1d, I'm slim and I don't have big juicy areas just yearning to infuse.

For most of my pumping years, I've used my abs. I periodically try the areas "north" of my navel, or my upper butt but I either hit a capillary, muscle or some other pumping gremlin. WHile I'm not very muscular, my legs seem to have zero infusable areas -- though I hope I'm wrong! Some site seem AOK while I'm awake and moving around, but not when I sleep and inevitably put pressure on the site. My basal, especially overnight, seems quite low so I don't trigger occlusion alarms but BG will rise .. and rise so I know I'm not getting my full dose.

For 10+ years, I've been using 90 degree angled sets because I like the insertion aids. I used to take forEVER to change my site with manual, angled insertion. My CDE is sugging that I try manual, angled insertion sets again in hopes I can hit "virgin" territory.

I'd love to hear from folks who had similar issues and managed to discover new sites and/or infusion set types to solve the problem. I also wonder if scarred areas ever heal enough to be used again.

Suggestions?

Infusion site reaction

ashleyrae — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 00:57:31 GMT

So I have an Animas Onetouch ping insulin pump and I have been getting these rash/ scars on my infusion site. They always itch. Does anyone else have this problem?

Pump?

JimDan — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 17:52:46 GMT

After 47 years of insulin injections, I am considering moving on (or up) to a pump. I have had a Dexcom 7 cgm for about 6 months and that has helped control bouts with low blood sugars, but I am concerned with my elevating A1c levels for the past few years. I am planning to test several pumps, starting in March. I am concerned about wearing a cgm sensor plus being tethered to a pump. I would appreciate hearing from anyone who uses both. What problems should I expect having two devices plugged into me?

going off the pump for short time spans

bruce — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 12:28:11 GMT

i go camping in april/may about 6 hours north of toronto every year. for the 5,6,7 days i am doing so much excercise (ie 2k portage with 70 kilos on my back ) that i do not need my humalog. it is the one week of the year that i can down sugar/carbs and burn them off BIG time. it is a fun week.

the problem is that on mdi i still use my lantus at night.

my question is this. for those few days am i better to do the lantus at night via mdi or go off insulin completely for the few days.

i do not intend to take the pump with me camping

Getting an Insulin Pump

Abby Pepper — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 03:38:10 GMT

So, apparently it's possible to get a bloody insulin site and hit an artery or vein. I'm scared to get an insulin pump now because I HATE anything sticking in my veins or arteries. Just typing that makes me feel weak o.o Help???

A Pumper's 12 Days of Christmas :)

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Where to wear?

singergirl21 — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 21:52:14 GMT

In my school we have uniforms which include khaki or navy blue pants/shorts. My pump sticks out a little bit and I feel self-conscious about it. Any suggestions? Thanks!

-singergirl21

I hate Animas- now time for a new pump, but which? Tandem?

Philadelph — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 16:04:30 GMT

I am not sure if I've ever posted here at all, but I figured it was about time. I'm 29 years old and have had Type 1 for maybe 27 years. I have been on a pump for the past 15 or 16 years so I have a lot of experience. I have had many different pumps and most recently the Animas (OneTouch) Ping. Before that I had the previous Animas model too and maybe even the model before that.

Over the years, Animas as a company has definitely gone downhill. Their customer "service" has basically hit rock bottom in my opinion. Their financial department has zero communication with other departments and things get screwed up because of it. Add to that the fact that I haven't been able to get one person on the line every time I call billing who seems to actually be from this country and is able to speak the language fluently.

The pump itself is not even an upgrade over their previous model because of my needs. The integrated glucose monitor wireless handset was a big draw, but after a weeks use, it was useless to me. It is bulky, SLOW in every way (slower to bolus wirelessly than to just use the pump!), the built in carbohydrate values are useless since it is quicker to calculate it myself, the meter takes more blood than what I prefer, etc. So basically I went back to my faithful Freestyle Lite and pretty much upgraded to a color screen. Oh, they've also been promising CGM integration for YEARS while others have been using it for years. They are way behind in terms of technology from what they've shown.

My issues with Animas and their pump aside, it's time for me to get a new one. I've checked out comparisons, and it doesn't seem like much has changed with the exception of the Tandem pump, and that's not even huge.

What am I looking for? Size- I want a small, slim, unobtrusive pump. Speed- I want to bolus quickly. FAST. I don't want to spend all day trying to enter information (it is a huge hindrance in my mind to scroll to the correct bs or carb amount as opposed to the t:slim's touch screen entry which is very easy to use quickly). Durability- speaks for itself. Customer Service- ditto. Reservoir size: the Ping is only 200 units or so- mine gets down to 175-190 after priming. I'd prefer 300. Possibility of a CGM in the future- I know Medtronic has a CGM built in and Omnipod has their plans to work with Dexcom... the Omnipod pump currently is way too bulky for me though. I'm a slim male who doesn't carry a purse, so a large pump or insulin reservoir strapped to my body isn't appealing. I know they are coming out with a smaller reservoir in the near future though, but when and how small?

Anyway, I've done a lot of research and it still seems like you just need to pick whatever seems best for you because there are always better aspects in other pumps. Any thoughts out there? I don't know much about the Accu-chek Spirit if that's even still out, etc... Has anyone tried the t:slim for a month so far since it has been out? It seems most appealing to me and my needs, especially since it has teamed with Dexcom supposedly. The pod idea in pumps is also super-appealing, but too bulky for me currently. I know better than to trust "oh, this will be coming out in 6 months, so just wait for it" too, but really, should I just hold off for a while? I think I just don't want to give Animas my business anymore! Haha

Leftover insulin

Cheyanne — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 15:41:17 GMT

Hi everyone,

I recently started on my pump. I'm on the Animas Ping and I love it!!! However, I got stuck with leftover insulin pens and have no idea what to do with them. I keep forgetting to ask my doctor but I definitely don't want to throw them away. Does anyone know if I can do something with them?!?!

Mother Nature Pump ??

BruceMackintosh — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 12:13:13 GMT

i have been pumping for a little over a month and have yet to figure out what to do with my pump when i am sitting on the toilet. my tubing is quite long enough to reach the floor and i am tired of holding it as it is only a matter of time i drop it in the bowl.

Adjusting?

Katelyn — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 18:18:12 GMT

Hello everyone,

I am scheduled to get a pump by the end of the month and was just wondering what everyone else thinks of their pump. I am getting the Accu-Chek combo insulin pump. Does anyone else have this kind? If so, tell me what you think.

I was also wondering how long it took everyone to get adjusted to their pump from MDI, regarding their blood sugar levels?

To pump or not to pump...?

Victoria — Sun, 24 Jun 2012 03:59:46 GMT

I have been on the insulin pens since my diagnosis two years ago and have done just fine. I am getting ready to go to college in the fall and I am wondering if I should make the transition. I hear from a lot of people that the pump was the best decision they have made in regards to their diabetes; but the whole idea still freaks me out! Input please!

Pumps in canada

shelly — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 23:36:32 GMT

I am thinking of going on the pump is there a good one I live canada as there only seems to be 2 out there does any one have an opinon as I am looking at the ping and vio pumps thanks you

toughest pump

ca0022 — Mon, 21 May 2012 17:44:51 GMT

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

Animas ping?

Banderson1 — Fri, 18 May 2012 20:45:01 GMT

I just started the process of getting an insulin pump and i am leaning towards the Animas Ping. Does anyone have any thoughts on it or opinion?

bleeding from my insuion site

daisy — Sat, 12 May 2012 03:57:03 GMT

I changed my pump site last night. Everything seemed to be ok until just a couple of minutes ago. I noticed it was bleeding, but not a lot just a little it has happened to me before I just aet something and gave myself the 13 units of insulin I'm suppose to and it did go away. I'm not sure if I should change it or try what I did last time and see if it works again? Has this happened to anybody else and what did you do? It is really frustrating because changing my pump site is not painless it usually does hurt. So changing my site is usually something that i dislike doing.

Animas or One Touch Ping users in LA, San Fran or Portland? Contact me for a project!

Ellen Abrams — Thu, 10 May 2012 01:46:01 GMT

Please email me at goldmaner@aol.com if you would like to hear about an upcoming project for pumpers using the Animas or One Touch Ping insulin pump.

Thanks!

Ellie Abrams

Bad site detection/ frustration.

Terry — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 15:44:57 GMT

I think the one thing I don't like about insulin pumps is the mystery of unexplained highs that wind up being due to " bad sites". I wish there were a technology that alerted us to the fact that insulin isn't getting into the blood stream. Is it a virus? Sneaking snacks? Miscalculated carbs? When it is due to a bad site it is very frustrating. We don't know until we try a new site and the BG goes back to normal.

trying to gain weight with insulin pump

daisy — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 01:42:49 GMT

Hi everybody, I have recently gotten back to my insulin pump for about 6 months now. I absolutly love it! but believe it or not I'm having difficulties gaining weight, I'm 104 and I'm 5'3 my Endo wants me to weigh at least 115, but i really dont know how to gain any more weight. It is really frustrating! I was thinking on making an app with a nutrionist so they can help me.

I really want to gain more weight because everytime i change my pump site it hurts since I'm so thin. I'm only inserting my pump site on my stomach because that is the only place where i have more fat. Does anybody have any suggestions?