Insulin pump users... what pump do you use, how has it changed your life, does it give you better control...?

Please share with me. My doctors are beginning the paperwork process to see if my insurance will cover it. I am cautiously optimistic... Thanks!Insulin pump users... what pump do you use, how has it changed your life, does it give you better control...?
Hello,





I use the Delco ';Cozmo.'; It is the one that is water resistant so I can take a shower with it on. It also has the blood glucose meter that slips on the back of the pump. Very nice and convenient.





How has it changed my life? First of all .... there is no more needle sticks for each meal or each adjustment of blood sugar levels. That is wonderful.





Secondly ..... all of the figuring is taken care of by the machine. Enter the meal carb grams or units (your choice) and the machine figures the suggested amount of insulin for that meal.





Thirdly ..... It keeps great records that are printable on your computer (if you have the program that is sent with the pump). You can also change settings for your meter on your computer and it then interfaces with the pump, entering that info into your pump. (You'll need to purchase the infrared interface unit for your computer in order to do these things. It's not expensive).





The control that it allows is great. It makes it easier to level out those nasty high and low peaks and dips. Testing is easy and that helps the control too. It is not one of those that has the constant blood testing/monitoring but it is easier than befor.





The worst part of it is sleeping with it on, though that has not been bad. I just tend to roll a lot and sometimes I roll over on it. It is not easily damaged so it's not been a real problem.





Good luck and I'd say go for it, whatever brand you pick.





KevinInsulin pump users... what pump do you use, how has it changed your life, does it give you better control...?
I use a Minimed 508. However, this pump is 8 years old and about to be retired. I'm currently processing the paperwork to get a new pump. I'm getting a Minimed 722 (without the continuous glucose monitoring as my insurance will not cover that at this time). I hope to have my new pump in a few weeks and be on it by the end of October.





Being on the pump has given me much better control. I feel better, have more energy, have been able to maintain my weight more easily and all around, I just love it.





Being on a pump takes getting used to. There are pros and cons but to me, the pros far outnumber the cons. The only things that can be inconvenient are where to put the pump if you are wearing a dress (if you are female), what do with it when you go to the beach or pool, how to deal with itchy skin during the summer months from the infusion set tape and the accidental tangle-ups than can happen when sleeping.





I can't ever see myself going back on multiple daily injections. I will never regret getting a pump. I love mine and to me, it's just a part of me..like my pancreas used to be.





Good luck!





EMT
I use the Minimed Paradigm and I love it! I've been diabetic since 9 months old - 56 years - and have been pumpimg for 12 tears. As long as I remember to test often my control is great. I couldn't ask for better A1cs. It does take some getting used to especially while figuring out your basal rates. But if you can hang in there and stick with it the benefits are worth it!


Good luck!!
I use the Animas IR 1250 (I had the IR 1000 until last year and had that one for about 4 years or more). Animas is the company that the insurance company I had way back when would pay for, so I had to go with them. But I have been very happy with them. The pump I have now has a food list on it that has the carbs for each food (you can add foods and edit foods on your computer), so when you select the food and how many servings of it you had/are going to have, it will tell you how much insulin you need to give for that food (you can have up to a certain amount of foods for each bolus).





The nice thing about a pump is that you don't have to give shots all the time, or measure them up when you are out and about. You get used to it in time and you almost forget you even have it attached to you! I did this once this past year as I have gotten so used to it!





Before I got on my pump, my A1c was about 9-10%, if not higher. Now they are between 6 and 7%. I have sooooooooooo much more energy, I have been able to lose weight easier (I am still overweight, but not as bad), have much better control, and don't have to stop and think about how much insulin to give for meals or even about having to give myself a shot (I have forgotten those so many times and gotten into so much trouble blood sugar wise becasue of it). I can eat when I want without being on a rigid schedule (I can even sleep in when I want to and not worry about my blood sugar). I can eat sweets and have insulin right away (of course, this has to be in moderation as with anything else) and my blood sugar will stay in the normal range.





It takes a bit of time to get used to sleeping with a pump on (at least it did for me). I have a belt type of pouch thing I got from Animas that I wear 24/7 (except when showering) so the pump doesn't have to be put into a pocket and I don't have the tubing sticking out anywhere. It looks more like a pager than a pump!





Just be sure to go through a good training session and work closely with your team to learn how to use the pump, etc. You will also need to test your blood sugar quite often while on it (I test mine 5-8 times a day) since it is more like having your pancreas working than it is with the shots.





I can tell you that I will NOT go back to shots (unless something happens with my pump or I cannot afford the supplies, which has happened a few times). I have horrid control on shots (end up having 6-8 shots a day) and prefer the good control with the pump.





Good luck! I am sure you will do fine with a pump. They are a great device for those of us with diabetes!
i'm not to crazy about being hooked up to a machine all the time, but it's better than 8 shots a day.