If you or someone you love has diabetes and you have considered changing to an insulin pump, there are some questions you need to ask yourself to assess whether this is the right tool for you or them. The pump is not a magic silver bullet for obtaining great control, it is merely an enabler. It has great benefits but it also takes work on effort on the side of the pump wearer.
Also, given the cost of the pump and consumables making the right decision is important as spending a lot of money on anything that is not going to be used or meet your expectation would be a crying :'( shame.
My husband bought me a book called, 'Pumping insulin' by John Walsh and Ruth Roberts. They include questions to ask to decide whether changing to the pump is right decision for you. Areas covered include the following:
I found the book really informative and enlightening, even after I was already wearing a pump. Check for it online. It was worth getting.
http://www.amazon.com/Pumping-Insulin-Everything-Success-Smart/dp/1884804861
The guide I obtained with the Medtronic pump was also really useful. So be sure to read it.
Have a fabulous day :)
Fazlyn
Reference: Walsh, J and Roberts, R (2006) Pumping insulin, San Diego : Torry Pine Press
Also, given the cost of the pump and consumables making the right decision is important as spending a lot of money on anything that is not going to be used or meet your expectation would be a crying :'( shame.
My husband bought me a book called, 'Pumping insulin' by John Walsh and Ruth Roberts. They include questions to ask to decide whether changing to the pump is right decision for you. Areas covered include the following:
- Motivation - e.g. how well have you accepted your diabetes?
- Expectations - e.g. what do you expect your pump to do for you?
- Need - e.g. are frequent highs or lows a problem for you?
- Preparation - e.g. what other approaches have you tried?
- Questions for parents to consider -e .g. is your child willing to wear a pump?
| Gauge your control | |||||||||
| 1 | How motivated are you to control your blood sugars? | ||||||||
| not very | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | very | ||
| 2 | Number of blood sugar tests your do each day: | ||||||||
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | (or more) | |||
| 3 | Number of injections per day: | ||||||||
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | (or more) | |||
| 4 | Do you record your test results | ||||||||
| yes | (5 points) | no | (0 points) | ||||||
| 5 | Do you use your test results to adjust your insulin? | ||||||||
| yes | (5 points) | no | (0 points) | ||||||
| 6 | Do you match your short-acting insulin to the carbs in each snack or meal | ||||||||
| by carb counting or other means? | |||||||||
| yes | (5 points) | no | (0 points) | ||||||
| 7 | Do you use extra insulin to correct high blood sugars? | ||||||||
| yes | (5 points) | no | (0 points) | ||||||
| 8 | Do you adjust your long-acting insulin doses? | ||||||||
| yes | (5 points) | no | (0 points) | ||||||
| 9 | Do you get an hba1c test to evaluate your control at least every 6 months? | ||||||||
| yes | (5 points) | no | (0 points) | ||||||
| 10 | Do you call your doctor when problems occur? | ||||||||
| yes | (5 points) | no | (0 points) | ||||||
| TOTAL = | |||||||||
| Self assessment | |||||||||
| Points | 0 - 9 | 10 - 19 | 20 - 29 | 30 - 39 | 40 - 49 | ||||
| Meaning | A bit casual | Honesty pays | You've got the idea | Minor changes will help | When do you start? | ||||
| |||||||||
I found the book really informative and enlightening, even after I was already wearing a pump. Check for it online. It was worth getting.
http://www.amazon.com/Pumping-Insulin-Everything-Success-Smart/dp/1884804861
The guide I obtained with the Medtronic pump was also really useful. So be sure to read it.
Have a fabulous day :)
Fazlyn
Reference: Walsh, J and Roberts, R (2006) Pumping insulin, San Diego : Torry Pine Press
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