Thank you I’ll give it a listen!
Hi Kay,
I’ve been a T1D for 50 years and on MDI. I may switch to a pump someday, but I’m VERY well-controlled with MDI so feel no need now. I AM using a CGM (the Dexcom G7)- which is a HUGE help.
Your endo might resist you’re switching to MDI, but persist and try it- there’s nothing to lose.
I use Tresiba in the morning as basal, plus Humalog before breakfast & dinner. I eat a low-carb lunch, so no insulin needed. I walk when I’m running high (170+) and usually that’s enough to drop my glucose sufficiently. My last A1c was 6.2 & that’s pretty typical. Please write again and let us know how MDI is going for you !!
-Joanne
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Great! Yes love those steady declines…
I also eat what I’ve found to be a rice that is easy on my blood sugar–brown basmati (except when I get sushi, but then I get the same thing every time, so I’ve gotten better at bolusing for it :
).
My last thought is how T1D always throws me for a loop–I think I’ve learned some lesson, and just as soon as I do, my body responds in some way I wasn’t predicting… just keep at it! I try my best to learn lessons from my own experiences and be my own teacher… it’s a continuous effort, hang in there! And congrats again!
@KayD , I was MDI for many years and did pretty well, though I was all over the place with highs and lows. My a1c was considered controlled. I went on a pump with cgm about 4 years ago and did about the same, though at times not as well. Right now things are good.
I do find it stressful. But, I sleep better with confidence I’ll be safe from highs or lows. Now, I’m terrified of MDI. I could do it if I had to, but it’s a scary prospect. I have to return to mdi to see how I do. i have to prove to myself that I can.
If I could stay in good control with MDI, I’d just do that and wear a cgm. But, my body doesn’t work that way.
This is wise thinking, Dee. And something we need to address - back to basics. As you implied, with MDI you will need to be more aware of what your body is saying to you.
Recently a question was posed in the daily post of T1D Exchange Registry asking how prepared each of us is to deal with supply disruption of diabetes “tools”; a very real possibility for some, or all, of us.
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Good for you for facing your fears! As an option to switching over, completely, would you try taking your boluses via injection instead of administering through the pump? Do it for a few days to show yourself you can.
Hopefully your CGM gives you more confidence about lows - even if you were to go off pump completely you would still get alerts, and you could set them where you are comfortable.
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Hello,
I’m sorry, I thought I had already replied to your post. For me, the main thing to consider about which pump to get was more the dosing than whether it is tubed or not. I use very little insulin per day, so smaller dosing was most appealing to me. I also like to swim, so that is another consideration - - is the pump waterproof/water resistant and for how long a time period? So, if you are going to switch to a pump, first think about what you want from it. This will help you decide which is best for you.
Pam K.
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Good points about swimming, If you want to swim a lot, I’d consider a tubeless pump. Having to disconnect to swim laps is just too inconvenient for me. But, that’s ok. There are plenty of other things to do at the gym.
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My very first pump was a Minimed 504: at that time you could not disconnect when showering, so it came with a handy dandy, water resistant sport guard (which could also be worn during contact sports). Come to think of it I still have mine somewhere, although once pumps started coming with detachable tubing I didn’t need it.
If your numbers tend to drop during exercise you might be okay disconnecting for a bit while you’re swimmming (if you’re willing); and if they rise you could take a small bolus before hand.
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Thanks for the tip, Dorie. It’s an interesting idea. For now, my CDE is encouraging me to consider the Tandem Mobi. When used with the adhesive sleeve, it’s virtually tubeless. But it was only recently approved by the FDA and I don’t know how easily I’d be able to get my hands on it or how easy it would be to switch to something else if I don’t like it. My insurance covers quite a lot, but makes ordering prescriptions unnecessarily complicated. Thinking about the transition right now makes me feel really anxious.
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Hi @bsteingard , I’m waiting too. Mobi is approved but not available yet. Tandem is being vague about when they will start making them. I just like the general size and that it is controlled completely off a phone.
Fingers crossed for you @bsteingard! In my experience you typically have to wait until your warranty expires for insurance to pay whatever they consider full coverage (unless perhaps you switch to Omnipod which has no commitment and is not considered durable equipment). But the manufacturers do sometimes allow you to upgrade (if you use the same brand) before that time if you are willing to pay a price. I imagine when they are ready to release it current customers will start getting emails with details.
@KayD, I switched from MDI to pump (iLet) in Oct. Best health decision I’ve ever made. Went from multiple lows a week on MDI to 2 lows in 2.5 months since being on the pump. Went from constantly managing my BGs to no longer managing my BGs. And now my only job is to keep my pump fed and charged. Absolute best decision I ever made.
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@gmershon really? I know that model just came out that’s wonderful! The thought of not entering carbs is great I have also been thinking about the iLet. Have you found that it adjusted well? Is your I:c ratio about the same? (I know this isn’t a setting but I’m sure you check your trends) Meaning since it only goes off your weight and trend of BS are you noticing you have to use more insulin or less? I did reach out to a rep because I was so curious about this pump but I’m of course hesitant to but I can tell by your response and a few others who’ve been on it that it does give you a brake from managing/worrying about your BG. Thanks for sharing!
@KayD, Yep. The pump does everything by itself except for announcing meals. I’ve regularly eaten meals that I didn’t announce, and yes, my BGs went higher than usual and took longer to get back to 110-120 range, but it did it by itself. Even if I announce a “usual meal” and eat a “less” meal the pump will stop delivering insulin (you can see it in the every 5min algorithm view) and I might end up in the 100’s before BGs start to climb back into the 110-120 range and can then see it deliver usual basil doses (again from the algorithm view) every 5 min. I used to look at the every 5min algorithm doses when I first got on the pump, but stopped doing that a while back. I mainly only look at my pump for meal announcements and then when it buzzes for inset or cartridge changes.
There is no i:c ratio input or settings in the pump, however since getting on the iLet I’ve increased my average meal carbs by roughly 3X and use 20%-25% less insulin vs when I was on MDI. Regarding managing/worrying about BGs… it does far more than give you a break… it manages/worries about it for you.
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