When is a pump ok to have?

[Carrie1978]

My daughter is 7 years old and was diagnosed with Juvenile Diabetes in February 2007. We are finally at a point where we feel like we are in control of this disease as much as we can be. Our endocrinologists doesn't even bring up the idea of the pump b/c it is too soon. What exactly does that mean? Her AC1 levels began at 11.5 and are now down to 7.5. Is it based on that? Do you have to be a diabetic for a certain amount of time? Also, I kind of feel like the pump would not allow me to control as well. Is that true? Does it allow someone to have whatever they want?

[Forum-vol-wak]

i am not a physcain but the mom of a type one diabetic.  each doctor has different feelings on the pimp/  i know kids that have gone on the pump from 6 months after being diagnosed to several years.  if you feel stronglywant the pump, there are sevearl things you can do.

1. talk with your saughters endocronolgist ad tellhim that  you want a pump and do not take no for an answer you are the best advocae for your child.  if the doctor still says no= ask for his reasoning.  being too young is ot ussally a valid answer if you r child wants it aned you have a good support tyeam.

2.get a second opininion there is no law stating that you  cannpt switch doctorss.

i strongly beleve that iif the child and family want a pump they should have it.  at first it is a lot of work, but it eventually makes you r life more normal.  it will never be like pre - diabetes, but it comes darn close.

i would do your research first and see which pump you would want. spome doctors have preference to one company over another.  you need to find the one that suits tiy needs the best.  also check out the  customer service and where reps are located in  your area.  

besdes each pump company websirtes. you can go to

www.childrenwithdiabetes.org they have a link that caompares all teh differnt pumps.

good luck and check back and let us know how tings are going

[kls1972]

I have had a pump for ten years now i got mine when i was eight years old. As long as you still check her blood sugar very often she will be fine with t he pump. I t has made life much easier for me. It is great. And no she cant have food and stuff she wants now still have to watch what you eat and carbs and all of those things. the down side is when you are that young you are very active like playing and stuff and especially during the summer you can only be without the pump for about an hour at a time. it is also very easy to get ripped out. But i really do love mine and it has helped tremendously.

[kristin306]

I am also a type 1 diabetic and have been on the pump for three years. While I also love the pump and would not switch back, there are good reasons to wait.

First of all 7.5 sounds like you are achieving very good control without the pump. I don't know how much that would improve with the pump.

Beginning on the pump takes a lot of learning and adjusting. So it would be a big investment of time or energy so your family has to be sure that they are ready for it. The doctor might be waiting for you to ask for it, because I do not think that it is a good idea to force it.

I am an adult and I can deal with the inconveniences of the pump, but for a child it can be more difficult. You can read about all the benefits of the pump on the websites (and it really is great), but here are the downsides:
(1) You need to wear it 24 hours a day (which can be annoying, but the most annoying thing for me is to have to wear a visible sign of my diabetes)
(2) Some people have skin problems related to the infusion set (the tube that you insert into your skin)
(3) Someone who knows how to operate the pump would need to be with your child (someone at school as well) until she learns to use it. It is very good about informing you if there is some problem, but someone would need to know how to react
(4) You need to check your blood sugar even more often. If there is any problem with the pump, you need to know right away cause within a few hours you don't have insulin, so blood sugars can increase dramatically in a short period of time (this is rare but does happen).

So the pump is an AMAZING device that gives greater flexibility and control to type 1 diabetics. But you need to know when it is right for you and be ready to put time and energy into learning to use it properly. All the best!

[boseephus]

Always choose the pump she will live at least 10 years longer. 7.5 is ok but everything above 5.6 does slow progressive damage that is a fact. Just monitor her very close after she starts pumping check 8 times instead of four for 1 month and you will with her determine her calibrations. Pump always.

[jasper07]

I am very impressed with all that you know being on the pump. My friend is on the pump and it's only been 11 months for her on the pump. Her A1C used to be an 11 and now a 7 but that was a bit ago. She is a t-2. Her doctors told her she HAD to get on the pump to help with more control. She does not test her sugars on any regular basis, only when she thinks she needs it which is rare. To me this is not good. It sounds like she thinks the pump will do the job for her for everything involved with being t-2. She eats what she wants or not even eat at all. Then goes into eating candy and tells me it's only 1-2 pieces. That happens all the time. She does know better but does not take the pump seriously. She has to help doing her part.

What I am wondernig is, since she does not watch anything, do you think that one day the pump will not work for her anymore because of all her neglect? I try to explain things to her about diabetes and what happens but all I get in return is "I know,"  I am a t-1 for 49 yrs but not  on the pump. She knows that I test myself 4-5 times a day and she cannot believe it.

She also forgets that she runs low with insulin in the pump yet it beeps for her to tell her she is low and will need to put a new cartridge in. She knows this and yet still goes out shopping and wonders why she doesn't feel good. Even taking a walk with her husband, she takes no little snack just in case.

This may not sound nice but I do not feel sorry for her. She is causing things to happen and not in a good way. Would you still call this "in denial?" She is on another board and lies her way through everything. She didn't in the beginning on this other board and caught hell from everyone about how she goes about being a diabetic. It has also been about 16 yrs since her diagnosis.

Thank you for any imput.