Why do you find pumps scary? (If you do)

[Ashti]

This message is in reference to Eric_the_Ferret's Guide to Parents where he finds pumps to be the scariest thing in the world.

When it comes to discussing the pump, my daughter (11) is fazed at the idea of having a taped site and having to carry a pump with her everywhere. And then it is 'end of discussion', since there is no way she wants to even imagine ever going there.

So I was quite interested in seeing that someone else (someone who actually has a pump) finds them scary. Would anyone like to elaborate?

Thanks, Ashti :)

[miss_behave]

Seriously, I'm not sure you'll find many pumpers that find it scary, it just becomes such a non-issue, just part of your life.
I suppose some people find the idea of a site being ripped out scary, or pump failure leading to DKA. You just have to test frequently (you should be doing that anyway!)

Most people who try the pump LOVE it and never want to go back. It might seem scary at first but you get used to it real quick. Pumping was the best decision I ever made. It changed my life.

Maybe if your daughter met some people her age on the pump she might be more willing to try it. You could always ask her to try the pump for a month or 2 with the promise that if she doesn't like it she can go back to MDI. Many parents have tried this with the result being the child very quickly deciding that they'd never ever go back to shots. You'd have to pry it out of my cold, dead hands :D

[ErictheFerret]

Since it was my post, I will care to elaborate.

Imagine yourself in your daughter's shoes, used to taking little shots everyday. Now imagine if your mom or dad bought you this thing that is inside of you. Now, that isn't a big deal...until you see the needle. Let me rephrase that...THE BIG HONKIN' NEEDLE! This baby is like an inch long!!!!! *cues to horror movie screams*

So...what you should do, is ask her what she feels uncomfortable with it. Ease those fears, and remind her that if she wears it, she can go out to eat and never worry about the shots for the next 3 days!

[Ali]

The needle I use for pumping is tiny. Once I realised what a pump really was about-i.e. saw the small needle/teflon tube and how non invasive it really was and that you could detach from the tubing and pump easily and for up to an hour with a pre bolus-then I was very comfortable with a pump. Most fear is from lack of knowledge/understanding.I was never worried about he keto problem figuring I checked enuh to catch a problem. I have had bad sites but never led to an issue. Ali

[Mama Belle]

My daughter only found it scary at first. Now it is like her best friend. The other day I mentioned potentially having to do rescue glucagon and she said "only if you could put it in my pump". She hates the idea of shots now and loves her pump!

[miss_behave]

Imagine yourself in your daughter's shoes, used to taking little shots everyday. Now imagine if your mom or dad bought you this thing that is inside of you. Now, that isn't a big deal...until you see the needle. Let me rephrase that...THE BIG HONKIN' NEEDLE! This baby is like an inch long!!!!! *cues to horror movie screams*


I don't think thats an accurate description of a pump needle at all. IMO the needle I use (6mm Quick-Set) is no bigger or scarier than an insulin needle. Its only under my skin for a few seconds before I pull it out to leave a small soft canulla. The pump needles for a 90 degree set are either 6 or 9mm long. Definitely not huge.

http://www.childrenwithdiabetes.com/pumps/images/Quick_Set%20_in_use%203-1200.jpg (http://www.childrenwithdiabetes.com/pumps/images/Quick_Set%20_in_use%203-1200.jpg)
http://www.childrenwithdiabetes.com/pumps/images/inset-close.jpg
you can see the needle, its tiny.

[vettechmomof2]

Same thing with the Omnipod. Very tiny needle and cannula left behind. Not seeing the needle was a big thing for my daughter.
She loves her Omnipod. NEver wants shots again if she can help it.
Allene

[Nelson]

We took a little pedometer and taped a couple of batteries to it and then taped a piece of string from the pedometer to Derek's stomach area. We hooked him up for a couple of days and interestingly enough, that pretty much did away with the scary pump issue. Apparently, with it real and tangable, it became perfectly managable. :)

[kiwikid]

I think for most kids (and parents) it is the fear of change. My daughter really freaked when she was shown an insulin pen after using a syringe. She wasn't too keen on pumping because she wasn't sure what it entailed. Now she wouldn't go back to injections EVER! Knowledge is power - show your daughter everything to do with the pump and she may be pleasantly surprised :cwds:

[thebestnest5]

Liv was scared of the "change" more so than anything. Being dx'd was a huge change and she was dealing with that. Then, here comes the idea of the pump and she's told that she will being wearing it, basically, all the time. It can be a big adjustment. Going to the bathroom was a challenge with Liv's first saline pump trial. The infusion set was scary for her; the needle looks bigger than an shot..25 gauge versus 31 gauge. Plus, having a needle or canula stay inside her body didn't overjoy her. It was more to think about and learn. Diabetes has a way of being loud and pushy and I believe Liv didn't want another thing with diabetes being right there to cause more problems. (That's not what the pump is like; but that was how she felt).

I am not at all needle squeamish; but the first set I tried was a inset and it must have hit a nerve...because it hurt for quite a while!!:eek:

Liv really didn't know if she would like pumping; but after day 1...she thought it was so much better. She was writing, "I love my pump" signs on paper and telling people how much she loved her pump.

[Abby-Dabby-Doo]

Since it was my post, I will care to elaborate.

Imagine yourself in your daughter's shoes, used to taking little shots everyday. Now imagine if your mom or dad bought you this thing that is inside of you. Now, that isn't a big deal...until you see the needle. Let me rephrase that...THE BIG HONKIN' NEEDLE! This baby is like an inch long!!!!! *cues to horror movie screams*

So...what you should do, is ask her what she feels uncomfortable with it. Ease those fears, and remind her that if she wears it, she can go out to eat and never worry about the shots for the next 3 days!

Just showing you...
My daughters needle for her pump site is SHORTER than a syringe needle by almost 50%
This syringe is 10mm long and my daughters site needle is 6mm. This is the only set that MM makes where the needle stays in.
http://quick.holdthatpic.com/images/119367.jpg (http://www.holdthatpic.com/)

[Charmed7]

My son is very scared of the pump, and has even gone so far as to say he hates it. I think these kids have a lot on their shoulders. They are always thinking about diabetes. And they stumble every once in awhile whether it's sneaking food, shying away from testing, or not wanting to answer questions from nearby friends or strangers when they are testing. It is huge.

The only thing that keeps things stable is the ritualistic approach we as a family, take in managing diabetes. Every morning I test my sugar. I get two shots in the butt, I eat my breakfast, I eat my snack, I test at the nurses office, she gives me a shot in the arm, I eat my lunch, I test before dinner, I get a shot in my belly, I eat my dinner.

This is my sons life, every day, for as long as he remembers. Every day.

I think about things that can change any child's life and how much we do to help them through it. Changing schools, moving away, loss of a family member, a new baby in the family. These are things that we are all sensitive to and we help our children through these changes because they just don't have the coping skills yet and they rely on us for it.

Well, guess what. A change in insulin regimen is just as huge. A may be a better change. Moving to a new home could be a better change too. But it's still a change. And it's still scary. And it's up to us to assure them that we are here 100% and we will help them cope with this change.

As far as my fears....ha ha ha. I'm scared of faulty equipment that we are so reliant on. I'm scared that no one will know how to fix a problem. I'm scared of all the adjustments we will have to make to his insulin to get it just right. I'm scared I won't measure his foods right. I'm scared of Pasta! I'm scared he will sneak food and try to correct himself and OD on insulin. I'm scared he will cry the first time we put in an infusion set. I'm scared he will feel alone. I'm scared my internet will go down and I won't be able to post on CWD. ;)

Well, those are my thoughts. Good luck with your transitions.

Charmed

[frizzyrazzy]

For us at first I was terrified of it because I didn't understand it. The only thing I could picture it was like an epidural tube which nearly made me pass out to look at - the thought of THAT THING stuck in my back just made me queasy. So at dx when we were in the hospital and the CDE brought in a pump to show us and then explained briefly how it worked I simply shut down "nope, never sticking that thing inside my baby".

Then once I learned and saw closely how it really worked it wasnt' I wasn't so terrified.

For Ian it was a bit of being an unknown so it took a while for him to understand and feel comfortable with the idea, but like most kids, change isn't a good thing for him - he likes things the way he likes them. Good or bad.

So it just takes time.

We happen to use one of those sets with the big needle and honest, it just slides right in and then comes right out in about 10 seconds.

[Lee]

We are a big needle set here also. And it is an inch long and very scary looking...but my baby is a show off...she shows the long, honking needle to everybody!!!! Kinda funny...but she never seemed scared of it. I think it was because we waited so long and talked about it so long, that when the time arrived - she was totally psyched!

[wendyc]

I think for most kids (and parents) it is the fear of change. My daughter really freaked when she was shown an insulin pen after using a syringe. She wasn't too keen on pumping because she wasn't sure what it entailed. Now she wouldn't go back to injections EVER! Knowledge is power - show your daughter everything to do with the pump and she may be pleasantly surprised :cwds:

I totally agree. I mean, I was scared going from MDI to a pump, but mainly becaue I had all the info imbedded in my brain for MDI, but was scared I would screw things up with the pump.

We use the 6mm inset. The nice thing about this is that it is contained in the pod and once it is pulled back into place, you can't see the needle. You place it on the body, press it (it makes a click sound. Some kids don't like that) and viola it's in. There are many different style sets/cannulas to choose from, and of course, she can always use numbing cream to make it go in easier.

I think the best thing to do is at the next endo appointment have your daughter look at all the pumps and an Omnipod. By having an endo or cde talk to her about it, it's being presented by a neutral party. Also, if you can get her to meet other kids her age who wear pumps that would be helpful.
http://www.diabetes123.com/pumps/images/inset-close200.jpg (http://www.diabetes123.com/pumps/images/inset-close.jpg)http://www.diabetes123.com/pumps/images/inset6-200.jpg (http://www.diabetes123.com/pumps/images/inset6.jpg)http://www.diabetes123.com/pumps/images/inset4-200.jpg (http://www.diabetes123.com/pumps/images/inset4.jpg)

[blbrocky]

My son didn't want the pump at first. He said he didn't want anything attached to his body. At 15 I can understand he had issues with the pump.

At one of our Endo appointments they had a male nurse who was on the pump come in and showed my son how you could disconnect to shower, play sports etc. (he was very fit) talked to Miles about the pump and told him he had wished he had gone on the pump years ago. This was a real eye opener for my son and changed his perspective.

He has been pumping for approximately a month now and has not complained once. We are still doing all of the fasting requirements to get his basals set.

The needle he uses is the silhouette which looks really long but only a small portion of the needle is inserted and then removed leaving the canula.

Having someone to talk to you about the pump is the key!

[Mom2Madi]

I'll agree with the others....for my daughter it was fear of change more than anything else. We also use the 6MM little needle and never use any numbing cream to insert it. She sometimes says it does hurt but only for a second then it's over and if you are lucky you don't mess with it again for three days.

We also have the Continuous Glucose Monitor that I use on occasion - now that needle is really huge - she also dosen't use any numbing cream for this either and she does fine.

I think she'd prefer to not wear either - not to be hooked up all the time to anything but knows this is the best and easiest thing for her. We were doing 7 shots per day before the pump without much control and she was skipping snacks in order to skip snacks. So I have to say that the pump changed our lives dramatically for the better.

[Hollyb]

The angled sets do have big scary needles -- I'm with Eric on that. It made me queasy just to look at it the first time, and I still think I'd have a damn hard time sticking it into myself. Yes, they go on an angle just under your skin and don't go all the way in, but there is no question they are intimidating looking.

The straight-in sets are a little different. Aaron thought he'd find them easier, but he can't take the lack of control with the serter (ie once you push the button, there's no going back). It takes the same kind of nerve that staple-gunning yourself would to "pull the trigger." At 15, he manually inserts all his Comforts (and would NEVER want anyone else to do it), but he gets me to do his sets with the inserters.

The things people THINK will bother them -- the tubing, messing around with the pump, sleeping with it -- seem to become non-issues for most people in about a day. The wardrobe issue is admittedly bit tougher for girls.

[heather]

yep, i hear you on the inset needles, too, eric. they don't look that big to me, but man, they really freak mark out.

i'm not sure why--he knows that the needle is just to poke his skin and insert the cannula, but it still scares him. he can't look when i insert the set.

but other than that, he loves his pump. he loves the fact he only gets poked with a needle once every two to three days, and that people don't stare at him in restaurants anymore becuase of the needles. (his response when people stared too long was to fall over like he was dead after getting a shot! it cracked me up, but then, i have a sick sense of humor. :))

and three days after wearing it, he said he felt MUCH better than he ever did with needles, so that was proof enough that it's working great!

[Ashti]

Hi Everyone,

Thank you for all your input! My daughter and I just sat down together and read your responses.

She just toodled off to bed, but as she went she said she has just changed her mind, and instead of never going on the pump, she thinks that one day she might, (just not yet).

Now that is progress!

Thanks, Ashti

[CDoyle1013]

I don't recall my daughter being afraid of the pump. She wanted to stop the 4-6 shots daily. We use the Cozmo inset device and we don't even see the part that places the canula under the skin. We use emula cream to numb the skin and it is a quick "click" (push it and spring out) and the set is in!.

There is no way she would go back to shots. The pump is too easy for her and controls her glucose much better than shots. (Pancreas in non-diabetics work 24-7, not only when one eats. A pump does the same..always expressing a preprogrammed amount of insulin (basal settings). The diabetic only needs to push a couple of buttons and input carb data to get the extra insulin for food just like a non-diabetic's pancreas would automatically do). Nah, she won't go back to shots...pumping is much easier for her!

[clb1968]

I dont think I was afraid of the pump , it was just the change that I was afraid of. I had been on MDI for 17 years.

I use the quicksets with the 9mm , and I used the serter for it.
I usually just feel a little pinch and then its over.
It sure beats 6 shots a day.

[MamaC]

I don't know if I would call it "fear" that Tom has about the pump...heaven knows he still hates needles but with only one shot a day (knocking wood and praying for an even more extended honeymoon) he's still not interested in "being attached." The worst part of the hospital stay was the IV and he carries that to this day. May hark back subconsciously to his newborn days when he was wrapped in a fiber optic blanket and plugged into the wall (for jaundice).

He does talk to pumpers that he encounters and hears their enthusiastic endorsements.

Still, no.

Becky

[Treysmom]

Trey loves his pump. Every once in a while he will say that it hurts alittle for site insertion. He has never used a numbing cream. We use the sure T's 6mm the needle stays in.