Would you start pumping without pump classes?

[KRenee]

We ordered a pump. A Minimed Revel. Barbara Davis Center screwed up and delayed the whole process by 2 weeks, but the pump is being delivered today. I was told to call to schedule saline start and live start when I got the pump. I call today and the first appointment I can get is on May 31 for saline and June 14 for insulin start.

I'm disappointed to say the least. My dd is so excited to get started pumping. We are bright people, I've been educated by all of you bright people and I can read a manual and learn from video lessons. We understand how to set and adjust basal and bolus, we know how to count carbs. Do you think we could start pumping without BDC's help? Should we?

[Lee]

I would not - only because you need to be in constant contact - at least daily - for the first week of pumping. That way, the CDE helps you get things set properly. It isn't that you learn alot in the class, it is the support that you NEED during the transition.

See if they have a cancellation/waiting list.

[Christopher]

If it were me I would want to go into it feeling like I had the best chance for success and be armed with as much information as possible. So I would wait. It is only a couple of weeks away, so why rush it? That said, if you feel you are ready then you should go for it.

[PatriciaMidwest]

That's a bummer...but I probably would not start without training. Here's what you can do though...get the name of your MM trainer and call him or her and ask if they can train you sooner. We did the training at our house with MM. It's so hard to wait isn't it?

[timkris724]

As long as you have been assigned a rep from the pump company you could. Everything you need to know about loading the pump and putting it on is on the video. The thing you need advice on is basal rates IC ratios and ISF, all terms you will come to understand. The pump trainer or diabetes educator at the endo may be willing to help you set those over the phone. Make some calls and see what they say.

[sarahspins]

I skipped the training when I returned to pumping two years ago after a several year break... and I showed up to my first (of three) training sessions having already been wearing the pump for over a week (I was wearing it less than an hour after it arrived at my house), however looking back on my first pump training (10 years ago), it was pretty much a joke, so I didn't hold out much hope for the second round. I didn't learn anything and it had felt like a waste of time. The second was a little better because we covered some advanced pumping issues (such as pumping untethered), but in terms of getting started I already knew everything I needed to know. Really the only benefit of completing my series of training sessions was that we were easily able to identify my Novolog allergy and switch me to another insulin quickly.

It pretty much comes down to this - how comfortable are you making changes to your daughter's insulin? Second to that, what are the possible implications of starting early - is your doctor likely to be VERY upset, or will they take it in stride and appreciate that you showed that much initiative? I think that's a place where it might be really easy to burn some bridges if you upset the wrong people.. only you can say if that's a risk you're willing to take.

It would also be possible to set a 0 (or 0.025) basal and use the pump for boluses while you're waiting, and continue to use Levemir. That might be a good compromise and might get you in "less" trouble if using the pump before training might be a problem.

[denise3099]

Sorry, I'm gonna say no. I watched all the video's and haunted this site, but at pump training in my house for an hour, I still felt lost in the sauce. You don't really internalize what you learn until you actually DO it. And I was glad to have a week saline trial too. I could make mistakes and it wouldn't hurt my kid.

That said, call and ask to be trained at your house, or ask if there's a cancellation to call you. And ask for a 1 week saline rather than 2.

[KRenee]

I know what basal rate I would start at, I know IC ratio and ISF. Ive been making changes to my dd's insulin regimine since the second week after diagnosis. Our Endo appointments are a joke - I'm always a step ahead of them and they never have any advice that I haven't already thought of.

I've watched the training videos. I don't feel lost. I am confident and I am careful.

Burning bridges...maybe. But at this point I'm not sure I care.

[Flutterby]

If it was going from one pump to another, then yes I would, but just starting out, no I wouldn't because of the settings. They'll give you specific settings that needs to be tweaked a lot in the beginning.

I remember having to wait two weeks from when we got the pump till pump start, it was a pain to wait, but glad I did.. Not sure why they have you wait two weeks between saline and insulin.. we had 3 days, I think (its been so long I can't remember..)..

[Sarah Maddie's Mom]

I "trained" myself when we switched pumps and I would give myself a B, B+. I missed a few things and scratched my head more than once with some of the settings.

But I would get the pump out and play with it, walk through the tutorials and see how I feel. If you have a high comfort level with it, then perhaps you can find some other way to speed things up. Could the rep come to you?