Start Pumping Today...any general advice for the first few days?

[shause]

My 7 yr. old daughter is going to start pumping this afternoon. Just wanted to gather any advice/tips for getting through the first couple of days. We are very excited but also nervous about our new adventure!

Thanks,
Shelley

[Butterfly Betty]

Be prepared for bumps in the road while you work to get everything set just right.

[hawkeyegirl]

We found that Lantus lasted much longer in my son's system than the stated 24 hours. About 2.5 days after he started pumping, the Lantus finally worked itself all the way out and then we had highs, highs, highs until we got the basal adjusted correctly. That doesn't happen to everyone, but it's common enough that I thought I'd mention it.

Good luck! Hope you both love it!

[DsMom]

Originally Posted by Butterfly Betty

Be prepared for bumps in the road while you work to get everything set just right.

Yes...don't expect smooth sailing from the beginning...but don't give up! It took us many weeks to find the right rates for my son...and the highs that came during that time were disheartening. You may at some point feel like you should have stayed with MDI...but don't give in to that! Time and patience is all that is needed to get where you want to be. Just be prepared for an adjustment period...it is normal.

Good luck!! Hope you guys (eventually) love the pump as much as we do!

[cdninct]

We had a rough few weeks, so be hopeful for smooth sailing but be prepared for lots of extra testing and weird numbers. It will sort itself out!

Our trainer suggested that we take DS out for a treat on day one that he had not been allowed to have, or have at that particular time of day, since dx (we were on NPH, so an afternoon treat of a McDonald's ice cream cone had been a no-go for 5 months). Yes, it messed up his numbers a bit, but it was so worth it, and his happiness that afternoon carried us through the first few crummy weeks!

Good luck!

[maciasfamily]

Originally Posted by cdninct

We had a rough few weeks, so be hopeful for smooth sailing but be prepared for lots of extra testing and weird numbers. It will sort itself out!

Our trainer suggested that we take DS out for a treat on day one that he had not been allowed to have, or have at that particular time of day, since dx (we were on NPH, so an afternoon treat of a McDonald's ice cream cone had been a no-go for 5 months). Yes, it messed up his numbers a bit, but it was so worth it, and his happiness that afternoon carried us through the first few crummy weeks!

Good luck!

Love this suggestion! What a great idea!

[hawkeyegirl]

Originally Posted by cdninct

We had a rough few weeks, so be hopeful for smooth sailing but be prepared for lots of extra testing and weird numbers. It will sort itself out!

Our trainer suggested that we take DS out for a treat on day one that he had not been allowed to have, or have at that particular time of day, since dx (we were on NPH, so an afternoon treat of a McDonald's ice cream cone had been a no-go for 5 months). Yes, it messed up his numbers a bit, but it was so worth it, and his happiness that afternoon carried us through the first few crummy weeks!

Good luck!

We actually had some sort of treat RIGHT THERE to give to my son as soon as we got the pump hooked up. We had been telling him all along that he wouldn't need shots once he got the pump, but he didn't "get it" until the first time he ate without a shot. The smile on his face was priceless.

[DsMom]

Originally Posted by hawkeyegirl

We actually had some sort of treat RIGHT THERE to give to my son as soon as we got the pump hooked up. We had been telling him all along that he wouldn't need shots once he got the pump, but he didn't "get it" until the first time he ate without a shot. The smile on his face was priceless.

Yes...my son asked for something to eat the minute we got home from the pump trainer when he started on insulin! It was a WONDERFUL feeling for both of us I think.

[MomofSweetOne]

My daughter started eating as soon as she climbed in the car after her appointment. Definitely a celebration mark to eat without the syringe!

Don't wait to call for adjustments if your child isn't feeling well. They don't need to run in the upper 200-300s or equally low just because we were told to call in after three days. The beauty of the pump is that they can have an entirely different basal acting within four hours and be feeling better.

Also, eliminate as much off your calendar as possible. Your sleep deprivation will be great and the chance to nap is priceless. Look at it as if you have a new baby in the house....sleep at every opportunity and give yourself permission to say no to lots!

[emm142]

Originally Posted by hawkeyegirl

We found that Lantus lasted much longer in my son's system than the stated 24 hours. About 2.5 days after he started pumping, the Lantus finally worked itself all the way out and then we had highs, highs, highs until we got the basal adjusted correctly. That doesn't happen to everyone, but it's common enough that I thought I'd mention it.

Me too.

Well actually, what happened to me is that they told me to take Lantus the night before I went on the pump, and then that day I had both basal and full Lantus active. I went very low, so they lowered my basal considerably. Then for the next couple of days things worked out on my super low basal. Then I went to D camp (only a few days into pumping!), where I had CRAZY activity levels and things worked with the lower basal.

It was only when I got home from D-camp, had no Lantus left in my system and no activity to counterbalance the defecit that my BGs went insane. Especially because almost all of my Quick-Sets were kinking.

Just to let you know that the first few days and weeks are sometimes really rough. I'm not trying to scare you, rather to let you know that IF that happens to you, you should try to stick at it. I almost stopped pumping about 4 weeks in because it was insane. I'm SO glad I stuck at it, adjusted my doses and tried some more infusion sets.