Good diabetes management is possible while using multiple daily injections. An insulin pump won't magically fix most of your problems with your diabetes - they are a lot of work. So if you are interested in moving to a pump, do your homework and find out exactly how you might benefit, google them, read book on them, talk to one of the representatives from the 2-3 companies who provide pumps in Ireland, talk to other people who have used them, and talk to people who tried them and it didn't work.
Now for my story....
I met two people recently that I've known for a while, but I didn't know they have connections to type 1 diabetes. One person is a PwD and one is married to a PwD.As always, the fact that I have an insulin pump comes up in conversation. And, as always, they ask "how I find the pump?" (that's an Irish person's equivalent of "Tell me exactly how you benefit from having it").
They don't really know what an insulin pump is or how it works. This doesn't surprise me because unless you are very interested in getting one you really don't do the research into it and in most of our diabetes clinics it's not really explained. (No need to promote what long waiting lists and lack of resources prevent you from providing).
Both people made the exact same comment of "but you still have to do the finger prick tests"! I wasn't expecting this comment so my response was insufficient. I had said something to the effect of "Well, yeah but I don't have to be messing around with two different types of insulin."
COMPLETELY, forgetting one of the best advantages of an insulin pump!
And I'm so kicking myself that I didn't think of this at the time but the point is you don't have to stab yourself with a needle 5-6 times per day, you only have to stab yourself once every three days. How could I forget that?
Next time I'll be ready! I hope.
If you are looking for a bit more information on the differences between an Insulin Pump and Multiple Daily Injections, here's some information from http://blog.diabetv.com/differences-insulin-pump-injection/
