I read a blog post/article the other day that helped me figure out what I should do about my pump decision. The author mentioned a few things to take into consideration when deciding between a pump and injections.
1. The cost. Pumps are more expensive and I don’t know how much my insurance will cover (probably only half, like with my Dexcom).
2. Pumps can have more things go wrong than syringes can. The battery can die; kinks and air bubbles can prevent insulin delivery; scar tissue build up will prevent insulin absorption; water damage and other malfunctions, etc.
3. Pumps don’t work for everyone. The machine is only as good as its user. Being on a pump before showed me that I wasn't a very good user.
4. Being connected to a pump was something I didn’t like years ago…in fact, I hated it. The tubing would get caught on things if I wasn’t careful (and I’m clumsy, so that doesn’t help matters), the infusion site sometimes got yanked out prematurely (so annoying!), and I would sometimes drop the pump or it would fall from my hands (I fumble with things a lot).
5. I want to see how well I do with being “connected” to the Dexcom. Even though there’s no tubing connecting me to the receiver, I want to see how well I do with changing the transmitter site every week. Most likely I will do well because it will be showing me patterns in my numbers and I will want to stay on top of them. I like following numbers on charts and stuff. Once a week is a whole lot better than every 3 days!
Therefore, I have decided to not get a pump at this time. I will be staying on shots. They are working for me and I see no need to switch. I just need to choke up on my discipline and I’ll be doing great.
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