Ask Our Team
My son is Type 1, he is 5 and was diagnosed last June. My endo has been talking a lot about the pump lately. I am considering switching this summer, looking at the Animas ping. Can I really get tighter control on the pump? His first A1C was 7.8 and his most recent was 8.1 and it's hard to not take it personally. How do you know when the honeymoon is over? I have noticed that his numbers have been much more jumpy since December so I assumed that maybe it's over. About the pump- my son is a little afraid to switch to the pump, is it ok to bribe him with a giant Lego prize if he switches? We love technology in our family and he does think it's cool that he will have his own "computer".
Responses
Gary Scheiner says
You ask some excellent questions. Very few people jump into pump therapy fully convinced that it is the right thing to do. It takes a bit of faith. Given that more than 95% of people who try pumps stay with them long-term speaks volumes. And remember that if you try the pump and don't care for it, you can always go back to injections. The biggest "complaint" I hear from most people is that they didn't try pumping sooner.A pump is little more than a tool for delivering insulin. Ultimately, your skills and motivation are what will drive your son's control. But there are things about pump therapy you just can't get with injections: The schedule flexibility, dosing precision, built-in calculations with adjustment for insulin-on-board, ability to fine-tune basal insulin levels, amazing convenience, fewer needle sticks, and so on. To me, it's worth the initial leap of faith. And a Lego set is reasonable reward for trying something new. It would work for me!
Gary Scheiner MS, CDE
Owner & Clinical Director
Integrated Diabetes Services
333 E. Lancaster Ave., Suite 204
Wynnewood, PA 19096
toll free: 877-735-3648
(610) 642-6055
fax (610) 642-8046
www.integrateddiabetes.com
gary@integrateddiabetes.com
