Chelsey Started Pumping at 13

Hi my name is Chelsey. I have had diabetes for 5 years on Valentines Day. I am now 14. I got my pump about a year ago.

Before I got the pump my blood sugars were under very good control. The only problem I had was that I was taking 5 shots a day and testing up to 6 times a day. The testing didn't bother me that much, but the shots just got out of control. I started skipping shots at lunch and my blood sugar was going really high.

I became a candidate for the insulin pump about 3 years ago but was to scared to get it because I thought it would ruin my life. I didn't get how I was going to play sports which was a very big part in my life. The doctors and my parents kept encouraging me to try it so after about 2 years I decided to try it. After I learned more about it and figured out that there actually wouldn't be a needle in me, just a tube, I was much more relaxed about it. I talk to a few people who had the pump and they said they loved it. I got my pump and the doctors hooked me up to the pump with saline and I wore it like that for about 3 days. All my friends thought that it was pretty cool even though they thought it was gross how it was hooked in me. I got real insulin in it about 2 weeks later. My numbers were high after that for awhile. Then we got my blood sugars in control and I started feeling better.

The major difference about having the pump was not having to take shots. It was so much more convenient to have the pump. The only problem that I had was that I forgot to take insulin sometimes because I just forgot that I had diabetes. Since then my numbers have been under much better control. I don't get how I ever lived without it. I have only had a few problems with it malfunctioning -- sometimes the line gets clogged up still -- besides that it is great!

I am very thankful that I started the pump I will never go back to shots.

Chelsey
Sugar5431@aol.com