I’m in Massachusetts in the United States, and have jumped through the hoops of documenting blood sugars and controlling them for 24 years, and have yet to be prescribed a pump. I would like to jump from endo to endo until I find one who will prescribe me an insulin pump, but I am afraid I may end up worsening my situation.
Posted Sep 2, 2022, 9:03 PM UTC
Tell them you have issues prebolusing due to feeling self conscious about taking out needles in public. You believe you will fare better with a pump as it could be more discreet.
Tell them you've done MDI for 20+ years and think you have plateaued with how good it's going to get. You'd like try an insulin pump to see if you can improve your A1C and time in range
Point out your diabetic friends all seem to rave about the pump and would like to make an assessment of it yourself.
Go through the pump companies first and get them to arrange everything. My Endo actually told me to go this route before.
I think endos generally try not to push any particular pump cause they really aren't sales people and don't want any liability coming back to them if you as the user have a very bad experience on a pump.
However, your Endo really shouldn't be withholding the use of a pump for no reason. That is just silly.
I find it very strange that your endocrinologist isn't promoting you to be on a pump. How long have you been seeing this endocrinologist?
I think 2-3 years
is your issue that the endo won’t prescribe it or the insurance won’t cover it? if the issue is the endo yeah i’d look into finding a new one and just being upfront at the appointment that you think a pump would improve your quality of care and that you’ve put in the work already. if there’s something specific they want you to do before they write the script, either do it (if it’s something manageable / you haven’t done or showed them) or talk about other ways you can get them to prescribe it
The issue is currently the endo as I had gotten a call from the representatives who said I was covered. The specific thing is kinda hard to pin down, previously she wanted me on a cgm consistently, once I did that it was to document everything I’m eating and how much insulin. I never did that 100% for very long, and recently she has said she wants me to not be having anymore lows before she prescribes. I have almost gotten rid of lows but I anticipate another disappointing session at my next visit. It seems every time I meet a goal there is another reason that I am not good enough for a pump
Write down everything you put into your mouth. Yes write it down on a 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper. Pen or pencil. If you eat cereal then write down how much carbs are in it. Also, add the milk. Yes, handwritten notes are best.
Write down every time you take insulin and how much. Yes, every time.
Once you have a full month of your food log and the insulin you took, then slap that down in front of your endo. Not the staff, just the Endo.
If you still cannot get the ok from the Endo, then ask him/her what you can do to change his mind. If you have too many low BG, then ask him for help to change that.
A dietitian helped me more than my Endo to change things.
Seems silly how a 4 year old child can be on a pump but grown adults are not allowed. Parents can do a lot for their kids but they don’t LIVE THIS 24x7.
I'm from mass and I go to Brown Medicine in RI and I have never had an issue initially getting prescribed a pump or switching pumps. Find a different endo.
Oooo I wonder if my Masshealth is accepted there!