May 14, 2014

I got my insulin pump about 5 years ago. I was very resistant to the idea for a long time and nervous about what I perceived to be a loss of control over my diabetes by turning so much over to a machine. I very quickly changed my mind, though. The pump has given me much greater control, improved my A1Cs and made my life much easier. So I would recommend the pump to another type 1 diabetic.

I would NOT, however, recommend the “sensor,” or “Continuous Glucose Monitor.” These days, some insulin pumps are sold with a sensor like this built into the pump itself. I recommend you get one without a built-in sensor so you can opt not use it.

The sensor wirelessly transmits subcutaneous glucose readings to the pump. The radiofrequency radiation emitted from it has all sorts of impacts, including, for me, raising my bloodsugars. I believe it is also this wireless communication that can be interfered with by other signals in our environment, which can result in an improper dose of insulin being delivered.

I also recommend that an insulin pump user check their pump’s settings to make sure any wireless function (like communicating with a sensor) is turned off. Even if you are not using the sensor, the option needs to be turned off within the pump so that the pump stops sending out signals searching for the sensor.

So, in summary, I highly recommend the insulin pump, but NOT the sensor, or “Continuous Glucose Monitor.”

-Emma Gunn