Strong with Type One

One Year on an Insulin Pump: The Good, the Bad, and Why We Ended Up Back Where We Started

One year. Multiple insulin pump systems. Countless site changes, frustrating blood sugars, sleepless nights, and more lessons than I ever expected to learn.

When Bryant was first diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, the idea of an insulin pump felt overwhelming. We were still learning how to count carbs, calculate insulin doses, treat lows, correct highs, and basically keep our child alive while trying to maintain some sense of normalcy.

Eventually, we made the decision to move from multiple daily injections to an insulin pump. We were excited about the freedom it might give him, but we quickly learned that pumping insulin comes with its own set of challenges.

And here we are, a year later, back on the Tandem Mobi after trying another system.

Not because the other pump was necessarily bad. Not because one system is better for everyone. But because we learned what works best for Bryant, and sometimes you have to try something different to figure that out.

Our First Pump: Tandem Mobi

The Tandem Mobi was Bryant’s first insulin pump, and looking back, it was a pretty big adjustment for all of us.

Going from injections to a pump sounds like it should make life easier, right?

No more multiple shots every day. Insulin delivered automatically. Technology helping manage blood sugars.

Except nobody really prepares you for the learning curve.

Suddenly, we were learning about basal rates, insulin-to-carb ratios, correction factors, infusion sets, site changes, tubing, and automated insulin delivery.

We weren’t just managing diabetes anymore. We were learning how to manage a device that was helping us manage diabetes.

And despite all the technology, we were still very much involved.

We had stubborn highs that wouldn’t budge, unexplained lows, infusion sites that failed, and days when I questioned whether we had made the right decision.

But as time went on, the Mobi became part of our everyday routine.

Site changes became second nature. Bryant became more comfortable wearing his pump. We started recognizing patterns and understanding how his body responded to insulin.

It wasn’t perfect, but we were finding our rhythm.

Why We Decided to Try Something Different

One thing I’ve learned about Type 1 diabetes is that you can’t be afraid to explore your options.

There are so many different insulin delivery systems available, and each offers something a little different.

As parents, we want to make sure we’re giving our children every opportunity to have the best tools available to manage this disease.

So we decided to try the Twiist insulin delivery system.

There were features that interested us, especially the ability to customize settings and try a different approach to automated insulin delivery.

And Bryant was willing to give it a shot.

Changing pumps isn’t exactly like switching phone brands. You have to learn a new system, adjust to different technology, and get comfortable trusting something unfamiliar with your child’s insulin delivery.

We went into it with an open mind.

The Honeymoon Phase of New Technology

There’s something exciting about trying a new diabetes device.

You want it to be amazing. You want it to solve the problems you’ve been dealing with. You secretly hope this will be the technology that finally gives you a little more sleep at night.

And sometimes, it does make certain things better.

We liked aspects of the Twiist system. We appreciated the flexibility and the opportunity to learn how a different algorithm managed Bryant’s insulin needs.

But like every diabetes device we’ve ever used, it came with challenges.

We still had difficult blood sugar days. We still had settings that needed adjustments. We still experienced those frustrating moments when we couldn’t figure out why his blood sugar was doing what it was doing.

Because here’s the thing about automated insulin delivery systems.

They are incredible tools, but they aren’t artificial pancreases that allow parents to check out of diabetes management.

You’re still counting carbs. You’re still paying attention to trends. You’re still troubleshooting highs and lows. You’re still wondering whether it’s hormones, growth, activity, illness, a bad site, or just diabetes being diabetes.

And while we were figuring out a new algorithm, we realized something else mattered more to us than we initially expected.

The Infusion Set Was the Dealbreaker

Of all the things I thought would influence our pump decision, I never expected the infusion set to be such a big factor.

But here we are.

An infusion set is such a small part of the bigger diabetes picture, yet it plays an enormous role in everyday life.

If insulin isn’t being delivered properly, it doesn’t matter how wonderful the pump’s algorithm is.

And if the site itself isn’t working well for your child, you’re going to feel the effects of that pretty quickly.

For Bryant, we simply preferred the infusion set options we had with the Tandem Mobi.

We were familiar with them. We had a routine. We knew what worked for his body, and we felt more comfortable with the overall site-change process.

When you’re changing infusion sets every few days, those little differences become big differences.

It’s not just about the insertion process, either. It’s about comfort, reliability, confidence, and knowing what to expect.

After trying another system, we realized just how much we valued something we had previously taken for granted.

Sometimes the deciding factor isn’t the most impressive feature advertised on a company’s website.

Sometimes it’s the little piece of plastic that sits under your child’s skin.

So We Went Back to Tandem Mobi

After spending time with another pump, we made the decision to return to the Tandem Mobi.

And I think that’s an important part of our story.

Going back doesn’t mean trying something new was a mistake.

We don’t regret exploring another option.

We learned a lot about what Bryant needs, what we prioritize as caregivers, and which parts of pump therapy make the biggest difference in our everyday lives.

We also learned that a pump can have fantastic features and still not be the best fit for our family.

There’s no trophy for sticking with a device that isn’t working the way you need it to.

Diabetes management is hard enough without feeling obligated to make something work simply because you chose it.

A Year of Trials, Errors, and a Whole Lot of Troubleshooting

If I could sum up our first year of pumping in one word, it would be learning.

We’ve dealt with infusion site failures, stubborn highs, unexpected lows, changing insulin needs, and nights when it felt like we were adjusting settings more often than we were sleeping.

We’ve had days when insulin seemed to work beautifully and other days when it might as well have been water.

We’ve questioned whether the problem was the site, the insulin, the settings, the algorithm, or the fact that Bryant is a growing kid whose insulin needs seem to change whenever they feel like it.

We’ve learned that physical activity can affect his blood sugar hours later.

We’ve learned that a pump site can look perfectly fine and still not work the way it should.

We’ve learned that sometimes you can do everything right and still end up with a blood sugar graph that makes absolutely no sense.

And we’ve learned that just when you think you have diabetes figured out, it will find a way to remind you that you don’t.

But we’ve also watched Bryant grow tremendously.

He’s become more involved in his own care. He’s learning to recognize when something doesn’t feel right, understand his technology, and become more independent.

Those moments matter more to me than any perfect blood sugar graph ever could.

Time in Range Isn’t the Whole Story

Something else this year taught me is that numbers don’t tell the entire story.

It’s easy to look at another family’s time in range, average glucose, or A1c and wonder whether you’re doing enough.

It’s even easier to compare pump systems based on someone else’s results.

But those numbers don’t show you the failed infusion sets, the interrupted sleep, the constant adjustments, or the mental load of managing Type 1 diabetes.

A pump that gives one child incredible results might not work nearly as well for another.

And a system that looks fantastic on paper might not fit your family’s lifestyle.

Of course, blood sugar management matters. We want Bryant to spend as much time in range as possible.

But I also want him to be comfortable. I want him to feel confident managing his equipment. I want the process to be realistic for a child who has school, sports, friends, and an entire life outside of diabetes.

The best pump isn’t necessarily the one with the most features. It’s the one that works best for the person wearing it.

If You’re Considering an Insulin Pump for Your Child

I wish someone had told me a year ago that choosing an insulin pump isn’t a permanent commitment to one system forever.

Your child’s needs may change.

Your family’s priorities may change.

Technology will continue to evolve.

And something that works wonderfully today may not be the best option a year from now.

Ask questions. Talk to your diabetes care team. Learn about different algorithms, infusion sets, compatibility, and everyday usability.

And don’t overlook the little things.

How easy is it to change a site? How comfortable is your child wearing it? How does it fit into school, sports, swimming, and sleep? How much troubleshooting are you comfortable managing?

Those details matter.

Most importantly, don’t feel like you have to defend your pump choice to anyone else.

What works for one family doesn’t have to work for yours.

One Year Later

A year ago, we were nervous about starting insulin pump therapy.

Today, site changes are just another part of our routine.

We’ve gone from learning how to operate our first pump to feeling confident enough to try another system, recognize what wasn’t the best fit, and make the decision to switch back.

We’re back with the Tandem Mobi, and for now, it’s where we feel most comfortable.

That doesn’t mean we’ll never try another system again. It doesn’t mean we won’t experience frustrating days or have to make more adjustments.

It just means we’ve found what works for Bryant at this stage of his life.

And if there’s one thing Type 1 diabetes has taught me, it’s that nothing about this disease stays the same for very long.

The technology will change. His insulin needs will change. He will grow, become more independent, and eventually make more of these decisions himself.

For now, we’re continuing to learn right alongside him.

One site change, one stubborn high, one middle-of-the-night alarm, and one small victory at a time.

Because the goal was never to find the perfect insulin pump. The goal was to find the right one for Bryant.

— Strong With Type One

A note to other T1D families: This is our personal experience with insulin pump therapy, not a recommendation for or against any particular system. Every person with Type 1 diabetes has different needs, and pump decisions should be made with your diabetes care team.