My husband just got one last week. He's 57 years old and has never been much into technology, or even cell phones - he knows how to make calls and to answer his cell phone, but that is about it. I was really concerned about him being able to use the pump, because everyone says, "oh it's easy, it's just like a cell phone". I thought.....
But, it has been wonderful. He can use it with ease and move around the screens to give himself insulin.
It does not monitor your blood sugar automatically (some pumps do, but that is very new technology and very expensive, most ins companies don't pay for it yet). You have to check your own blood sugar with a finger stick (some pumps have a blood sugar checker built right in) and you have to count the carbohydrates that you are going to eat for a meal (or the carbs you have just eaten) and you have to enter that number into the pump and then the pump calculates the amount of insulin you need and gives it to you though a little cannula or needle that is secured to your abdomen area (can be placed on upper thigh, upper buttocks, etc. wherever you have enough fat).
It is absolutely wonderful technology - it is an artificial pancreas, except you have to tell it what to do. You are connected to the pump by a tiny little tube which is about 30 inches long. So you can't lay the pump down and walk away, it is attached to you all the time (but you do have the length of tubing, so you can lay it on the bed, for example, while you are dressing). You can wear it cliped to your belt or waist band - my husband just drops it into his jeans pocket during the day. At night he clips it to the waistband of his boxers. I don't think I would be comfortable with him laying it in the bed beside him!
Changing the tubing and injection site must be done every 3-4 days and the first few times you do this, it seems pretty complicated and a little scarey. But I know that it will be just fine with practice. Everyone says it takes from 1-2 months to become familiar and comfortable with the pump.
You just disconnect it to shower (you do not take the needle out, you just disconnect the tubing and pump from the needle site which stays in your abdomen). You can go swimming, etc. Some of the pumps are waterproof and kids actually swim with them on and running. My husband fell into the river this weekend while fishing and his pump was just fine.
Now, for your mom - I think she has to be committed to using the pump, otherwise, it won't be much different than taking shots. Is she taking multiple shots every day - every time she eats? That is pretty tiring, but is what needs to be done if her control is not good. But if she is already taking multiple shots a day, calculated on what she is eating, and she is still in poor control, then the pump might help - but only if she is committed to checking her blood sugar and dialing in the amount of carbohydrates that she is eating so that the pump will know what to do. It's kinda like a computer, it is only going to do what you tell it.
It sounds like your mom might need a good diabetes educator nurse to help her decide about all of this. Also, I have heard, but do not know for certain, that some pump companies will let you test a pump for a month. The recommendation to read the message board by people wearing the pump is a good one. The American Diabetes Assocation also has a message board that is very good.
Good luck with everything!
