Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by still_young_at_heart on May 3, 2012 at 9:09pm

Not me.

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Permalink Reply by Zoe on May 3, 2012 at 9:11pm

Nope. For several reasons: It is much harder to bolus accurately for high carb counts. And the more insulin you use the more chance of making a big mistake. (Called "the law of small numbers"). In addition eating whatever you want and bolusing for it can definitely lead to weight gain. it can also lead to developing Insulin Resistance. And as a Type 1, I definitely don't need to add that problem in to my Diabetes management. So, no, to me, a pump is not a license to eat whatever I want. I do however, enjoy my food and eat a delicious and varied diet.

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Permalink Reply by Melitta on May 3, 2012 at 9:26pm

No, I find I need to restrict carbs to even out my blood sugar levels. I am not a low carber, more a moderate carber, but if I just eat what I want (whoo hoo!) the rollercoaster of highs and lows happens, and that is just suffering to me. But I do love my insulin pump! It really has made life with Type 1 easier.

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Permalink Reply by jrtpup on May 3, 2012 at 10:19pm

Not me either. I'd eat loaves and loaves of good bread with butter LOL. On the other hand I don't deprive myself. I eat very low carb, and I eat well. When I visit my endo I then visit the good bakery across the road and get a chocolate croissant ;) Like Zoe, I find that the more carbs I eat the more likely I am to mis-bolus.

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Permalink Reply by Leotha Fleming III on May 4, 2012 at 4:57am

I asked because I have an Animas Pump and one of my friends has the Omnipod, and she said she got the pump so she can eat whatever she wanted and I just wanted to laugh lol...

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Permalink Reply by acidrock23 on May 4, 2012 at 5:22am

I agree w/ the nopes. I was sort of on a "healthier" kick *before* I got my pump and didn't just stop that but found the pump made it easier.

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Permalink Reply by MyBustedPancreas on May 4, 2012 at 5:24am

Pumping does make it a bit easier to try different things and be a bit more free with food. That's because you have the ability to do things like dual-wave and square boluses. Because of that, I do find myself occasionally eating foods (such as pizza or sweets) that I would normally not even attempt on MDI.

But the key word here is "occasional." As a general rule, I still have to keep my carb intake under 120 g/day to maintain decent control. That said, maintaining control is much easier for me on the pump because I can dose in really small amounts. On MDI, I would never correct anything unless it was over 200 and I was pretty sure I was headed up. On my pump, I find myself even correcting those minor highs of 140 or 150 because I can dose a small amount of insulin in order to correct.

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Permalink Reply by t.clayton on May 4, 2012 at 6:25am

I tend to lean more towards the eat what I want, but it is within reason, for example I don't have a problem eating pizza, pasta, or deserts if my numbers are within range and have been stable. I do pass on deserts often but am not afraid to have some if I really want some.

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Permalink Reply by Kim on May 4, 2012 at 7:04am

No, but it does make corrections a lot easier.

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Permalink Reply by Jamie on May 30, 2012 at 2:34pm

Hi, I have been considering a pump. How does it make your life easier if you can't eat what you like? Also do you do anything with your pump or are there some things you remove it for? Some things I just don't want to put in writing.

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Permalink Reply by Zoe on May 30, 2012 at 2:43pm

It makes your life easier in many ways. First of all dosing is much more precise. If you eat 12 carbs and your I:C ratio is 1:10 you can dose for the exact fraction instead of just taking the one unit and going high. Ditto on basals. A one time or twice a day dose of long-acting is a very inprecise way of dosing basal, especially since you have different needs at different times a day and with different activities. Finally I don't have to worry about "taking my insulin with me". It's always with me. And not taking five shots a day is its own reward!

Personally I do eat what I like, I've just learned to like healthier choices (and to find healthier choices I like). I don't feel deprived; I feel empowered because I am taking good care of my body.

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Permalink Reply by Sam Iam on May 30, 2012 at 2:55pm

Imagine waking up in the morning and NOT taking a shot. I found that part mind blowing. Also, if you have it set up properly, it can achieve a much more precise, level basal dosage. You use a little less insulin. It takes very little effort to take the equivalent of 10 or 20 shots a day.

It does feel strange to be naked, though, cuz there's nothing to hook it on to. It's easy to unhook temporarily if you prefer.

There are also serious dangers and downsides to it. In some ways it does not make your life easier, but it seems the majority of us who have tried it far prefer it.

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