Is it really the pump?

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Permalink Reply by Gerri on November 3, 2009 at 8:07pm

I share your feelings of anger & frustration about the lack of info we're given. Staggering! Diabetes is such a complicated disease to be stumbling in the dark without the right tools.

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Permalink Reply by June English on November 8, 2009 at 5:04am

I was diagnosed in 1972. Back in those days we didn't even have blood glucose meters. We did have one thing that seems to have disappeared, though. I spent almost 2 weeks in the hospital, while my doctor tried to mimic my activity level so he could set my NPH dose correctly. I also met with a dietician daily, and ordered my meals according to how many fruit, milk, A and B vegetable, meat and bread exchanges I was allowed for each meal. Now I still think of those food exchanges, and I know how many grams of carbohydrate each one contains. I went on the pump only 3 years ago, and in fact my A1C's were slightly better on the MDI than on the pump (low 6's rather than 6.5) However, I used to have frequent lows, and nighttimes were difficult. I have the MM with CGM and I am happy.

What I am concerned about, though, is all these kids I meet who count carbs and maintain an OK - but not great - A1C. They eat a poorly-balanced diet with way too many bags of salty popcorn and chips, pizza, hardly any fruit and vegetables and not enough milk. I think I'll end up healthier than they, even though I was diagnosed in the dark ages (at age 16).

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Permalink Reply by Richard P Cosgrove on November 8, 2009 at 8:45am

I have been on the pump for just a week but a month prior to that I knew I was going on one, I spent a lot of time on Google checking out websites on how basal rate are calculated, IC ratios and ISR's. I already had been on MDI for the past few years with meds then this year just on insulin alone and carb counting so it wasn't much of a stretch for me. I was quite prepared the day of my pump start that my CDE remarked she had never seen anyone so informed. That impressed me. So far I am doing fine and have to see my Endo this Friday for some fine tuning but I don't have anymore lows like I had the first night because of the changes to my ratios that were made the next day.

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