Why You Should Consider an Insulin Pump

[Guest guest]

This was passed on to me and it was well worth passing on to everyone.

Thanks,

For those wondering about pumps this is from the aol message board I

read::

formerly Diabetes Interview 16 July 2004 Â

Why You Should Consider an Insulin Pump

by Barbara Bradley, MS, RN, CDE

The number of people opting for insulin pump therapy grows.

Worldwide, the number is approximately 300,000.

Are you thinking about using this intensive-management option? Has

your diabetes-care provider suggested it? Do you know someone using a

pump and think it might give you improved control of your blood

glucose and lifestyle?

What are the benefits of using an insulin pump?

provides more precise insulin dosing†" within 0.025 of a unit.

offers improved insulin absorption with continuous delivery. Insulin

therapy with a pump mimics the pattern of how insulin is released in

a person without diabetes.

helps you to manage illness, growth spurts, hormone swings, other

medications affecting blood glucose, varying activity levels, Dawn

Phenomenon (pattern of early morning rise in blood glucose levels),

or nocturnal hypoglycemia.

reduces the peaks and valleys of severe high and low glucose levels.

helps to decrease, or reverse, hypoglycemia unawareness.

manages delayed food absorption by adjusting or extending the meal

bolus delivery to match food absorption.

stabilizes your A1C level.

helps you match insulin to food. It is impossible to inject

hundredths of a unit of insulin without a pump. Are you able to draw

up 1.05 units into a syringe? Carbohydrate counting and target

glucose level adjustments are more easily managed.

offers increased flexibility to manage special-occasion meals,

delayed meals, spontaneous activities, “sleeping in.â€

frees you from rigid management schedules.

lets you enjoy special-occasion foods without guilt.

allows you to eat when you want to eat, not because you have to eat.

One pump user says, “I can skip breakfast, I can skip lunch or eat

it at 2 p.m. I can eat dinner at 4 p.m., 9 p.m. or 11 p.m. if I

want.â€

helps you feel better and increases energy. Injected insulin

absorption can be unpredictable. Insulin might not be available to

help you metabolize the food you have eaten, or too much insulin

might be active at a time when you least expect it. Another pump user

said, “I didn’t know I was feeling bad until I started feeling

better.â€

gives you the freedom to travel with ease. When traveling, you can

adjust insulin delivery to your destination time zone.

allows you to eliminate daily multiple injections. With a pump, you

rarely need to inject.

lets you exercise safely. Basal insulin (constant background

delivery) rates can be reduced or temporarily stopped, if needed.

helps you plan for and maintain tighter blood glucose control for a

healthier pregnancy.

helps you manage a young child who is a “picky eater.†Meal

boluses can be programmed after consumed food is added up.

helps you to lose weight, if you are motivated.

can improve your sense of wellbeing and quality of life.

helps you attain a more “normal†lifestyle.

gives you more control of your diabetes and your life. If you think

you want the benefits of insulin pump therapy, discuss your reasons

with your diabetes team.

There are several manufacturers of insulin pumps; most will have

staff to answer your questions and assist with processing for

insurance coverage once your health-care provider writes a

prescription. You will want to research not only the initial costs of

the pump but also the ongoing costs of the infusion sets and other

pump supplies. There are a variety of insulin pumps available so you

can choose the one that will best meet your lifestyle and diabetes

management needs.

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