A day in the life of an insulin pumper.

Here’s an example of a few days in the life of an insulin pumper. Of course, the examples could be endless and not everyone will do as much temporary programming in a day. Try to picture your day and how you might be using the pump. The intent of this page is to introduce some of the things pumpers could be doing, the decisions they make, some of the advantages and disadvantages of pumping. Just a reminder: don’t use any of this information as medical advice - check with your health care team.

0600 Saturday Wake up. Realize it’s Saturday. Go back to sleep.

10:00 Wake up again. Test blood sugars, they’re fine. About the same blood sugars as what I went to bed with last night. Take pump off. Shower. Put pump back on. I count breakfast carbs and input into pump. I push a few buttons. Pump calculates my breakfast insulin dose. I agree so push another button. Pump gives me my insulin. I eat breakfast.

11:00 Friend calls and invites me to go to home show. I expect it’s huge with lots of walking so program my pump to give me only 50% of my basal insulin for the next 3 hours so I don’t get low while walking.

12:00 Small home show. We’re done already. Blood sugars are fine and I did walk some, but not much. I program my pump to go back to normal in half hour, instead of another two more hours since my walking is done.

2:00 Finally we get lunch. My friend has been chewing my ear off at a coffee shop for 2 hours. My blood sugars are actually a bit high as I’ve done nothing but sit and I really didn’t walk much at the home show. Program in the blood sugar, and the grams carb I’m going to eat. The pump does its calculations suggesting a correction and meal bolus dose. I agree and push another button.

3:00 . Check sugars. Still high. I want to nibble on fruit. Input blood sugar and grams of carb into pump. It suggests give nothing for a correction as plenty of insulin still on board but give 1.3 units for the fruit. I agree and push a button.

5:00 pm Check sugars to be sure I did come down. I’m fine.

8:00 Check sugars. They’re fine. Go to movie. Nibble on popcorn. Program some units to be given over 1.5 hours as that’s how long it takes me to eat my popcorn usually.

10:00Nibble on nachos at friends. Give a few units by quick bolus as don’t want to look at pump or check sugars.

11:00Nibble on more stuff at friends. Give a few units by quick bolus as don’t want to look at pump.

0100 am Test sugar. It’s in target. Review active insulin on board. Oh my goodness –I still have 4 units that are working. I’ll be low if I don’t eat a bit. I eat some carb.

0300 am Pump alarm wakes me. Insulin supply in the pump is low; there are 30 units left. That’s plenty to get me through the night. Sheesh. The life of an insulin pumper. Go back to sleep.

0800 Sunday Wake. Test sugar. It’s fine. Refill insulin pump. I need to change infusion set. Hmm…where can I put it? What will I be doing the next few days? I don’t want to choose a site that will get irritated or in the way. I make my choice, choose my set and insert it. Not eating breakfast yet as not hungry.

10:00 Test blood sugar to be sure new infusion set is OK. It is. Kinda hungry now so eat breakfast. Count carb. Input blood sugar. Review pump’s suggestion for insulin dose. Only give half since I’ll be gardening right after breakfast.

Noon Tests sugars. I’m low. Golly, I wasn’t expecting to garden for so long. I treat my low with glucose and then reduce my basal insulin by 50% as I’m still going to garden for the afternoon. Retest my sugars to be sure they come up – they do.

4:00 pm Done gardening. Missed lunch. Blood sugars OK. I put my pump back to normal basal rate. Eat early supper – count and input carb. I don’t agree with pump’s suggestion for units of insulin since I’ve been so physical. I give less.

8:00pm Tired. Watch TV. I’m thinking I’ll probably fall asleep watching TV and since I was so active during the day, I’m at risk for a low sugar during the night. I remind myself to think like an insulin pumper. I program my pump to give me only 70% of my night’s basal insulin. I also program in an alarm clock for 0200 to remind me to wake and check my sugars. I’m thinking if I garden tomorrow, I’ll put in a continuous glucose monitor because it will alarm when my blood sugars drop below my comfort zone.

Each day as an insulin pumper varies –that is the point of using the pump. To accommodate life’s ups and downs, although in reality the pump can provide some of it’s own ups and downs. Still, the work for many is worth the payoff.

More essential introductory information on pumps: