Salty and Sweet

I was asked ‘how would an insulin pump make a difference?’

That is a big question to answer.

First, an insulin pump acts more like a real pancreas than individual shots of insulin. It would be able to give me little amounts through out the day to keep my baseline in check, and give me more when I eat. And… no more shots, no more forgetting!

For the times when my fear of the needle is greater than my mental desire for insulin, no more shots, no more worries! When I sit down to eat a meal, I will test my blood sugar level with my meter. The meter sends the results to my pump via radio waves. The pump figures out if I need extra insulin to bring a high level back down to normal before my meal, and gives it to me. No shots needed.

Then, I tell the little machine how many carbohydrates I will be eating during my meal or snack and it does all the math! I get the correct amount of insulin, with no shots, and no stress! (seeing a happy theme here!)

My nutrition needs, due to my CF, are high-calorie and high-fat. I am continuously snacking to get enough calories in. My coworkers giggle when they pass my cubicle because I always have some form of nourishment in my hands. I find it very difficult to balance my blood sugars when I am eating constantly. Either I need to give myself many small shots a day, or I will have huge swings between high and low if I give shots in larger amounts less often. Huge swings is really bad for the body, and it exhausts me. Not healthy at all.

With an insulin pump, all I would have to do is push a few buttons and away I go. I could have much better control, which will save me from a lot of complications in the future.

It would make my life and my care so much easier, both in the short and long term. It would be a great help in getting my sugar levels under control which, short term, would help me stay hydrated (helping with my CF complications), have more energy, and also gain some weight. Long term, it would help me reduce risk of diabetic complications which include further kidney disease (I already am having problems), eye & nerve disease.

Pumps are such amazing little pieces of technology!

I even have a name for my future pump… my Robotic Insulin Pump… RIP for short. Rest in peace my little insulin needles!!!