Every time E eats I have to count his Carbs. Right now he gets 1 unit of insulin per 16 Carbs. We do shots so I need to make sure he eats exactly 16 Carbs per meal. I can double his carbs if I need to and give 2 units of insulin per 32 Carbs. Lets just say meal times are pretty hard. When we go out to eat as a family I will feed him at home before we leave. At the restaurant I will just order some thing like grilled chicken for him. Meats, Cheese, and Eggs are Free Foods.... which means I don't have to count carbs for those foods.
This is my food schedule for the day.
7:30 Check Blood, Breakfast, Shot
8:30 Long Lasting Shot (Lantus)
9:30 Check Blood, Snack
12:00 Check Blood, Lunch Shot
3:30 Check Blood, Snack
5:00 Check Blood, Dinner, Shot
7:00 Non-Carb snack
8:15 Check Blood, Snack, Shot (Lantus)
If I check his blood glucose and it's under 70 I will give Ean juice to bring it back up. Then check again in 15 mins to make sure it goes up. If it's still not up I would give more juice. FYI 90 to 120 would be normal blood sugar for a non-diabetic. The lowest Ean's blood has ever been so far was 45.... the scary part was he was running around and playing I had no clue. I checked twice because he showed no signs of having a low. If he goes too low he could have a seizure, or WORSE. I carry a emergency shot called a Glucagon. It's used for extreme lows. It hope I never have to use it, but it is nice to know if I do it could save is life.
We are waiting for my insurance to approve a pump for E. We all can't wait. It will make life so much easier. I am getting the Omnipod..... it is a no tubing pump. We will only have to change pump sites every 3 days!!!! No more shots for the most part!!!!! With the pump we can be more flexible with meal times. The best part..... we just count carbs and in put the amount he eats. The pump will calculate the rest.
I'm so happy for you...getting a pump makes things so much easier and flexible! No more 16 carb meals!!! He can eat as much or as little as he wants. It was a big relief when my babies went on pumps. :) Hope it all happens for your family soon!
ReplyDeleteThe pump sounds awesome, Crystall!! Praying it comes available to you soon!!
ReplyDeleteWe can't wait for the pump!!! Should happen this month!!
ReplyDeletePumping is amazing! You'll love it!
ReplyDeleteThe only thing to keep in mind is that you may still need to eat on a pretty regular schedule because Omnipod doesn't keep track of active insulin for carbs...without that feature it's easy to stack insulin and possibly over do it. The pod won't consider the current blood sugar AND how much active insulin is circulating. It'll just keep suggesting insulin, even if there's sufficient insulin circulating to cover the next carb intake....a growing child has evolving insulin needs that change drastically throughout the day...you can't really count on the ratios being "right" since they're always subject to change. Not to mention the basal rates that keep changing too! (Dang growth!)
That being said, it WILL keep track of active insulin from a correction...so that's a good thing.
Lots of folks ask why I would ever opt for a tethered pump. That's why. For me it's a safety concern I'm not willing to risk. But that's ME and MY soapbox. I would consider a pod in a heartbeat if they would change the IOB feature...well, maybe...I'm really pleased with Animas so I can't say for sure that I would switch :)
Thanks Wendy..... I have lots to learn about a pump. Everything you just said went way over my head. I pretty much will stay on schedule for the most part but it will be nice for me to be able to give him a cookie (not with Lunch) :) Thanks for all the info..... I am hope I made the right choice with the Pod???
ReplyDeleteAwwww...you'll get it. Just want to make sure that you understand that Omnipod requires more thought than other pumps...you MUST always be aware of when/how much the last dose was...it is essential for E's safety.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you could ask the pod rep to specifically explain IOB to you...and...not that you're changing your mind or anything, but then take a few minutes to have Animas or MM explain their IOB to you.
There is a difference and it's a safety feature you deserve to be fully educated about as a consumer...and E's mama :)