The cat is out of the bag! Or rather, the insulin is out of my bag and on the table, along with my meter and all my pills. I’m debating how much insulin to take after a meal – and we are in public. To say meals with me are a little out of the ordinary would be an understatement. Not only do I love to dance when the food arrives (on my chair until I’m escorted back to a seated position), but I have to take pills and check my sugar before I eat, and then take pills and insulin while eating. Oh, and I’ll cough so often that people at surrounding tables will give me serious side eye because they think they’re being infected with the plague. I mean in between bites, I am civilized and nowhere near that skilled with my mouth. So, being the trendy millennial that I am, I seem to find all of the tiny restaurants with the best food and drink, but the worst table sizes.
So in order to make my life less complicated, and arguably last longer – my doctor and I have decided that I need an insulin pump. It can give me continuous insulin (just like a pancreas is supposed to do) and can give me doses of insulin that are much more precise than what I can do now with a needle and vial of insulin. Better control with a pump is supposed to equal a better lifestyle with less (medical) complications. What a selling point! Keep your left foot for as long as you’re alive, and those kidneys of yours, they’re yours to keep as well, as long as you don’t want to donate one to someone in need (or for some black market cash).
The insulin pump is designed to mimic the insulin secretion that is produced by a healthy pancreas, 24/7 as opposed to the none my pancreas works with now. This will make controlling my blood glucose levels easier, and lead to managing the diabetic part of my life much easier than it is now. Having cystic fibrosis means that I am already accustomed (unfortunately) to being connected to medical devices constantly. I will be able to adjust the dosage of insulin based on either a handheld device that will be connected wirelessly to an insulin pump stuck to my body, or I will use a pump that is connected via tubing to my body at all times – think clipping it to my pants like an old school beeper.
This will make my life slightly less complicated, meaning I won’t have to take an insulin needle and inject myself in front of the prying eyes of others in public (this is mainly a plus for me as I will no longer have to stare back menacingly, bringing on wrinkles faster than I would like). I also will be able to better control the amount of insulin I take, making my blood glucose levels better regulated! And I won't have to spend 76 seconds searching through my purse for my insulin pen and needles every time I need to take insulin.
Making the choice between the two seems to be all my brain can think about lately. I am getting opinions from users of both formats, and I can’t seem to make a decision.
This is where I am going to ask for your opinions, do you have a pump? Which type? What are the pros/cons of your device?
