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Aren't we who are on the pump supposed to eat like any one else who are not diabetic? My husband keeps telling me that I am not eating correctly to be a diabetic. I bolus for everything I eat and am doing ok with that. Thanks for any input. |
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Thank you guys. I want to add that I am careful about what I eat for my weight control ( though I am thin anyway). But I hate it when I am told that I shouldn't be eating that pasta or pizza because I have diabetes. I agree that we should not eat just willy-nilly. But neither should a non-diabetic. But one of the reasons I got the pump was for more freedom of my meals. |
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| | | From: Julie | Sent: 1/1/2006 10:27 PM |
Cy, The reason I did not mention blood sugars in my post and focussed on weight control instead, is because it is the purpose of the pump to control blood sugars. I took blood sugar control as a given. If the pump is controlling blood sugars through the way a person programs it, then weight control could still be a concern. And eating a healthy balanced diet could also still be a concern. As far as a pump not giving a person an excuse to eat whatever they want and indulge themselves all the time, my premise is that NO ONE can eat whatever they want and indulge themselves all the time with no damage to their health. As for me, I eat the same on the pump as I would without diabetes. That to me is the purpose of the pump. The blood sugar management is a constant, daily, time-consuming job, but as a result I am able to eat the same way I would wihout Diabetes. I would not be overindulging myself either with or without diabetes. Julie |
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The reason I stated what I did is because I feel as if many are misguided by what the pump does and is suppose to do.When I was seeing my Endo quite a few could not wait to get on the pump to "eat again" because all they had to do was an extra bolus.In my way of thinking that is a poor idea.......using that type of thinking would mean you could eat 10 pounds of chocolate and just take more insulin to cover it.At least that was the impression I am left with at times.So in a round about way we are saying the same thing I think.Eat healthy reguardless ,cause as few spikes as possible.This is a touchy subject I know but sometimes peoples' attitudes get the better of them.It is also hard for me to say what I mean on the computer I need to do it "face to face" so at times it sounds wrong........even to me....lol |
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I agree with you, Cy. Things are so much easier discussed in person! Thanks |
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| | | From: Julie | Sent: 1/2/2006 4:05 AM |
I am in a large in-person pumpers support group, and the most common thing people say that they love about the pump is that it allows them to eat LESS. I have found that too. I always had to be feeding my Lantus, there was just no way to turn it down when I wanted to take a walk or something. I had to eat even when I wasn't hungry. And on shots, most people have to get up early on the weekends because they need to eat in the morning. Then's there's that snack at bedtime so you don't go low overnight. With the pump, I no longer have to do any of those extra-eating things. That to me is the real benefit of the pump. Eating extra is just as easy on shots. You just give an extra shot. But eating LESS? Nope, sometimes you HAVE to eat when taking the long-acting insulins. Julie |
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Well, I agree with you both Cy & Julie - the pump does give us more freedom than the injections, but at the same time studies have shown that no matter how good our control is we all still spike right after meals. They've figured out that we need more than just the insulin to keep down the postprandial spike, that's how symlin (or is it amylin, I'm starting to get confused with all the new drugs!) figures into the picture. Basically, according to the latest studies we could have the best control possible and be doing everything exactly right and will still get an immediate postprandial spike, of course it will vary from person to person because a big part of it is just our own individual body's reaction. I am a horrible diabetic, I admit it, but with the pump I've come a long way from when I was first diagnosed. I have a whole lot further to go and I don't know if I ever will "go the distance" so to speak, but I do know that for me, without the pump I'd be dead already. So I view the pump as giving me more freedom and yep, I use that as my rationale and excuse to eat whatever I want whenever I want, and yep, I can honestly say it doesn't work so great when you literally ignore all the rules. I still run extremely high numbers most of the time, in fact I'm rarely below 200. Of course, on the other hand I now have insulin pumping into me 24/7 and I bolus for meals a whole lot more than I used to on injections, so it has helped me, previously my numbers averaged 350 to 400, so 200 is actually pretty good for me. Point being, even though I know the pump gives me more freedom, I also know that I still have higher than average spikes right after meals. On a good note, lately I've noticed myself turning down the sweets, and even the potatoes (shoot, that's a hard one for me!). It's been a long, hard road for me and like I said I've got a loooooong way to go, but if I didn't have the pump I wouldn't still be on the road. In a weird sort of way the pump has helped me accept the diabetes more, I just wouldn't give in to those injections, just couldn't do it. I was hospitalized 3 times while on injections, haven't been hospitalized once while on the pump - just one short ER visit. Yikes! I'm rambling and kind of got off topic, sorry about that guys, I have insomnia again and I'm getting sick of TV, lol. Melissa |
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Almost forgot, Julie you are right about being able to eat less if you want, that is definitely easier on the pump, although I've had a few scary lows on the pump as well, but like I said I'm still a long ways away from where I need to be. I can't handle the math part, seems no matter how much time and effort I put into figuring out the right dose, I'm always off one way or the other. Melissa |
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I think a better way to look at the pump/freedom issue is to replace "freedom" with "flexability". I don't see having a pump as giving me freedom to eat what I want but the flexabilty I need to eat more normally. I still end up with not so good control when I eat a large amount of carbs because my bs will spike and then possable bottom out later. I still eat the well balanced lower (then most americans eat) carb diet and I am conscious of how what I'm eating effects my blood sugar and health in general. Having a pump doesn't make the worries and management concerns of diabetes go away. It does however allow me to eat a piece of birthday cake at my nieces birthday party when pre-pump I would have skipped it. It allows me to postpone or skip an occasional meal which I never could have done pre-pump and it allows me to adjust the amount of basal (background) insulin I get at different times of the day so taht I am not chasing lows at work, during exercise or when a meal is not readily available.
My pump gives me flexablity to live a more normal hectic life and It gives me more flexablity in my food choices. I don't see it as giving me freedom tho.
just my view on things of course
parrot |
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" I bolus for everything I eat and am doing ok with that."
Isn't that the main concern? As long as you're counting your carbs accurately, bolusing accurately and the resulting BGLs and A1Cs are decent, you're doing things correctly.
On the other hand, if you're not, I'd say to re-examine how you're doing things. That might include reducing your carb intake, or it might be using a square wave bolus for pizza or something else.
David
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| | | From: Julie | Sent: 1/2/2006 1:58 PM |
David said in a few words what I was getting ready to take longer to say........LOL Managing food intake with a pump is a constant chore. You always have to keep track of what you have done to bolus and whether it worked or not. If you are spiking after meals, you have not taken enough bolus. If you tend to bottom out several hours after certain meals, the pump allows you to set a temprary basal rate that will lower the amount of insulin you get in the hours following the meal. I believe on the wonderful Forum insulin-pumpers.org, this was called a "Super-Bolus" - a bolus that combines the meal bolus and the basal you would get in the hours following the meal, combined with reducing your basal following the meal by a like amount. Freedom is a relative term. Having the freedom to manage blood sugars through pumping is just so much more specific to my needs than shots were. But totally free? I don't think any human is totally free. We just deal with the limitations and challenges given us the best we can. This is such an interesting discussion! Thanks all for all your thoughts! Julie |
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I like to think that the pump will only be as accurate as the information that you put in it. |
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Sorry I am really enjoying this topic.Again sorry if some of what I am trying to say does not come out right.Alot of what is being said applies both to the pump and injection users.You need to know how foods effect you to do propper boluses and or take take extra insulin.I guess some of what I am getting at is some choose to abuse the pump in a way.Eating habits and what we eat in my opinion are a big issue and for some once they get on the pump all this goes out the window.I just want people to realize they need to still be careful in food choices.It is kind of like the person who is dx'd as "almost" diabetic who follows a diet but at their next doctors appointment they are "normal" again and think they have no worries and go back to how they did things before.For me when I was on the pump even if I skipped a meal or delayed it I was having problems......even if I adjusted the basil rate,I need to eat at regular times and snack.I also found the "balance" of eating and bolusing difficult because it was never the same way twice for the same meal.I also found I was on a constant roller coaster ride of highs and lows with the pump even after spending most of the time at the Endo's office "adjusting" things.Another part of this I believe is you have to be consistant.Meaning one day you can not eat 1500 cal.(just using cal. as an example),the next eat 2200 the next 3600 and then back to 1200 because you feel you were eating too much sort of thing.Intake must be close to the same each day.But this is a problem even with injecting.For better control we need a good diet,(in my example) close to the same amount of calories,insulin needs to be simular....as in requirement,no one day 50 units and the next 100 sort of thing.I hope this made sense. But there are people who do great on the pump and others wh do not. |
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| | | From: Julie | Sent: 1/2/2006 6:58 PM |
Cy, I must know different types of people who use the pump than you do. The pumpers I know are in general rather compulsive about getting things right and using the pump for optimum use. I know you have had lots of frustration with managing your diabetes and may have to go more with consistency than I do. I eat very different amounts of food every day. I can tell by looking at my TDD amounts on my pump that I have no pattern. Barring the kind of problems you have had, I think that people should be able to set basal rates themselves by testing themselves, alter the basal rates on an ongoing basis as needed, and then feel free to eat as if they did not have diabetes - different amounts and different times every day. So, this seems to be a YMMV thing. If being consistent helps you, I am glad that you know that about yourself and are doing it to help yourself. For the most part, however, there is no need for this type of consistency for Type 1's on the pump. Julie |
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The pump has not improved my control greatly. Partly because I get very busy and forget to count things correctly (I dont know why I am obsessive about everything else in life, but I am) and partly because I tend to have weird things happen. Last night, my BG said it was 556. I was thirsty, and I saw some bubbles in the tube but I took a bolus for 456. In one hour my BG was 150, in 1 1/2 hours it was 112. This is odd and totally unpredictable. Usually I dont even treat a BG that is that high, except in little increments. I dont know why it went down so fast last night but this weird stuff happens all the time to me. I do however, do much better being able to cut my basal down for things like exercise. I do eat regular food, cookies but not much more gooey than that, no read soda, no real candy except mini chocolate bars. I cannot convince my friends that Sugar Free is not healthier for me and I cannot convince even my own mother that I can safely skip breakfast if I want to. Around here the population is largely Type II. They still say they "have the sugar". They do not understand anything about type I, carb counting or bolusing. I keep working on it, but sometimes I just blow it off because they wont catch on anyway. |
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As a diabetic for 20+ years and on the pump for about 2 years now I have never really strayed from my diet. I don't feel that being on the pump gives you the ability to eat whatever you want if you want to keep good and steady control. That's just my opinion. I think being on the pump allows you more flexibility but what's to say that anyone on insulin can't just inject more with shots just the same to eat whatever they want? Being on the pump isn't the cure to let us do whatever we want. We still have to be careful. I don't want to preach or anything because people are going to do what they want to. I just know for myself that I don't want to take any risks in jeopordizing my health as I've seen what it can do so I pretty much stay on the straight and narrow. Ocassionaly I will eat a little more or maybe something I really shouldn't and will bonus but that is far and in between. I would say stick to your regular diet. That's just my opinion. Wishing you the best. Michelle |
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