Martin,
I have had my pump since last May, T1 since April 1967. (but it wasn't called Type anything then as far as I can remember!).
This last week, I have been sorting out my basal rates by being carb free - at least during the day! I get up, cook myself a couple of rashers of bacon, scrambled egg and a few mushrooms, cup of coffee - and then take BG readings every 2 hours. Dinner time - lump of cheese - and snack on lumps of cheese throughout the day until tea time (when everyone is back home from school, college and work). At that point - carb-free goes out the window!
At the start of the week, I was taking correction doses every 2 hours and changing the basal rate for the next day appropriately. (Working on adjusting the basal 2-4 hours PRIOR to a "too high" BG reading. In the afternoon, I know that in the past I have tended to dip low, so took BGs ever hour.
By the end of the week (it's Friday now), I think I have got it sorted and am looking forward to going back to cornflakes next Monday! Results - I am starting the day on 1.4u per hour which reduces to 0.65u per hour in the early afternoon. At night time, I am on 0.6u per hour.
I have yet to do a carb free evening and when I do, hope that I can sort out the rest of my basals within a day or so as I think I am quite close already. Now - all the foregoing applies to my working week, Monday to Friday. I have come across the "patterns" feature in my Medtronics pump and will need to adjust things and use a different basal pattern for weekends I think - generally more physical activity and later getting up on Saturdays and Sundays. Interestingly, when looking at what I normally have for breakfast, dinner and tea, my weekday basal amount is pretty **** close to 50% of my total daily insulin dose - which means that the "books" are absolutely correct.
Alan
ps. Since posting this note I have had a PM from another member of the forum suggesting that my method for adjusting my basal rates is somewhat flawed and I shouldn't be trying to adjust basals rates "when stuffing face full of protien as it raises blood sugars too". Now this is a fair comment and a fair point I guess and although I have no doubt that there is some merit in this note, I can, with hand on heart say that I am not going overboard with either fat or protein. My PMer gave a link to adjusting basals: http://www.diatribe.us/issues/13/learning-curve.php
Which again, is fine and dandy but when it starts talking about cutting out any caffeine drinks because this too can affect BG levels, I start to roll my eyes to the sky - thinking that I've got no chance of ever getting a flat BG profile in the absence of food!
No day is identical to another in terms of that other BG factor - physical exercise - the number of times I run upstairs today is unlikely to match the number from yesterday or tomorrow - so cutting out cups of coffee is a wee bit extreme in MY view. We will NEVER be able to control all variables in an effort to achieve PERFECT BG control, it's a case of whatever works for the individual. I have described what I have done over the last week - no doubt there will be more adjustments to come but this is MY personal story and I am NOT a health care professional suggesting that it will work for everyone.
Stay cool - don't get obsessive!