insulin
- Thread starter friday85
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Zhnyaka
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Hmm... I'm not sure what you mean by "entangle", but the need for glucose monitoring, carbohydrate counting and the need to carry sweets with you in case of hypoglycemia
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Hi @friday85 and welcome to the forums.
As a T1 it means that I don't make much (probably none at all after 54 years in my case) and have to inject insulin every day.
For T1s there are a number of different regimes
1) basal/bolus or MDI (multiple daily injections). A dose of background long acting insulin or basal is taken once or twice a day and short acting insulin is taken before meals to balance the carbs in the meal.
2) insulin pumps. Short acting insulin is injected throughout the day (and night). A pump allows more flexibility in dosing but has its drawbacks and most people only go on a pump after they've learned how to use MDI.
3( Fixed doses of insulin -rely on fixed amounts of carbohydrate at fixed times of day so not as popular as when I was a child.
Typically you need to learn to count carbohydrates so that you can balance the insulin to your meals.
If you are taking insulin you need to do blood sugar tests so as to control your levels. If a T1 in the UK you qualify for a cgm (continuous glucose monitor) which allows you to see your levels without fingerpricking with a glucose monitor (though when very low or very high you'll probably want to check with a glucometer.)
And as @Zhnyaka said, always carry something sweet with you in case of low blood sugar (hypos).
It may sound complicated but it does get much easier with time and your diabetic team should help you get used to it.
As a T1 it means that I don't make much (probably none at all after 54 years in my case) and have to inject insulin every day.
For T1s there are a number of different regimes
1) basal/bolus or MDI (multiple daily injections). A dose of background long acting insulin or basal is taken once or twice a day and short acting insulin is taken before meals to balance the carbs in the meal.
2) insulin pumps. Short acting insulin is injected throughout the day (and night). A pump allows more flexibility in dosing but has its drawbacks and most people only go on a pump after they've learned how to use MDI.
3( Fixed doses of insulin -rely on fixed amounts of carbohydrate at fixed times of day so not as popular as when I was a child.
Typically you need to learn to count carbohydrates so that you can balance the insulin to your meals.
If you are taking insulin you need to do blood sugar tests so as to control your levels. If a T1 in the UK you qualify for a cgm (continuous glucose monitor) which allows you to see your levels without fingerpricking with a glucose monitor (though when very low or very high you'll probably want to check with a glucometer.)
And as @Zhnyaka said, always carry something sweet with you in case of low blood sugar (hypos).
It may sound complicated but it does get much easier with time and your diabetic team should help you get used to it.
If you are going onto insulin your diabetic nurse will go through everything you need to know. If you feel worried about taking injections, it's really not bad at all and you get used to it very quickly. Insulin pens are really easy to use.
