Hi
@Cathy_C, Firstly welcome to the forum and all the experience that it provides! As well as people like myself who make mistakes so others can learn from them !! And so this following is from that, but not as medical advice or opinion:
I assume you have some means to obtain your pump as in private insurance, or self-funding or a strong recommendation from doctor or diabetes nurse to a local Health council/pharmacare etc if it is a Government scheme providing your pump.
Also being aware that depending on your circumstances and your healthcare system you may or may not qualify for provision or subsidy for buying a form of CGM or end up having to pay for your CGM which can vary in cost and reliability. And so CGMs may be separate or connected to your pump. and may have or can be provisioned thru apps to alarm with low BSLs and one pump on market and one soon coming have the ability to use their 'radio-type' connected GGM to suspend the basal insulin rate if BSL is low or falling below a set limit.
(Basal rate is the pump's slow, gradual release of short-acting insulin at a low, 'basal 'level and is similar in action to the action of long-acting insulin with injecting. The same short-acting insulin is also used for boluses, like a dose before meals or to correct a too high BSL).
Of those on site
@helensaramay, is one person who was given a pump to help with her exercise, so her input would be most valuable. One question is whether the CGM part is more important than the pump part.
What I was taught about exercise as a Type 1 diabetic was the usual rule of three.
With exercise the initial response over say an hour or two for those on insulin and with BSL less than say 14 mmol/ BSL at start, is: 1) BSL goes down during exercise 2) BSL goes up 3) BSL stays about the same.
Depending on what your pattern is will determine what your strategy will be.
That strategy will be something you do by taking your test results of exercising (before, at 1 hour , 2 hours , 3 and say, 6 hours along to your doctor or DSN) Those times are just an example.
If 1) applies, you might eat before exercising, again checking with health professionals first
If 2) applies, eating beforehand does not sound like a good idea, it will take some other manipulations to sort it
If 3) applies, things look less complicated.
Some provisos: a) Things like hot weather may cause insulin to be absorbed more quickly, similarly if you are running or cycling, injecting insulin into say, one's thigh, is likely to increase absorption of insulin quicker than from another, less exercised site.
b) Some people say that intense exercise like squash, raises their BSL but moderate pace walking does not or does less so
c) if the exercise is prolonged the end BSL result may be lower than usual etc
d) exercising with a starting BSL >14 mmol/l often causes the BSL to rise and one can end up aching, unfulfilled and left with the problem of getting a very high BSL (even with ketones) down
e) somewhere around the 6 plus hour mark many of us experience a drop in BSL and the increased tendency to lower BSLs may continue into the next day. So exercise done in the late afternoon early evening raises the possibility of a night-time hypo.
So some provision is needed for that. Whether that involves food or insulin adjustment etc is up to you and your health care team.
f) some activities involving exercise could be particularly hazardous if a hypo might occur. Wisdom is the better part of valour. And that assumes for any exercise (as for driving a bus or car) that you can readily detect your hypos and in time to be able to take corrective action.
g) Things like staying hydrated, carrying a hypo kit, sun or weather protection, letting people know where you are going and appropriate foot wear and other equipment are part of the deal.
h) the aim is enjoyment, better health, perhaps some social interaction and a safe experience.
Best wishes
Matching the exercise to one's aptitude !!!
