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Pumping Insulin
Congratulations! You're now a full blown insulin pumper!
Now that you're finally pumping insulin, there are a lot of things you must keep in mind. One of the most important things you may have already heard, but is worth hearing over and over again is: Take care of your DIABETES first and the Insulin Pump Second.
Some other things you might want to keep in mind that are truly important for all insulin pumpers are:
Test your blood sugar on a regular basis. Your doctor will tell you how many times you should test your sugar and at what times. Get into the habit of testing before you go to bed, shortly after you wake up in the morning, before each meal, at least 2 hours after eating, before you exercise, before driving and at least every 2 hours if you are feeling ill.
An insulin pump isn't a prescription to eat anything you want. Some people notice with this new freedom, they seem to eat more and eat more goodies. This is a common mistake, and I find myself being naughty a lot. But you're going to pay the price in the long run by gaining weight. This is a Giant No-No!
Keep a small diabetes kit with you when you are out. This kit should include the following: A bottle of insulin, and a couple of syringes (In case you have some un-explained high blood sugar counts that cannot be controlled by a correction bolus), alcohol swabs, blood glucose meter with test strips, at least one extra infusion set and reservoir, spare batteries for your pump, glucose tablets or some sort of carbohydrate (In case your blood sugars drop), your alarm or error code booklet, the phone number of your doctor and the phone number to your pump maker in case you have questions.
Stay in close contact with your doctor. It's a great idea to let him or her know what your progress is while pumping insulin. My doctor has me fax my blood sugars to her every week or two and if she notices any problems, she'll usually call me that day and help me make changes to my basal rates or boluses.