How an Insulin Pump Works, Kinda

So this week I thought I would talk about how and insulin pump works but from my perspective. Basically I don't have much of a clue either, but here goes.

Right so an insulin pump is a device which constantly pumps insulin into the body. It does this by pumping it through a tube and under the skin of the person wearing it. To get the tube into the persons leg it is, as my friends describe it, stabbed under the skin. That makes it sound a lot more painful than it is, basically it is injected using a needle. To make sure that the tube goes under the skin and not just the needle the injection has to be done by another device, the inserter which "stabs" the needle in at a high speed. Therefore it doesn't hurt. People cringe a lot when I tell them this and the first question every time is "Does it hurt?" and the honest answer is no most of the time. Occasionally it does and I want to sound sciency by saying it hurts when I hit a vein or a nerve, but I 99% that's wrong so don't go quoting me on that.

The insulin in the pump is stored in a reservoir which is just a small plastic tube and I fill this up from a vile of insulin using a plunger. Okay the slightly more complex stuff, don't worry I still know what I'm talking about, now insulin is used to control the amount of sugar in the blood so eating food will cause the blood sugar to rise. The insulin pump has it's most useful feature here, in my eyes, by telling the pump the amount of carbs you're going to eat it will work out the amount of insulin to give you. It's amazing! The con is that you do need to know the amount of carbohydrates in everything, but it took me a few weeks to learn and while I may not be completely accurate I now have a pretty good idea of the carbs in everything. The pump can also administer the right amount of insulin to correct the blood sugar levels.

Now even more confusing things basal rates and bolus'. A basal rate is the constant supply of insulin the pump provides, it can be adjusted to suit the needs. As peoples routines change so does their basal rate. The bolus is the dosage the pump administers to correct blood sugar levels. So this goes with food as well. They both come from the same lot of insulin which is fast acting.

How often you have to change your site ( the tube in the body) and the rest of the tubing an reservoir varies from pump to pump. For me on the accu chek pump it's every three days for the site and six for the rest of it. It also changes from person to person.

If you're ever considering getting a pump go for it. It has made my control and life so much easier and given me a lot more independence and freedom. I was apprehensive at first but I did some research and the pros outweighed the cons and it is one of the best decisions I have ever made.

Rhona  x