Type 1 Diabetes: Insulin Pumps

Do you have a busy schedule? Are eating plans and insulin injections crowding your life? Have a hard time keeping track of different insulin doses throughout the day? Or maybe you just don't have the patience to figure out all those tiny marks on your syringe. An insulin pump can make your life a whole lot easier!

Insulin pumps deliver continuous insulin throughout the day, and additional insulin when needed before or after meals. You preload your pump with all the insulin for the day, program it to give you the right doses, and off you go!

Having a pump doesn't mean you have to lug around major medical equipment. Pumps are about the size of a pager. They can attach to your belt or hide in your clothing. A thin plastic tube leads from the pump into the fatty layer under your skin. So, you're always connected.

A pump gives you insulin more like you would get if you didn't have diabetes. Therefore, you have more freedom with what and when you eat. If sports are part of your day, you also don't need to plan ahead as much when you have a pump. But don't throw out your syringes or insulin pen. You'll need them as a backup, just in case.