Navigating insulin injections
When I was first diagnosed, I was put on twice-a-day insulin injections. Doses were fixed and, no matter what, I had to eat a specific amount of carbs at each meal – it didn’t matter if I wasn’t hungry, or if I was still hungry after eating.
In my mid-teens I was switched to basal-bolus – one injection of long-acting insulin at night as a baseline and fast-acting whenever I needed it to cope with food or high blood sugar. It was a whole new world and, looking back, I can see what an amazing upgrade that must have been for little me. As I’ve spent most of my life on basal-bolus, I’ve noticed the ways in which it doesn’t quite mesh with my lifestyle. So many injections, so many finger-pricks…and I’m ADHD which makes it trickier to keep on top of taking my insulin. It’s a great system but I found it exhausting.
Nearly 20 years ago, I remember reading about specific pumps that would work alongside a continuous-glucose monitor (CGM). I wanted one desperately and I’d even offered to buy the pump myself – but the consumables like reservoirs and infusion sets wouldn’t have been covered by the NHS if they hadn’t provided the pump, and it would have worked out too expensive for me.
The impact of tech
In the early 2010s, I went on a carb counting course as I was told this could be the first step of my journey to getting on a pump waiting list…but unfortunately this didn’t happen. I was told the same thing just a couple of years ago. However, this course ended up being a real turning point.
I’d been using a CGM since 2018 which I’d self-funded for a period of time before it was then NHS funded. I’d struggled with my blood sugars, and was in range about 20% of the time. When I attended this carb counting course, I was determined to change this around. With their help, I managed to get to 80–90% time in range, but this process required lots of injections to micro adjust and correct my blood sugar and was quite exhausting for me.
"With that, I ended up on a waiting list and in April 2024, I received hybrid closed loop. I cannot possibly express in words exactly how much this little device has changed my life. To me, it almost feels like I can forget that I have diabetes until it’s almost time to eat."
I only wish I’d known how much keeping my Tamagotchi (throwback to the handheld digital pets!) alive as a kid was training for adulthood – except now it’s more high stakes, as that little creature I’m looking after is me.