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Beverly:

My daughter who is 10 and a diabetic/celiac has been on a pump for 13
months and "WE LOVE IT!" We actually have a life again. Now, before you
get too excited let me clarify it that it still is a lot of work! BUT,
we get much more flexibility in schedules, and it is much easier to
handle the celiac diet and not get those high bg's even though you tried
to do everything perfect. (We know perfection with diabetes just doesn't
work - not even with a pump, but there is a definitely improvement!) We
also don't have the lows from exercise and you don't have constantly
force feed food during exercise.

The down side is that it can take several weeks to months before the
correct basal rate is set and then the kid grows and you are back to
square one. This mean that there is more getting up in the middle of the
night when that basal rate is increased so the child doesn't go very low
(and or extremely high). Part of this is because when you go from shots
to the pump the doc pulls back your insulin by about 30% (to avoid lows)
so in the beginning there may be a lot of highs. There is a lot of trial
and error to find out what biochemically works for your child.

Also, during this time you will be given an insulin/carb ratio for food.
Trust me this may take a lot of trial and error and certain foods may
require definite ratios. We discovered with my daughter that with almost
all foods she boluses 65% of insulin as a normal bolus (immediately) and
35% is bolused over the next 30 minutes. This has been the best way
for us and I figured it out on our own (trial and error) because giving
all the insulin right before the meal didn't work. She would end up very
high even with eating very healthy. From what I have run across most
people that don't have celiac disease or some kind of digestive problem
can bolus the insulin for the meal all at once and not end up running
high. They tend to use the insulin delivery over a period of time for
special events that they know they are going to be eating over a long
period of time.

Our pump doc said that even though diabetic/celiacs are on a gluten-free
diet they are more apt to have food absorption problems because the
diabetess throws everything out of whack. He has seen several dm/celiacs
and put them on pumps. Hopefully, you won't have to deal with this
problem - I hope his absportion ends up great with the pump. And if it
doesn't that doesn't mean it isn't an unsolvable problem.

I would say besides the flexiblity and being able to live more of a
normal life for a kid - the best thing for me as a parent is that when
she is sick and those bg's run high because of a fever, etc we can
increase that basal rate and being sick is so much more less stressful!
When she is sick I can keep her bg's in the normal range or pretty close
to it - it is wonderful - none of those 400-500's (doing extra shots)
and sweating it out and wondering if we will end up in the ER because of
dehydration, etc.

From Brittany's viewpoint - she loves it and does not want to go back to
shots. Also, traveling is much easier.

In addition Brit can eat rice, potatoes and corn (the things that drive
bg's sky high) some and not have high bg's. Having to follow these 2
diets is a lot of work, but the pump takes a little pressure off. When
Brit was on shots she pretty much gave up eating rice, potatoes and
corn, because no matter how we adjusted the insulin she ended up high.
She decided on her own she didn't want to eat these foods very often,
she didn't like feeling crummy.

You will be tired from sleep deprivation during the first few months,
but hang in there it does get better. About 3 weeks into this pump thing
you will wonder what possessed you to even get a pump - this too shall
pass!

Brittany's energy level improved dramatically and she is back at doing 2
dance classes, swimming and taking tennis lessons. This was next to
impossible when she was on shots because of battling the lows (and or
highs). Now she just detaches the pump and we check her bg periodically
until she hooks up again.

Pam

Beverly Ford wrote:

> I am looking for any diabetic/celiacs out there that my be using insulin pump
> therapy.  We are in the process of getting my 11 yr. old son on the pump.  I
> would appreciate any information or comments that someone may have (either
> good or bad) to help us in this transition.