Sound exciting? It is exciting because not only can you manage your blood glucose more easily, your lifestyle can
be easier too.
As long as you are ready to learn how to use the pump, the pump can work for you.
Understanding pump therapy
If you are new to pump therapy, you will need the following data from your healthcare professional. Gather this
before going to your pump start appointment. If you are unsure, contact your healthcare professional or pump
trainer for guidance.
Basal rate
Basal insulin is needed to maintain your target glucose values when you are not eating. Your pump allows up to 48
basal rates to be programmed. Your healthcare professional may only have you program one or two basal rates
when you start pump therapy.
Meal bolus
Deliver a meal bolus before eating carbohydrates. Your insulin to carbohydrate ratio is the amount of insulin
required to cover a given number of carbohydrates or exchanges. This ratio gives you an idea of how much of an
insulin bolus you should take when eating carbohydrates.
Gram counting
1.0 unit of insulin for __________ grams of carbohydrate
Or
Exchange counting
__________ units of insulin for each carbohydrate exchange
BG targets
The Bolus Wizard will use your BG targets to calculate a correction dose. Keeping your BG within target range is
key to living well with diabetes. Your healthcare professional should help you decide these targets.
12 Introduction to pump therapy