Summer is almost here & I have already been invited to some end of the school year parties! Advice??
What kind of advice are you looking for?
Pretty much anything about a pump. This is my first summer with the pump & I don’t know if I should take it off or not.
Oh! Well you should take it off if you are going into a pool or if you are going into the ocean.
Check with your doctor first but for me... mine suggests disconnecting for 30 min at a time. Before I go into water I check my blood sugar and then take the basal that I would be missing. So if lets say you take 1.0 units per hour then before you go into the pool take a manual bolus of .5 then go into the pool come out check your blood sugar and take the rest of your basal. Does that help??
Definitely remove your pump. If someone dunks you or you fall in, your pump can stop working.
I usually take mine off for an hour or 2 at a time and then test and bolus a correction + my a little more for the time that I'll be disconnected. Blood sugar doesn't usually go too high if you're not eating and are just disconnected for a couple hours.
If you eat something, test and bolus for it.
Because you're more active and in the heat, your blood sugar will tend to run a little lower than average. So under correct a little bit. It's better to be 160 than have a low.
I agree with @jennagrant
Pool parties are a little hard, even when u get dunked or even a little wet. Its kinda like a cycle. You take off your pump, test your blood sugar, put a cap in( if needed a tegadurm) and you can jump in the pool, if its hot, put a icepack in there and under a chair, so your insulin doent go nad early.
Ur diabetic,
Erin<3
Do PWD on insulin pumps go scuba diving or snorkeling?
Regarding swimming parties with an insulin pump, I have a Medtronic Paradigm 7 and I usually take it off when I go swimming. I have the option to ‘suspend’ it, meaning insulin will not be delivered when my pump is off. My pump detaches from my site, meaning my site stays on and the electronic part of my pump and the tubing comes off. I usually leave those in a room or on a table away from the pool. I swim for a couple hours, then I take a break and reattach my pump and give a bolus (if necessary). Of course, when i eat lunch or dinner at the swim party, I bolus for the carbs I am eating, but otherwise I give just a small bolus to last for another few hours, if I plan to continue swimming. Once the bolus is delivered, I give it about ten to fifteen minutes to be fully effective, then I take my pump back off. It’s complicated, and usually my friends continue to swim when I take it off, but it’s fine, because I would rather take ten minutes to ensure I feel better rather than feel sick at a party. 