August 19, 2002
Insulin Pumps
Question from Phoenix, Arizona, USA:
I am 16 years old, have had diabetes for a year and a half, and about six months after diagnosis, I asked my doctor about a pump who said she would see when the year mark came. It did, and she said “no”. It is seven months later, and she is still saying “no”. My last A1c was 9.1%, I am taking Lantus with Novolog right now (about five shots a day), and my blood sugars seem normal (about 110 mg/dl [6.1 mmol/L] mostly with the occasional high and low), so I don’t see why I can’t have a pump. All she keeps saying is no because my A1c is too high. Is that right?
Answer:
Your hemoglobin A1c and averages from your testing are not in agreement. An A1c of 9.1% equates to an average blood sugar of around 220 mg/dl [12.2 mmol/L]. You will need to sort out when the higher blood sugars are happening in order to bring down your averages (if that’s a requirement of your physician prior to starting an insulin pump). Hopefully, you are also mastering carbohydrate/insulin ratios and corrective dosing.
LAD
