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Now that T-Bear has decided he wants an insulin pump, our record-keeping has been taken up a notch. I’m on the Endocrinologist’s list for Pump Information Night and Pump Orientation, and I’ve got some homework to do in preparation.

First, I’m keeping a more detailed log of T-Bear’s BS and insulin. Instead of just writing down what his BS is and how much Humalog (fast acting) he’s getting with each meal, I’m recording the time, BS, how many carbs he is eating, how much Humalog he’s getting to cover his meal, and how much to adjust for a high or low BS. This detailed record keeping will become critical when T-Bear gets set up with a pump, since the data will be used to program the pump and refine its dosing over a period of time. Also, the insurance company will want to see two months of logs before they consider approving the pump, to be sure we are serious about managing T-Bear’s T1, and are capable of doing so.

Second, I’m writing down all of my carb counting. Every meal, every snack, every day for a week. Since I usually cook two meals a day (that’s cook, not warm up in the microwave), I’m basically writing down each recipe as I make it (I often make it up as I go along) with each ingredient’s carb count, total up all the ingredients, and then decide what portion of the pot T-Bear is eating. A little more work up front, but I’m finding it can actually be handy to have that stuff written down. I can go back and look it up later when I make the dish again, or when we’re having left-overs. Til now, I’ve been kind of eye-balling portions, but I may take it up a notch and start weighing the pot versus how much T-Bear serves himself, so I have a more accurate count. Regardless, I’ll have my homework done by the time I get to class. I'm still a Teacher's Pet after all these years...