The Insulin Pump
The insulin pump is a computer driven device which allows for better control of one’s diabetes, eliminating the need for multiple injections throughout the day.
It brings diabetics more control, flexibility and over all freedom in their lives.
Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 Diabetes also known as Juvenile Diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the bodies immune system destroys the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas. Diabetes can occur at any age, however most commonly occurs in children, teens and young adults. Diabetes strikes suddenly and leaves the individual dependant on insulin injections.
Insulin is a hormone produced by special cells, called beta cells, in one’s pancreas. It is needed to move blood sugar (glucose) into cells, where it is stored and later used for energy. In type 1 diabetes, beta cells produce little or no insulin. Without enough insulin, glucose builds up in the bloodstream instead of going into the cells, leading to high blood sugars, which can have a deadly effect on one’s body.
The exact cause of type 1 diabetes is unknown. Scientists believe genetic and environmental triggers are involved. Most likely it is an autoimmune disorder, an infection causing the body to mistakenly attack the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin.
Living with Diabetes is a constant challenge. People with the disease must carefully balance insulin doses with eating and daily activities. They must also test their blood sugar by pricking their fingers for blood four or more times a day. Despite this constant attention, people with Diabetes still run the risk of dangerous high or low blood sugar levels, both of which can be life- threatening. People with Diabetes must overcome these challenges on a daily basis.
– Requires 1, 460 needles per year
– 2,190 fingers pokes in order to test one’s blood sugar
– Costs the economy 17.4 billion a year
– Effects 246 million people world wide
– 300,000 people live with Type 1 Diabetes
– Globally every 10 seconds two people develop Diabetes
– 4th leading cause of global death by disease
– The life expectancy for people with Diabetes may be shortened by as much as 15 years
CHASE PELLETIER
Chase is a 15 year-old competitive Go-Kart racer and a Juvenile Diabetic.
Chase has been on an insulin pump for about four years now and has been loving it ever since!
http://www.karatechopdiabetes.com
Follow them on Facebook or Twitter at:
http://www.facebook.com/KarateChopsDiabetes
http://www.twitter.com/#!/chopdiabetes
http://www.highvelocitymotorsports.com/index.php
An insulin pump is a small device about the size of a cell phone that contains a cartridge of rapid-acting insulin. A pump has a screen and buttons for programming the pump’s internal computer, and a precise motor that pushes the insulin from the cartridge into your body through a thin plastic tube called an infusion set. An insulin pump attempts to mock one’s pancreas, it releases small amounts of rapid-acting insulin to keep blood glucose levels steady between meals and during sleep. At meal or snack time, you can tell the pump to deliver the amount of insulin needed to match the grams of carbohydrate in the food that is eaten, just like a healthy pancreas. This is called a bolus, which can also be given to correct a high blood glucose.
The pump is connected to one’s body through a thin plastic tube called a cannula. The cannula is inserted just underneath the skin using an infusion set, which is changed every 2-3 days. The infusion set is typically an all-in-one set that uses a thin introducer needle to insert the soft, thin cannula, which is then removed once the cannula is under the skin. A tube connects the infusion set to the pump using a Luer connector, a standard locking mechanism that securely attaches the tube to the pump.
The pump is worn externally and can be easily clipped to a belt, slipped into a pocket or hidden beneath your clothes.
The pump provides Diabetics with more flexibility and freedom when managing their diabetes. The pump is designed to keep up with one’s busy and changing schedule. Unlike multiple injections the pump gives diabetics the freedom to sleep in, decide when and if they want to eat and chose when and how long they want to exercise. The pump allows for better control of one’s blood-sugars and allows them to precisely measure the amount of insulin in their body at any given time.
Other benefits include:
Lower A1c levels
Studies show that people who use insulin pumps have lower A1c levels—a measure of blood sugar control over time—than those who take multiple daily injections.
Fewer hypoglycemic episodes
Pumpers have been shown to experience fewer episodes of severe hypoglycemia than those who take injections, including during the night.
Fewer injections
Intensive therapy with multiple daily injections can add up to as many as 1,460 needles a year. Meanwhile, insulin pumps require an infusion set change only 2-3 times a week, or 156 insertions a year.
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation was founded in 1974 by parents of children with Type 1 Diabetes. It is the leading charitable funder and advocate of diabetes research in the world.
To find a cure for Diabetes and its complications through the support of research.
“Both children and adults like me who live with Type 1 Diabetes need to be mathematicians, physicians, personal trainers, and dieticians all rolled into one. We need to be constantly factoring and adjusting, making frequent finger sticks to check blood sugars, and giving ourselves multiple daily insulin injections just to stay alive.”
— JDRF International Chairman Mary Tyler Moore
To learn more about Diabetes or make a donation visit: www.jdrf.org