A Day In the life of an insulin pump user

Tracey Connell, BSN,CDCES, our friend, colleague, and guest writer, shares her experience and answers the common question we hear, "what's it like to use an insulin pump?"
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As a nurse, insulin pump trainer, and pump user, I often receive questions about how my diabetes technology works. People ask questions like whether my insulin pump has been surgically implanted,  where the insulin goes, and whether insulin injections are still necessary. I am here to dispel misconceptions about insulin pump use and, as a demonstration, will tell you about a day in the life of an insulin pump user. There are a variety of pumps to choose from, some with or without tubing.  My insulin pump does have an external infusion set that I change every three days.  Some days can be rough, as with any technology. Still, life with an integrated insulin pump (which interacts with my continuous glucose meter to determine insulin needs) can make living with insulin-dependent diabetes much smoother. Once the user overcomes the learning curve, blood sugar and overall health are transformative.
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Here's a day in my life as an insulin pumper:
6 a.m.
The alarm clock rings and my workday begins. I glance at my insulin pump, hooked to my pajama pants by a clip, and my blood sugar reads 110. These blood sugars are an excellent way to start the day. I disconnect my insulin pump from the infusion set site on my abdomen as I get into the shower. It's the only time I am free of it during the day. I plug the pump into the charger and enter the warm, inviting shower.
7 a.m.
I ate my breakfast and had some coffee. I eat carbs to get me going and balance it with protein and fat to offset a blood sugar spike. My blood sugar has increased since I woke up, and I'm now at 140, which may be due to my morning hormones or coffee with cream. I program an insulin bolus based on the carbs I eat, and my pump automatically calculates my correction and insulin-to-carb ratio. I give my insulin about 15 minutes before eating breakfast. I'll be sitting and driving a lot today, so I plan to get some exercise later on.
8:30 a.m.
I'm ready to leave for work. I do a mental checklist to ensure I have everything I need to be safe with my diabetes for the day. I just remembered that I had to throw an extra infusion set in my bag, and I'll put my insulin in my cooler with my lunch. Yesterday, my infusion set ended up with a bent cannula (the silicone needle that lives in my skin, delivering insulin), and I had high blood sugar all afternoon.
10:30 a.m.
No alarms so far this morning. Taking my pump out of my pocket, I can see that my blood sugar is at 150, which is okay for me two hours after eating. I'll take a walk for my break and see how much that brings my sugars down.
10:45 a.m.
After my morning walk for 15 minutes, my blood sugar is 100. That's awesome! I can't wait for lunch; I'm starting to get hungry.
Noon Lunch
My blood sugar is now 115, and I bolus for my meal. I have some leftovers with carbs, protein, and fat.  I estimate my carbs and give myself a bolus of insulin.
2 p.m.
My pump is alarming, and I'm at 200! I must have underestimated my carbs. My insulin pump automatically gave me a correction bolus, so my blood glucose will go down anytime now.
5 p.m.
I hear an alarm and look at my pump. My blood sugar is 75. I haven’t had any insulin since lunchtime, and my insulin pump has automatically turned off my insulin for about 20 minutes now. If I correct my blood sugar with about 5 grams of carbs, my blood sugar will go up about 25 points. Wearing a pump is so different than when I was on injectable insulin!
5:30 p.m.
I’m going to exercise for about 30 minutes. I turn on my exercise feature, which stabilizes my sugar while exercising. After exercising, I’m at 140! Perfect! I’ll cook dinner now and bolus 15 minutes before my meal.
10:30 p.m.
It’s bedtime, and my blood glucose is 160. I get ready for bed and clip my insulin pump to my pajamas. I will put my insulin pump on sleep mode as I need my insulin to be a little more assertive at nighttime but without getting any correction boluses. I sleep soundly with no alarms and wake up refreshed to start the day over again with my friend and constant companion, my insulin pump.