liviNg
supErnatural
powErs
OK, so this fella is a genie, not a wizard, but let’s not split hairs.
We’re talking about working a little bit of magic here.... Once,
a blood test that you could do in your own home was a minor
miracle. Now we can talk breezily about using bolus wizards. But
what exactly do they do and could you trust one to work for you?
I
f if you don’t know what a bolus to eat and your most recent blood test likely to have different insulin:carb ratios
wizard does, then you simply result. that would be your brain doing the throughout the day. on a pump you can
can’t tell if you would ever trust bolus wizard bit. get a little carried away with this, with
one? While it sounds rather Potentially alarming things like your different ratios plugged in for every few
flash, in fact more blood test ‘insulin to carbohydrate ratio’ might get hours. for a meter, a few a day should
meters are coming with bolus wizards mentioned in your clinic appointments be fine.
installed. it’s a bit of software that can help (which is how much insulin you need with once you have these established,
you figure out what insulin dose to give your food depending on the carb content they need to be put into your pump or
yourself. it uses your blood test result, of your meal). your insulin:carb ratio will clever blood test meter. once installed,
which is why you find them in some of vary through the day. most of us need your bolus wizard is prepped and
the more fancy blood test meters now slightly more insulin in the morning with ready to advise you based on your own
available. up until recently, it was only our food than we may do later in the day, specific ratios. You’ll have to get used
pump users that knew what a bolus which is no different to most humans. to remembering to use it (easier if on a
wizard did, so in many ways it’s thanks it’s not a diabetic thing, we’re just aware pump, as the whole ‘going on a pump’
to pump technology that bolus wizardry of it because we’re having to gauge our thing will make you change your habits
is becoming more widely available even insulin needs to self-administer our doses, quite considerably. you might have to
to non-pumpers. whereas normal (non-diabetic) people’s make a bit more of an effort to change
most of us, once we’ve been living bodies do it automatically. your habits if you’re just upgrading your
with diabetes for a while, have come to See the end of the article for info meter, although a super-trendy new meter
terms not only with blood testing on a fairly on how to assess your own insulin:carb might well persuade you to use it to its
frequent basis but also understanding ratios. fullest extent.
the relationship between insulin doses, a bolus wizard helps you assess what
carbohydrates in our meals and snacks, Getting started insulin dose to give yourself. first, you
and blood test results. if you’ve had At first, you’re going to need the help of do a blood test. then, assess the carb
diabetes a long while, chances are you a specialist diabetes nurse to get you content of the meal you are about to eat
carb-count and adjust insulin according sorted with how to start assessing your and tell the wizard. for example, your
to your estimation of carbs you are about insulin:carb ratios. i say ratios, as you are blood test might be 9.8mmols and you’re