LIVING
mental arithmetic that you may by now be
very used to using. and you won’t forget
it either. a wizard should take a little bit
of the guesswork out of the situation,
but you will do well to trust your instincts
sometimes. treat your bolus wizard as
an advisor, but if you need to overrule it
then do so. your own brain knows you
and your diabetes better, but remember
that you’re likely to underestimate carbs
and underestimate insulin doses – it’s a
natural way that our subconscious stops
us having hypos. but often you’ll look
back and realise that your bolus wizard
will have been right if you’d just followed
its advice.
the main thing is to get the insulin:carb
ratio right. bear in mind, though, that
factors can affect this ratio – hormones,
how recently you have been (or will be)
active, and even things like the change of
seasons. When your insulin: carb ratios
are correct, then your bolus wizard should
work well for you so sit back and relax
and let it work a bit of magic for you.
Where to find wizards:
all insulin pumps come with
bolus wizards on board.
Some more modern meters
hoW to assess
your insulin-to-carb ratios
now also include them
(see opposite). You do need to get some
advice on this if you’ve not
done it before, so call your
diabetes specialist nurse
for advice. For some great
back-ground reading, see
this brochure from Diabetes
in Scotland which includes
what they call your ICR
(insulin-to-carb ratio).
GUIDE TO COUNTING CARBS