How an insulin pump cured my CFRD-related anxiety
Self-administered insulin injections had led to anxiety for this columnist
Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with a continuous glucose monitoring device. Not everyone will have the same response. Consult your doctor before using any new medical device.
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is largely known as a respiratory disease. It primarily affects the lungs and digestive system, but also many other organs and processes in the body.
The pancreas is generally involved by not excreting the enzymes needed to digest food, which results in malabsorption. Another function of the pancreas is to excrete insulin to help maintain normal blood sugar levels.
Many people with CF also end up having CF-related diabetes (CFRD) due to this deterioration of the pancreas, which is then unable to effectively monitor blood sugar levels. The treatment for this is having to self-administer insulin injections to provide the body with what the pancreas can no longer do.
I was started on short-acting insulin, but long-acting insulin was quickly added to my treatment regimen. Twice within a short period, I ended up having severe low blood sugar readings, which is known as hypoglycemia. Both times, my glucose readings were in the mid-20s, which is dangerously low. Despite eating carbohydrates and sugar to help elevate my readings, during each episode, I was in a complete panic and called 911, fearing for my life. While I did not need to be hospitalized, they stayed with me on the line until I stabilized.
These episodes caused me to develop severe anxiety when administering my insulin injections. It was crippling to the point that I decreased the dose of insulin I was supposed to take, and many times, I didn’t administer my insulin at all. I was losing weight and muscle mass, I often wasn’t as quick mentally as I normally am, and I had a lot of fatigue.
Technology and doctors helped me find a solution
After many discussions with my diabetic physician, I ended up changing to a new endocrinologist who quickly helped me start using a Dexcom continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) device that inserts into the back of the arm and monitors blood glucose every five minutes, 24 hours a day. This close, detailed tracking of blood sugars provided my physician and me with invaluable information, well beyond what occasional finger stick blood monitoring can do.
Accurately knowing what was happening inside my body eventually led me to using an insulin pump. I chose the Tandem t:slim X2 pump. Using Bluetooth, the Dexcom monitor “talks” to the insulin pump and administers the amount of insulin needed for the goals set in the pump. The dosing is adjusted to the dose you need, down to a tenth of a unit. This type of medication administration is unlike insulin injections, which can’t get down to that type of accuracy. Plus, this pump system is programmed to help prevent hypoglycemic events.
I’m not exaggerating when I tell you that the insulin pump was a game changer for my CFRD — and likely a lifesaver as well. It is truly personalized medicine, acting like a pancreas outside your body. Not only are my high blood sugar levels improving, but also my insulin-related anxiety has finally disappeared. I am gaining weight and muscle mass again due to improved blood sugar levels and having insulin inside my body, as insulin is a growth hormone. My energy level has improved, my brain function is more precise, and maintaining stable blood sugar levels helps reduce damage to my one remaining kidney. It gives me time back in my day and saves my fingertips from nerve damage because I don’t have to perform finger sticks multiple times a day.
I highly encourage anyone who is beginning to show early signs of CFRD or managing CFRD with insulin injections to discuss your options with your physician. Cystic fibrosis is such a complicated disease, but there is help that can make you more independent and healthier.
Note: Cystic Fibrosis News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Cystic Fibrosis News Today or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to cystic fibrosis.
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