In the diabetes world, we talk about how many units of insulin are needed for a meal or to correct a high blood glucose level. But how much is that anyways? Each person needs a different amount of insulin based on their needs; it’s like trying to figure out what skin care items or makeup work best for you - no one is the exact same. Just because someone needs more insulin for a meal does not mean that their diabetes is worse.
This spoon below shows exactly 14 units of insulin. This is a plain plastic spoon, no tricks, no fancy editing. This is the baseline of how much insulin my daughter needs to survive for one day (not counting meals). This baseline is called her Basal. The Basal can be given manually with a long acting insulin, or via an insulin pump that will deliver it with a short acting insulin in small doses around the clock.
This spoon below shows 10 units of insulin - this would probably be enough to put my daughter into a fatal coma if her blood glucose level were normal. It would probably happen in less than an hour from the injection.
Sometimes she has to take this much insulin for her meal (called a bolus dose), and that’s ok - because that’s what she needs at that moment. Type 1 Diabetes is a constant math game, where even if you get the correct answer it could still go a bit wonky - that‘s just diabetes. There’s no rhyme or reason sometimes. But we try to not get too frustrated or scared at Diabetes - read more here.
We know the power that insulin holds, but we know how it works with her body and how to counteract it, so we aren't afraid. In fact, our daughter (with our blessing) has been getting more brave with it and trying things to maintain a more steady blood glucose level.
Do you have any questions about Type 1 Diabetes? If you have T1D, what's the biggest bolus you've ever done?
--Sara :)
