View Full Version : Need advice for swimming while pumping
Mindy and Tim
04-21-2008, 01:58 PM
My son and I are going to Florida later this week. Will be doing a little swimming, but one day will be at a water park for several hours. We will disconnect his pump. I need advice. His activity will DEFINITELY lower his bg, but I know it's important to keep insulin in his system. Do you reattach every hour and give the missed basal, and then also carb for the activity? Do you just not reattach at all and assume the activity will keep him okay, and then reattach afterwards? What do you all do?
BTW... I got some Mastisol and Detachol, so will be putting that to the test.
We went to a park when pumping and found that reattaching for meals and snacks worked well - we did test every 1 1/2 hrs to 2 hrs to watch fro highs and lows, but she actually did pretty darn good!
frizzyrazzy
04-21-2008, 02:01 PM
we reattach just about every hour and give insulin only for the snack. If I try to make up missed basals Ian goes low, but this is a definitely a YMMV thing. But I do want him to have a teeeny snack every hour or so just so I can bolus him with some insulin. We've gone as much as 2 hours without trouble though - if your child is prone to ketones I wouldn't recommend that long though. :)
Mindy and Tim
04-21-2008, 02:02 PM
We went to a park when pumping and found that reattaching for meals and snacks worked well - we did test every 1 1/2 hrs to 2 hrs to watch fro highs and lows, but she actually did pretty darn good!
Did you give the basal amount that was missed?
Did you give the basal amount that was missed?
Nope - we never have to when water is involved!
Also, like Miss FrizzyRazzy stated, if your kid is prone to ketones, test and snack hourly...
And yes, we did chase lows all night - but water just affects her that way!
jules12
04-21-2008, 02:15 PM
My son doesn't require a lot of insulin yet - with swimming he will go low. I usually have to give him a larger snack and bolus for only part of it to get some insulin in him but I don't worry about the missed basals. However, like others said - everyone is different. Just check often and plan for snacks/meals, etc.
My biggest problem is that when my son has lots of activity - like swimming or water park - he does not feel the lows until he has really dropped. I would suggest leaving the pump, etc, in a locker and taking a small spare meter and some glucose tabs around the park with you.
Thoover
04-21-2008, 03:31 PM
I remember last year at the beach was the one time that Britt's blood sugars were GREAT. She didn't have her pump on alot since she was in the ocean alot of the time, but she didn't need that basal with all the exercise she was getting to keep her levels ok.
But keep testing to make sure he doesn't go too low.