Adventurer, runner, climber, mountaineer… anything that’s outdoors in the hills and you can sign me up. But lots of exercise and different sports meant I found it hard to train and manage my diabetes (for those interested, I was on pen therapy). Things I struggled with were:

• Training – Most of my training was done first thing in the day, fasting, to avoid excess insulin in my system. This was far from ideal from a training perspective, and I struggled with the dawn phenomenon and having to take insulin whilst training.
• Events – The preparation and good blood sugars needed to compete well were hard to achieve. I’ve stood on the start line of so many races having got up and eaten breakfast at 4 am and then the adrenaline kicks in and within no time I’m waiting to set off with blood sugars of 18.
• Sleep – Through all the training and events, the changes to my body’s insulin sensitivity meant a rollercoaster of blood sugar levels. This also had a negative impact on my sleep pattern.
• Low GI meals – When I ate a large or high-fat meal, I would set an alarm to wake me so I could take the second half of a split dose. This was in the middle of the night, just after I’d gone into deep sleep.

But the situation changed when I got my t:slim X2 pump working alongside the Dexcom G6 continuous glucose monitor (CGM).

The ‘sleep’ mode means I start each day at the optimum blood sugar level usually having had good blood sugars through the night. This is where it all starts… if the day begins balanced, then there’s a chance to keep it running smoothly.

The ‘exercise’ mode alongside a tailored pump profile has improved my ability to train and undertake events more than I ever thought possible. I can now train with more freedom at different times of day and with fuel on board rather than fast.

When doing events, I still get up a bit earlier to ensure I’ve taken onboard food and the associated insulin before setting off, but the adrenaline spikes are now better managed. I can now refuel as I should because the pump in ‘exercise’ mode can accommodate this.

The ‘exercise’ mode left on after an event alongside (another) tailored pump profile means I don’t have to worry so much about the highs and lows that used to plague me after training and events.

Finally, the ability to automatically extend a split dose for particularly large or high-fat meals means no more alarms to take my second half of a split dose in the middle of the night.

Throughout my pump start up I’ve also had the support of one of Air Liquide’s t:slim guru’s who has been brilliant in bringing their expert knowledge to bear in helping me fine-tune my t:slim X2 pump.

I always use Control-IQ technology on my pump. When I talk about the different modes and pump profiles, this is all alongside the Control-IQ technology that adapts the amount of insulin it gives to me (within certain tolerances), to help take some of the burden of managing blood sugars.

And a small aside… the t:slim X2 pump is tiny! This is particularly good if you are exercising or doing multi-day expeditions with it. My pump spends most of its time stuffed into a dress, trouser pocket or small waistbelt (see the photo).

And the last word… would I recommend this to someone I cared about? Yes, I would. 100%.

Fleur x