How we T1Ds control blood glucose: a general idea
Since our blood sugar isn’t auto regulated by our pancreas anymore, we need to do ourselves the job that our pancreas used to do. When our blood sugar is high, we need to inject insulin, not made by our pancreas, but in a lab. When our BG is low, we need to eat sugar (or carbohydrates).
In order to do that, though, we need to measure our BG first. Right now, the best and most up-to-date way to measure BG is to prick ourselves to get a drop of blood, then pick up this drop of blood on a small strip connected to an electronic meter that reads the glucose content and tells us how high or low it is. If it is between 70 and 100 mg/dl (i.e. between 3.9 and 5.6 mmol/L), we are good and fine. If it is lower, we need to eat some carbohydrates. If it is higher, we may need to inject insulin.
Incidentally, there is also a way for us to monitor our BG all the time: we can become bionic, and live with a glucose sensor embedded in our body that constantly sends information about our BG: it is called a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM). While they are not quite as precise or up-to-date on the actual BG measurement as regular glucose meters, they have amazing advantages. I am now bionic, and you could be too. I’ll discuss CGMs in a few chapters.
Growing up T1D 