Insulin

Diabetes is failure of the body to make insulin or to respond to insulin. The first is the type 1 diabetes and the second is type 2 diabetes. Yes, that's me.

Insulin is a natural hormone made by the pancreas that controls the levels of the sugar glucose in the blood. It permits the cells to use glucose for energy. Thus making the cells unable to utilize glucose without insulin.

In type 2 diabetes, insulin is produced but the cells in the body do not respond normally to it. In shorter terms, making one insulin resistant.

My first prescription of insulin is a mixutre of the fast and slow reacting insulin, Humalog Mix25. I had to take varying number of units three times a day, before every big meal.

After a few weeks, I noticed that I rarely reach my FBS targets. So the doctor changed insulin. This time, instead of a mixture, I was given two separates prescriptions. One for the fast acting, Humalog Insulin Lispro Injection and one for the intermediate-acting insulin, Humulin N Isophane Insulin Human Injection. So now instead of three injections a day, I get five. Three times still before every meal for the fast-acting. And twice for Humulin N, morning and night.

The doses of the insulin varies. This is where the glucometer test results comes in. The insulin is adjusted based on the readings recorded everyday.