What's the commitment?

For tight blood sugar management on insulin therapy, you'll need to:

• Take multiple daily doses of insulin. You may need an injection of short-acting insulin before each meal and an injection of intermediate or long-acting insulin once or twice daily, usually just before bedtime. Or you may choose to use an insulin pump, which releases insulin into your body through a plastic tube placed under the skin on your abdomen.
• Check your blood sugar often. You'll need to check your blood sugar at least four times a day, before meals and bedtime. Your doctor may ask you to write down the results of each blood sugar test.
• Track how food and exercise impacts your blood sugar. What you eat has a direct effect on your blood sugar. When you're on insulin therapy, you'll need to count the carbohydrates in your food to ensure that you get the proper dose of insulin for meals and snacks. Physical activity also influences blood sugar.