BOOK REVIEW

Insulin Pump Therapy Demystified: an essential guide for everyone pumping insulin

By Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer
Publisher: Marlowe & Company, New York, 2003

Reviewed by Trish

So – have you really thought about a pump?

I found this a really useful and interesting book. It's written by a woman who is a writer, performer and educator, who has had the Big D since the age of 10. She has a really practical and in-touch view of life with diabetes and life with a pump, and writes as a true believer.

The book has lots of good points. It’s divided into sections on whether or not to get the pump, what it's actually like having a pump, and step-by-step phases of pumping. Gabrielle uses lots of her own life experience to make it really personal, and includes snippets of other pumpers’ stories, including people who struggled with pumping. There are also sections devoted to kids, teenagers, older pumpers and pregnancy.

There’s no hiding from the big questions. Yes, the sex issue is there, but so are lots of other ones that I had worried about – How do I tell someone I’ve only just met and am really keen on that I’ve got a pump? How am I going to wear it when I go to the beach? What will I do on my wedding day? What am I going to do at restaurants? What about being connected to something all the time?

Each chapter has answers to questions like these and many more. She ends each chapter with “Ten ways” or “ten tips” to achieve something specific – enjoying a healthy sex life, travelling, being motivated, managing weight, and enjoying good sleep, all with the pump. Despite being positive, she doesn’t shy away from the fact that life with diabetes can be hard and pumping can be difficult, and includes a section on this.

The main things I got from this book are:

• a sense of excitement about taking control of this side of my life
• a feeling of relief that pumps are now small, advanced and easy to use – I’m still amazed that the first pumps were the size of backpacks!
• an understanding of why my BSLs are always high after eating pizza, and how to manage this with the pump.
  The only downside is that examples of BSL readings, for example with exercising and pumping, are in American units, making it a bit harder to understand.

This book is likely to be of interest if you’re thinking about a pump, you’ve started pumping but still have some questions, or if your partner/friend/family member is pumping. If you haven’t thought about a pump though, perhaps reading this book will get you thinking… Some issues that it discusses, such as the touchy-feely stuff, and about kids and teenagers, are relevant for anyone with diabetes, and not just pumpers.

It's easy to read, is really practical and has lots of websites addresses if you can’t find the answer you’re after.

Read more abour Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer and her book at www.insulinpumpbook.com

* Back to more book reviews

Published October 8, 2006