Does anyone have a go-to tool they use for keeping track of data during basal testing?
There are forms available on different websites but I feel like an app for this could be really helpful! Recently, I switched to a new pump (Medtronic to t:slim) and have been running consistently high. I try tweaking my basals but then I like to eat, so I don’t really ever have a good period to test it out. I just need some accountability!
This answer will not seem very glamorous, but one of the best ways to really get a handle on that is a spreadsheet and a lot of BG tests. And also a good understanding of what your insulin duration is.
I know a spreadsheet isn’t as sexy as an app that does it.
The nice thing about a spreadsheet is that you can customize it for your duration and your basal rates and meals, and you can put in there whatever you want to reference.
I did something similar for Daisy Mae a long time ago when she was just starting her swimming thread, to help her with dosing and basal adjustments for her swims. When we were done, we knew exactly how much active insulin she had at a point during her swim. We figured out her duration, her IC, everything.
Here is a screenshot of just a part of what we had for her, when she started swimming around 1:00 or 1:30 pm.
The nice thing about doing it with your own spreadsheet is that you can completely customize it with stuff. You can setup BG ranges that will color the cells if your BG was too high or low. And you can setup your duration and your insulin peak and add a lot of things that some of the pre-built apps do not have.
Yep, I agree that spreadsheets are the best way to track what you want. I think I’ll do this. Since I have a CGM I can see trends but I don’t eat consistently enough to know if my results are due to food or basal! I’ll need to do some better fasting for sure.
Thanks for sharing!
