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      Do you know your blood type (e.g., A, AB, B, O)?
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      Do you know your blood type (e.g., A, AB, B, O)?
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      BustedPancreas likes your comment at
      Do you know your blood type (e.g., A, AB, B, O)?
      I'm AB+, and because I was so used to needles as someone with T1D, I became a regular blood and platelet donor. I have now donated 403 times, and hope to set a new world record for most donations someday. This is a reminder to any diabetics that as long as you are feeling healthy and well, you are likely eligible to donate blood!
    • 10 hours, 16 minutes ago
      AmyM likes your comment at
      Do you know your blood type (e.g., A, AB, B, O)?
      I'm AB+, and because I was so used to needles as someone with T1D, I became a regular blood and platelet donor. I have now donated 403 times, and hope to set a new world record for most donations someday. This is a reminder to any diabetics that as long as you are feeling healthy and well, you are likely eligible to donate blood!
    • 10 hours, 43 minutes ago
      Louise Robinson likes your comment at
      Do you know your blood type (e.g., A, AB, B, O)?
      I'm AB+, and because I was so used to needles as someone with T1D, I became a regular blood and platelet donor. I have now donated 403 times, and hope to set a new world record for most donations someday. This is a reminder to any diabetics that as long as you are feeling healthy and well, you are likely eligible to donate blood!
    • 16 hours, 26 minutes ago
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      Do you know your blood type (e.g., A, AB, B, O)?
      Is there a prevalence of T1D within any particular blood type?
    • 17 hours ago
      Bruce Schnitzler likes your comment at
      Do you know your blood type (e.g., A, AB, B, O)?
      I'm AB+, and because I was so used to needles as someone with T1D, I became a regular blood and platelet donor. I have now donated 403 times, and hope to set a new world record for most donations someday. This is a reminder to any diabetics that as long as you are feeling healthy and well, you are likely eligible to donate blood!
    • 17 hours, 5 minutes ago
      Lawrence S. likes your comment at
      Do you know your blood type (e.g., A, AB, B, O)?
      I'm AB+, and because I was so used to needles as someone with T1D, I became a regular blood and platelet donor. I have now donated 403 times, and hope to set a new world record for most donations someday. This is a reminder to any diabetics that as long as you are feeling healthy and well, you are likely eligible to donate blood!
    • 18 hours, 25 minutes ago
      Beckett Nelson likes your comment at
      Do you know your blood type (e.g., A, AB, B, O)?
      I'm AB+, and because I was so used to needles as someone with T1D, I became a regular blood and platelet donor. I have now donated 403 times, and hope to set a new world record for most donations someday. This is a reminder to any diabetics that as long as you are feeling healthy and well, you are likely eligible to donate blood!
    • 18 hours, 50 minutes ago
      Gerald Oefelein likes your comment at
      Do you know your blood type (e.g., A, AB, B, O)?
      I'm AB+, and because I was so used to needles as someone with T1D, I became a regular blood and platelet donor. I have now donated 403 times, and hope to set a new world record for most donations someday. This is a reminder to any diabetics that as long as you are feeling healthy and well, you are likely eligible to donate blood!
    • 19 hours, 11 minutes ago
      rick phillips likes your comment at
      Do you know your blood type (e.g., A, AB, B, O)?
      Is there a prevalence of T1D within any particular blood type?
    • 1 day, 8 hours ago
      NANCY NECIA likes your comment at
      Insulin pump users: Do you have unexpired, long-acting insulin in case of pump failure?
      I always keep it, and hope to never use it.
    • 1 day, 14 hours ago
      Dennis Dacey likes your comment at
      Insulin pump users: Do you have unexpired, long-acting insulin in case of pump failure?
      I have not had a vial of long acting Insulin since switching to a pump from regular and NPH shots. I have had two pump failures, but got by with fast acting insulin.
    • 1 day, 14 hours ago
      Dennis Dacey likes your comment at
      Insulin pump users: Do you have unexpired, long-acting insulin in case of pump failure?
      If you pick a large chain pharmacy, you can pretty easily transfer the prescription to another location (and then back, if needed). The pharmacist can do it. 😊
    • 1 day, 15 hours ago
      Anita Stokar likes your comment at
      Insulin pump users: Do you have unexpired, long-acting insulin in case of pump failure?
      If you pick a large chain pharmacy, you can pretty easily transfer the prescription to another location (and then back, if needed). The pharmacist can do it. 😊
    • 1 day, 17 hours ago
      Lawrence S. likes your comment at
      Insulin pump users: Do you have unexpired, long-acting insulin in case of pump failure?
      I do for now due to a travel incident I lived through back in 2024. What happened was I thought I had packed over a month’s worth all of my pump essentials everything but the cartridges for my Tandem pump. So arriving on the beautiful Pico Island I came to the realization that I had forgot these super important item and trying to get these was impossible. So I had no choice but to buy Lantus pen as well Humalog pen as well when my pump ran out. Fortunately after doing lots of research I can across and individual in our cycling adventure group in Cambrils Spain who worked in the pharmaceutical industry and she was able to get what I needed. It took almost a week of living the MDI thing and it was a real nightmare before being my hands on these cartridges. Hopefully I’ll never have to go through that scenario ever again and the only way is by making a list with cartridge and infusion kit being listed separately.
    • 1 day, 17 hours ago
      KSannie likes your comment at
      Insulin pump users: Do you have unexpired, long-acting insulin in case of pump failure?
      I totally agree. I have been lulled to complacency. When my pump had failed I have used regular doses of insulin. So, to answer the question, no I don't have any long acting insulin.
    • 1 day, 17 hours ago
      KSannie likes your comment at
      Insulin pump users: Do you have unexpired, long-acting insulin in case of pump failure?
      It seems with Medicare you are not permitted to have a prescription in your hand. According to my Endo in Florida, at least, all scripts have to be electronically sent directly to a pharmacy. Is everyone else on Medicare experiencing that? I don’t like it. I want to be able to choose my own pharmacy no matter where I am. Sometimes, one is more convenient than another, especially when traveling. And if my pump breaks over a weekend, good luck getting script. I guess my Endo has an emergency line although I think all messages say: if this is a medical emergency, call 911.
    • 1 day, 18 hours ago
      Scott Doerner likes your comment at
      Insulin pump users: Do you have unexpired, long-acting insulin in case of pump failure?
      Yes, I think all T1D’s should know how to use insulin without their pump. They do konk out on rare occasions.
    • 1 day, 18 hours ago
      atr likes your comment at
      Insulin pump users: Do you have unexpired, long-acting insulin in case of pump failure?
      No but I have expired pens that I would use if needed. They are only expired by a year or two.
    • 1 day, 18 hours ago
      atr likes your comment at
      Insulin pump users: Do you have unexpired, long-acting insulin in case of pump failure?
      It seems with Medicare you are not permitted to have a prescription in your hand. According to my Endo in Florida, at least, all scripts have to be electronically sent directly to a pharmacy. Is everyone else on Medicare experiencing that? I don’t like it. I want to be able to choose my own pharmacy no matter where I am. Sometimes, one is more convenient than another, especially when traveling. And if my pump breaks over a weekend, good luck getting script. I guess my Endo has an emergency line although I think all messages say: if this is a medical emergency, call 911.
    • 2 days, 13 hours ago
      KSannie likes your comment at
      Insulin pump users: Have you experienced an insulin pump failure and had to use back-up long-acting insulin?
      NO. But, ... Over the years I've had three pump total failures yet I never reverted to long-acting, or a better substitute - background/basal, insulin. In each instance, I effectively managed my diabetes with rapid-acting insulin. In all situations, replacement pumps were delivered to me by 8:15 the morning after failure; one replacement that was delivered to my work office which I programmed while being driven to the airport that morning.
    • 2 days, 13 hours ago
      KSannie likes your comment at
      Insulin pump users: Have you experienced an insulin pump failure and had to use back-up long-acting insulin?
      Same. I had a replacement pump within 24 hours, but I set an alarm for every 2 hours overnight to check my blood sugar. I'm crazy dependant on my medical tech!!
    • 2 days, 13 hours ago
      KSannie likes your comment at
      Insulin pump users: Have you experienced an insulin pump failure and had to use back-up long-acting insulin?
      I had two pump failures that sent me to the ER when I was using Medtronic. Since switching to Tandem 6 years ago, I haven’t experienced any failures.
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    When you bolus before a meal, how long do you wait until you eat?

    Home > LC Polls > When you bolus before a meal, how long do you wait until you eat?
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    Samantha Walsh

    Samantha Walsh has lived with type 1 diabetes for over five years since 2017. After her T1D diagnosis, she was eager to give back to the diabetes community. She is the Community and Partner Manager for T1D Exchange and helps to manage the Online Community and recruit for the T1D Exchange Registry. Prior to T1D Exchange, Samantha fundraised at Joslin Diabetes Center. She graduated from the University of Massachusetts with a Bachelors degree in sociology and early childhood education.

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    18 Comments

    1. kilupx

      I’m sure I will not be the only one to say that every meal is different. Sometimes I’m starving, sometimes I lose track of the time, sometimes I forget to take insulin. There are restaurant meals and meals that other people prepare and lots of reasons for delay, like a phone call or a family emergency. I answered 15 minutes to this question, because that’s what I aim for—but life gets in the way.

      7
      2 years ago Log in to Reply
    2. kristina blake

      Usually 5 minutes before. Most of the time if I were to bolus the standard 20 minutes prior, the inslin kicks in before the food does

      2
      2 years ago Log in to Reply
    3. John McQuaid

      It depends on my BG and which way it’s moving. If it’s low or decreasing, I wait until I’m sitting down to eat. The higher it is, the earlier I take my bolus. At restaurants, I may take a partial bolus half an hour before, the wait until I can see the food on my plate before taking more.

      1
      2 years ago Log in to Reply
    4. Gary Taylor

      Like kilupx, it varies anywhere between eating right away and waiting 15-20 minutes.

      2 years ago Log in to Reply
    5. Janice B

      Depends on meal and time of day. Mornings 20 minutes as I am home and can plan the meal. Lunch and dinner about 5 minutes as I have no control at work for timing same with arrival home from work for dinner. If we go out to eat I wait for the food to arrive as timing is not dependable.

      2
      2 years ago Log in to Reply
    6. Nicholas Argento

      I wait 20-25 min for cereal because it spikes but for most other meals I don’t pre dose. But I eat salad and veg first and carbs last in the meal so don’t tend to spike after most meals- I avoid bread . Seems to work

      1
      2 years ago Log in to Reply
    7. Kathy Hanavan

      I know it is best to bolus 20″ prior in general, but it is really hard to do on a regular basis. If I am > 130, I will wait, if < 80, I will eat right away.

      2
      2 years ago Log in to Reply
    8. mlettinga

      I should wait 10-15 min but always forget till I start eating.

      2
      2 years ago Log in to Reply
    9. Donald Cragun

      It depends on my blood sugar. If I’m low I’ll eat before I bolus. If I’m high I’ll bolus and watch my CGM until I’m ~100.

      2 years ago Log in to Reply
    10. Jeanne McMillan-Olson

      It depends on my blood glucose how long I will wait.

      1
      2 years ago Log in to Reply
    11. Patricia Dalrymple

      I said 15 but agree with Kilupx. Life gets in the way and nothing is straight forward when I comes to T1D.

      3
      2 years ago Log in to Reply
    12. Molly Jones

      I eat immediately after blousing as it takes me forever to eat and digest meals.

      2 years ago Log in to Reply
    13. Becky Hertz

      Depends on multiple factors. Current BG, meal ingredients, home cooked or out. I usually do try to books 5-10 min before, but there are times I forget and bonus after I’ve started eating.

      3
      2 years ago Log in to Reply
    14. anj1832

      It definitely depends on what I’m about to eat. I’d say most of the time it’s right before I eat, but if it’s something sweet or a big meal then I wait about 15 min to eat sometimes longer.

      1
      2 years ago Log in to Reply
    15. wyndare3

      It very much depends on where my blood glucose is, if it changing, meal time, meal content, how long it has been between meals and if I am at home or at a restaurant. Breakfast is a generally 15 minutes. The rest of the time it depends on the situation. I pens for delivery.

      1
      2 years ago Log in to Reply
    16. Anita Stokar

      It really depends. I tend to eat about 15 minutes after I bolus at breakfast. At dinner time it is usually less as I never am sure when I am going to eat, whether because I am at a restaurant or whether I don’t know when other family members are ready to eat or when the food will be finished cooking at dinner time. I also base my bolus on my blood sugar. If I am riding 80 or below, I tend to bolus right when ready to eat, or slightly after I start eating if my sugar is below 70.

      2 years ago Log in to Reply
    17. Steven Gill

      Generally 20 minutes but if it’s a faster acting dish (ice cream?) will dose and give up to 40 minutes. Ironically for the same results on shots had to inject my bolus 30 minutes in advance compared to pumping.

      2 years ago Log in to Reply
    18. PamK

      I chose “other” because I try to bolus 15 – 20 mins. before a meal, but often forget to do so. So, I sometimes bolus all of the times listed that are shorter than this.

      2 years ago Log in to Reply

    When you bolus before a meal, how long do you wait until you eat? Cancel reply

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