Things you learn from wearing an insuling pump after 27 years of taking shots:

• Three days seems like such a long time — until you’re counting the days to change your infusion set. Then, it flies by. Just when you’ve gotten comfortable with one site, it’s time to change it out.

• Checking your blood sugar is no longer a chore. It will never mean having to poke yourself with a needle again right afterwards.

• Those annoying blood sugars somewhere between “perfect” and “just slightly high”? Not a worry anymore. Since the pump can dole out insulin in teeny tiny steps, let it do the work. You can think of 135 as a high blood sugar now if you want, since the pump will push out a little insulin to bring you back to 100. (Mine just gave me .1 unit for just that reading.) You never would have wasted a needle for less than a unit like that before.

• You’re so hip wearing a pager on your belt!

• Carbohydrates are measured in grams. OK, you likely knew that before, but you likely didn’t care that much.

• Being in peak physical shape is awesome and all, but having a couple extra pounds around the belly makes for a far easier injection site, I have to think.

• Women have a slight advantage here: With all their pants being low-rise, they have more room to plug themselves in.