Why I Love My Pump.....

Clay called me today, told me a sad story. During the mad rush of the morning, he mistakenly took his morning levemir twice this morning....figured it out when he kept on going low ALLL later afternoon into the evening. Not little lows, but major lows.

I remember this happening to me when I was in grade 8. I was on a band trip, staying with a family in a city that was 2 hours away from my home. I took my night insulin, but could not remember if I took the morning dose or the night dose. Being a young teenager, I freaked myself out! I had to wake myself every two hours to make sure my sugars were fine. They were, but when Clay told me what happened, I was taken right back to that feeling again.

I love my pump. That's all I can say. This would never happen with a pump.....

I am sorry you are going to have a sleepless night Clay....waking every two hours to test, and eat. You are not alone, everyone has been there - and we all have the t'shirt. (of course not all of us tried to have a nap with the yoga books in chapters..HAHA....oh yeah, that's right...I did eat a handful of basil once at a grocery store....and I cried for my mother once at a carnival.....)

Less then a month and Clay is tracked to be on a pump as well YIPPIE! Everyone can attest, MDI's are a pain! Aligning meals at specific times is a pain! Getting up early every morning is a pain! Hang in there!

Still Coughing....

This is a tough cold! I am still coughing, so that limits my amount of time in public! Today is my first day of four off, so I will be back in action soon!

Wave Therapy

A little wave therapy to help me out today......nice walk along the beach.

Don't get me wrong, it was CHILLY (-6 with wind!!!) but I was determined to get the benefit of this beautiful day!

I may be sick, but my sugars are not!

Yesterday was my first of 4 days off from work, and I spent it sleeping!

Nova Scotia recently joined the rest of the world and allows stores to open on Sunday. SOOOO I pulled myself out of bed mid afternoon, and went for groceries. It was long overdue, and I was planning to go anyways - but I felt like crap. It was a quick trip, got what I needed and came home.

I gathered all the essentials: blood tester, rockets (candy in case of low....not like that ever happens when I am sick!!), kleenex, garbage can (I hate wads of kleenex all over the place), TV remote (very important), cozy quilt handmade by mom, pillow, cough drops...planted myself on the couch and vegged.

I slept until 1:30 today!

THANKS to the marvel of the insulin pump and the glucose sensor, my sugars are not a concern as I weather this cold! I went to sleep last night my sugar was 7 mmol/L. I woke at 7:30 this morning to my pump alarm telling me I had passed my high parameter of 9 mmol/L. I tested with my meter to confirm - took a small correction bolus and went to sleep.

I woke around 1pm, my sugar was 6.3 mm/L. I have never had these types of reading when sick! If I had not corrected in the morning when my sugar was rising, I would have woken at 1pm with a high glucose....typical of being sick. This glucose sensor is amazing.

AMAZING!

I missed out on the gym a few days, I figure the rest is more important. I will go back now to relax, and watch the waves crash on the beach. I call that my wave therapy..........

Winter Wonderland!

Here I thought spring was here.....but last night, on my way to work, all over the radio was warnings about the pending storm that was hitting the New England states, coming right for Nova Scotia!! Bye Bye Spring weather!

Sure enough.....I pulled out of the parking garage at work this morning and slid across the parking lot! What a beautiful sight of a world covered in ice...enough of that tho - I just wanted to get home and go to bed!! I have studded tires on my VW THANK GOD! It was like driving home on a skating rink.

Safe and sound at home now - tending to my new companion THE COMMON COLD. Grr...I hate having colds. I hate how it makes me feel, and I can feel it setting in. Sugar levels are fine at this point - but I can feel it in my chest. I can not avoid it...I am so thankful for my CGMS, especially during sick times!!

One more night shift then I will have 4 days off to rest!

I wish I could have taken pictures of the ice filled trees - very pretty, but it is raining now....bad combination.....ice and rain on top.....means I would certainly fall HA! Instead I am going for a nap - let the rain clean the ice away and a sleep to clean my mind after a long night at work!

Goodbye Old Transmitter......Minilink you say? No, not for this canuck yet!

I had to say goodbye to my faithful transmitter, which I called #2.

#2 was with me day and night, 24/7 - but has died from low battery disease. A fatal condition common in the phase-1 transmitters. No known cure at this time, and no way to avoid its onset. (#2 wants to know if this picture makes its look fat. HA, big sucker eh)

So welcome #3. Glad to see you kicked in right away and found my sensor - and soon will have your first calibration...you'll enjoy trips to the movies, nights out, days at work...long phone calls, and cold nights....your life is just beginning!

I did not wait for the old transmitter to completely die before replacing - I wanted to make sure #3 settles in well before sending #2 to transmitter heaven! So far so good....until the Minilink comes to Canada!!! (For all US readers, the Minilink was released TODAY in the US!!!!)

Double Down Arrows....

What a great day yesterday! It was my first day of four off! I relaxed for the first part of the day, and spent the second half of the day cleaning the house from top to bottom! It has been really busy here lately, a lot of people coming and going - so it was nice to have a day home all alone. Laundry, cleaning, groceries - I got everything completed that was on my mental check list I wrote while falling asleep earlier!

Now the double down arrows....always little tricksters! When I see these monsters on the screen face I then forget the world is still turning around me. I watch that pump s creen - always fearing that those double down arrows will end in a low...or will they?

When I first introduced to those twin double down arrows, I would grab a snack. WRONGO. I've learned to sit back....wait.....and see what the neck few readings are.....

...and those doulbe up arrows....tisk tisk tisk....do not mean BOLUS. HA!

Cleo 90 Samples....

I called Smith medical, and they sent me Cleo 90 samples! They arrived yesterday, and I think I just may try one this afternoon! They are usable in the Minimed pump with the thinset reservoir. I was inerested in the cleo 90's because you can angle the tubing however you wish! Small thing I know, but really caught my eye!

I am on the search now, to try out all infusion sets available for the Minimed Paradigm, to see what I may be missing! I have been using the same set for the past 5.5 years (silhouette) and it seems to be working fine.....but always good to keep up on things!

Clay

My best buddy at work was recently diagnosed with type-1 diabetes. He is 24.

His diagnose was a long drawn out process, where I witnessed the torture my close friend had to endure. Torture with his body and torture with the health care system that passed him over.

It is hard to sit back and know what he needed. I knew what would help, what treatment he needed, but he was lost in the shuffle of papers. Clay was getting sicker and sicker, and eventually was not able to work. It broke my heart to see him suffer like this, but he continued fighting.

Clay won, and is seeing an excellent endo who admits his referral was improperly triaged. His goal....to get on an insulin pump....

The reason I am writing about Clay...it was funny for me at work today. His desk is near mine, and he tests his sugars often throughout that 12 hours we are there. I am NOT used to having other people with diabetes near....to hear the familiar BEEP BEEP of the glucose tester was confusing for my mind! I can not even think how I will react to have other PUMP BEEPS and alarms in the room! People sing along to my beeps now....just wait until there is two of us in the room! Duets!

Clay, I am so glad you are feeling better, and I'm always there for you......and I can't wait to have you in the pumping club!

Minimed's New Minilink Transmitter....

I was really excited when I came across these pictures last night on the web! I have been reading about a "new smaller transmitter", and was told by Minimed that it would be out in Canada in a few months (but no specific date).

This will be out on the US first, and soon.....so much smaller and best of all rechargable! I have very few complaints about this CGMS system except for the size of the transmitter! I hope the new one comes in time for the swim suit season HA!

I'll tell my short story

I have slept, and am feeling rested! It is hard on my first day off work - I don't want to waste my day sleeping, but I also need to recover from my two night shifts! I usually do laundry, catch up on reading all the blogs I follow, practice cello....laze around the house. Not a bad idea, gets all the house stuff done for 8 days!

So I'll tell you about the transmitter. Still kicking - who really knows how long it will last with low battery. I was woken again at noon by the low transmitter alarm, I am told this will happen daily!

I called US minimed helpline when I noticed the error - and was not able to get any help as I was outside the warranty period. They referred me to speak to the Canadian customer support # (I now have this number written down!!). I spoke with a nice rep there who went through my options.

1. wait it out, buy into the new mini-sensor system in a few months
2. buy new transmitter
3. Transmitter Purchase program....but a box of 10 sensors for a discounted rate of $425 and get a free transmitter.

Well I knew option 3 was the only viable option! I was thinking about the OT at work I would need to pay for this .... sigh....

BUT then I mentioned the two boxes of sensors I just bought 3 weeks ago - and said if I got 10 more then would expire before I could use them!!

WELL this changed the whole situation! Seesing that I had recently bought new sensors - they waved the $425 and I got the transmitter for free! Brand new with a new warrenty! Thank goodness I mentioned those sensors I bought :) FUEF!

My new sidekick was supossed to arrived later today BUT big storm today......I am home, sitting by the fire. Nice place to be!

New Transmitter On The Way

I just walked in the door from night shift #2, and need SLEEP...but I wanted to share there is a new transmitter on the way. I spoke with several people at Minimed and they were able to help me....I will share more after my nap.....cause there is a BIG snow storm coming this afternoon so I won't be going anywheres!!

Low Transmitter Battery Alarm!

This afternoon I was tucked nicely in bed, letting my body recover after my LONG night shift. At about 1pm I was woken by my pump alarm. That is nothing out of the ordinary, that happens....but what I saw as shocking "LOW TRANSMITTER BATTERY!".

WOW, this is a new alarm.....I need to do something about this quickly!

I called the 1-800 number for Minimed, and spoke to a nice rep. She explained to me that my transmitter warrenty is OVER 2 weeks agos and there is nothing they could do!

2 weeks ago - you have to be kidding me! I am a passive person, and this is pissing me off (likely due to the fact that I am very overtired and this woke me up!!!)

I spoke to all sorts of people and no one could help me. I tried asking how long the battery would last, and all they could tell me was that it would alarm every day until it died.....and it was not known when that would be.

I hung up the phone feeling alone in the diabetes would yet again. For the amount of support that Minimed says they give - I have been shoved to the side this time. I know they have rules and timelines, but I am talking 2 weeks over the warrenty period AND the company reps are admitting that this is not common.

Thanks Minimed for the help. I have 2 boxes of transmitters that I purchased in my fridge...and now a transmitters that is not only going to alarm every day now - but has a ticking lifespan that is going to end at any moment.

And the kicker to it all.....still paying the original one off. OUCH, that hurts.

The rep tells me "good news, there is a new one being released in the next few months that has a rechargable battery". I said "good to hear, thanks - but how does that help me now?"........silence......silence.......

I am quite bitter now, so I am trying to not write too much negative. Up to this point the CGMS system has been wonderful and worth it's weight in gold, but this is a turn of events I did not expect.....and I am fighting.....

BUT what bad luck for my transmitter to die 2 weeks after its warranty. it does not get much worse then that!! I will updated if I make any progress because I know others will be in this situation soon....