OH MY, A Pink Infusion Set!

Today, I am having my first ever experiences with the Inset infusion set. Thanks Jen who brought me a sample (Thank you! Thank you!) I was immediately taken by the pink color on the set. A little something to spice it up!

I really like the set-up, all of the mechanisms are inside the inserter device. I open the top, unwind the tubing and pull back the inserter. BANG....done. Easy as that.

Slick, easy, colorful - and in its own shell. So far, I am impressed.

I have a little pink infusion set now. Cute! The disconnect hub is a nice slick connection, comfortable to use.

We'll see how this trial goes. So far, 100% impressed. Now to track these puppies down! Anyone in Canada using the Inset-II? I probably should have checked that out before getting hooked on the design and functionality of this set!

Unrelated updates: My "expired" sensor is doing EXCELLENT! Thank god I did not obey the expiration date, or I would be missing this amazingly accurate sensor! Still alive and clicking.....keep me in a straight line......I was very excited to read a trick with the button on the pump. I read this on the Insulin Pump Forum last night, if I click the bolus wizard button and the up arrow, it will return me to the home screen from any of the other screens! No more click....click...click....click.....click. What am I going to do with all this time I will save HA! Either way, an excellent trick to now know!!

Expired Sensor....Whoops!

I found a sneaky sensor hiding in my fridge. It expired June 10, 2007.....WHOOPS!

Research is showing the sensors are good past their expiration date, so at 5:30am this morning I brought this overdue sensor to life!

Fresh out of the shower, and in a hurry for work, I inserted the sensor on my right thigh.....left the needle in for about 10 minutes. I needed to put on my pants to go to work, so I HAD to pull out the needle HA! No blood at all.....I hooked up the charged Minilink and was along my way.

The sensor started no problem, and is chugging away just fine.

So 1 month over expiration. Day #1 all good, lets see how it goes!

I tried to be responsible!

I tried, and I followed the advice I was given all throughout my diabetes lifetime.

"Get a medic alert bracelet, and wear it"

I have had several throughout my lifetime, but a few years ago I lost my bracelet, and never bothered to replace it. I figured "why bother....". Seems ironic seeing that I work in the front of the line pre hospital field....

Last November I purchased this fancy little medical alert bracelet from the Medical Alert Canada company. The bracelet arrived, and I have been wearing it faithfully every since!

Good for me!

Yesterday, it broke....and my pretty little beads flew all over my car. I tried to gather them up, but I am missing several. I searched and searched, calling out for my missing beads.....(and then realized my car was dirty and spent several hours after that cleaning it out)

I called Medic Alert this morning, thinking this was straight forward: It is broken, they replace. No, not that easy. Hmm....I barely like wearing this bracelet as it is....don't give me reason to steer away now!

Sure enough, I was offered no help. They will repair the bracelet for me - but it would require me to mail the bracelet at my expense and wait the 8 weeks or so. PLUS, I am missing several of the beads from the explosive break....so they said it can not be repaired!?

Ah well, I wore the bracelet and was responsible for the past 9 months. Maybe with my new beading talents I will create a new bracelet, and incorporate the medic alert tag. I think that is what I will do....give me some time, but I am sure it will be less then the 8 weeks quoted, and I will have a new (and more creative) bracelet on the go! From this frustration will come good. I promise!

(later this evening: I spent an hour or two tonight working on new beads for my bracelet (Lampworking).....hard to make small beads!! Stand by for the pics tomorrow of the beads I created, and I will get some heavy duty bracelet wire and make a creation that will not break!!)

You think I would have learned the first time....or the second.....and so on.....

It is usually busy during my 4 days on at work. I enjoy my schedule - 4 on, 4 off, I really can not complain!

Yesterday was my day between my two nights. I was home at 7am and hopped right into bed. Nighty Night!

I woke to my alarm at 4pm, as usual. Up and on the go. I have a set routine of the things I do as I prepare for the second and last night shift.

5:30, I was out the door. Right on time and even hung a line of laundry!

I was half way to work when my pump alarmed. I checked, Low reservoir. DOH!

Now I could change it at work, but I did not want to. The set and insulin at work are my spare, and I had fresh waiting at home!

14 units when I arrived at work - I was now on a budget for the next 12 hours.

Whoops, a few too many correction bolus thanks to my need to "snack"......co-workers always have the good treats at work!

3am I checked, the pump summary screen read --:-- units remaining. WHOOPS.

BUT, Minimed must have it set up for extra units, much like a gas tanks and the "E" light!

I arrived home at 7am this morning, and my BG had not risen, even tho I was running on empty for the past 4 hours! Not sure how much extra, but there is some give to their "empty --:-- left" status!

I am changing my set now, and will nap for the morning! Full again. Ahhh, sigh of relief!

Catchy Line.....

I reached into my pant's pocket and took out my pump, reading the value on the front, and returning the pump to my pocket.

I catch the eyes of a co-worker watching me, as if for a response.

I turn to her and say "my body is sending me a text message".....and turn around to my desk.....

I heard her giggle

I will embrace the change.

I am making what I feel is a major change at work. Sometimes a change is a good as a rest, in the words of my wise mother.

I did get a promotion, and with it more responsibilities and a "move up" in the corporate world.

Seems good, but it is a CHANGE. I have to leave my work family. We worked together through good and bad, and stood at each other's side. Being with the same 8 people day in and day out, in one small room handling the most stressful situations in everyone else's day....it causes an unexplainable bond to be formed. How do I walk away from them? I just have to .... I tell myself it is better to leave before I actually want to, then I will have only fond memories.

The toughest part, is leaving Clay - my insulin pump buddy. We will still be in the same office, but opposite rotations - which means when I am at work, he is home....and when he is at work, I am home. It has been such a joy to have the person sitting next to me 48 hours a week - sharing the same joys, frustrations, stories....makes it so easy for that person to know exactly what I mean when I say I am in a post-low-lull....or the excitement to see a shiny new pump skin. He just understands, and that is not easy to find.

I will cherish these friendships for my lifetime.

Totally unrelated, I have taken up a new hobby. Lampworking!



This is the art of making glass beads, in my case from scrap glass. Very exciting! I have a local stain glass store/studio where I sourced out scrap glass - and you can see end result. I am new to the art.....I need to find something to do with all the beads! My friend Shauna, who is helping me learn the tricks of the trade, wants to pay for her tuition next year in beads. HA! I'll see if the bank will accept beads....!!

A very happy Canada Day tomorrow !

Sleepless nights with the sensor.....hmmm......

The past few nights' sleeps have been interrupted, and I have no one to blame but myself!

I have been keeping busy during the days, and getting home late in the evening. Because of this, I have been having supper later and later each day! Not good......going to sleep with a semi-full belly!

I snuggle in to bed, test my sugar....and enter this as a calibration for the glucose sensor. I figure I am safe no for 11 hours and 30 minutes (that is when the sensor will ask for it's next calibration!).

Every night I have had a good BG value, typically around 4 -8 mmol/L or so.......but for the past few nights I wake (usually around 2am) to the BUZZ-BUZZ-BUZZ of my pump, telling me I have crested over the 8.5 mmol/L high setting.

GRRR.....check BG, correction bolus and back to sleep.

At 3am, it was yet another BUZZ-BUZZ-BUZZ awaking my body and mind from sleep to retest. "Still over 8.5" my friendly pump reminds me. "Yes yes" I thought, "I'll deal with it".

Lets be honest. At 3am, I cleared the alarm and rolled over and rejoined sleep.

At 4am, I think I slept through two doses of the BUZZ-BUZZ-BUZZ because I woke to the WEE-AAA-WEE-AAA audible alarm. Enough of this...I am trying to sleep!!

I recheck, bolus again .... and thankfully sleep through to morning.

This was my night for the past several nights....

Solution: Eat earlier it is......Easy enough to say. I sit here in the middle of the afternoon and tell myself "nothing to eat late, or it will be a sleepless night".....but at 10pm, when I am relaxing watching TV.....those treats call me!!

Totally unrelated now:

Here are some pics from my beach walks today....water looks nice enough to run right into - but trust me, it is still chilly!