Up and Running with my new Minilink!

Up and running with the new Minilink transmitter!

No problems at all. The new sensor came charged, so all I had to was remove the old transmitter, recode for the new transmitter and restart my sensor!

Here is the before and after!





I really enjoy how much smaller this new transmitter is! And no extra tape...I have been freed!! I feel like I should be taping down the transmitter, but for now - I will leave it be and see how it all makes out!

Wonderful BG day today! Stayed between 4 and 6, with several meals, Cinnabon and two random no deliveries with my infusion set while having coffee with a friend at Starbucks (guess I wore this one a little too long!)....wish all days could be like that! I felt immune :)

Its Here!

I just walked in the door, and the MINILINK is here!!

I am just about the crack the box....more to follow!

MINILINK IN CANADA!?!?!?!

I worked a night last night.....so picture this, at work....during a down time I was reading through my emails from the day. I came across several emails from Minimed. The first one was talking about a sale that was ongoing now on supplies. I called my buddy Clay over and we were chatting about what a small difference 5% off really makes! So together we sift through to the next Minimed email and both see the following words....

"Coming Soon! Be the first to receive our Next Generation REAL-Time Continuous Glucose Monitoring Transmitter! *
Order before April 27th, 2007 to reserve your unit and be amongst the first in Canada to use this new technology."

I was speechless......and excited! The minilink is coming to Canada!!

Of course, I faxed my form in this afternoon! $350 upgrade ($700 new). OUCH that is expensive, but I need this technology! My skin can not stand the tape much longer! (I have developed a lot of dry skin under the tape areas!!)

I hope all other Canadians received this emails. If not, just let me know and I can forward the email with the form and details! It is not on the Minimed Canada website yet!

Great news! Great technology!

Spring Spring Spring!

I am preparing for a very busy week.....so I took it easy today! Had a nice drive, took some pics, saw some friends...and tomorrow the week starts!

Cheers!

Good Sugars and Sunshine, can it get better??

Wow! 4 days in Toronto...what a whirlwind visit!

Went up to see John Mayer....hung out in Toronto two nights, and then spent last night with awesome family just outside of the city! What a great time!!

When I left Nova Scotia, it was rainy and storming. When I came home today, it was sunny and 16 degrees!

So after my multiple no delivery alarms, my Cleo 90 site was fine for two days. No delivery issues, good sugars (even though two days was spent walking around toronto!!).....but last night, well early this morning (4am) I had another no delivery alarm.

I went through my trouble shooting process, with no success. The issue was with the reservoir, as the pump would not prime at all. ARGH, so at 4am I did a site change with still 90 units left in the reservoir. Annoying....and such a waste!

This is the second time I have had a no delivery with a Cleo 90 set, resulting in an early change.....as on top of that those multiple no delivery alarms on the plane!

As it stands now, I have had 2 Cleo-90 sets with no problems, but 2 that clogged (?) early causing no delivery alarms. I am at a 50% success rate - not very good!! (and I find the thin-set reservoirs hard to fill bubble-free...!!!)

Any one else have problems with Cleo 90 sites?

I am almost to 7 years with minimed silhouette sites with never an issue with no delivery....

Curious how other people are finding the Cleo 90's!!

Aiming for Inner Peace

Do you think anyone finds "inner peace"? Well I want to try. I have been thinking about it a lot lately, seems things are not as "peaceful" in my life as I want them to be. Maybe let things roll off my back.....that will be the technique at work.....but this morning I laid and listened to the sound of the waves for an hour and decided it was time to find my inner peace. Lifelong happiness. Wow, how non-tangible!

Lets get back to business.....the business of diabetes. Yesterday I had 3 no delivery alarms on my pump! I was using the new-to-me Cleo 9 sets. My first one out of the box was fine....no issues at all. I put this second one in......9am ish in the morning....and went on with my day. I did not eat (bad girl, I know) until noon that day (sorry Devin, I know I said I would eat breakfast but it did not happen that day!). When I ate, I bolused. Half way through, a no delivery alarm.

"That's strange", I thought. I unhooked the infusion set and put a .5 unit prime through, it delivered no problem and I saw a bubble of insulin come out. I reconnected - and it seemed to deliver no problem.

I watched my BG rise and rise over the next few hours. I would have yanked out my site, but I was on an airplane and decided I would change the set when I landed.

I kept on checking my BG and bolusing accordingly. After that initial rise, it did not go up and more. It stayed level for about 30 minutes (Gross, I was up to 15mmol/L and felt like crap). It did return back to normal.

Do I trust the set? No. Did I change it? No....why? Still travelling....had to change planes in Montreal.

I had another 2 more no delivery alarm later in the day. Same solution - once I disconnected and reconnected, it delivered no problem.

I did not change my set because my BG values stayed fine and the solution always involved disconnect, reconnect and rebolus.

This morning - all was fine. Woke at a good level of 6.7....no delivery issues at all today. Yesterday was a very strange day. Very strange.....and if I were home, I would have yanked the set right away. I stuck it through - but let me tell you, I had a syringe and vial of insulin in my hand ready to go!

Alone in the diabetes world no more!

I was young when I was diagnosed, and did not know any other people with diabetes. I lived in a small town, and within a few years came across another girl with diabetes. She was a sister of a friend of mine. That was it, one person....who I talked to about twice a year.....she would tell me how she was skipping her insulin to loose weight.

UNTIL I went to diabetes camp when I was 9 years old. What an amazing experience! Every summer until I was 15, and then I worked at the camp until a few years ago. That one week a year was all I was given to experience living with other people with diabetes. We tested together, we went low together, we shared our fears and hopes....and then we all went home.

What an alone world diabetes can be!

The internet did bring support - the blogging world is AMAZING....I read people share experiences that I can relate, and that brings comfort. I can share in the experiences!

But now, for the first time in my life, I have a full time diabetes buddy. I talked about Clay before, but today - I stood back and appreciated the joy of having another person in my life who also has diabetes. Oh don't get me wrong, I am really sorry that Clay was diagnosed with diabetes - I would not wish it on anybody, but I must pull good out of his diagnosis! I have another person in my life who understands, and no words are needed.

The lows....and the tired feeling after correcting...
The rebound highs....sigh....
Eating when not hungry....
Having people watch you test

BEEP BEEP BEEPing.....eating....beeping.....eating....

We have a secret language, and for once in the past 22 years I have a full time diabetes buddy in my life!

WOW!

(late entry....of course, Jen A is the ultimate diabetes buddy...long standing and she is a lifesaver for me!! If only I could get her to sit by me at work too HAHA!!)