Going on pump is like going back to school

OK - been on the pump now for about 1.5 weeks. Been OK. A huge learning curve here after 25 years of taking insulin shots. It feels a bit like I am going back to school. So much to learn. So much to unlearn.

Anyway. I am getting to know a few people on pumps too and they are an invaluable resource. What I find most amazing so far is how my kids, 4.5 and 2.5 years old, take this completely in stride. My 4.5 year old daughter now asks which pocket I am carrying the pump in so she can sit on the other leg. And she has asked if it is nice to not be taking shots anymore. Completely casual. Completely normal.

So far - my biggest challenges have been figuring out how to carry the pump and inserting the infusion sets. Getting the hang of the infusion sets (I am using a Medtronic pump currently with the Silhouette infusion system). Still no clue about how to carry the pump in diverse situations, like riding my bike in the rain ... but I guess I will learn.

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Day 2 on the pump

Well, Day 2 on the pump was better than Day 1. The night went well -- was a little weird to have a thing attached to me all night but not so bad - slept in some nice big Livestrong sweatpants with big pockets where I put the pump.

Earl AM went fine - had some issues with the pump in mid day - not sure what exactly was going on but still fine tuning the dosing and all the parameters with trying to make the pump mimic a pancreas.

Anyway - enough about me. Most important thing to post today is that tomorrow is World Diabetes Day. Lots of events and activities and other things going on in the real and cyber world.

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Day 1 - Pumping Again

I was torn about whether to blog about this whole thing or not, but inspired by Lance Armstrong's openness about this cancer treatments, I have decided that it might be useful to some people --- so here goes....

Well, after a HORRENDOUS experience with the Insulin Pump last summer, I am trying it again. Last summer, I spent 2.5 weeks on the pump. Week 1 was freaky - getting used to the whole concept after 25 years on insulin. Week 2 was pretty nice - getting used to the whole thing. Week 3 was the worst - got a very bad infection at the pump insertion site. After a few days went off the pump and then spent 1.5 months dealing with something akin to MRSA. Never got the organism typed (which was really really dumb in retrospect) but when the third antibiotic I went on started to work it seemed like MRSA.

Anyway - more on the disaster later.

Today is for new beginnings. Starting on the Insulin Pump again. Got trained by the Medtronic specialist, which went much better this time than last time. And was up and running in ~ 2 hours. And then I went off with the pump connected, a cyborg again for the first time in over a year.

I went to work for a bit for my lab meeting (a student was presenting and I already delayed her presentation last week so could not ditch her again this week). And after talking to people a bit after lab meeting, I went home.

This time around, with a year to think about things, I feel much better being on the pump Of course I could still get an infection but hopefully that will not happen and things will go better this time.

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