I've got a Pump and I'm not afraid to use it!

Hey!

Thanks for dropping in.

I had a BIG day yesterday. I got an Insulin Pump. I have been Diabetic for 18 years and I have been injecting insulin 5 times a day which roughly translates 32,850 Injections. This nifty little machine is hooked up to a small cannula that is placed under the skin and it delivers my insulin in very small doses throughout the day. I can adjust the doses according to my carb intake and activity and all though it is by no means the end of being diabetic or less work, it acts like a healthy pancreas and reduces highs and lows. My overall blood glucose results will level out and I will have more freedom with the food I eat and the exercise I don't do ;)

How do I feel about being hooked up to a machine? Well the pump is no bigger than a mobile phone, and I always have my phone in my hand anyway so that’s no biggy. The cannula under my skin looks and feels like a plaster that you would put on a grazed knee. The only thing that I think might get on my nerves is that the two are tethered together by a small infusion tube that is tiny and very discreet but it's not that long, it's about a foot in length. I know there are longer tubes available so I will get one as soon as. I had a bath with it for the first time so I simply detached the pump from the cannula even though both are totally waterproof. No probs!

I am Bridget the Fidget in bed, so last night was a bit tricky. I didn't sleep that well because I was worried about pulling away from the pump or getting tangled up but I didn't really need to worry, It would take a lot to pull the cannula out and I felt comfortable laying on my front even though the cannula is in my stomach. (The cannula can go anywhere you would inject insulin, like the thigh, arm or booty) You have to change the cannula every 3 days so I will move it around until I find the best place.

I have chosen the Medtronic 640g Insulin Pump. It is new on the market and can be linked to a sensor that continuously test the blood sugar and wirelessly send the data to the pump. My pump came with a Blood Glucose Monitor that wirelessly sends my readings to the pump so I don't have to input the data manually. There are lots of different pumps out there, some of them don't have the tubing and work like a remote control to the cannula which has the insulin reservoir built in. I decided that I needed to have the one with the tubing simply because if the pump wasn't attached I would leave it somewhere or lose it completely. It's important that you chose the right one for you because learning to use it is a bit like learning to use a new computer or phone so once you've got your head around its functions you won't want to change. Most pumps have a care link system where all the data can be uploaded on to a programme on your PC or Tablet and sent to your healthcare team. Now as you know Fabulousness is a priority for me, and that fact that it looks very slick, has a LCD display and changeable skins and comes in different colours also had something to do with my decision to go with it.

This week my pump is giving me saline water instead of Insulin so I can get used to it before actually taking the wheel next with Insulin, but I already feel like I want to get on with it. I have got my head around all the buttons and functions but let's see what this week brings. I will keep you posted on how it goes.

Thanks for reading. I hope you are having a fabulous day.

Tracy