Baby Got Back (For 24 Hours)

In an effort to give my tummy a break and a little healing time, I tried a “flank” pump site Monday morning.  Yep, my back.  I know people wear insulin pump sites there.  Its an approved spot on those pump site diagrams.  I have attempted this before without success.  Animas (Unimedical) blue 6mm cannula and I was ready to go.  It’s a little strange to rotate around to do the insertion BUT it’s a spring loaded site inserter and I suspect that makes it a hell-of-a-mucho more manageable.

*BAM*.  I was good to go and made sure to wear jeans yesterday that were far lower than the site spot.  I was aware that the site hurt.  It didn’t hurt like a tummy site that gets all crazy stabby immediately upon insertion and you just know you have to yank it out and then you’re either prepared for a geyser or your cursing at yourself because you have blood tie-dying your clothing AND you SHOULD have been prepared.  Nope, the flank was not that kind of pain.  Just irritating.

back site 2

 

Mind over matter?  I was busy all day but it hurt.  A bit stingy.  A bit itchy.  The insulin absorption from the site seemed off, but eventually worked (although slower than usual).  I went out to dinner and sat on a bench type seat (I happened to be on a boat which was lovely) so my back was never pressed against the back of a chair and I avoided that irritation completely.  Getting ready for bed, I kept thinking it felt stingy-itchy, but I needed to stick (pun intended) it out.

I woke up in the wee morning hours when I felt the Dexcom site pull off my thigh.  Seriously? I had IV3000’d the hell out of it right before my Gilligan’s Island dinner tour and the IV tape somehow dislodged from me in bed, got slightly stuck on the sheets and when I rolled to the side, I ripped that Dexcom site right out.  BG was in the 120s, so back to sleep.

Early gym morning.  Replaced Dexcom and slathered the new one with SkinTac.  Good to go.  Pulled on my gym pants and felt something move on my back.  Well those gym pants are tough.  So incredibly tough that they *flicked* the pump site right off me.  Put a new site on my tummy and was off to the gym.  My phantom back site still hurt.  Ouch.

back site re

So what’s the deal?  Am I really the only one who can’t get these flank sites to work?  The pant flicking was unfortunate BUT that site was still hurting and I don’t think I would have made it the full day with that stabby site.  Thank you gym pants.  Well done.  All sarcasm aside (there is no such thing, so some sarcasm aside), does anyone have a flank site recommendation?  I had previously tried the 9mm and thought the 6mm would be the solution.  Nope.  Does this need to be a two man operation and I just need to get further back on my back?  Should I be going to yoga to get better contortionist moves?  Do I just have it in the wrong spot?  Anyone?

Dracula

I snapped this pic yesterday while on the fly. I switched sites in the morning while packing-up some boxes and had about 30 seconds to myself. I left the old site in… Just in case.  Hours later the old site started to bug me (also note, my skinny jeans were feeling snug, I was moving around a lot and the old site was simply annoyed). I pulled it out and immediately saw the blood. Oops. And after putting a tissue in the waist of my pants, checked the cannula.

Eek!

Hello there vampire!

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I snapped a pic. I thought the pic looked kinda of cool (interesting angle, decent light).

Vampires really do exist!

 

Advocacy With A Rhyme

A few weeks ago I was asked to do a Q&A with 2nd year medical students at (it rhymes with) Mt. My-Oh-My (medical hospital and school). Yesterday was the day.  I was given very little information other than this was part of the teaching program and my doctor needed info about my T1D diagnosis (June 19, 1979).  I was also told to be prepared that the students may ask some “weird” questions.  Weird you say?  Hell to the yes, count me in!

I ended up being 10 minutes late  to the meeting spot with my doctor.  I full-on ran from the subway to the hospital (I despise being late).  Taking the subway during the conclusion of the St. Patrick’s Day parade was a lesson in madness.  Out of breath, my doctor also a bit frazzled, I was led into the auditorium.  My guess is there were about 300 students. There was another doctor presenting an older woman (dare I say elderly?).  I had missed much of her presentation but as I made it to my seat, I caught that she is a fellow T1D and her doctor was giving different facts about her and asking the students what tests should or should have been performed under specific circumstances.  After sprinting to the hospital and my heart pounding in my ears, I found it a bit jarring that Cutie Oldie T1D was asked to go into detail about when she had a UTI while on vacation a few years ago.  Holy Shirt, things got graphic FAST.  Cutie Oldie T1D spoke about getting a stent in her kidney for 3 weeks and how much it hurt to pee…. (get ready to gag or skip the next few words)… and she was peeing…puss.  BLECH.  Why did I agree to this AND what the hell was MY doctor about to say about ME?!?!?  I frantically searched my brain for gross medical stuff I might have to talk about… oh this was NOT good.

My turn.  I sat in a desk chair in front of the 300 students.  My doctor struggled to find her PowerPoint presentation.  I hooked up the mic to my sweater dress.  No turning back now.  A sea of students.  I was the last part of the presentation.  Lots of yawning faces staring at me.

I looked back at the screen.  There was the paragraph I’d written about my diagnosis.  My symptoms, local hospital where I went for blood test, my pediatrician telling my parents to take me to “the best” and sending me to Hahnemann hospital in Philadelphia.  My doctor got into some specifics about the diagnosis that were not part of my story but relatively universal in many diagnosis stories.  Then, “Does anyone have any questions?”.  Ummmm that’s it?  2 questions about my diagnosis.  Yeah, I was 6.  I explained I’m about to turn 41 and I am too old to remember all the specifics but I was able to tell them some of my memories and then I was off and running.

I’m a talker.  I had the floor (well chair).  I started answering stuff no one was asking.  My doctor threw in some questions and explained things like Regular insulin and NPH.  Before I took my seat, I had heard the doctor who was running this program tell my doctor to take her time presenting because we were ahead of schedule.  Too bad you let me hear that lady, because I will fill up this whole time slot…. and boy did I.

My doctor showed an image of some of the insulin pumps on the market.  I pointed out the one I have and then it happened.  My doctor asked if I would be comfortable showing the students my insulin pump.  Ummmm. I said how I probably should have worn something different.  My doctor then noticed why I said that.  I was in black boots, black tights and a grey/green sweater dress.  Pump squished to my thigh IN my tights.  She said something about how she should have mentioned that to me earlier and I thought,  “To hell with this”.  I stood-up, turned to the side and saw a woman shaking her head “No”.   Too late.  As the words came out of my mouth I just couldn’t stop them…

“You guys ready for this presentation to get REAL racy?” and there I was with my sweater dress hiked up on my left hip while I traced the outline of my Dexcom on my thigh and my pump right next it.  I showed how I could move my pump around because my tights were holding it in place but that the Dexcom was fixed in place.  I talked and talked, looking damn flashy but knowing, this was a true chance to educate and I had EVERYONE’s attention.

I told them about how much I’d agonized for 3 years about getting a pump.  How, like so many other T1D’s, I wish I’d done it a lot sooner but that my advice to them, if they ended up in endocrinology, was not to force a pump on anyone.  Plant the seed, water it, show it some sun and then see what happens.  I needed to want a pump on my own.  I had to deal with my own issues of being attached to something, and my own issues of self consciousness, and meeting other people using technologies (especially Dexcom).  On and on I went.  I told them about how important it is for me, the patient, to work with my doctors like a team.

My doctor told them about the benefits of insulin pumps and different types of boluses. How a square wave bolus works and and I explained to them my enemy… pizza.

And then the questions… Someone asked about the psychological impact of wearing a pump.  Alleluia!  So I explained how I’ve had a pump for 14 years and how amazed and hopeful I am when I deal with kids, many times they are not diabetic and how they will tell me there is a kid on their (insert sport) team who has a pump too.  He/she is diabetic.  That’s it.  They NEVER, EVER see it as a big deal.  That it’s the parents of that kid who are more likely to see it as a big deal…. so-and-so’s kid is diabetic and HAS TO BE ON A PUMP.  I told them my belief that these generations beneath me, live in a different, much more open minded world and they (the doctors) can help foster that.

I told them how it is hard dating and being in relationships.  I can control how I present information and why I have an insulin pump but I have zero control over someone’s reaction to it and that can be hurtful no matter what age you are.  How I have no control over the internet and when you Google diabetes it isn’t a pretty picture.  How I look like the picture of health most of the time.  I am in the best shape of my life right now, but people think my being diabetic could/will mean I will go blind, have all my limbs amputated and will die when my body can no longer handle dialysis.

More questions and more screens of the Dexcom.  I explained how the Dexcom is a Godsend for me.  That I live with a dog who is useless in giving me glucagon or getting me carbs.  That I don’t always feel myself go low in my sleep and sometimes I manage to sleep through the Dexcom and how I feel “lucky” when ‘i see the graph the next day.  I poured it all out and how freaking scary being alone and treating a low can be.  My doctor explained the Dexcom arrows and I gave them my real world reactions to those arrows and how they are my very personal warning system.

I told them how I hate admitting it, but that I worry every single day about what this disease is doing to my body.  I workout like crazy because it makes me feel good, it reduces stress, and it is keeping my heart and circulation going BUT it is a battle to keep glucose levels in my target range with exercise.  I told them how frustrating this can be and how quickly the workout “high” fades when battling a dropping or rising blood glucose level.  I explained that there is a ton of trial, error, doctorly pointers and glucose tabs that dissolve in the wash in my gym pant pockets.

I ran out of time.  There was applause.  My voice felt scratchy.   Student thanked me as I walked from the stage.  Before I left I thanked them for listening and to please become GOOD doctors.  I was smirking.  I couldn’t hide it.  I took that presentation in a different direction and I flooded them with stories and information.  I shared my passion.

My doctor walked me out and informed me that 3 people in the class are T1Ds and another 2 students have siblings who are T1Ds.  She thanked me for getting a discussion started.  I’m not sure about the discussion part (it was the end of the day on St Patrick’s Day) but I did feel like I did my thing.

Advocacy.  Go.

Weekend Update – Cloning Plans

Friday.

No time for blogging this week.  Not enough sleep… ever.  Must. NOT. GET. RUN. Down.

1.  JDRF NYC WALK- Still trying to get ready (there’s really no such thing as ready right?) and delivering as many shirts to people as possible the past few days (riding Citi Bikes like the Wicked Witch of the West also refering to myself as Mr. McFeely and making “speedy deliveries”).  I have no idea how I am going to get so much stuff (props, shirts, all my normal D stuff, baton, pom-pons) to the Walk site.  Must do laundry in next 48 hours.  Also must try cloning myself between loads of laundry.  Looking to make multiple clones.  Will definitely kill one clone for new pancreas.  If my current pancreas worked for 6 years-ish, I am excited for my new, cloned, works-for-6-years, pancreas.  Going to send other clones off to do projects.  I will definitely have my real self go to the Walk,  and will leave the clones at home to walk the dog and clean.  I hope they clean better than I do.  Hey future clones, the bar is NOT high at ALL (the home is a mess though).

IMG_42742. Due to demand (I know, that truly sounds ludicrous), we are offering a SECOND printing of our JDRF WALK Team shirts.  Lots of styles:  men’s, women’s, kiddie-poos.  I LOVE these shirts but, I am biased.  Proceeds go to JDRF.  Cool shirt goes to YOU!  <- Click there.  Get a shirt!

Our shirt sale ENDS Tuesday 10/1 (I can’t believe it’s almost October).

 

3.  A friend is making me a Dexcom case.  Yes, he has a rapid prototyping machine.  He is most likely going to kill me for posting this pic (but maybe he’ll be fooled by a clone and the one he kills can be the one I get the pancreas from?).  Hopefully he won’t see this before the Walk Sunday.  He was on my very first Walk Team in 2001.  As for the case, he has been prototyping samples with dimensions he found online (not using my actual Dexcom receiver).  Yes, this is kind of totally awesome.

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What I love about this photo… we are in a restaurant.  My friend has my Dexcom in a case that doesn’t quite fit.  There are calipers on the table.  We appear to be doing important stuff.  He is holding a glass of wine.  This is what we call a very productive design meeting.

4.  If you live on the East Coast and don’t already know this, WaWa makes the best coffee.  Also my favorite, and best tasting milk.  WaWa supports JDRF.  WaWa’s coffee just got THAT much better.  I wasn’t always a New Yorker people.  Support businesses that support JDRF.

Special thanks to my baby bro for taking the time to get me these pics.  Let's go Eagles.

Special thanks to my baby bro for taking the time to get me these pics. Let’s go Eagles.

5.  I hope this laundry/cloning thing works out.  I change what I said before.  I would bring 2 clones to The Walk but dye their hair so everyone wouldn’t be confused.  I really need them to help me get all this stuff to Foley Square and pay for the cab.  One clone could carry my silver backpack (how else will people see the back of my shirt?) and the other one could help lug stuff around all day and get me a snack and maybe some coffee.  I’d put a clone in charge of our Walk Team table.  I’d go chat with the Animas rep about the VIBE.  I’d go visit my buddies over at Team Hoffmanderson and also a new friend at Team Pigs Are Precious. I’d put that clone to work (I “may” be taking this too far.  Lack ‘O Sleep).

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Updates, Cussing and Such

Busy, busy, busy so a quick update (also I have another post after this one):

  • I never finished the post about my eye doctor appointment.  So here’s the short summary.  I am fine.  I took lots of pics at the office.  I was there for HOURS.  Is anyone losing sleep at night because I never wrote the down and deep about my eye doctor appoint?  No?  Okay, let’s move on and I’ll get info together for another time.
  • I read this earlier today:  “To strengthen the muscles of your heart, the best exercise is lifting someone else’s spirit whenever you can.” – Dodinsky.  Do Good, Feel Good.

    Brooklyn heart

    Found on Sunday in Brooklyn Heights

  • My ongoing issues with my pump sites going bad immediately after inserting and blood bath moments in my bathroom have remained but I have had 2 good sites in a row so that’s encouraging.  The discouraging part is my insurance won’t budge on my allotment of sites.  I went through 6 in a weekend.  I will be completely screwed towards the end of this 3 month prescription and forced to either leave in sites too long or switch back to shots.  No way Jose.  I’m an Inset kinda girl.  I like awesome packaging the doubles as the inserter.  I like pink and blue sites (I’m totally anti green though.  TOTALLY).  Today I was able to try out the Inset 30.  Things have changed since I used the equivalent version (Silhouettes) back in my MiniMed pumping days.  Although the needle still looks obnoxiously rude (like it’s going to spew curse words I’ve never even heard at me), there is now an inserter.  Yeah, I was nervous putting it in but not that pale, sweaty way that used to happen as my hands shook back in my manual insertion days.  It’s funny though that just looking at this new (well new to me) site took me right back to my first NYC apartment and pep talking myself as my hands shook trying to get those damn sites in.  So, I am currently wearing my old blue Inset (I can’t risk another blood bath at work.  Mint green pants and a white lace shirt SO does NOT go with my ruby red blood).  I also have my Dexcom on my tummy.  I am one hot stuff robot lady today.  Woo Wee. (I can’t show the Dexcom because  I’m keeping SurfaceFine PG… well for today). 

    2 sites.  1 tummy.

    2 sites. 1 tummy.

  • I have finally finished my JDRF Walk letter.  I wrote an earlier version that I tried out on a few people last week.  It had one of 2 reactions.  It either made people cry, like really cry and hug me or TOTAL radio silence.  Like no email, text, IM silence.  Oh well.  My new letter is a bit long but it touches on what I think is important.  Once I clean it up a bit, I’ll post it here. 
  • I need to stop cussing so much.  I’m not sure if this is diabetes related or not.  F*ck Diabetes?  Yeah, totally diabetes related.  Oh and PG is over now.

Snorkeling Pump – Where The Pump Are You?

Pump snorkelA few items about this photo:

  1. I actually remembered not to smile (breaks the seal on the face mask and it fills with water otherwise.  My eyes and nose were drowning in a few of the pics).
  2. My pump and I did well snorkeling although I was quite cold (wetsuit shirt was nice, wetsuit pants would have been nice as well).
  3. I travel with a back-up pump (which was back at the hotel).
  4. I had 2 syringes and a vial of insulin with me on the boat.
  5. I had lots of reasons for choosing my pump.  One of the main ones is so I can do stuff like this.  I don’t like leaving my pump behind, in this case, with strangers on a boat.  My pump is a thrill seeker.  He insisted on snorkeling.  Who was I to say no?
  6. Snorkeling (well swimming) drops my bg like nobody’s business (OK it’s none of your business but I stayed in the 130-80 range the whole time).  Temporary basal rates are effing awesome.
  7. Under bolusing (majorly) for lunch was unnecessary.  Lesson learned when I returned from second round of snorkeling.
  8. Having snorkeling dreams for days (well nights) after snorkeling is most excellent.
  9. My Dexcom did well in the Pacific ocean as well and picked up my bg as I approached the boat.  Not bad G4, not bad at all.
  10. I believe in tons of Ziplock baggies.
  11. Diabetes may slow me down a bit every once in a while.  It does NOT stop me.
  12. I may not be Aquaman but I may respond to Aqua-Robot-Lady.

Birthday Vacation

This past week I was on vacation to escape my birthday (which I spent most of, yesterday, on an airplane). Below are my vacation contributions to #wherethepumpareyou which is a Twitter thing where you photograph your insulin pump in a location. Both my insulin pump and I had a great and active vacation.

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