No Charge

I am currently on vacation.  As any D knows, there’s a lot of planning that goes into packing D supplies… getting prescriptions filled, double checking all your gear, bringing back-ups to your back-ups.

Things have changed in my diabetes world in the past 2 years.  Well lots of things have changed but the one that explains this post is that I have rechargeable devices.  These devices combined with all the other rechargeable, non-diabetes devices that may eventually lead to my mental demise.

1 charger didn't come on vacation.

1 charger didn’t come on vacation.

My current cast of mental demise making characters involve the following items: Macbook (1 charger), Kindle (1 charger that charges from Macbook), IPhone 5 (1 charger that charges from Macbook), Mophie case (to give Iphone extra charge so I don’t run out of power) (1 charger), Dexcom (looks EXACTLY like charger for Mophie case but they don’t work interchangeably) (1 charger), Verio IQ (charger looks like the old, old blackberry charger, 1 charger).

So yes, I should have 6 chargers with me on this trip.  I have 5.  I am missing the Verio IQ charger.  I am with most of my family.  I have ransacked their bags.  There are a ton of chargers.  3 different types of cellphone chargers, 4 different laptop chargers, one iPod charger, an iPad charger, and a Kindle charger.  There is NOT one charger out of all these items that will fit my Verio IQ.  THIS is a problem.

I was in Manhattan when hurricane Sandy struck.  I had plenty of time to prepare.  I had my to-go bags.  My dog had a to-go bag.  I reinforced my windows.  I had a flashlight.  I saved water.  I watched the news and worried UNTIL my power went out.  I kept texting my sister (a newbie Manhattanite).  I wanted her to stay safely inside and be prepared.  Power gradually diminished on my phone.  By “gradually”, I mean really quickly.  I did all the things you do to conserve power on your phone… turned off apps, reduced the brightness, turned off wifi.  The next morning my phone had barely any power.  My home had NO power. I could not reach my sister.  I packed-up and headed north.  I found power at Avis on 43rd street. They let me charge my phone.  My sister was ok and not evacuated (her whole neighborhood lacked power too).

I didn’t get power back for over a week.  When I say I didn’t get power back, I mean my home, office and gym, all the places I would have gone to charge stuff.  I stuck it out 3 days in my home but the lack of running water and the creepiness of my neighborhood eventually got the best of me.  The dog and I sofa surfed for 4 days.  I was constantly turning off my phone because I was concerned, when I was below Manhattan’s power line, I needed to save it for an emergency.  Although batteries were at a premium, I watched people with powerstrip cords charging all their gear at ATM terminals.  I pretty much decided that week that this rechargeable stuff may be “better’ for the environment BUT it is super stressful to me.

Chase Bank ATM - Manhattan above 42nd street

Chase Bank ATM – Manhattan above 42nd street

I saw someone with a T-Slim pump last week in my endo’s office.  I saw the pump for maybe 2 seconds.  Seeing the T-Slim being used in real life was cool.  Diabetes technology is cool.  A rechargeable pump would give me a friggin’ heart attack.  Seriously my stomach just did that knotty, No-No thing just thinking about it.

I gotta stop writing this post now.  I’m on vacation and have to figure out how I’m going to charge my glucose meter.  Give me a damn battery please.

 

 

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.

20130320-162226.jpg

20130320-162337.jpg