Do they know??? and a Pumping update
Sunday, while in church, my bs went low, so I quietly chewed 3 glucose tabs and *tried* to wait patiently for the shaking feeling to go away.
It didn't.
I felt worse.
Out of glucose tabs (of course), I tapped my dad, seated at the end of the pew, and quietly asked him if he could go to the secretary's desk and get me a few pieces of candy. He returned in a few minutes (it seemed like it took forever!!!) with a pocketful of candy and hurridly handed me as many as I could hold. If I hadn't felt so shitty I would have laughed, but I was on the verge of being scared by the low, so I just quickly began shoving lifesavers in my mouth.
About 24 carbs later, I finally started to feel a little better. The service ended and I headed outside with my family. My brother drove my car home ( luckily we rode together) and asked me repeatedly "You're sure you're okay??" with a worried look on his face. I caught him sneaking peeks at me out of the corner of his eye the whole way home while I tried to make small talk and act like nothing had happened, just another low, nothing big, but it wasn't just another low, it was a scary-oh-shit-now-I've-done-it low. Perhaps it was a good wake up call not only to me, but also to my family. For me, it reminded me why it's so important to keep a LARGE stash of glucose with me at ALL times!!! For my family, well, I can't speak for them, but I think it reminded them that I'm diabetic. I think they forget sometimes because I keep a lot of my management to myself and, also, I"m not around much between school and spending time wtih my fiance!! I explained to them that I was fine, but that sometimes it takes longer to feel fine after a low than other times. Hard to express in words, though, what it felt like to have eaten 3 glucose tabs and to feel worse afterwards...! Ugh...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In other news....
I'M PUMPING!!!
Yesterday at 8:30 my pump trainer arrived at my house, and by 10:30 I was all set! My trainer has been diabetic for 33+ years and she also wears a MiniMed (512 or maybe a 522) so she could give me tips and tricks for dealing with different pump issues. When she left, I didn't feel as petrified as I thought I might. I actually felt excited and -hopefully not foolishly- confident. I know it's going to take a while to get the numbers tweaked and to learn how to make better changes according to my trends, but I'm defintiely cautiously optimistic. :) Actually, 2/3 of me is wholeheartedly optimistic, but it's the 1/3 of me that's pulling me down to being cautiously optimistic....
My numbers have been decent so far, but since I'm about 4 units less of basal than I'm used to, I may have some hairy numbers for a while until I get things tweaked. It feels really weird not to give shots!!! It almost seems too easy after giving shots for 4 years. However, I'm sure pretty soon it'll feel weird to give shots (when the need arises) after being on a pump too.
I'll try to post updates throughout the week as I adjust to being a PUMPER!!! And to think, this process only took 4 short months!!! (Note: sarcasm;) ) All I can say is "It's about damn time!!!"!!!!!
It didn't.
I felt worse.
Out of glucose tabs (of course), I tapped my dad, seated at the end of the pew, and quietly asked him if he could go to the secretary's desk and get me a few pieces of candy. He returned in a few minutes (it seemed like it took forever!!!) with a pocketful of candy and hurridly handed me as many as I could hold. If I hadn't felt so shitty I would have laughed, but I was on the verge of being scared by the low, so I just quickly began shoving lifesavers in my mouth.
About 24 carbs later, I finally started to feel a little better. The service ended and I headed outside with my family. My brother drove my car home ( luckily we rode together) and asked me repeatedly "You're sure you're okay??" with a worried look on his face. I caught him sneaking peeks at me out of the corner of his eye the whole way home while I tried to make small talk and act like nothing had happened, just another low, nothing big, but it wasn't just another low, it was a scary-oh-shit-now-I've-done-it low. Perhaps it was a good wake up call not only to me, but also to my family. For me, it reminded me why it's so important to keep a LARGE stash of glucose with me at ALL times!!! For my family, well, I can't speak for them, but I think it reminded them that I'm diabetic. I think they forget sometimes because I keep a lot of my management to myself and, also, I"m not around much between school and spending time wtih my fiance!! I explained to them that I was fine, but that sometimes it takes longer to feel fine after a low than other times. Hard to express in words, though, what it felt like to have eaten 3 glucose tabs and to feel worse afterwards...! Ugh...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In other news....
I'M PUMPING!!!
Yesterday at 8:30 my pump trainer arrived at my house, and by 10:30 I was all set! My trainer has been diabetic for 33+ years and she also wears a MiniMed (512 or maybe a 522) so she could give me tips and tricks for dealing with different pump issues. When she left, I didn't feel as petrified as I thought I might. I actually felt excited and -hopefully not foolishly- confident. I know it's going to take a while to get the numbers tweaked and to learn how to make better changes according to my trends, but I'm defintiely cautiously optimistic. :) Actually, 2/3 of me is wholeheartedly optimistic, but it's the 1/3 of me that's pulling me down to being cautiously optimistic....
My numbers have been decent so far, but since I'm about 4 units less of basal than I'm used to, I may have some hairy numbers for a while until I get things tweaked. It feels really weird not to give shots!!! It almost seems too easy after giving shots for 4 years. However, I'm sure pretty soon it'll feel weird to give shots (when the need arises) after being on a pump too.
I'll try to post updates throughout the week as I adjust to being a PUMPER!!! And to think, this process only took 4 short months!!! (Note: sarcasm;) ) All I can say is "It's about damn time!!!"!!!!!
posted by LaLa at 9:02 AM
7 Comments:
Congratulations!!! How exciting!!
Starting on the pump can be a lot of work, and sometimes a lot of frustration. It doesn't all just magically start working. Be patient as you adjust things. It will pay off.
On the low thing - I really hate how long it sometimes takes to start feeling better. It can be very scary.
If you have any questions on pumping, just post them on your blog - we'll all come rushing to your rescue!
I just wanted to tell you how awesome this blog is.
I'm a 29 year old guy who's been diagnosed with Type 1 for about 4 years now and have *really* just started doing my homework. I've been skimming through a lot of the Type 1 blogs and sites, but yours is the first I actually took the time to read ever post. Kick ass blog!! Please keep up the good work and keep us updated on everything from your new pump to you "turning into an adult" with Type 1 diabetes. It sure does suck doesn't it? :p
Scott,
Thanks for the support! I'm definitely going to need reminders to be patient.... It's definitely a downfall of mine!
I'll definitely be posting questions :) Never fear, dear readers, never fear...!
Klip - you are my new best friend :) Thank you for your compliments on my blog. So, you're at the 4 year mark too? Are you on shots or on a pump?
Yes - it does suck, Klip :)
Oops, meant to say "I've read EVERY post..." of yours. Slight typo :p
I'm still doing the shots. It's not a huge pain for me since I work from home most of the week. But I visited Minimed's website after learning of your new pump and they have some damn cool toys!
And to add to what Scott said above - having those kind of lows is very freakin scary. I have many more highs than I have lows, but when I'm at 80 or below - I definitely freak out. Nice work in having a pocket full of glucose tabs with you. I should pick up some of those myself.
Anywho, thanks again for the great updates. Keep 'em coming!
Welcome to the pump club!
I've been on mine for almost 6 years now, and I couldn't imagine going back to multiple injections. The few times that I have had to (my minimed 508 busted on me twice) really were a bummer.
One piece of advice: do ALL the hard work of getting your basal rates and carb ratios figured out. I bailed on this because the fasting was such a pain and have basically just been using the pump for 5 years with out really enjoying all the freedom and precision that should come with it. Basically, I had similar control on the pump as I did on MDI (the pump was basically just a delivery mechanism, but it can really provide much, much more).
And regarding the scary low, I hear ya loud and clear. We've all had them. Sometimes I think the realization of the low pushes the anxiety response up a notch and makes me feel worse before I feel better. It's somewhat common, but when it happens now, I either cut my temporary basal rates or even pause my pump until I'm feeling more secure. You'll be able to use this trick now, too! Just remember to set things back to normal once your up in a safe range!
Best of luck!
Congrats and best of luck to you. Just remember to hang in there. The waters will get rough, but if you just wait it out, it's all worth it.
I am so happy for you. I cannot wait to join you in Pump land! I was shocked at how quickly i got approval from my insurance, i am sorry it took so ling but good things come to those who wait! I will be watching your blog like a hawk since i am right behind you!
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