Say 'ELLO to my LIL FRIEND!

I guess a blog is a good place to document the life moments that are impactful. Well, January 10, 2013 will go down as one of Laura's life-changing moments!

On January 10th, I was trained on how to use and implement aspects of my very first insulin pump! I had looked through the online module training sessions and the two or three workbooks prior to my in-person training at Medtronic. I felt like I had a pretty good overall handle and understanding of the pump. The online sessions and also my experience helping campers at camp with their pumps really helped me be prepared for my own, and for that, I am extremely grateful! (And for all of my diabetic friends who have offered their suggestions on the pump they have and likes and dislikes about their pump).

When I arrived at Medtronic, first of all, let me say that the place is pretty awesome-looking - outside and inside and really good about the guest navigation signs (total plus for me as I am always a little nervous navigating new places the first couple of times!)! The building just left me with a good feeling - pretty clean, corporate, and BIG, wow guys, I mean BIG! I waited for my rep to meet me just inside the visitor desk-waiting area. I met up with her, and we proceeded to walk back to one of the large conference rooms. And I am going to geek out here for a minute, but everything in the room was controlled by a panel of switches/buttons! need the curtains lowered, press a button, need the lights dimmer or brighter? Press a button. It was kind of cool to see a place that really embodied electronics and automation.

My trainer went through the book and parts of the pump menus and things, letting me practice on mine and her test pump. She said multiple times that I was so well-prepared for the training that day and that I was picking up the pump stuff really quickly. She just stopped and laughed a couple of times when I nodded that I agreed and understood what she was talking about, and that I had no questions. I wondered if that was bad that I was "going faster through the material than expected," but in the end, I felt like I had a good handle on it and how to operate many of the basic features. She made me feel more at-ease, and not to mention that she was a really great trainer and person to work with.

So, at 2:47pm on January 10, 2013, I set my reservoir for the very first time, and shortly after that, I inserted my first pump site for the very first time (crowds of campers and counselors cheering---CNP crew, you get this...) Well, technically, this was my second time inserting a pump site into myself. I inserted a Mio site just for fun at camp this summer with nurse Anne and Marie while setting up the med center office. Anne asked me if I wanted to try one since I had never done one before, so I said, sure, why not...and there you have it.

So far, I have changed my pump site once on my own completely, and will be changing it again tonight. My numbers have already been much better overall than they were off the pump. That first few days - it was blissful - my numbers were all under 180, which, for me recently has been nearly impossible. One of the only things that has been a little troublesome so far is at about day 2-3 of the pump site, when I have a bolus (the short burst of fast-acting insulin for food or for high blood sugar corrections), my site becomes sore for a minute or two while the bolus is sent into me at the site. After a couple of minutes, the discomfort goes away, and I can hardly feel the site at all, or even sometimes, forget it is there altogether!

With the pump clipped onto my pants, sometimes I feel like a doctor with a pager, or more recently, like I am on a reality tv show being taped (I clipped it to the back of the band of my pants) where they have the battery packs clipped to the back of their waistband for the mics wired under their clothes. Haha.

So, without further ado, I am pleased to introduce my pancreas addendum...my pump!!

One thing that I find lame kind of interesting is the fact that with all of the various options out there for electronics, and phone cases, etc, that there are only FOUR color choices for the pump of this model:
Charcoal, Blue, grey, purple and pink. You'd think that there would be SO many more options! At least one of the main rainbow - red, orange, yellow, green...oh well. If this is only one of my gripes so far, I think I can live with a cosmetic one!

--LD