Comments (2)

By shannon, August 27, 2010 9:18 am

I’m still reeling from yesterday. 

My appointment with Dr. S. started well enough.  Traffic into downtown Baltimore was brutal, but I gave myself plenty of time.  The drive from my office (just on the edge of the city) to the hospital where Dr. S. maintains an office is well, interesting.  It takes me through some of Baltimore’s toughest neighborhoods, which can be a little intimidating. 

Baltimore is a rough city.  Riddled with drugs, crime, corruption, and poverty, the inner city has become something of a battle ground.  Rarely does a day pass when there hasn’t been a murder, nevermind the two or three that seem to be the “norm.”  And it’s getting worse.

As I drove through the streets of Baltimore, at 1pm, I was struck by the number of people just . . . hanging out.  These people were not at work in the middle of the day; they were just sitting on their stoops shooting the breeze.  Doesn’t anyone work?  Seriously, there were hundreds of people just hanging around.  I saw at least two drug deals go down (where are the cops?!?)  Anyway, I am digressing a bit from my original purpose for this post (must focus my short attention span better). 

So, after the enlightening drive in, I arrived 20 minutes early for my appointment.  The first thing that I noticed was the very busy waiting room.  Normally, when I go to Dr. S.’s office, it’s pretty empty.  Yesterday, there were at least six people waiting.  I signed in, paid my co-pay, and took a seat. 

A few minutes later, the medical assistant person (one I’d never seen before) called my name (actually, she called Ms. Burnadette – why is it so difficult to pronounce a name that is so freaking easy?). 

She weighed me (SCARY!!!), took my BP (slightly elevated, but not surprising given the aforementioned drive in), pulse (also slightly elevated), and BG (120 mg/dl).  Then, and this is why I’m still reeling, she began to enter my info into the computer.  At one point, she was clearly frustrated. 

She said, “This is so messed up.  It has two different diagnoses for you.  One is Type 1, and the other is Type 1 Adult Onset.” 

Hoping to help her out, I told her that I am a Type 1 who was diagnosed in my twenties.  She then asked if I take “pills” for my diabetes.  I told her that no, as a Type 1, I need insulin to control my blood sugar. 

She said (and this is where I nearly lost it), “I don’t even know the difference between Type 1 and Type 2!”

WHAT?!? She works in an endocrinologist’s office and she doesn’t know the basics of diabetes!

I calmly attempted to explain the difference, but once she heard “beta cells in the pancreas,” her eyes glazed over and she stopped listening (must find less technical ways of describing diabetes).  I gave up and returned to the waiting area. 

Here’s something I really like about Dr. S.: *he* comes to the waiting room and escorts patients to his office.  Most doctors have their office set up so that you (the patient) are escorted to an exam room by a medical assistant.  Then, you sit in that room until the doctor comes in.  Dr. S. does the talky part of the appointment first, then the exam after that.  It’s really nice.

Here’s the other thing I really like about him: he actually apologizes to patients when he keeps them waiting.  My appointment was at 2:00, but I didn’t see him until 2:40.  Most doctors would just act as though their time is far more valuable than yours. Dr. S. doesn’t do that, and I respect him more for it.

He escorted me back to his office, and we talked about what’s been going on.  Telling him about Lisa was especially hard, but I managed to do it without sobbing, so score one for me!  We also talked about the failed IUIs and other infertility stuff. 

Then, I started babbling about my weight and how unhappy I am.  I told him about my new low-carb resolve (today is day three and I haven’t cheated once!) and asked for his thoughts on Metformin.  His answer surprised me.  He didn’t feel that the potential benefits (Met is weight neutral, meaning that it doesn’t cause weight gain OR weight loss) were worth the potential risks.  When I said that I needed something to help get a handle on my weight, he said that because I’m TTC, I have very limited options.  His exact words were:  “yeah, it sucks.”

I can go back on Symlin during the times when there’s no chance of pregnancy: like now, thank you ovarian cysts, or the time from when I get my period until IUI day.  But it’s not really worth it if I can’t ever adjust to the drug long enough to avoid the horrible nausea.  Besides, I’m not eating enough carbs to take Symlin.

When I left his office, we had made no changes to my treatment plan.  I felt somewhat defeated, but I recognize that there is no magic pill for weight loss.  I’ve got to stick to my new way of eating and get some exercise.  It can work; I just have to stay focused.

So, that’s the (not-so) skinny on my appointment with Dr. S.  I see him again in three months (I can’t believe November is three months away!), and I’m hopeful that I’ll have lost a decent amount of weight by then. 

Or that I’m pregnant – that would rock, too.

Comments (6)

By shannon, August 26, 2010 9:00 am

It started almost immediately.  Buyer’s remorse or something worse? 

Way back when I was jumping off of the Medtronic sinking ship, I had to choose a new life raft.  Did I go with the OmniPod or the Animas Ping?  We all know which raft I chose: the OmniPod.

For a while, it was great.  It was so nice not to have to worry about tubing and “where to put the pump.” Although a bit large and bulky, the Pods seemed to do so well on the back of my arms.  I had good absorption and they didn’t get in my way too much.  It was such a great solution, I wrote a poem about it (which led to the Dexcom poem - whiney bitch!).

Then it happened.  I started running out of real estate.  I evicted the Dexcom sensors from my arms, and they took up residence on my ass.  But, when I started to have absorption issues on my arms, I had to find a new home for the Pods. 

My abdomen was out (thank you MM CGM sensors), and my butt was taken ( honestly, it is big enough for both – I just couldn’t get the Pod not to interfere with clothing and sitting, etc.).  I decided to try my legs. 

Normally, I’ll put a tubed infusion set right at the top of my thigh, but I couldn’t do that with the Pod.  First, I still have these annoyingly large seromas on each leg, from the top to the mid-thigh area. So, I had to find a spot even lower on my leg.  I settled on the lower thigh area, which seemed pretty good.  I wear lots of skirts, dresses, and wide-leg pants, so you couldn’t see the Pod at all. 

Sadly, I am a klutz.  Seriously, if there’s a wall, table, edge, corner, or other protruding object, I’m going to hit it when I walk by.  I began losing Pods left and right.  That’s when the doubts came full force.

At the same time, I read Sarah’s post at Sugabetic about how she’d ditched the Pod in favor of the Ping.  She wrote about the Animas Access Program, whereby you can trade in your current pump, pay $200, and get a reconditioned Ping. 

The seed of doubt grew.  That same week, I went through four Pods in three days.  Three were knocked off, and one occluded.  And that’s all it took.

I called Animas, set it up, and got my pink Ping.  It’s been almost a week, and I really feel like I made the right decision.  Sure, it’s somewhat annoying to be tethered again, but the Ping makes a lot of the things I disliked about tubed pumping irrelevant.  For example, I always hated having to find a home for the pump (usually in my bra) and then, have to go diving for it when I needed to bolus.  This always made for an awkward moment amongst new company.  Problem solved with the Ping’s meter/remote.

I also didn’t like the fact that I couldn’t swim without taking off my pump.  Even with the OmniPod, this was a concern.  The Ping is totally waterproof, which means I can even shower with it if I want to (not that I want to).

I’m slowly getting used to the tubing again.  Since I don’t sleep with the pump attached to my PJs, I have to remind myself during those middle-of-the-night bathroom breaks to grab it before it hits the floor.  And I have to double check my clothing in the mirror to make sure I don’t have tubing hanging out anywhere.  But to me, these are small prices to pay for the extra real estate – I have so many more options with the small infusion set – and, frankly, cheaper co-pays. 

Overall, I’m very happy with this decision.  I feel a little bad about packing my PDM up and sending it away, but not *that* bad.  We all have to do what’s best for us, and right now, I think the Ping is it.

Now, if they would just get that Dexcom integration thing DONE!

Comments (10)

By shannon, June 15, 2010 9:48 am

I love my endo.  I know I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating. 

Let me back up.  Yesterday, I had my usual quarterly appointment with Dr. S.  I was feeling fairly pessimistic about the results of my labs, and I was afraid he’d not be on board with the whole fertility thing (more on that later).

So, when the first words out of his mouth were “your labs look great,” I was relieved.  And, frankly, shocked.  After my last A1c disaster, I was expecting a decline, but certainly not as much as it really was. 

“Your A1c is 6.7%.” 

<side note> On the same day that I had my A1c done, I used one of those Bayer At-Home A1c kits.  The result from the Bayer test was 7.2%, which tells me that these at-home tests are not as accurate as we need them to be. </side note>

“Your kidney function is great, and your cholesterol is only slightly elevated.”  This is significant because I’ve been off of Lipitor for a few months.  “Overall, everything looks great.” 

Next, we reviewed my Dexcom reports (I always bring my netbook with me so that he can choose which reports he wants to see).  Other than some possible basal tweaking at bedtime, we agreed that my insulin usage is pretty good.  But, then we talked about my propensity for SWAGing.  He reiterated that I need to count carbs more accurately, which I’ve known for, well, ever.  “It’s just a discipline thing,” I told him.  Just like logging, measuring food and counting carbs accurately is a chore, but one that must be done.

He asked me if I thought I should see the CDE to get some carb counting lessons, and while I think I might need it, I told him that I wanted to wait until the next appointment to see if I’ve improved on my own.  He agreed.

Next, we started talking about the fertility craziness.  I told him that I was having an IUI done this cycle, and that, if all goes well, I’ll be pregnant the next time he sees me.  I told him about the disastrous appointment with the high-risk OB.  He actually offered to write a letter explaining that achieving a BG of 60-80 is a recipe for disaster for a T1.  He said that it often comes down to an education thing with other doctors – they assume that T1s are the same as T2s and gestational patients.  Obviously, they’re not. 

Then, he started talking about things like “what to do with my pump during delivery” and “my insulin needs increasing throughout the pregnancy.”  I joked that I’d wear my Omnipod AND Minimed pumps at the same time to handle the insulin needs.  He laughed, but started to think it was actually a novel idea.  It was so great that he not only gave me the green light to move forward with the IUI (not that he would have stopped me), but also that he was talking as if becoming pregnant was a foregone conclusion.  It suddenly felt very real.

Basically, he bottom-lined it for me: “You know what you need to do, Shannon.  You’ve got all the tools you need and the education to use them properly.”  He’s right, of course.  I do know what I need to do, and now that I’ve got a solid pre-conception A1c, I’m going to do it.  I feel oddly energized and optimistic about my D-life. 

So, he wants to see me in two months; sooner if the IUI works.  Although he’s booked solid through late August, he’s promised to squeeze me in if I get pregnant.  As I wrote above, I love my endo!

Comments (11)

By shannon, May 10, 2010 9:00 am

So, I decided to participate in Karen’s brilliant idea:  The First Annual Diabetes Blog Week .  All week, I’ll be blogging about the different aspects of my life with diabetes.  When I last checked, there were a TON of bloggers who are also participating, so when you’re done here, check them out.

Today’s topic is: A Day in the Life … With Diabetes

12:01am – 5:29am:  Sleep.

5:30am: Alarm.  Ugh.  I want to go back to sleep.  I decide to let Dexcom decide.  If my BG is in range, I’ll get up; if it’s not, I’ll correct and go back to sleep.  Dex shows a nice flat line with a BG of 87 mg/dl.  I decide that the agreement wasn’t in writing and, therefore, is not binding.  I roll over and go back to sleep.

6:08am:  Brian brings me a cup of coffee because he’s the greatest husband ever.  I slowly come to life.  I check my BG and confirm Dex’s assessment with a PDM reading of 92 mg/dl.  Thankful that my nighttime basals are spot on, I check my iPhone for email and Twitter updates.

6:18am:  I finally get up and stumble into the bathroom.  I brush my teeth, shower (thankful that I no longer have to suspend and disconnect a pump to do so), and get ready for work.  I peek at Dex a few times just to confirm that I’m not rising or dropping unexpectedly.

7:10am:  I do a quick finger test to confirm that it’s safe to drive – 102 mg/dl.  I hop (well, not really– it is still morning, after all) into the car and brave the Baltimore traffic.

7:45am: I arrive at work and unload my various d-tools that I’ll use throughout the day:  PDM, Dex, glucose tabs, iPhone, etc.

7:50am – 9:00am: I work. At staying awake.

9:00am: Prepare a bowl of oatmeal.  BG check is 100 mg/dl, so I inject 60mcg of Symlin and eat. 

9:10am: Finished eating, I bolus for the meal.

9:10 – 11:30am: Work.  Meetings.  More work. Bathroom break.

11:35am:  Dex shows that my breakfast bolus didn’t do its job.  I confirm with a finger stick and take 1.5U to correct.

12:30pm:  Lunch time!  Since I keep a mini fridge at work, I often have lunch stuff available.  Today, I decide to make a turkey and cheese sandwich with mustard.  Dex shows the correction dose finally dropping me to normal range. 

12:35pm:  I do a finger stick to check my BG: 112 mg/dl.  I dial up 60mcg of Symlin and eat my sandwich.  When I’m done, I program an extended bolus and get back to work.

1:10pm:  Feeling weird.  I hear Dex’s low alarm and, after a quick peek, I see that I’m dropping.  FAST.  Looks like the Symlin is working faster than the carbs are being absorbed.  SHIT!  I do a finger stick and look with almost disbelief at the 52 mg/dl staring back at me.  I have no idea what to do.  The Symlin will delay any fast acting glucose I take, so I won’t rebound quickly, AND I’ll be high later.  I decide to wait it out.

1:15pm:  WTF is taking so long?  I’m still hovering at 50 mg/dl.

1:20pm:  Sweating now?  Really? 

1:21pm:  Screw it.  I drink some juice and hope that it helps.

1:30pm:  Finally beginning to rise, I feel well enough to get back to work. 

2:38pm:  Dex HIGH alarm.  Son of a …!!!  Sure enough, finger stick shows 185 mg/dl.  Dex has one arrow straight up, so I know it’s not over.  I correct the 185 and continue working.

3:15pm:  Bathroom break.  Wash hands and test BG – 174 mg/dl.  Damnit!  Correct again.

3:45pm:  Pack up, test BG, and drive home.  Correction dose still not working, but I don’t want to rage bolus only to crash later.

4:15pm:  Home.  Aaaaaah.  I change clothes, go to the bathroom, pet animals, and clean up the kitchen.  I don’t even look at Dex because I’m tired and I just don’t care.

5:00pm:  Waiting for Brian to get home, I begin thinking about dinner.  I check Dex to see if carbs are even an option tonight.  Sure enough, I’m dropping again.  At least this time, it’s a gradual drop and not a jumping-off-a-cliff drop.  More like coasting, really. 

5:30pm:  Brian comes home.  We try to come up with a dinner plan.  “What do you want?”  “I don’t know.  What do YOU want?”  “I don’t know.”  This can go on for hours.

6:02pm:  Dex’s low alarm makes the dinner debate more important.  We decide to go out.  I grab a juice box, and we head out to the restaurant.

6:28pm:  We are seated.  The waitress brings bread (bitch!) and our drink order (iced tea, unsweetened).  After a few minutes, our salads arrive.  I test my BG with a finger stick – still too low for Symlin.  I begin eating the salad, which is soooo good.  I LOVE Carrabba’s Caesar salad. 

6:50pm:  Dinner arrives.  I ordered the Salmon with a pasta side, which I calculate to be about 45g carbs (for ½ of the serving).  I program a 30/70 dual-wave bolus for 2 hours – lots of fat in that lemon butter sauce – and dig in.

7:25pm:  Waitress clears plates and offers us dessert (bitch, again!).  We decline, pay the check, and go home.

7:56pm:  Home.  Again.  Aaaaah.  Dex shows two arrows straight up, so I know that the carbs are hitting me faster than I anticipated.  What to do?  If I attempt to head it off, I WILL go low later.  If not, I’m going to be spiking well above 250 mg/dl before it’s over.  I still don’t know what to do in these situations.  I wait.  I feed the cats and watch some TV with Bri.

9:30pm:  Dex has been bitching at me since we got home.  Since my extended bolus only finished a few minutes ago, I decide to wait a little longer.

10:00pm:  Bed time.  I wash my face, brush and Waterpik my teeth, apply zit cream (don’t even get me started on *that*), and put on PJs.  I grab a juice box from the fridge and put it next to the rest of my diabetes arsenal on my nightstand.  I check my BG with a finger stick – 213 mg/dl.  FUCK!  I take a correction bolus, turn off the lights, and go to sleep.

11:37pm:  Dex alarm – falling faster than 3mg/dl per minute.  Well duh!  I drink the juice box and hope that tomorrow is a better day.  But, I accept the knowledge that today was just another typical day in my diabetes life, and tomorrow is probably going to be similar.

Comments (3)

By shannon, February 12, 2010 12:11 pm

When I first went on a carb counting regimen,  after six months of pills that did nothing except make me sick, and another six months of NPH and R, which dropped me like a stone at random, unpredictable times, I used Humalog. 

I liked Humalog.  I was able to keep my TDD low, and I seemed to respond well to its peaks and duration.  At some point, I don’t even know when, I was switched over to Novolog.  It might have been for insurance purposes or maybe it was when I moved to insulin pump therapy.  I honestly can’t remember.

I have a point (I’m just getting there slowly, like everything else I’m doing today).  Since using Novolog, my TDD has slowly been creeping up.  Is it insulin resistance because I’m a lazy putz who doesn’t want to exercise?  Possibly.  But, it could also be that Novolog’s peak time and duration have so totally screwed up my dosing that I’m taking more and more correction boluses for foods that shouldn’t require a correction.  I’ve had to tweak my basals more, too.

So, not liking the fact that I’m taking so much more insulin than I used to, I did some research.  I know, I know, you’re all shocked and amazed.  What I learned is that Novolog has a reputation for being the slowest acting of the three rapid insulins (Novolog, Humalog, and Apidra).  What most people say is that Apidra is the fastest.  Some people have even cut down their TDD with Apidra. 

While I’m not expecting miracles, I do think it’s time to make a change.  So, first thing this morning, I dialed up Dr. S’s office to see about making the switch.  I know he must think I’m a complete pain in the ass at this point (first the switch from MM CGM to Dexcom, then from MM 722 to Omnipod, and now from Novolog to Apidra), but my goal is to achieve better numbers, so that should be commended, right.  I’m still a pain in the ass, though.  I know it, and I’m ok with it.

So, I’ve tried Humalog (and liked it), I’m using Novolog (not happily), and I now I’m switching to Apidra. 

I’m also starting an exercise schedule and eating more healthier (yes, I know that’s not grammatically correct, but I like it, so deal).

Comments (3)

By shannon, December 24, 2009 8:46 am

I had no idea that when I wrote that first poem,

That you’d kick and scream and disrupt my whole home.

If I’d known I’d have taken greater care,

To ensure that your response wasn’t too much to bear.

But, I didn’t expect your reaction to it all,

Keeping me up for two nights with your HIGH alarm call.

Yes, I know that deep down, I deserve all the blame,

But I’ll continue to throw it on you just the same.

I know it’s not fair and it’s definitely not right,

But never before had you put up such a fight.

Since we met, you’ve been there through thick and through thin,

You’ve saved my life and brought peace from within.

I know I had to bump you from your spot on my arm,

For the Pod because there, he can do me no harm.

Besides, you stick so well in your new home on my butt,

Where you’re safe from the edges and doors that slam shut.

So, this rhyme’s for you, Dex, you don’t have to cry,

Now shut the fuck up!  Kthanksbye.

Comments (2)

By shannon, December 23, 2009 9:59 am

It has not been a good week for sleep, and I’m exhausted.  

I’m the type of person who NEEDS at least eight hours of sleep per night.  If I get less, I do not function at the level that I should.  I get headaches, I’m cranky, and I spend the day in a fog.  

I know that everyone is different; Brian needs much less sleep to function, while others need more.  But eight hours is my minimum.

I can’t remember the last time I got eight hours of sleep.  Between getting up for work at 5:30 everyday (I’m so not a morning person) and rarely getting to sleep before 10:00pm, I’m averaging between six and seven hours per night.  This does not a happy Shannon make.

Which brings me to my current state of luggage-ness.  I’ve been eating like crap.  I know it, and I know I shouldn’t, but with so much going on (i.e., preparing for Christmas at our house, which includes painting our kitchen and other assorted home repair projects), we haven’t had a chance to hit the grocery store in a while.  With no food in the house, we either go out to eat or order in EVERY NIGHT.  Weight Watchers is a fond, but distant memory at this point.  I’ll get back to it, but not until this craziness is over.

For the past two nights, we’ve eaten very high carb, very high fat meals.  I’ve done my best to SWAG bolus, but I’ve been way off.  Each night, I’ve gone to bed high, but with a correction bolus pumping away.  Each night, every hour, Dex has alerted me to his unhappiness with my BG. Every.  Single.  Hour. 

I know, I know, I could have changed the alarm settings.  But, normally I *like* the settings I use, and I didn’t want to mess with them.  Besides, the point is to correct the high or low BG, not ignore it.  That’s why I got the DexCom in the first place.

So, back to the story.  Monday night was awful.  I think I got a total of four hours of sleep.  I rage bolused all night, but my stubborn high BG wouldn’t budge. Finally, when I got into the office, I was at a nice 110 mg/dl.  Dead tired, but good BG. 

I have no idea how I made it through an entire workday – probably because there’s absolutely no work this week and I could zone out at will.  I got home before 5:00pm determined to get a good night’s sleep:  eight hours minimum! 

After having the usual “what do you want for dinner” conversation with Brian, we decided a quick trip to Chili’s would be best.  It was early enough that we’d be able to beat the rush.  I bolused, we ate, we came home, I tested, I corrected, and went to bed.  

Dex was unhappy again.  I was high all night.  But, Oliver (my Omnipod) was also displeased.  It seems that I was nearing the expiration of my pod, and it was necessary to inform me of that fact in the middle of the night.  Another sleepless(ish) night.  Unfortunately, I can’t be luggage today – there’s too much to do.  So, I’m drinking coffee like there’s no tomorrow and hoping I can make it through without killing anymore (or getting fired). 

D-technology, I love you because you make it easier to control the beast.  But, I hate you right now because I’m so, so tired.  Have you seen the size of my to-do list?  C’mon man!

Comments (2)

By shannon, December 19, 2009 8:23 am

It’s hard to believe it’s been just a week since we met,

Before you, I thought this is as good as it gets.

But since you came along, I’ve ditched the old tubes,

And the pump at the end, in my bra with my boobs.

And oh how those tubes loved to grab onto things,

Like doorknobs and pets and even earrings.

Now you, my dear Pod, you stick to my arm,

And that’s all you need; it’s the source of your charm.

Unlike my old pump, you’re not scared of things wet,

You’re with me in the shower or the tub with the jets.

So, as we continue to learn how we fit, how we mesh,

I’m certain I’d rather none other on my flesh.

There are times when I think of my old pump and smile,

Because it gave me many years and traveled many miles.

But our time together had to come to an end,

And I feel like my A1c will soon be on the mend.

So, even though I’m not religious, I think I’ll thank God,

For you, my new friend, my dear Omnipod.

Comments (2)

By shannon, December 11, 2009 11:21 am

Yesterday felt like the longest day ever while I was at work.  I tired to get into the office super early so that I’d be able to leave early. Why?  Because my new Omnipod would be waiting for me when I got home.  But the bad drivers of Baltimore were conspiring against me.  I ended up getting to work 30 minutes later than I’d intended.

Once I arrived, I spent far too many minutes checking and rechecking the FedEx tracking page.  Finally, at 12:28, the package was delivered, and from that moment on, I was completely useless at work (not that I’d been all that productive anyway).  I just wanted to go home to my new present.

Does it make me a complete geek to be that excited about an insulin pump?  Do I care?  Nope.  Not even a little.  I wear the geek title with pride.  The other badge I wear, although not with any pride, is impatience.  I’m a type A personality (as if you hadn’t already figured that out for yourself).  I’m extremely high strung, and I want what I want when I want it.

Finally, at 3:30 pm, I hopped in my Tahoe and started home.  First, I had to stop at the pharmacy to pick up my new Freestyle Test Strips to use with the Omnipod PDM.  Since I’m well known at my local Walgreens, it was a quick in/out process.  Once again, I was back in the Tahoe heading home.

As I pulled into our driveway, I saw it.  Like a big, beautifully wrapped Christmas gift, there sat the plain brown cardboard box that held the next phase of my diabetes life.  I hurried out of the Tahoe, grabbed my 30 lb (well, probably not 30, but it’s damned heavy) bag that I have to carry because I must cart tons of diabetes supplies around, and bent over to pick up the box.

It was a lot heavier than I expected.  I remember all of my Minimed supply shipments being really light.  For some reason, the extra weight of the box pleased me.  Almost like the whole system had more . . . I don’t know? Substance?

Once upstairs, I ripped the box open, and the heavens sang.  It was beautiful (I should have taken a photo, but I suck).  My starter kit and five (5!) boxes of pods were carefully packed.  Also in the box:  a white silicone “skin” for the PDM, a Freestyle Flash meter (I guess to use as a backup), and a USB cable for uploading data to a PC (note my only disappointment – no Mac compatibility).

I immediately went to work setting up the PDM according to the instructions and the online tutorial I had watched earlier (while pretending to work).  I entered all of the typical date/time/etc. stuff, basal rates (I have seven!), my I:C ratio, and my correction factor.  After all the settings were done, the PDM asked it I wanted to activate a new Pod.  Why, yes.  I did!

I filled a new Pod with Novolog according to the instructions (the PDM walked me through each step of new Pod activation), removed the needle cap and adhesive backing, and stuck it on my arm.  I pinched the skin, pressed the magic Start button on the PDM, and felt a tiny prick as the needle inserted the cannula.

That’s all it took.  I looked through the little window on the pod, confirmed that the cannula was inserted properly and that there was no blood, and I was done.

I removed the Minimed infusion set, pulled the battery, and placed it in the small box that the Omnipod PDM came in.  I felt a moment of sadness – this pump has been with me through most of the recent big events in my life.  But, when I lost faith in Minimed, my pump had to go.

As I was completely wrapped up in my new device, cooking dinner was out of the question.  We decided to order a pizza, which meant . . . The Pizza Bolus.  It was the first test of my new Omnipod, and the extended bolus worked perfectly.  I was in love.

I tested my BG before bed, calibrated Dex, and crashed.  I slept great!  I woke up once to use the bathroom, and for the first time in years, I didn’t have to search for my pump before sliding out of bed (I often dropped it during that process).  I didn’t have to clip it to my pajama bottoms when I got up this morning, and I didn’t have to disconnect anything before taking my shower.  And my loofah didn’t get stuck on anything!  It was a beautiful moment, and I almost cried.

When I got to work this morning, I download the CoPilot and Extension software to my new Netbook (more on that later), connected my PDM, and uploaded my pump settings and data (so far).  It was painless, and I’m impressed with the software (I just wish I could use it for my DexCom, too).

So, after 18 hours, I’m a very happy Pod person!

Comments (7)

By shannon, December 7, 2009 9:06 am

As you guys know, I’ve decided to change insulin pumps next year.  I’m still trying to decide which one – I received a demo OmniPod last week, but I was too sick to care.  

But, I was recently asked why I wanted to jump ship from Medtronic.  I responded with a laundry list of features and benefits of the other guys, but what it really boils down to is trust.  I’m just not as comfortable with Minimed as I once was.  There are two big reasons why:

The Recall. 

One day last July, I found a UPS package outside when I got home.  Since I LOVE presents, I got excited.  But, when I tore into the box, all I found was a box of infusion sets and a letter telling me to discontinue all infusion sets from “Lot 8.” 

As a diabetic, I receive recall notices all the time.  Sometimes it’s for test strips, sometimes it’s for meters.  Never before had I actually had in my possession one of the recalled lot numbers.  Not once.  So, I meandered on over (I was feeling swanky) to my stash of D supplies.  Sure enough, all of my infusion sets were the dreaded Lot 8.  I couldn’t believe it.  I’d spent years stockpiling (more on that another time) these infusion sets, only to have to send them back to Medtronic!

Like a good little customer, I boxed them all up and sent them back.  They promised they’d send a replacement box for each one I sent back, so I felt a little better.  For a while.

Then, I started thinking about my crazy BG numbers over the past few months.  I know, I know, you’re going to say, “Shannon, your numbers are always crazy!”  But, this was different – it was CRAZY crazy.  Like, I need to change by basals kind of crazy.  It was so frustrating because I couldn’t explain why my numbers were so unpredictable.  But, I assumed it was my fault (don’t we always).  Lo and behold, it was Minimed’s fault.  (Note, since using the new infusion sets, I’ve had better stability – well, at least “normal” crazy.)  I stumbled across a discussion on Tu Diabetes about The Recall, and I was happy to read that I wasn’t alone.  

The fact that Medtronic issued a recall isn’t what killed my trust.  It was how they did it.  I knew nothing about the problematic infusion sets until I received a brand new box to replace the defective ones.  Where was my “heads-up” that there could be a problem?  How long did it take from their discovery of the issue, to the release of replacement infusion sets?  Days?  Weeks?  Months?  Seriously.  Why didn’t they send a notice saying, “hey, we know that there’s a problem, so you might want to switch to MDIs until we figure it out.”  Something, anything would have been better than silence.

My second reason is a little less directly-relevant to me, but it bothers me none-the-less.

The Death.

I recently learned of the death of Steven Krueger, although he passed away over three years ago.  At first, I didn’t believe what I read regarding his death.  It seemed impossible.  However, further discussion at Tu Diabetes (yes, I spend a lot of time there and you should, too!) revealed that many others experienced the same problem that caused Steven’s untimely (and preventable) death.

In a nutshell, while he slept, Steven’s pump went into Prime mode.  His model pump (MMT-511) emptied the ENTIRE RESERVIOR of insulin into his body.  Steven never woke up.

While the situation is tragic, and I place the blame completely at Medtronic’s door, I also don’t like the fact that there’s been a cover-up.  Yep, according to the lovely Anna, “The pump left the coroners office in B.C., Canada – intact (pictures were taken prior to being sent off) – but a week later – Medtronic sent back the pump stating that the case was cracked – therefore they could not perform any tests!”

WTF, Medtronic?  I don’t like that kind of sneaky crap.  It makes me feel dirty and in need of a shower.

So, those are my reasons.  If I could, I’d dump Minimed today.