One thing you learn about me very quick is that I’m not shy. Each time I eat, I reach under my shirt and pull out my 24/7 accessory: a pink insulin pump.
So, a little history first and then I’ll explain what the pump is. After a year of 10 shots a day and my A1C tests consistently above 7, I went to a diabetes show in search of some help. I’d read about this “insulin pump” that claimed to give diabetics their lives back. I was sick of living on a schedule, not being able to sleep in, always having to eat, and I was plain old sick of finding fat to shoot my insulin into. My stomach looked like a pin cushion and I was starting to get a little depressed about having the disease. BUT – if this insulin pump did what it claimed it would, I was ready to give the new technology a try.
After visiting the Medtronic booth I knew the Minimed pump was the one for me. They did the leg work with my insurance company and three months later a new shiny device arrived at my doorstep. It is about the size of a pager (for those that remember pagers). I quickly read through the 3 instructional booklets and it seemed easy enough to figure out. Medtronic also supplied me with a diabetes educator who came to my house for some pump lessons and to help me set my insulin regiment.
So what is it? Basically, the pump is like wearing an external pancreas. It provides a constant drip (Basal), as well as an immediate drip (Bolus) prior to eating. All I need to do when I eat is plug in the number of carbs I’m about to have and it does the math for me. AND, it only requires one shot every 3 days to insert it. For a more technical details, check out the website: http://www.minimed.com/
The only drawback to it, and for me, it didn’t really outweigh the pros… is that you have to wear it all the time. You’re connected to a machine 24/7, but hey – you’re connected to diabetes 24/7 so why not make your life a little easier and give yourself some freedom right?
Ok, so how does it work? Simple – when you eat, test your blood sugar. If you have a synchronized device, your meter will automatically beam your bs number to the pump. Then, enter the carbs you’ll be eating and voila - it tells you how much insulin is needed to cover your meal or correct a high. Hit Act to deliver the insulin and you’re off to the races. Of course, this is a simplistic explanation, but essentially, that’s all there is to it. There are some other fun features like dual and square wave delivery methods, temporary basal rates, patterns and alarms, but for now, let’s stick with the basics.
Assuming your regiment is set right, it gives you the insulin you need – to eat when you want, to sleep when you want, and to live like you want. The key to it is – and this is very important – you still have to tell the pump what to do. It does not take the I out of dIabetic, but it does allow you to diaBEtes.
At the beginning, I tried wearing the pump on my waist band when I was out and about, but I didn’t want the world to see it. Plus, it just wasn’t comfortable for me. Since I’m no Dolly Parton, I quickly figured out the best place to conceal it was on my bra, between my boobs. It fits perfectly, it’s hidden, and within reach. The only time this poses a problem is when I wear a dress. I either have to excuse myself to the bathroom to calculate (like a true lady would do), or I have to reach down into my cleavage.
On my wedding day, my husband and I were sitting at the sweetheart table in front of 125 guests. A toast was given and our meals arrived with all 125 pairs of eyes on us. I reached down into my strapless dress, much to my Yiayia’s chagrin, and pulled out my insulin pump to plug in my carbs. I then remembered the eyes, looked up, waved, and said “Sorry everyone, but you know I’m diabetic!”
I’ve since upgraded to a new pink insulin pump, equipped with the ability to wear a sensor that automatically tests my blood sugar every 5 minutes, but I’ll save that for a later post. I’m used to this 24/7 accessory. I don’t care that people see it, or that I have to always wear it. What I do care about is my life. The pump let me take control of it again and allowed me to dictate my patterns, instead of diabetes dictating it for me.
That’s the real deal with diabetes, one sugar cube at a time.
