Wednesday, May 9, 2007

Saline Start

**I actually wrote this post last Friday, but it was stuck as a word doc at work and I am only now getting around to posting it. I should get my arse in gear and post about how the insulin start has been going, but this one was already written so up it goes!**

May 4, 2007

My pump came last Wednesday just as promised (my UPS guy swung around again in the evening to make sure I got it that day and was able to sign for it). I think I am going to develop a repetitive stress injury in my thumb from all the button mashing that has been going on. My little black Cozmo is now named Jeeves. I have been going through a Jeeves and Wooster phase lately, and while the name Bertie sounded very cute, I thought it unwise to name my pump after a cheerful, but mentally negligible character in case the name turned out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy. (The pump would routinely alert me of gross mechanical failures with showtunes from the 20’s.)

Yesterday Jeeves and I went to the diabetes center to get hooked up together. I met with Rhonda (my CDE) and the pump trainer to get me up to speed and hooked up. The appointment was scheduled for 9-12 but we were done by 10:30. Everything went smoothly, even the insertion of my very first infusion set. I specifically chose the Cleo because I wanted the built in insertion device, at least for while I am new to this. It was really comparable to an insulin injection, and I am barely noticing the infusion set now that it is in me. After using the CGMS system gold last year, wearing the pump seems easy by comparison.

That was, until I went pants shopping in the afternoon. I was already out of the office, and in the big city, so why not take the whole day off? I had to buy a present for my father anyway (with some urgency, I might add; today is his birthday and I hadn’t yet gotten him anything!) My belt broke during a lunch bathroom break, so it was off to the mall for me. Changing in and out of clothes was a little tricky, but I figured out just to clip pump to my bra while I changed. No problem. It seemed all the pants that suited me lacked both pockets and belt loops. Clipping onto the waistband left a funny lump under the tailored shirts I like to wear, and dug into my flesh. I am not sufficiently endowed to make the bra option feasible in public. (Can you say three boobs?) Only pants with pockets and belt loops for me from now on I guess. Today I forwent the clip and stuck it in my pocket, which conceals the whole deal more effectively. I am used to having lumpy pockets anyways since I am a walking packrat.

I see the wisdom of doing a saline start. I am getting used to the controls and simply wearing the thing without messing up my insulin doses. On the other hand, bolusing and shooting up for every meal is kind of confusing. *Bolus*, great I have my insulin – wait no,*shoots up*. This will be shorter lived than I previously thought, however, as Rhonda just called to switch my insulin start from Wednesday to Monday because she had double booked and forgotten she had set aside time for pump starts on Monday.

*Realization Dawns* I am starting insulin on Monday. That is three days away. Eep!

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