Well, we have been on the pump officially for 3 weeks. I also haven't posted anything in that long! Crazy! So far things are going fairly well. I knew the pump wouldn't be an automatic fix and make everything wonderful right away. It is so nice to give Piper the right amount of insulin down to .025 units...no more rounding up/down! She is still a champ on the pricking and poking. The infusion set (the tubing that connects the pump to her body) has the needle still inserted in her (instead of the cannula/plastic tubing). She doesn't mind at all when we, with lack of a better term, stab her with it. We literally have to hold the needle and plunge! Oh my goodness I am so blessed with such an amazing girl. With this sort of infusion set, we have to change it every 2 days which stinks but right now, this is the best fit for her. It's double anchored to her body so the chance of the needle coming out due to the tubing getting caught is lower. I don't think any of her classmates have noticed the pump or the tubing which is wonderful. The pump we chose is the Animas OneTouch Ping. It has a remote that is also the glucometer, so I don't have to mess with Piper's pump for (most of) her pump functions, and therefore, I don't have to remind her it's there. She does enjoy the the spurts of vibrations right before it delivers her bolus insulin (insulin for covering carbs, like with meals or snacks). She calls it her "tickle"...pretty stinkin' cute! This has made life at school so much better. I can just sit outside of Piper's classroom and tell the pump to deliver her insulin right there. She was starting to become attached to me when I would see her in the middle of the day and then not want to go back to her classroom.
We have only had to call the emergency pager about 3-4 times so far. Yay! Piper started to run high numbers with moderate/large ketones in the middle of the night. So there were many nights with a 2 and a 4am blood sugar check...no thank you! Piper started to get affected by all that too...she was a stinker! Oh my! I thought we had bypassed the terrible twos and went into the even more terrible threes! Now that we have things regulated, she seems to be more of her sweet self.
In these last few weeks, we were also able to have a fundraiser to raise money for Piper's pump. Insurance and some financial assistance helped, but even more help would be great! We did a fundraiser at a local fast food restaurant, Freddy's Frozen Custard and Steakburgers (yummy, I might add). They will donate 15% of their sales to your organization or cause. We were able to raise over $250 from our day. We have also been blessed with many donations from family, friends, and people we have never met. Eric and I are just so overwhelmed how God has provided for us and has shown us great support from others! So far, from the fundraiser and donations, we have raised over $2000! Thank you Lord! This has turned out to be so much more than what could have ever imagined!
It has been a crazy few weeks, but we are starting to settle into somewhat of a routine. Change is hard because it's something different. A few times I was asking myself, "why did we do the pump? we were doing just fine with injections". But it's all with what you're used to. I know we'll be pro's before too long and programming combo boluses and delayed boluses...4 different basal rates...all the crazy stuff that hurts my head right now to even try to think about.
A HUGE thank you to everyone for their prayers and kind and encouraging words. We would not be able to make this journey on our own!
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| Piper thinks her pump is a phone (she was holding it up to her ear before I could get the shot), and there is a lock button :) |
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| The pump: OneTouch Ping (didn't take a picture of the remote/glucometer) |
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| The infusion set. We rotate from her arms and back on where to stick it. |
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| I made pockets to go inside of her tank tops to hold the pump...now you see it... |
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| Now you don't...fun day at the zoo! |
I found your blog because one of my friends went to your fundraiser at Freddy's. I was diagnosed when I was 17 with Type 1 and have had it for 15 years now. I've been on the pump for 12 of those years and love it! It definitely takes some adjusting and getting used to, but it makes things a whole lot easier in the long run. You will get used to it and it will become like second-nature in no time! Hang in there!
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