Pumped...and pooped

I got my pump on Monday and it has been amazing. The first day I had it, I didn't have a reading over 9.5. This probably doesn't mean much until you realise I was getting readings of 15 and above almost everyday (for the non-diabetians reading this blog, the aim is to get readings between about 5 and 8).

The freakiest part was actually putting the cannula in. It's put in around a little needle that gets taken out when inserted. I was totally freaked out the first time I had to do it, sure, I've had needles everyday for the majority of my life but the unknown is still scary. Turns out it doesn't hurt at all, a tiny bit of stinging afterwards but incredibly manageable.

I just had to put it in again (the cannula and infusion set need to be changed about every 3 days) and it was a bit scary. Although I wasn't planning a set change until tomorrow, my blood sugars were heading up and so I thought it was to do with needing a set change. I'll have to wait for the results to see if it worked.

So overall it has been amazing for blood sugar control, but it's a lot more work than needles. It's a big thing, to be attached to a machine 24/7. Hopefully I'll get used to it soon.

Pump it

You might already know that I have had Type 1 diabetes since I was 8 and a half, which means I've had the condition for over 12 years. There's no known cause of Type 1 diabetes (as opposed to Type 2 which is genetic and/or lifestyle related.) During the 12+ years that I've had diabetes, I've had about 13, 000 needles, pricked my fingers about double that to test blood sugar, and seen an endocrinologist every three months. 

It sounds like a sucky disease, and, of course, there are times when I really resent having a disease that I sometimes have little control over. But most of the time I cope really well with having diabetes to the point where I now think it's part of my identity. I often think about how I would feel if a cure for diabetes was ever found, and surprise myself when I think that maybe I'd miss having it. Go psychoanalyse me.

Anyway, the point of this blog, is to announce that I'm getting an insulin pump! For the past 12 years I've treated my diabetes with first, insulin vials and syringe injections. Then came pen needles, which were way more convenient and easier to use. Now, I'm gonna be attached to a pump 24/7 which sends a constant stream of insulin into my body through a tiny tube and cannula. 

The pump more accurately mimics the normal functioning of the pancreas than needles, and I am so looking forward to managing my blood sugars more easily, being able to not eat when I don't want to, and having one needle per 3 days as opposed to 4 per day. The downside are that I'm connected to a pump 24/7, and have to carb count as though my life depended on it. I think its going to be worth it though. I feel so hopeless about my readings, like there is nothing I can really do about it (although I know that if I tried harder I could achieve better results). 

It annoys me that people still think that having diabetes is all about not eating sugar. Most diabetes have a pretty regular diet, they just have to keep everything in moderation and in balance with insulin levels.

It's gonna be awesome not having to leave the table to do my 'drugs'. I'm not sure how being attached to a pager-looking pump all the time is going to go...apparently it takes some getting used to. Hopefully I won't get questioned by people about it all the time. Not that I'm opposed to sharing that part of my life with people, but I'm becoming more self-conscious about having diabetes. I'm not sure why.

Anyway, if you're a person who prays, please ask God that I can cope with the change, and that I'll be motivated to do all the right things with the pump for my health, and that I trust God in everything, and that I look forward to the day in heaven when I won't need a pump at all.....