2 out of 3 ain't bad.

So I thought some of you would enjoy this little story:

I'm taking a class this semester called "Writing About Issues and Ideas" and the professor loves to send emails. Like seriously everyday after class we get an email. It's nice, but somewhat annoying. Anyway the emails are usually just tying up lose ends from class, but sometimes if you actually read them and respond you can get extra credit points.
The latest one was:
Which of the following statements is NOT an arguable factual claim:

1. People who are obese run a heightened risk for diabetes.
2. In the long run, dieting may be more harmful than moderate
overeating.

Supposedly the answer is 1.

Long story short I never responded because I was too lazy plus she sent it to us over a weekend. I had better things to do than worry about 3 silly points. We get to class Tuesday and she decides to review the answer. For some reason it catches my attention that even if statement is not arguable in her opinion, to me it is. So I raise my hand and ask her to read number 1 again. I then flat out say that she's she's wrong because her statement is a sweeping generalization. I tell her that by saying simply "diabetes" it makes it arguable, because I have Type 1 Diabetes and that has nothing to do with weight it's auto-immune. She admits that she is wrong and tells me to see her after class. Guess who got 2 extra credit points? ME! I'm not usually the most vocal when it comes to addressing Diabetes misconceptions in real life. I get flustered. I get frustrated. I feel like it's too hard to change the preconceived notions everyone has about Diabetes. But I did it, and it paid off. It should be noted that the book for this class is called "Everything's an Argument", maybe that's where I got the courage to speak up.

Also in the school realm, I'm taking a black and white film photography class this semester. The professor said that if you happen to have a cut on your hand and you touch the stop bath solution the cut will magically disappear in 2 days. Today I dipped all my over pricked fingers in just to experiment. If it works I'll let you know.

On a totally different note. Since I switched to Animas I have somewhere between 2 -4 boxes of unused Cozmo pump cartridges. If you or someone you know could benefit from free supplies, please let me know so I can get them to someone who needs them. My email address is available in my profile.

Happy Monday!

It's been too long.

Just checking in. 

I celebrated my pump-aversary a bit early by sending my pump in for a replacement. In just under a year I managed to bump, bang, and scratch the poor thing more times than I can count. I was also dealing with my second cracked cartridge cap, so a call to Smiths Medical was already on the to-do list. When we explained that there were also a multitude of cracks on the pump they told us they would ship out an extra cartridge cap, a new (refurbished) pump, and a prepaid shipper for my existing pump within 24 hours. It would be an understatement to say that my mom and I were completely impressed with the quick and painless customer service. So now I've got a new pump. Name suggestions are welcome or maybe I'll just go with Orin II.

I'm still dealing with this. So far I've been re-diagnosed and started a new medication. I'm still coming to terms with it all and I can't quite put it into words yet, but I do think things are headed in a positive direction. Thank you so much for the kind words from my last post, as always they meant a lot to me. 

 

Pumping at a Party.

The party Saturday was pretty good. It was for one of my best friends, Kelly's 17th birthday. She will actually be turning 17 tomorrow. Like I said it freaks me out that I have a friend who is 17! For some reason I still feel like I am in 8th grade. Kelly came to pick me up a little before 5 o'clock. Then she drove us back to her house, which is less than a mile away, to let me see the decorations and to alleviate those hour before the party jitters. I should mention that I haven't seen her since I started pumping. She didn't notice for almost half an hour. When she spotted it, she asked "what's the deal with that?". I explained to her that it was an insulin pump, and instead of taking a bunch of shots every day this would replace 2 of those long acting shots as it "pumped" tiny "shots" of insulin every 3 minutes and then every time I wanted to eat I just punch in a few numbers and it gives the right amount for the food. Kelly is not very mechanical and isn't all that knowledgeable my diabetes care, so I tried to make it simple. You may be wondering why I have best friend who doesn't know a lot about my diabetes. It's just because Kelly is not the type of person where diabetes is going to matter to her. She knows enough about it; how to tell if I'm low, check my sugar, she has seen me take shots etc. I think she was just disappointed that she can no longer jokingly pretend that I do drugs. She also commented that I just looked like a lady at the mall "countin' my steps on her lunch hour".
This is dress I wore:

I'm not sure if you can see it, but there was belt around the waist and it is also a wrap dress. So I ran the pump tubing from my site (on my abdomen) through the interior slit, across the front, to the exterior slit. Then I clipped my little buddy Orin on to the belt on the same side of the exterior slit and we were ready to party! (I hope that all makes sense.)With the pump at my side and close to the slit, I was able to not have a lot of tubing exposed. It was also easy to access to bolus for dinner & cake, as well as enter blood sugars, and make corrections. I topped out the night at 187, which I didn't think was that bad considering all the hooplah.

I haven't posted my Diabetes 365 pictures in awhile. I'll be back tomorrow with those. In the meantime why don't you check out the pool, there are now over 800 pictures.

Busy Day & Awesome Beth!

Well today is going to be very busy from my insulin start, to a Halloween party, to celebrating my dad's birthday. I have already taken today's picture and of course it has to do with the starting my pump, lets just say that I am truly a Type 1 Diabetic and it shows in the ketones. After being told not to take my night time dose of Levemir last night, at 6am this morning my blood glucose was 172 (thanks to a supplemental correction shot at 3am), but I was already spilling trace to small ketones.
Well Beth has done it again. Not only did she start the wonderful Diabetes 365 Project.
She has now created a website for the project!
Happy Friday All!

Halloween Party! and Day 11

Well as you know (well who ever reads this on a regular basis would know) tomorrow is the first day I will have insulin in my pump. At 10 I will hop in the Town & Country with my mom and drive up to Baltimore for the final step! I'm more than ready for this. Let's just say it's a day no one in my family thought we would ever get to. Mostly because I am the most stubborn person ever. Okay but on to the real excitement. Tomorrow evening I will be attending a Halloween party at a friend's house. She lives about half an hour away. My parents plan to even go out to dinner near her house, since it is my dad's birthday, just to give me an extra hour or so with them close by. I don't think I will be spending the night, but I know that a party on my first day of pumping is probably testing the waters a little too much. I'm sure I can keep everything in control, I will check my blood sugars regularly and even get my friends to remind me. My doctor and pump trainer didn't seem to think this was a huge deal. They basically said if you are afraid of doing things while on the pump, it isn't giving you the freedom that you should gain from it. I know there will definitely be enough sugar there to correct any possible lows, and I will be careful to monitor how much I eat. I will bring extra everything, an insulin pen just in case. The works. So I am basically looking for any suggestions. Anything to watch out for, whatever you can come up with.

Diabetes 365

Tomorrow I will be attending a Halloween party at a friend's house. I agreed to help her decorate so I went out and got a few things. But I also always remember that most of my friends do not drink diet soda, so I thought I should bring along my own. I have certain friends that I know will always have diet soda in their fridge, this girl is not one of them. It doesn't bother me to have to make a bottle of diet soda a part of my party supplies. This is just another way as a person with diabetes that I must adapt to the way diabetes makes me different.

There is no cure for Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes.

Yet.

A Real Post & A Picture.

So I promised you a real post and here goes.

I have been wearing my Cozmo insulin pump for 3 days now. In that time I have learned a lot of things about myself and my new buddy Orin. While I am only pumping saline as a part of what I guess my endo would call "home training" it still is pretty realistic. I definitely think that being young has it's advantages when it comes to using a pump. For instance if this was my mom pumping she would have to pull her glasses from a top her head squint at the screen, and call me to help her. If it was my dad he wouldn't even try and I would be completely in charge of helping him manage this device. I know these things because my mom can't use the remote to our television, and almost every time my dad tries to print something off of the computer he calls me to help him.
What have I learned? Well for starters, infusion set insertion is not the horror I imagined. I sat in the endo's office clenching my teeth through the training in anticipation of inserting the infusion set. Turns out it's a piece of cake. The office's pump trainer was very impressed that I knew so much about the pump, but I guess that's what happens when you have a lot of time in between receiving it and going to training. It only took about 45 minutes to go over everything. At one point she was asked, "Can I at least peel off the adhesive protector on the set so I can feel like I am doing my job?" What else? Oh my dogs are very intrigued by the sound of a bolus. That click click click, has them both staring at my hip in wonder with their heads cocked to the side. Sleeping hasn't been to hard, I just place the pump next to me and it usually stays put. When I am alone in a quiet room, that hiss every 3 minutes as my basal rate is delivered is like a constant reminder that the pump is there and working away doing something my body should be able to do without any noise at all. I will have to say that being a perfectionist is probably not going to help me in this. I am going to want everything to go right, from intial basal rates, blood glucose numbers to every single site change. I will get over that slowly. I messed up tonight will loading the new cartridge and doing the new infusion set. I was so upset for no particular reason except that I like things to go right, and when they don't it seems like the end of the world (ANXIETY). Thankfully my mom was there and told me just to breathe, and I know over time it will become even more routine. Until then I'm still working out the kinks and finding what works for me. Now I just have to get to Friday, so I can start the real deal!

Check Out or Join Diabetes 365.

Day 8 - Plastic Pancreas

Today my mom and I went to our pump training session at my endocrinologist's office. If you had asked me even a year ago if I would consider an insulin pump, the answer would have been NO! Over the past few months I have realized that the pump would be the only true way for me to mimic what a normal pancreas should do. A pump is not the right therapy for everyone. An insulin pump is not a cure, it is only another delivery method. I will wear the pump for 4 days with saline, to get used to this new method. Then start on insulin this Friday. In the meantime I will still be taking multiple daily injections. I do not need this device because I have a "bad case of diabetes". I hope that I do not have to be on a pump for 11 years like I was on multiple daily injections. I hope a cure comes sooner. But until there is a cure this is what I will do.

There is no cure for Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes.

Yet.

From Penny & Bernard, go write Ellen a letter suggesting she feature something about November being Diabetes Awareness Month and November 14th being World Diabetes Day on her show!
I can't write her because I am not 18, but I will ask my mom to do it for me!

Day 6 - Waiting

I received my Cozmo Insulin Pump in the mail over 2 weeks ago. Unfortunately because my doctor's office didn't have any available appointments until this Monday, I have 2 boxes of pump supplies just waiting in my living room. I never thought I would be someone who wanted to be on a pump. Now that I feel that pumping is the right decision for me, I can't wait until my appointment Monday. An insulin pump is just one of the insulin delivery options a person with diabetes has. Pumping is not right for everyone, but at this point in time I feel it is right for me.

There is no cure for Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes.

Yet.

A few bits and joining the project!

I have decided to join the Diabetes 365 Flickr Group Project.

Here is my first picture.

It symbolizes my last full week (Monday - Sunday) on injection therapy. As of next Friday I will be a pumper!

• I'm very curious about my pump start, Monday the 22nd. I know all doctor's do it differently, but I would love to hear about other pumper's experiences.
• I have been toying around with my pump to get familiar with it. I have watched almost all of the training videos on the Cozmo website.
• I have broken down 2 infusion sets just to see how everything really works.
  
• I am just ready for it all to start!!!
• I apologize for the absence I was busy getting ready to go away to Pennsylvania for my Grandfather's 80th birthday party! Which turned out perfectly. Here is a picture of a farm near their house.
  

• Now I'm off to do some school work, which I have definitely been slacking on. That will have to end soon, because this week I am being officially un-enrolled from my former school. No more safety net.
  
• These next few weeks are going to be full of new adventures, I hope you are ready for the ride!
  

Happy Birthday Élise!

Élise is my big sister for those of you who don't know. Today she is turning 23. She asked me if I was going to write a post about her today. Like the one I wrote for my mom on her birthday. The thing is it never crossed my mind, I never really thought of her involvement with my diabetes the same way as my mom's. From what I can remember, she wasn't really involved in the beginning. I know she was there, but she was 11 when I was diagnosed. So I don't think she participated in the daily ins and outs. My memories of her involvement are vague. I remember she was at the hospital in her school uniform everyday after school. I know it must have been hard to witness my wild reactions to the shots when we came home. I can't even imagine how crazy I must have seemed or how scary it must have been. Once recently she mentioned to me that she was jealous of how much attention I received when I was younger. I don't blame her, I think it would suck to be the sibling of a diabetic kid. Diabetes is a selfish disease that can take away alot from the other members of the family. For our extended family type 1 diabetes was so novel, and I am sure Élise was left in the background for many years because of this. Eventually Élise became the only other person besides my mom, I would let give me shots. But it hasn't been until recently that I have even talked to her about diabetes regularly. She helped me through choosing a pump, read the booklets, looked at the pictures, and even explained to my mom why it had to be the Cozmo not the Animas. We have grown up so much over the years, and gone through many trying times together. I can't imagine any of this without her though, even if I don't remember the beginning. I love you Élise! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Ps. If you are lurking, de-lurk. I cannot get the little button to work so if you want to see it go here.

The man in brown!

Around 4 pm, the UPS truck pulled up for the second time today. (The first time he was bringing my dad's mail order prescriptions. Just imagine my disappointment.)

So I immediately opened the box to find all of this:

Then this:

And this:

But wait there's more! And more!


And more that I didn't take pictures of including the clip, case, cartridges, extra cleo infusion sets, and the actual pump on it's own. I am beyond excited. I am also really surprised at the size of the pump. Yes, I have seen some in person, but I have never held one in my hand. It's so cute! Oh and the new boy has a name, Orin. It means "little green one" (extremely literal) in Gaelic, or at least that's what wikipedia & babynamesworld.com say.

Mark Your Calendars!

October 22, 2007 I will have my saline start. October 26, 2007 PUMPING INSULIN! That's right almost a month from now I will join the ranks of all you pumpy people out there in the OC. Unfortunately the date could not be sooner because of scheduling conflicts the soonest and only time available was the week of the 8th. That won't work out for us, but hey I would rather be at my celebrating my Pop-Pop's 80th birthday. Plus my mom and I decided that it was just not smart to start the pump and go out of town for a celebration. There would be too many things to worry about and why should we add pump drama to it? So Tuesday the newest edition to my diabetes team will arrive. Then I will have a couple of weeks to watch all the training videos and get acquainted.
Tomorrow I am attending my former school's homecoming dance. For some reason this always causes havoc with my numbers. I think its the nervous excitement of seeing people I haven't seen in a while, and the fact that my friends never seem to be on time. When the schedule is off, the numbers do not co-operate. I will just treat this with the birthdays and holidays diabetes rule, it just won't count.

It's Cozmo Time!

It's time for my tropical green Cozmo pump to be shipped! That's right the insurance approved it this morning! Excited? Who me? HECK YES! I am really surprised by how quickly it came through. It will be here Tuesday! Next stop, pump training and the saline start! Hopefully now I will stop driving my mom crazy about all the details. Until next time, join me in my celebratory dance party!

Comments Galore!

So instead of going to every individual site and saying thank you to everyone multiple times for each comment, when I start slacking I will just have a post dedicated to thanking the devoted readers out there! So here goes....

THANK YOU!

Albert (twice)
Cara (thrice )
Shannon (twice)
Penny (thrice)
Donna
Christine-Megan
Chrissie
Scott (twice)
Travis
Allison
Jeff

Now to actually address some of them...
Yes, my mom is pretty amazing to put up with me on a daily basis, diabetes wise or just because I am a teenager. I'll tell her you guys said happy birthday. And she did read the post, Cara.
Penny, sorry I made you cry! To Shannon & Penny: Hopefully some day Riley & Brendon will be able to express what your love and care has meant to them.
Thanks to all for the Diaversary comments, I am no where near the perfect and always compliant diabetic, but I've made it this far. I also want everyone to know that I came to the OC at a time when I felt like giving up, but I have learned and grown so much, reading the posts and comments from all of you!
To Scott, Dr. Infamous is not getting anything from the companies. Trust me he hates the drug and pump reps more than most doctors, he refuses anything from them when they come except for an iced coffee. Even though I'm sure many of them would try to buy him way more.
And to everyone, I'm going with the Cozmo. After lengthy discussions, comparisons, website tours, talking to the reps. I can not let the fact that I like the look of one over the other, out weigh rhe medical advantages. I need the 300 unit cartridge, the pump is supposed to be a way to free yourself from some of the constant(ness) of diabetes. With the Animas, it would all become about timing and waiting for that one and a half day mark when my cartridge would run out. Potentially leading to more sleepless nights and more anxiety than I already experience. Mom faxed the papers in this morning so now we wait. Until then I'll be watching all the videos on the Cozmo site.

Decisions, Decisions!

Fun birthday! Lunch with the parentals, test drove some cars! Well okay I wasn't driving them, my dad was...but whatever. Looks like when the time comes I will be getting a Scion xB, you know the little box car you see scooting down the road, dream car number two. The first dream is a Mini Cooper, but that is out of the price range. So we get home from a wonderful dinner, and there are a few birthday messages on the answering machine. Along with one from the good old Infamous Endo, "Hi this is Dr. Infamous, I just wanted to make sure you really want to go with the Animas, okay thanks call me back so we can talk about it!" Okay Dr. Infamous, you have already planted seeds of doubt about my Animas dreams, I sent you the paper work to make sure... And then you call. So okay fine fine. I look it all over again. Go to the websites, look at the comparison chart. Fine tomorrow we will send in the Cozmo one, to tell you the truth I only didn't want it because I wanted the color screen of the Animas. But it is stupid not to go with a pump that basically will do the same things for me, covers my major concerns (waterproof, luer-lock, 300 units). So what is this change of heart number 45!? Well I guess with age comes wisdom! Cozmo it is!

PS. Thanks to everyone who wished me a happy birthday it means alot. I haven't been returning comments, but I will get to everyone individually! Good Night!