Occlusion Conclusion

"Argh, I know!" I say out loud to no one in particular. The "someone" I'm addressing is my Tandem t:slim insulin pump, tucked securely in my bra. BEEP BEEP BEEP! is the response I receive.

I've been feeling kind of weird and overly tired for the past couple of weeks, and I realize my pump keeps throwing occlusions. Can I tell you how much I hate occlusions?

For those not in the know, an occlusion is basically a clog somewhere in your pump line. It can be caused by kinked tubing. It can be caused by the cannula getting bent in your infusion set. It can be caused by some invisible factor (seriously, I can't see what 3/4 of these problems are right now).

I'm calling customer service tonight. No ifs, ands, or buts. I will not rest until they send me a new pump. This is hideously frustrating, because if my pump isn't going to give me the right amount of insulin, what's the use of a pump at all?

I need to resume my fully functional cyborg status. Charge up that Dexcom G5 and let my robot pancreas do the work I tell it to! No more slacking off, t:slim. You're making me feel bad.

Dexy's Midnight Runner (That's Me)

Maybe I need to just break down and name my Dexcom Eileen, because I certainly say, "Come on!" to it a lot.

I have been wearing the Dexcom since Friday, trying not to pay attention to it too obsessively for now.  It's almost Christmas.  I have about two more weeks of the carb-y holiday season, plus I had the misfortune of getting sick yesterday.  I didn't eat anything this morning, woke up with a 167 mg/dl blood glucose, then shot straight up to 200-something about 3 hours later without eating anything.  I blame illness.  We'll see.  Time will pass.  Patterns will emerge.

On the humorous side of things, I have attempted to pull out my Dexcom receiver to text at least twice and to call someone at least once, maybe twice since Friday.  I have come to realize my phone and my receiver are almost the exact same width at the widest part, and they are very nearly the same height.  Both are covered in silicone cases, so they feel about the same when stuffed in my pocket.

Someone should get me a utility belt for Christmas with all these devices I'm toting around these days.  I could add a Bat-a-rang to my ensemble.  Somebody call Alfred.  Fetch me my private jet.

I haven't logged a low yet on this thing, though I've heard the familiar "Buuuzzzzzzz buuuzzzzzzz" of being high.  So far the novelty of showing that to a friend and telling them Dude, I am so high right now has not yet worn off.  Surely it will.  At the moment, it still feels like I am tempting fate every time I eat a meal.  I hope for a small spike, and then I wait and get a huge one instead.  I think I just am not bolusing enough.  I think my first diabetes effort of 2012 should involve obsessive carb-counting for a week or two just to try and figure out what the deal is. 

I was happy to find out that inserting the sensor was not as terrifying as I expected it to be, especially when the video on the Dexcom website flat-out tells you some people find insertion difficult.  What I found most difficult was trying to snap the stupid transmitter onto the sensor.  I had to have help with that.  Hopefully next time will go a little smoother. 

Line-graph-y Holidays, everybody!

Christmastime for My Non-Functioning Pancreas

(A relatively wordless Wednesday post...)

My Dexcom arrived yesterday! 

Sherman was relatively non-plussed.

I am excited to play with all this new stuff.  I am, however, a tiny bit sad that the silicone skin for the receiver is dull gray.  Definitely not my style.

Welcome home, new robot parts!