Today I will blog about diabetes related things.
I've been working 9-5 ish days with a lunch break, early to bed and early to rise lately. I hate it, but my diabetes doesn't mind. The thing I've realized about diabetes and life in general is that regularity is key! I never practice this, but I realize the benefits when they fleetingly touch my life.
The other reason my sugars have been good recently is that I have switched to steel needles rathe than canulas. My body has a love/hate relationship with this new phenomenon:
-They work! And right away, too! This has effectively solved the problem I was having with the canulas not working for hours after they were inserted. I'm thinking that all along this has been a problem with the end of the previous one's life rather than the new infusion set, but I'm not sure. Eitherway, I can't afford to change the canulas more often than every three days, so that option is out as long as I'm in Ontario. Here's the math:
-the Assistive Devices Program pays about 200 dollars a month.
-Canula insertion sets cost just under 200$ for 10 of them. I can afford this only if I use them for the max of 3 days each
-The current one (Polyfin Quick Release) is much cheaper; you can get about 20 of them for less than the other type. This means I can afford to change them as often as every 1.5 days, though I can wear them for 2 days.
The downside to the steel needles is:
-not as comfy
-they don't come with adhesives (I've been creative with bandaids) This is actually a positive as well because the adhesive removal doesn't hurt as much, but it's not as stable, so again with the comfort...
- disconnecting the pump is trickier, which means it is not at all easy to do with only one hand. I'm resourceful and made it work ish(see below) for a few days, but I'm not hopping on the bandwagon to use my arm sight again...
-changing sites more often causes more skin area to be used, meaning more likeliness of scar tissue.
So far, the needles have caused some situations to arise...
Story 1) New underwear is a wonderful thing; if I have my way, I would only wear brand-new underwear and socks forever and just throw the old stuff out. Unfortunately I can't afford that yet. Anyway, I got new underwear the other week - 3 pairs and I was working them into my wardrobe slowly. They are wonderful. The third and final pair was a beautiful pair of white underwear - so pristine and clean and crisp... I felt like a king just putting them on!
Note to self - do not wear brand new white underwear on a day when you have a steel infusion set in your left outer thigh which proceeds to gush blood at some point that day, unbeknownst to me until I check to see why my thigh is somewhat sore.
SO MUCH BLOOD
SO MUCH RED
SO little white
So Sad
Story B) As mentioned above, the new disconnect feature is a two-handed job. I learned this moments AFTER I had inserted the needle and needed to connect the pump... I was a little pressed for time, so my roommate who is extremely squeamish had to help me. I covered any needle-ish parts up and made sure only the tubing bits were visible... STILL he could barely look. I just don't get how people can be so bothered by medical things. It's not like I was bleeding or anything.
Anyway, the next morning, I found a way of disconnecting myself by wedging my arm against my dresser so it held the one end stable enough-ish(see below) to disconnect and reconnect it.
Fast forward an hour. I was on the 401, driving to Waterloo for my first day of Exams. All was well, I bought my Timmy's Ice Cap and I was enjoying it as I drove. I had boulsed a few minutes earlier and all was well in the world.
"Bzzz Bzzz" (vibrating), says the pump
"No delivery", says the pump
"Disregard, resume", Michael presses the buttons
"Bzzz Bzzz" (vibrating), says the pump
"No delivery", says the pump
"Fuck you!", says Michael
Driving 120 Kph on the 401 and realizing that I had multiple layers of clothing between myself and the infusion site. This was not good.
Conveniently, the 401 has emergency stopping areas, right when I needed them. I drove by the first set, hoping that things would magically be fixed, they weren't.
I stopped, I took off my jacket, my shirt, and my undershirt.
I looked and saw that I had not fully connected the tubing... Silly Michael.
Where was my dresser?!?
The steering wheel helped me out in my hour of need, but it was tough and it took a lot of fandangling.
Moral - these sets are not a 1-handed set!
Other moral; I'm tired!
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