Starting pumping

Well after 24 years of Type I diabetes I am now switching from multiple daily injections to using a pump. Not sure if this will be a permanent shift but it is worth a try.

I note, I have been in excellent control with the injections and do not really find them that annoying. But lately I have had some issues with control (both on the high and low end) and I thought it would be worth trying the pump.

So I went to my doctor, who happens to also have Type I diabetes. And he recommended I go on the Medtronic Paradigm 722 pump. And so, without much fanfare I did it.

It took a month or so for the paperwork from my insurance to work through the system and I was approved for the pump. And then they sent me a big box with all sorts of stuff in it. And I scheduled an appointment with a Medtronic tutor who would show me how to use it.

And that is what I did today. I went in to my doctor's office and me the tutor. And we went through the basics (I had spent about two hours playing around with the pump the day before). And then we got some insulin from the doctor and she showed me how to connect the tubing. And then I connected myself (using one of the Medtronic Quick-Set systems).

It was not too painful, but I got some sort of stress response - pale and sweaty - much like the last time I gave blood. But I got through that and felt a bit better. And then I was sent home. Just like that I was a cyborg on the pump.

I confess - despite being a biologist (Professor) and having lots of knowledge about how these things work, I spent the rest of the day kind of freaking out with a tube connected to my belly fat. Nothing rational in the freak out session - just felt weird being connected to this pump when normally I would just give a shot and then be "free." Oh well, we will see how it goes. I even went from the doctor's office to a meeting I had on my campus about teaching a new course and managed to not completely flip out and run out of the meeting.

And then I went home and kind of sulked around the house while I tried to figure this thing out. So - not too bad but not sure I like this thing. When using injections between shots I could at least pretend to be somewhat normal. Now with a tube sticking into my side that is not going to happen.