Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Site Change-Oh the Drama!

I will first admit that I do not follow the "You must change your site every 2-3 days" Rule...I usually linger somewhere between 5 and 6 days. I have the MiniMed 722, so it holds 300 units of insulin, and my old pump also held 300 units, which means that I can get away with it. After about 5 or 6 years of pumping, so far so good. I have had a few minor "infections" but nothing serious that didn't clear up immediately.

Back to the point: I had my first site change with my NEW pump yesterday. Ok, I am a slow and methodical injection giver and I am also a slow and methodical pump site changer...which means I change spots at even the smallest glimmer of it beginning to hurt. It really is a tedious process that has reduced me to tears on more than one occassion, and, I will admit, although less frequently, I have been reduced to angry tantrums...

Well, my new pump comes with this great and neat little do hickey that will automatically inject it like a trigger (I am sure many of you diabetics know what I mean). Well, first, I told them to not even send it to me...I wanted NOTHING to do with it!! There is nothing slow, methodical, nor is there any possibility to move sites at the sign of pain with this little blue contraption...and I apparently like torture. Well of course they sent it.

Needless to say it took me around 15 minutes of holding it to my stomach saying, "I can't do it, I can't do it" "Honey, don't look at me!" "I can't do it" "I am not brave at all"...not quite in tears, but if it had gone on much longer, they would have been inevitable... (oh, have I reminded you lately that I am almost 27 and have had diabetes for 17 years??)

I think my husband (honey, hon) must have thought he married a baby...a scared little braveless baby. And to be honest, I felt like one.

Finally, somehow, and only God knows how, I did it. "Is it in???" "It's in!!" "That wasn't bad..."

Isn't that how they always say it goes...doesn't matter, I'll see you in 5-6 days with clamy hands, almost in tears and mumbling things like a child...

1 comment:

Unknown said...

I definitely was this way when I did my first site with the new ones that just automatically do it for you. Now there is no other way I would do it, though!

Your story sounds so much similar to my own. And I too am doing my best to get back on track! Good job! You are doing great! :D