5 weeks of pumping.
2 shots by pen from site problems.
4 untreated highs at school.
2 lows on the bus on the way home (that she treated herself)
3 hyper-ventiliating episodes before site changes.
1 pulled out site from playing rough with her sister.
And:
2 Boston Cream donuts from Tim Hortons (the first in over a year).
3 Birthday party's eating whatever she wants.
1 family supper out at Pizza Delight.
50 carbs for recess on the last day of school before Easter Break.
The freedom to be a kid again.....Priceless!
We are still having some high, highs, and a few low, lows, and learning what works best for us, but for now, Amy says she would never go back.
Thank you to everyone who have shown us support in the last few weeks. Its' much appreciated.
We fly to the city Monday for her quarterly check up, and hopefully a demo of the new Enlite Sensors so we can start the next step.
Happy Easter!
Thursday, 28 March 2013
Sunday, 17 March 2013
The other end of the spectrum
I've posted about Amy's lows before, but not much about highs.
Before she started pumping 3weeks ago, she frequently had highs at 2pm. I'm talking the 17-22 range (300-400). I was close to requesting a change of therapy to Multiple Daily Injections (MDI), had we not started seriously looking into the pump when we did.
I hadn't really seen numbers like that since switching. Unfortunately today was one of those days. She was 17 (300) a few times today, and was due for a site change.
We effortlessly changed the site today without much fuss. Then headed to my parents house for cooked dinner. Complete with Lemon Cake and green coloured lemon pudding frosting. Delicious!
Before Bedtime she was 24 (432). I gave the recommended correction, tested for ketones (0.1) and tucked her into bed with the promise to recheck in an hour.
25. 5(460)!!!
I gave a correction with our handy dandy insulin pen that I'd changed the insulin in yesterday, and we woke her up to change the site.
She was a real trooper!
There didn't appear to be anything wrong with the site. It bled a little when we removed the cannula, but didn't appear bent or anything.
We have no idea why it didn't seem to be working.
That's my new pet peeve.....site changes that shouldn't be!
Going to be a bit of a long night of testing I guess.
Thursday, 14 March 2013
Don't beat yourself up
So we're 3 weeks in to using the pump now. It's by no means perfect. I don't think it's her basals, but we haven't had a good opportunity to test them properly. I do find that if I correct her at night though, she tends to go to low for comfort before morning, but if she is at a good number at bedtime, then she has a good night. There is a long time between bedtime and morning (for the sleeping child, not the testing mom!) as she goes to bed at 7:30pm and gets up at 6:00am.
Last night she wanted multigrain cheerios for bedtime snack. They have some sugar as compared to the regular cheerios, but she likes them, so I thought why not? She scarfed down 1 c cheerios, 1/2 c milk and a marble cheese string before heading in to brush her teeth and get ready for a new Pinkalicious book we'd bought at the bookfair.
At 11pm she was 11.5 (207). Not really high, but this new ability to correct her readings before they get out of control was at my fingertips. I corrected. Not even thinking that it was a spike from eating cereal and that it would likely come down on its own. At 3am she was 5.3 (95), so I set a small, lower temp basal for 1 hour. I woke up at 5am out of the blue to a beep! beep! beep! I had no idea what it was but immediately jumped out of bed to check the pump. (as an aside, I don't think I've heard the pump alarm yet, and that's what I thought, turns out there was a loader on our street clearing up some slushy snow) It wasn't the pump, but I decided to check her sigar anyway, it was 4.5(81). hmmmm.....maybe I should have set that basal for longer. I set another one and went back to bed, but not to sleep, for the next hour.
At 6am, she was 4.1 (73) so I gave her a yogurt drink to tie her over until breakfast. She wanted....yup, you guessed it! CHEERIOS!
The whole point of my post, was that I was reading Hallie's most recent post over at The Princess and the Pump about not beating yourself up. Here I was lying in bed for that hour, beating myself up about treating the cereal spike, not setting the temp basal for long enough, and for feeling like I don't know enough about pumping yet to have the type of control that I would like to have. When none of that really matters because I'm doing the best I can.
And I know this because after Amy drank her yogurt drink this morning, she called me back into her room, she reached her little girl arms up around my neck, smiled at me and said "you're the BEST mom ever! Thank you for taking such good care of me!"
And that's all that matters!
Last night she wanted multigrain cheerios for bedtime snack. They have some sugar as compared to the regular cheerios, but she likes them, so I thought why not? She scarfed down 1 c cheerios, 1/2 c milk and a marble cheese string before heading in to brush her teeth and get ready for a new Pinkalicious book we'd bought at the bookfair.
At 11pm she was 11.5 (207). Not really high, but this new ability to correct her readings before they get out of control was at my fingertips. I corrected. Not even thinking that it was a spike from eating cereal and that it would likely come down on its own. At 3am she was 5.3 (95), so I set a small, lower temp basal for 1 hour. I woke up at 5am out of the blue to a beep! beep! beep! I had no idea what it was but immediately jumped out of bed to check the pump. (as an aside, I don't think I've heard the pump alarm yet, and that's what I thought, turns out there was a loader on our street clearing up some slushy snow) It wasn't the pump, but I decided to check her sigar anyway, it was 4.5(81). hmmmm.....maybe I should have set that basal for longer. I set another one and went back to bed, but not to sleep, for the next hour.
At 6am, she was 4.1 (73) so I gave her a yogurt drink to tie her over until breakfast. She wanted....yup, you guessed it! CHEERIOS!
The whole point of my post, was that I was reading Hallie's most recent post over at The Princess and the Pump about not beating yourself up. Here I was lying in bed for that hour, beating myself up about treating the cereal spike, not setting the temp basal for long enough, and for feeling like I don't know enough about pumping yet to have the type of control that I would like to have. When none of that really matters because I'm doing the best I can.
And I know this because after Amy drank her yogurt drink this morning, she called me back into her room, she reached her little girl arms up around my neck, smiled at me and said "you're the BEST mom ever! Thank you for taking such good care of me!"
And that's all that matters!
Monday, 11 March 2013
Enlite Glucose Sensor
Finally!
Many people have been waiting for the new Glucose Sensors that function with the Medtronic MiniMed Paradigm Veo insulin pump and integrated Continuous Glucose Monitor. From what I understand, the MiniLink transmitter will remain the same, but will use the new (to Canada) Enlite Glucose Sensor.
The approval from Health Canada came through on Friday, February 15th, just days before we started training for the pump.
Initially, we were going to start it all up at the same time, but deferred starting the CGM component until the new sensors were approved. We had heard that inserting the old sensors were painful and a little traumatic for kids, and didn't want to turn Amy off from pumping entirely because she didn't like the sensors. The old sensor needed to be inserted at the 45-60 degree angle and had a canula length of 14mm, and needed to be changed every 3 days.
The new sensor is inserted at 90 degrees, has a 9mm canula length and lasts for 6 days.
I'm took this from the Medtronic Australasia site and am hoping it is the same one that Health Canada has approved.
With any luck, we will be starting this within the next month.
Added to Post March 12, 2013:
Medtronic has added the learning module for the Enlite Sensor to the My Learning educational training modules. From what I can tell, it is going to be the same as what has been released overseas.
Many people have been waiting for the new Glucose Sensors that function with the Medtronic MiniMed Paradigm Veo insulin pump and integrated Continuous Glucose Monitor. From what I understand, the MiniLink transmitter will remain the same, but will use the new (to Canada) Enlite Glucose Sensor.
The approval from Health Canada came through on Friday, February 15th, just days before we started training for the pump.
Initially, we were going to start it all up at the same time, but deferred starting the CGM component until the new sensors were approved. We had heard that inserting the old sensors were painful and a little traumatic for kids, and didn't want to turn Amy off from pumping entirely because she didn't like the sensors. The old sensor needed to be inserted at the 45-60 degree angle and had a canula length of 14mm, and needed to be changed every 3 days.
The new sensor is inserted at 90 degrees, has a 9mm canula length and lasts for 6 days.
With any luck, we will be starting this within the next month.
Added to Post March 12, 2013:
Medtronic has added the learning module for the Enlite Sensor to the My Learning educational training modules. From what I can tell, it is going to be the same as what has been released overseas.
Check out this Giveaway
So most people know I'm very new at the DOC, and am still feeling my way around.
One blog that I frequently visit is D-Mom Blog, the author of Kids First, Diabetes Second.
Right now she has a giveaway on from her recent Book Review Post about the latest book by CDE Gary Scheiner. I've started reading Think Like a Pancreas, which is described as an essential book to have in your diabetes library.
I would personally love to add Until There is a Cure to my own library, and if I'm not lucky enough to win it through Leighann's giveaway, I will definitely be purchasing it.
Good Luck everyone!
One blog that I frequently visit is D-Mom Blog, the author of Kids First, Diabetes Second.
Right now she has a giveaway on from her recent Book Review Post about the latest book by CDE Gary Scheiner. I've started reading Think Like a Pancreas, which is described as an essential book to have in your diabetes library.
I would personally love to add Until There is a Cure to my own library, and if I'm not lucky enough to win it through Leighann's giveaway, I will definitely be purchasing it.
Good Luck everyone!
Sunday, 3 March 2013
Down she goes!
I had to come home from work early friday.
I received a call from the school. They told me that Amy was low before dismissal, they treated with a Jr. Juice, but there wasn't enough time to retest before the bus left. They were calling to let me know that she needed to be retested when she got home. She was 3.3 before juice and would be on the bus for the next 40mins.
I thought about leaving work and chasing down the bus like the crazy women I felt at the moment, but in all honesty, had no idea what the route was. I called my caregiver and asked her to test Amy the minute she walked in the door. The minute! I then spent the next 30 or so biting my nails waiting for the phone to ring.
3.5. WHAT!
Give her some skittles and call me back in 15min.
3.9. WHAT! WHAT! I......I'll be there in a minute! (I literally live about 5 mins away from the hospital where I work).
I took off out the door, got on my cell before leaving the parking lot and explained to my mom (who cares for the girls during the day and after school) how to suspend the pump.
When I came in, I decided to wait a few mins before giving her anything else, hoping that the Jr Juice and skittles would do their stuff.
next test.....3.1. What the heck, she went down some more....and isn't hooked up right now since I'd taken it off to upload what had happened at school during the day.
Okay. Lets have a koolaid jammer.
Next test....10.something.
So, I hooked her back up. She was at a good reading for supper, and I'll be, she was under 4.0 again before bedtime.
That's when it came to me.....she had gym that day. She'd had gym three other days that week and it didn't seem to affect her, but today......
I had a look at the daily summary when I loaded it. She had a little peak after lunch, then its like a linear line down until she bottomed out. I'm not sure how to go from here as the other gym days didn't have this happen. Its all so new to us too.
I also, have to go to the school. We hadn't specifically covered what to do if she was having a low right at bus time. Just that if she was below a certain level to give a snack. I think I will be telling them, if it looks like she will miss the bus for anything diabetes related....call me. I'll come get her.
On another note, Amy enjoyed her first Tim Horton's Boston Cream Donut since being diagnosed last year. She tells me that the pump is totally worth it!
I received a call from the school. They told me that Amy was low before dismissal, they treated with a Jr. Juice, but there wasn't enough time to retest before the bus left. They were calling to let me know that she needed to be retested when she got home. She was 3.3 before juice and would be on the bus for the next 40mins.
I thought about leaving work and chasing down the bus like the crazy women I felt at the moment, but in all honesty, had no idea what the route was. I called my caregiver and asked her to test Amy the minute she walked in the door. The minute! I then spent the next 30 or so biting my nails waiting for the phone to ring.
3.5. WHAT!
Give her some skittles and call me back in 15min.
3.9. WHAT! WHAT! I......I'll be there in a minute! (I literally live about 5 mins away from the hospital where I work).
I took off out the door, got on my cell before leaving the parking lot and explained to my mom (who cares for the girls during the day and after school) how to suspend the pump.
When I came in, I decided to wait a few mins before giving her anything else, hoping that the Jr Juice and skittles would do their stuff.
next test.....3.1. What the heck, she went down some more....and isn't hooked up right now since I'd taken it off to upload what had happened at school during the day.
Okay. Lets have a koolaid jammer.
Next test....10.something.
So, I hooked her back up. She was at a good reading for supper, and I'll be, she was under 4.0 again before bedtime.
That's when it came to me.....she had gym that day. She'd had gym three other days that week and it didn't seem to affect her, but today......
I had a look at the daily summary when I loaded it. She had a little peak after lunch, then its like a linear line down until she bottomed out. I'm not sure how to go from here as the other gym days didn't have this happen. Its all so new to us too.
I also, have to go to the school. We hadn't specifically covered what to do if she was having a low right at bus time. Just that if she was below a certain level to give a snack. I think I will be telling them, if it looks like she will miss the bus for anything diabetes related....call me. I'll come get her.
On another note, Amy enjoyed her first Tim Horton's Boston Cream Donut since being diagnosed last year. She tells me that the pump is totally worth it!
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