I get out of bed at 6:58 and stumble into the bathroom. I grab the PDA and a test strip to test my BG. It is 167 mg/dl. A little higher then I like, so the PDA calculates a correction of 1.3 units of insulin. It is Saturday, I need to start moving I have a busy day schedule.
A big ride is on for today, but first I have to change the oil in the motorbike. I rack the motorbike and start the oil draining process.
At 8:00, I go inside and eat some breakfast with an estimated 45 carbs and an a bolus of 3.75 units. Then back to the garage to finish the oil change. New oil and a new filter. Wipe down the bike and take it off the rack and back it out of the garage.
Hairy Saddle stops by, he is going on the ride with me. Hairy takes a VROD for a quick spin and then he takes the Ultra for a spin. We settle on Hairy riding the VROD.
Im am tingling and sweating, my BG feels low. I grab the PDA and test. 9:30 and my BG is 63 mg/dal. Shit, I grab a coke and down it quick. I can't ride with low BG.
A few minute later I am feeling better. I pack a couple of energy bars in my bag. Hairy and I head to the saloon to meet the rest of the riders.
The ride stops a break at 11:00. I grab my PDA and check my BG. 98 mg/dl is just about right. I grab half an energy bar and swallow it and chase it a drink of water. Back on the road. another two hours of riding and we stop for lunch near the Colorado and Wyoming boarder.
I am tired of check my BG. I am taking a day off. No more BG testing today.
I eat a hamburger and water for lunch. No fries or soda for lunch.
We ride another two hours and stop for a break. It is hot today. This may be the first 85 degree day in the past month and a half. I drink more water and soak my banana in water and wrap it around my neck to stay cool.
Another two hours of riding and I am home. It has been a long hot day of riding. We did some tough riding, but had laughs and great scenery along the way.
I get home and take a shower and drink more water.
I can't take it anymore. Not knowing where my BG is, so at 6:07 I test and find my BG is 188 mg/dl. The PDA suggests 1.75 units for a correction.
I really wanted to take a day off from my diabetes. No testing, no worrying, no concerns, but I couldn't do it. I did manage to take 7 hours off, sort of. I may have been cautious on what I ate for lunch.
So, I guess I really didn't take a day off, but I did take a few hours off and it was a good day!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
I want my Insulin back
Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee…..
My OmniPod has an issue. I grab the PDA and turn it on. Beep Beep it goes and I see the message. OmniPod insulin delivery has stopped, please change pods.
OK, I will change the pod. I put a new pod on and all is good.
Three days later it is time to change the pod, so I go through the normal pod changing process. Shut down the old pod, load the new pod, prime the new pod, attach the new pod, then start the new pod. However, as the pod is priming, about three quarters of the way through: Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee…..
The error message; OmniPod insulin delivery has stopped, please change pods, is displayed.
OK, so I will start over with a new Pod. I just lost 125 units of Insulin that is in the bad pod.
I fill it up with 125 units of Humalog and start the priming process, again. Shortly after starting the priming process: Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee…..
The error message; OmniPod insulin delivery has stopped, please change pods, is displayed.
WTF! Another bad pod and another 125 units of Humalog. Lost.
If I count all three pods with errors, I am now down 375 units of Humalog, almost a whole vial of insulin is wasted. There are 500 units in my Humalog vials.
I grab another pod and fill it up with 125 units and start the priming sequence. This one completes the sequence and is ready to be applied. I peel the backing paper off the tape and apply the pod to a freshly shaven and sterilized spot on my arm.
Is there any way I can recover the lost insulin from the pods?
I took one of the trashed pods and tried to withdraw the insulin inside. My first attempt didn’t work. On the second attempt I injected some air into the pod and then I managed to get a little insulin out of the pod. On the third attempt I inject 125 units of air into the pod and withdrew 100 units of insulin. Excellent, I can recover the lost insulin, or most of it from a pod that has stopped working.
Now, can I recover the lost pods?
I call Insulet’s 800 number and I give them the lot number of the pods. I read the error messages to them from the PDA and they credit my account with 3 pods. Double Excellent.
I can recover the insulin and I can get credit for the pods. Probably some health organization somewhere would not want me to recover the insulin due to contamination in the pod. The pods should be sterile inside the insulin container. It would also be good to only use this process on a newly dysfunctional pod, before it was taped to a body. I wouldn’t want to get an infection and I don’t want to lose a pod because the insulin went bad.
My OmniPod has an issue. I grab the PDA and turn it on. Beep Beep it goes and I see the message. OmniPod insulin delivery has stopped, please change pods.
OK, I will change the pod. I put a new pod on and all is good.
Three days later it is time to change the pod, so I go through the normal pod changing process. Shut down the old pod, load the new pod, prime the new pod, attach the new pod, then start the new pod. However, as the pod is priming, about three quarters of the way through: Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee…..
The error message; OmniPod insulin delivery has stopped, please change pods, is displayed.
OK, so I will start over with a new Pod. I just lost 125 units of Insulin that is in the bad pod.
I fill it up with 125 units of Humalog and start the priming process, again. Shortly after starting the priming process: Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee…..
The error message; OmniPod insulin delivery has stopped, please change pods, is displayed.
WTF! Another bad pod and another 125 units of Humalog. Lost.
If I count all three pods with errors, I am now down 375 units of Humalog, almost a whole vial of insulin is wasted. There are 500 units in my Humalog vials.
I grab another pod and fill it up with 125 units and start the priming sequence. This one completes the sequence and is ready to be applied. I peel the backing paper off the tape and apply the pod to a freshly shaven and sterilized spot on my arm.
Is there any way I can recover the lost insulin from the pods?
I took one of the trashed pods and tried to withdraw the insulin inside. My first attempt didn’t work. On the second attempt I injected some air into the pod and then I managed to get a little insulin out of the pod. On the third attempt I inject 125 units of air into the pod and withdrew 100 units of insulin. Excellent, I can recover the lost insulin, or most of it from a pod that has stopped working.
Now, can I recover the lost pods?
I call Insulet’s 800 number and I give them the lot number of the pods. I read the error messages to them from the PDA and they credit my account with 3 pods. Double Excellent.
I can recover the insulin and I can get credit for the pods. Probably some health organization somewhere would not want me to recover the insulin due to contamination in the pod. The pods should be sterile inside the insulin container. It would also be good to only use this process on a newly dysfunctional pod, before it was taped to a body. I wouldn’t want to get an infection and I don’t want to lose a pod because the insulin went bad.
Friday, June 12, 2009
My saddle really is sore!
Getting ready for the Saddle Sore 1000, I thought was going to be easy. Load your gear, fill up the motorbike and ride. It is only 18 hours of riding time, how hard can it be? I will use my CGM to make sure I don’t go low or high, but it will need to be easy to use. I can’t hang the CGM on my belt. It could vibrate off and I can’t get to it with one hand. So, the question is: How can I use my CGM on the motorbike with ease?
I need to mount it on the motorbike, where I can see it and press the buttons with my left hand. It has to be in range of the transmitter
Sifting through the web sites, I found a cell phone holder that would hold the Guardian CGM. It will keep it secure and it is easily accessible.
I order the holder. A week later it arrives in the mail and I mount it on the motorbike. I take it out for a spin and it is working great. I am still a little nervous, maybe paranoid that it will vibrate off, so I pick up some Velcro straps and secure the CGM a little more. The next test run it is working better. I can push the buttons and see my BG. Fantastic!
The very next week the battery in the transmitter for the sensor stops working. I won’t be using the CGM on the Saddle Sore 1000.
The plan for the ride is coming together with the rest of the guys. All of our wives/girlfriends said they didn’t want to ride along. There was going to be too much riding and not enough stopping for them.
The guys got together on Thursday night for a planning session. Snake bite, Hairy Saddle, Tooth Ache join me in my garage to lay out the details of our travels. Big Red doesn’t make the meeting, because he has ridden his motorbike to Arizona for vacation.
The morning of the Saddle Sore 1000, we meet at the gas station at 3:45AM. A couple of minutes before 4:00AM we fill up with gas and file the receipts for documentation. Take a picture in the early morning darkness and start the run.
Every 150 miles we stop to fill up with gas. We take a few minutes to stretch, use the bathroom and check the directions. Everyone is hungry after the first fill up, but there is nothing at the location except a gas station. We head down the road and pull over in Big Creek, NE. to have breakfast.
150 miles and we stop to fill up. Quickly back on the bikes for another two hours down the road. Our third stop to fill up and we decide to skip lunch and keep going. I check my BG at every stop. I don’t want to Hypo while on the road. Skipping lunch is dangerous, but can be done. A big breakfast helps with not having lunch. I pick up some nuts and some sour candy to keep me going, both from a BG perspective and to help keep me awake on the motorbike.
The seventh stop puts us in eastern Iowa. It seemed like it took forever, to get through Nebraska and into Iowa. At this stop everyone was tired and we all grabbed some kind of energy drink. Stretched a little more and stood around the station a little longer. On more leg of the journey and we would get gas and eat dinner. My BG is good and I grabbed a few more nuts to eat along the way.
A stop in Rock Falls, IL should give us the gas to make it all the way into Milwaukee, WI. Grab some dinner and hit the road. We managed to get turned around in Rock Falls until we discovered a GPS setting that was keeping us from getting to our destination. The GPS was set to avoid toll roads. We needed to be on a toll road to get to Milwaukee. The GPS had us winding through towns and neighbored hoods. The GPS setting was fixed and we made it back on to the highway.
Last stop for this journey is the gas station in Milwaukee, WI. Just before 2:00AM central time. Twenty one hours over all to go 1000 miles on the motorbikes. But, Hey, I get a pen and a patch and a certificate for the Saddle Sore 1000. Not to mention how sore my but is after sitting in the saddle that long.
Now we get some sleep and do a little sight seeing then turn around and head for home. Yeeeeh ha..
I need to mount it on the motorbike, where I can see it and press the buttons with my left hand. It has to be in range of the transmitter
Sifting through the web sites, I found a cell phone holder that would hold the Guardian CGM. It will keep it secure and it is easily accessible.
I order the holder. A week later it arrives in the mail and I mount it on the motorbike. I take it out for a spin and it is working great. I am still a little nervous, maybe paranoid that it will vibrate off, so I pick up some Velcro straps and secure the CGM a little more. The next test run it is working better. I can push the buttons and see my BG. Fantastic!
The very next week the battery in the transmitter for the sensor stops working. I won’t be using the CGM on the Saddle Sore 1000.
The plan for the ride is coming together with the rest of the guys. All of our wives/girlfriends said they didn’t want to ride along. There was going to be too much riding and not enough stopping for them.
The guys got together on Thursday night for a planning session. Snake bite, Hairy Saddle, Tooth Ache join me in my garage to lay out the details of our travels. Big Red doesn’t make the meeting, because he has ridden his motorbike to Arizona for vacation.
The morning of the Saddle Sore 1000, we meet at the gas station at 3:45AM. A couple of minutes before 4:00AM we fill up with gas and file the receipts for documentation. Take a picture in the early morning darkness and start the run.
Every 150 miles we stop to fill up with gas. We take a few minutes to stretch, use the bathroom and check the directions. Everyone is hungry after the first fill up, but there is nothing at the location except a gas station. We head down the road and pull over in Big Creek, NE. to have breakfast.
150 miles and we stop to fill up. Quickly back on the bikes for another two hours down the road. Our third stop to fill up and we decide to skip lunch and keep going. I check my BG at every stop. I don’t want to Hypo while on the road. Skipping lunch is dangerous, but can be done. A big breakfast helps with not having lunch. I pick up some nuts and some sour candy to keep me going, both from a BG perspective and to help keep me awake on the motorbike.
The seventh stop puts us in eastern Iowa. It seemed like it took forever, to get through Nebraska and into Iowa. At this stop everyone was tired and we all grabbed some kind of energy drink. Stretched a little more and stood around the station a little longer. On more leg of the journey and we would get gas and eat dinner. My BG is good and I grabbed a few more nuts to eat along the way.
A stop in Rock Falls, IL should give us the gas to make it all the way into Milwaukee, WI. Grab some dinner and hit the road. We managed to get turned around in Rock Falls until we discovered a GPS setting that was keeping us from getting to our destination. The GPS was set to avoid toll roads. We needed to be on a toll road to get to Milwaukee. The GPS had us winding through towns and neighbored hoods. The GPS setting was fixed and we made it back on to the highway.
Last stop for this journey is the gas station in Milwaukee, WI. Just before 2:00AM central time. Twenty one hours over all to go 1000 miles on the motorbikes. But, Hey, I get a pen and a patch and a certificate for the Saddle Sore 1000. Not to mention how sore my but is after sitting in the saddle that long.
Now we get some sleep and do a little sight seeing then turn around and head for home. Yeeeeh ha..
Thursday, June 11, 2009
No Transmitter yet!
It has been a month and I still don't have a transmitter. I am back to sticking my finger several times a day. I should stick more, I realized as I looked at my charts from the OmniPod Personal Diabetes Assistant (PDA). I was getting ready to visit the Dr. and I wanted to have my story ready for any potential bad news. As I looked at the charts I realized I was not testing enough. With the CGM I would pull it out of my pocket and take a quick look. Without the CGM I have to stick myself, and we all hate to do that. But, I need to control the BG, so I better get busy and start sticking myself.
At the rate the insurance and MedTronic are moving I will have my next quarterly check up with the Dr. I did good at this last visit my A1C was 6.9, that was down from 7.5 last time. I had a complete quarterly cycle on the OmniPod pump, without adjustments to insulin dosage or medication changes, so this is a good indication that I am tuned in correctly on the OmniPod, at least for now.
A month without the CGM means that I have not had the fun of shoving a big needle in my stomach to get the sensor inserted. I really liked the convince of the CGM. Quick and easy to read. I really hated the insertion of the sensor.
I could get use to not having a sensor, after all, it has been a month! The real test will be at the next check up, to see what my A1C percentage is.
MedTonic better get busy or they just might lose a CGM customer.
At the rate the insurance and MedTronic are moving I will have my next quarterly check up with the Dr. I did good at this last visit my A1C was 6.9, that was down from 7.5 last time. I had a complete quarterly cycle on the OmniPod pump, without adjustments to insulin dosage or medication changes, so this is a good indication that I am tuned in correctly on the OmniPod, at least for now.
A month without the CGM means that I have not had the fun of shoving a big needle in my stomach to get the sensor inserted. I really liked the convince of the CGM. Quick and easy to read. I really hated the insertion of the sensor.
I could get use to not having a sensor, after all, it has been a month! The real test will be at the next check up, to see what my A1C percentage is.
MedTonic better get busy or they just might lose a CGM customer.
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