Pumping!

[Sugarbum]

Vista-gate

An update from me!

After 34 minutes on the phone to Medtronic I am now on careline! Phew! I was starting to think it may never happen but (from the 0.1 seconds of the conversation I understood) its evil VISTA's fault. Ho-hum, its all graph-tastic here anyway....I am being blinded by trends, reviews, stats, dots (some very big ones ) averages and every symbol under the sun. The great thing about all these options as the lady said is to save all your uploads in the statistic data which has all your pump settings in so if they ever need to send you a replacement pump or replace it completely, you have a current file on your computer you can copy your settings to (please dont ever let this happen to me, my blood pressure wont allow it!). But great, now my DSN has access to it from the hospital and is going to log in at her end whenever we have a phone consultation. Amazing hey?

I am still getting a variety of blood glucose results, probably the majority out of range (my top of range is set up to 7.8mmols). I am not dispondant, I wasnt expecting this to instantly change my diabetes to I am still chipping away.

Tuesday I was back to work and managed alright. Being so active again I had some great numbers there and I was really busy. I kept my BM monitor in my pocket and kept tabs on what was going on. At 12.30 I was 6.3mmols with active insulin on board, I felt this was crash me I was flying about giving florence nightingale a run for her money and no time to eat. So, I went for TEMP BASAL, virtually removing my background to its lowest setting 0.025u/hr for 2.5 hours and I am pretty sure that this saved me a hypo until I ate at 2pm. Useful function! My first temp basal!

Just a thing I noticed though, my work place is loud, I didnt hear any bleep (I am set already on the loudest which is still quiet) throughout the day. I had BG and missed bolus reminders set. In the afternoon I switched the function to vibrate, it didnt make any difference. Unlike a mobile set on vibrate it does one short buzz. Im not suprised I didnt notice the pump. There is nothing I can do about that I conclude. But if I was to say something bad on the part of Medtronic (I have a lot of medtronical love right now) I am disapointed in the alarms function (sorry medtronic!).

This week, l am trying to get my face buried in my books I bought on pumping. I shall get further in this later today I hope but I am really enjoying the Insulin Pump Therapy Demistified by Gabrielle Kaplan Mayer.Im about a third the way through but I like the style even though of course it the experience of an american through their system, but its nicely written. Easy reading in any case if anyone fancies it. So far I would recommend it. It is for people also 'thinking' about pumping too so not all one sided.

Today I received the easy-lift spray that Adrienne recommended, that was quick! My next set change if on scedule wont be until the day after tomorrow so will experiement with that then. Looks good though.

This afternoon I am off to the gym for the first time since I got my pump 😱Woops. I hope I can remember where it is!

Lots of love to everyone, I will log on this evening and read up on Mand and Patricia! xx

 

[Patricia]

Hey Louisa -- just to say well done you for plugging on. You are succeeding! Your energy and positive outlook are just a joy to read -- and the humour is SO welcome!

We can't seem to do the Carelink thing -- -- being Mac users. Do you know anything about that?! I really think the upload thing would be great, cos at the moment we keep these fairly detailed excel charts with all levels and all changes, and all bgls etc...it's a bit intensive, and I'd like to lift the load off my husband!

Keep going! Look forward to hearing more and more...

xxoo

 

[Sugarbum]

Hey Louisa -- just to say well done you for plugging on. You are succeeding! Your energy and positive outlook are just a joy to read -- and the humour is SO welcome!

We can't seem to do the Carelink thing -- -- being Mac users. Do you know anything about that?! I really think the upload thing would be great, cos at the moment we keep these fairly detailed excel charts with all levels and all changes, and all bgls etc...it's a bit intensive, and I'd like to lift the load off my husband!

Keep going! Look forward to hearing more and more...

xxoo

Patricia, bad news....just checked that for you in the CareLink brochure and system requirements specifically state not for Mac. Thats a real shame. I was looking at my results on those graphs and its very inspiring to me to get tighter control it spurred me on a little.

Medtronics technical department were option 2, then option 2 again on their main number which you probably have (01923 205167) if you want to give them a buzz to see if there is any alternative, but I suspect there isnt. Its another example of Mac discrimination again, I bet you see that every so often 😡

xx

 

[Sugarbum]

We have a breakthrough!

I just got this in response to the profile I ut on insulin pumpers to join their discussion group last night and email circle....

Hi Louisa, shout if you continue to have problems setting up the Carelink
software, I went through that particular mill myself and actually now have
it set up perfectly on my Mac, which Medtronic say is not possible. They
were even more useless than usual when I requested technical assistance in
sorting the whole PC thing out. Best wishes, Jo

I will send Jo an email and see whats occurring in mac-land and get back to you! x

 

[Mand]

Hi Lou

Great to read your update! I am so interested in everything that you have to say. Glad things are going well for you on the whole! As always, i just love your sense of humour. Let's face it, if you can have a laugh then life is so much more pleasant, no matter what you are dealing with!

I agree with you about the alarms on the veo pump. My son also finds them too quiet, especially if they go off at break or lunchtime when the school so noisy. Pity it cannot be put onto vibrate as well as sound.

Please keep your posts coming. I read them avidly, as i do with Patricias posts.

Love Mand x 🙂

 

[Patricia]

Hey Louisa

How's it hangin?

Have missed your posts... Any news on the Mac front? Wow! That would be so great...We spend quite a lot of headspace and actual time dealing with our spreadsheets; downloading would be such a breakthrough...

How are things going for you?

xxoo

 

[Mand]

I second what Patricia says - How are you doing? 🙂 xx 🙂

 

[Sugarbum]

Am I "Swi-po"??? Oink.

Hi all,

Oh dear....not doing so well all of a sudden and a little down in the dumps (I dont like feeling this way!). Trying my best not to get tooooooo gloomy....

I have had 6 hypos in 4 days, which is getting me down a little. I wasnt really a frequent hypo-er on MDI (mainly only in relation to gym) and this is a bit much. I am also less symptomatic which is troublesome. I was hoping on monday when I had a day off that going to the gym (the first time since my pump) would cheer me up. But I was 30 mins into not particually strenuous exercise and I was hypo so stopped, went upstairs and read my book on pumping instead. I was actually on the chapter on "sex and the pump" which I found funny in some ways (!) so that cheered me up. God I hope no-one was looking over my shoulder 🙄


"Pointless" should be defined as doing 30 minutes on the treadmill, burning 300 calories on the monitor, having a hypo and then drinking exactly 300 calories of lucozade to correct the hypo....

I got really busy at work yesterday and bolused in the evening for my food and meant to set another temp basal and got distracted to do something and didnt temp basal again. Later on after work I was 2.9 with not really any symptoms (I was already tired) so really frustrated with myself. I am working next on Friday and I am seriously thinking of an 8 hour temp basal of 0.025 as I dont think particually I need anything. The 0.025 will just keep my line patent.

Today also I am mightly annoyed because I have sore throat, earache and headache, I think I have a fever but dont have a thermometer. Probably no great shock as my everyday at work is spent looking after people with swine flu (or as we like to call out department now, "the Pig Farm"😱). Over half of my team now have it, as thats all we seem to deal with now, despite our greatest efforts. I am increasingly annoyed as "I" consider myself myself to be high risk and I dont think my management give two blooming hoots about me being exposed to it all the time...I was just chatting to a mate on the blower and she has just volunteered to be my "flu-friend"! How sweet is that? Flu-friend is the one to go and get the Tamiflu for you and go and put it through my letterbox! Friends.....you just cant get by without them.

Anyway, there is of course a significant possibility this is a manifestation of rubbish in my head! It is an occupational hazzard that if I have so much as a headache I think I have a subarrachnoid haemorrage. This could just be a sore throat from talking too much yesterday and my usual hayfever, so I have taken 2 paracetamol and will see how I go....

Can anyone enlighten me how long the last of the four sections for the battery power might go on for please? Been on the last section for about 4 days. I have the spare with me at all times, ready for that quick change but the anticipation of my first battery change is on-going!

With regards to Mac users and Carelink, this is the response I got from this fella on the pumpers email forum....(is this in English?)

Glad you got Carelink sorted, Medtronic don't make it easy. Their platform
dependency makes little sense given that the site uses Java. I think they're
just lazy...

I fear I may have over-egged the Mac "solution", but it certainly works for
me: I use VMware Fusion to run Windows XP on my Mac, Parallels is a similar
bit of software that essentially does the same, or your friend could also
try Bootcamp. So I'm still sort of using Windows, but on my Mac (and
consequently MUCH faster). My very nice DSN gave me a Carelink USB stick
that Medtronic wanted to charge me ?60 for, and that was the final piece of
the puzzle as the COMLink is useless on a Mac.


....Patricia I can see the words and sentances but it means nothing to me! I am with the top line only. I would suggest asking for an interpretation from Northerner if you find the same! Call me primative, but I thought Bootcamp was something to do with the army?

Sorry I havent been around for a few days, I have been in and out but also a little hypo so havent written. Will endevour to catch up with you all today.

Hope everyone is well.

Farmer Lou xx

 

[Patricia]

Hi Lou

Lordy, means nothing to me...will pass onto Mac-ed up other half -- thanks for the effort!!!

Firstly: get on phone to your DSN about having different basal rates for different situations! We only have three so far, but they are completely invaluable! You need different patterns for work and not-work.

I'm so sorry you are having so many hypos -- this should not be so on a pump! But we have had these times too, and changed basal rates and they've sorted. Don't be satisfied with this! Try for an overall change of some sort...I'll wait to hear.

Re swine flu: well, snap. I am in and out of bed all today, don't know why. Ancient thermometer shows no real temp, only slight sore throat, but feeling totally ache-y and wiped out, weirdly dizzy, and absolutely shattered. I mean, really. E and dad few days ago had upset-ish tummies for a day, and dad also had sore throat/headache...so maybe. Maybe not. No idea. Do I phone the doc or not? Would rather have this now than in 3 months, rather E get it now, but...

Lordy. Again.

Please get the hypo situation looked at Lou -- there is help! You mustn't persist with this. You can set up lots of different patterns.

I understand losing track of temp basal though -- note same thing on my thread! Argh. I'm guessing running a little lower overall means that there is less room for 'error' -- taking account of different situations becomes much more imperative?

And yes, we have found in a number of situations that E's awareness is variable on pump. Again, because numbers are lower generally. But I think the idea is that it's supposed to happen less often!

Keep in touch...

 

[Mand]

Hi Lou

Good to hear from you! So sorry to hear about all your hypos. I second what Patricias says - speak to your dsn. Lots of hypos should not be happening. We currently on three different basal rates throughout the 24hr period.

Hope you are not coming down with anything too serious but do let us know how you are and take very good care of yourself.

I do not like to think of you feeling so gloomy, so please seek advice and let us know how you get on.

Chin up, my friend and please keep in touch. x 🙂 x

 

[Patricia]

Quickly -- we are on five basal rates for one 24h period -- but also have developed three different patterns for the pump, eg school, weekend, and holiday, to take account of activity levels and time of waking/sleeping etc...In fact they don't vary hugely, but the times when the different rates occur do...Maybe I'll talk about this over on my thread when feeling better...

Hang in there Lou, and keep in touch.

 

[bev]

Hi Sugarbum!

Its ok to feel down once in a while - your always so cheerful and extremely humerous! From the tiny amount of knowledge i have about pumps it does sound as if the basal needs adjusting - like Mand and Patricia have both suggested. Can i ask - did you take the pump off for the exercise or temp basal? Also, on a pump, do you still need to have cereal bars etc for exercise - given the fact you can temp basal etc?Sorry if these are silly questions - i am just trying to get my head round it all!🙂

I hope you feel better soon and get your hypo's sorted out.🙂Bev x

 

[Sugarbum]

Thanks everyone for your replies!

I have spoken to my DSN this afternoon and she is going to see me tomorrow morning to get me going on the pattern function, one for work and one for home. Thanks goodness because I cant function on these numbers!

Oh and I dont have the swine flu- I dont think! Feel fine today so it must have just been a blip of feeling really run down and symptomatic. I have told my "flu-friend" to stand down! (....temporarilly).

Bev I took the pump off for the exercise, which this time was only a run on the treadmill. And to honest I could have easily have left it on. The "pump clip" that comes with the medtronic pump honestly is so strong I could have kept it on easily. I keep my pump in a mobile phone sock even with the clip on so it doesnt get sweaty, that would be my only concern.

My DSN on the phone said I need a temp basal prior to exercise. I shall try that. I would normally eat a special K bar (18gms) after excerise to keep me from hypo but that may not be necessary once I get this technique perfected. I would imagine your alex might be involved in more team sport/contact so you might need to consider taking it off. There is an activity guard enclosed with the pump when you get it, protects the battery from dislodging but you cant use it with the clip on, so not very useful for me.

I am enjoying a day running on the high for a change....started my sunny day off with a very large full english breakfast in the pub nextdoor, a real treat! Put a smile back on my face 🙂

xx

 

[Patricia]

Good to hear you sounding your cheerful self Louisa! Glad you're seeing the DSN tomorrow.

E takes his pump off for all school exercise for some reason, but with football in the garden over the weekend (plenty of bashing about) he didn't...Seems to vary. And has never come to harm. I also think (wrongly? I don't know) that taking it off for exercise feels sensible -- you are doing something to combat hypos by doing a short 'suspend' of it all...

Do try the temp basals. They work like a dream really...

xxoo

 

[Mand]

Yes, good to hear you sounding more cheerful, Lou! Let us know how you get on after seeing your dsn and setting up different patterns for home and work. You will get there eventually, so hang on in there!
Your breakfast sounds yummy!
Keep in touch! 🙂 xx🙂

 

[Sugarbum]

Thanks Mand! Am just searching for your thread! Have only just caught up with Patricia and feel very guilty!

Just incase I cant find it, how are you mand and hows it all going? Hope things are good. I want to know how its going!

Lots of love xxx Lou x

 

[Sugarbum]

Hi,

Just a quick line to say my lovely DSN saw me this morning and squeezed me in before her clinic which was really sweet- alot to be said for working in the same building!

She has set me on to "Patterns"! HUZZAH people and REJOICE!😛

Pattern A for work and I am still on that 24 hour rate. I am completely baffled as to what happens at midnight, the blooming manual doesnt tell me! I am so sad I might even have to to stay awake and see.....does it flip on to the standard pattern or will I stay on Pattern A until I manually change it? Oh well, I shall know in the morning....

...she also agrees I only need a 0.250u/hr basal at work! WOW! That is from 10:00-18:00. Great, although I feel somewhat of a diabetic fraud...😱 so I will experiment there. Great if I can perfect that one so I wont need to temp basal like a mad woman.

I had some strange numbers today, but I am happier I am all set up for sports and work. Phew, I think learned a lesson. I should have told her earlier in the week when I had my first blip. When she says call her anytime when I have a problem at the moment, thats cause she means it....durr!

Right bedtime (or 45 mins till my basal does something fancy!)

xXx

 

[Adrienne]

Well that is just fab stuff. The pattern will stay on until you change it manually so worry not.

As for having the same basal from 10 to 1800 you may be ok with that but I'll be surprised. You need to look for trends, upwards or downwards.

 

[Mand]

Great news Lou! Sounds like you are getting there! Do keep us posted and let us know how the new patterns continue! I love reading your posts!

We doing ok. I will go and update my thread now.

Love Mand x 🙂🙂

 

[Proudspirit]

you can't feel down .. the title of this thread makes me smile every time.. i want to shout LOUDER as it the song!

Julie x

Sorry, you had to be there! lol