Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Drowning Out The Beep

"Just crank up the radio Mom ... you know ... to drown it out."

Dear Lord the BEEPING.



The Lumineers' Stubborn Love was cranked up a few levels.  The beeping was still piercing my tympanic membranes as we headed home from Joe's first day of Tim Thomas Hockey Camp...yesterday.

The POD, according to the alarm history, had stopped delivering insulin for about an hour and a half prior.  Joe could not hear the alarm, as his elbow pads and shoulder pads and helmet all must have muffled the sound.

Once we arrived home, I placed a new POD.  It was filled with about 100 units of Apidra.  Joe then headed for his All Star baseball practice.  He came to me during practice.  He felt the adhesive pulling as he threw.  I slapped some IV 3000 over the dressing edges of the POD.  About an hour later, he lost POD #2 at the pool.  UGH.

I dropped Joe home and headed to the pharmacy.  I could not bear to put in another one of those things without a different plan.  So, at the pharmacy, I didn't find much help.  I bought some "waterproof" tape.  So Joe's current POD is in and secured with waterproof tape all around the edges.  So much for "fitting in" between the freakish beeping and his mummified arm ...this thing is requiring a lot of extra support right now.

I texted our Omnipod Rep.  She recommended Skin Tac; samples are on the way. 

Despite site issues, Joe's numbers have been steady (like 70 to 171 kind~a~steady) even with 3+ hours on the ice and dry land training.  His basal has been decreased by 40% for the 6 hours he attends camp.  Breakfast is lightly bolused for (10-15 grams of it given for "free").  20 grams of Lunch is "free".  And an extra 60 grams of carbohydrates are consumed throughout his 6 hour camp day in the form of Kashi bars and Gatorade. 

Joe calls me with each blood sugar and we discuss the bolus amount.  He has to call me from the warm room as there is no cell service in the rink locker rooms or ice-side.

A day-in-the-life of drowning out the beep and taking diabetes to yet another hockey camp.

2 comments:

Penny said...

We use SkinTac - I buy it in the little wipes from American Diabetes Wholesale. Once you use it, you will never go back, that stuff is STICKY. You won't lose any Pods with it, I assure you. I swear by it for Grace.

Anonymous said...

The pods need to be filled to 100 units, no less, or they may fail. Also, I use Opsite Flexifix tape to hold down my pods with the Skin Tac too. Just taped that sucker down, same thig I do w/my CGM. It does bother me a bit, cause it pulls on my skin...but it works. Baby oil takes it off. Are you glad you switched to Pods?