Pump Advice

Since having a pump I have had a lot of other diabetics ask me whether or not my choice to go on a pump was worth it. I know that a lot of type 1's are finding themselves stuck between two pathways - whether to keep going with what's familiar or take a path that has unknown.

It's so easy to take the path that is familiar and that is why so many people get stuck in old habits. They may find themselves saying well this has worked, so why change something that isn't broken. It's true with a lot of things in life whether your diabetic or not. It becomes that much harder of a choice when you know that it is closely directed to your health and well being. The choice is yours, but the question is what impact will the choice make.

For me the choice at first was pretty clear - I wasn't going to go on the pump. As interesting as it sounded and as cool as you could make them look with skins - I was NOT going to wear something on me. It wasn't because I was hiding to the world that I was diabetic or because I was embarrassed of needing some type of device to keep me alive, but the fact that I would be stuck to my diabetes was absolutely absurd.

I don't know what struck me that made me change my mind. I really hadn't endured too many needles - it wasn't like I grew up being diabetic. I just had this feeling that the pump could do something for me that my needles couldn't. What it could do I didn't know. Still to this day I am sorting out the pros and cons of wearing my insulin pump, but I cannot see myself going back to needles in the near future.

When diabetics ask me if I regret getting it - I know that I don't because I have a choice to stop insulin pump therapy. I don't know exactly why I don't regret it, but I just don't. When diabetics ask me what I have noticed as far as improvements I basically say it cuts out a lot of needles in the long run; however, the needle to put it in is a little bit intimidating.

The cons of course relate to having to wear it all the time. As if diabetics don't have to think about their diabetes every second of the day - let's attach something to their body to remind them. It isn't exactly the best accessory to every outfit, but hey it's family now!

There has been quite a few times where I feel my site or my pump and think, 'oh my god' am I really diabetic? As if I just found out again - because I grew up non-diabetic and really haven't had a long run with it yet. I am still shocked that I am diabetic and I think it's one of those things that you just don't believe even though you are treating it, dealing with it and living with it every second of the day.

Kayla

Who I am

Now that the first week of school is over with and it's finally the weekend I have had time to reflect about where I've been and how far I've come. This week has been hectic and crazy. From trying to get from class to class while settling into a new environment - this week has by far been the craziest week I've had in a long time.


On my hour drive home from London to Brantford I thought about how fast time flies. Not even from Monday - Friday, but from year to year. It is almost like we blink and it's a new day. Some days that's a good thing - stressful days we wish to go by in seconds while amazing days we wish to last forever unfortunately that usually never works in our favour.

After finishing up this crazy week I began to think about how far I have come as a person and how much small things in my life have changed me. I am so incredibly lucky to be where I am today - going to college, having great friends and family and knowing myself for the most part.

In a way getting diabetes early in my life has been an eye opener that many people my age will not experience until much, much later in their lives. This simple inspiration I have received from diabetes cannot be gained through going to bars, getting drunk or just sitting around - it's a knowledge that has to be learned from hardship, pain and experience unlike no other.

I am not bragging, 'oh I have diabetes - I know myself better' because I could be very wrong. However, just from my personal experience I've come to realize that diabetes may have given me more than a broken pancreas and an insulin pump - diabetes may have given me knowledge that can't be learned through any degree of education or basic life experience.

So here I was living healthy and free from diabetes for almost nineteen years of life - was I incredibly happy? no. Was I living life to the fullest? no. Did I have nearly enough empathy, interest or dedication? absolutely not. It was all a matter of pieces falling into place once I was diagnosed - as if I instantly had the answer of who I am?

Of course I am still learning and will always be changing in various ways, but at this young age of twenty I think I have a good understanding of myself.

Kayla

Patch Work

Since having the pump I haven't had too many troubles with my sites. There have been a few pretty tough ones to put - some that hurt and some that felt like nothing. Usually I haven't had a problem with keeping them on for a full three days, but these past two sites have been a huge pain!

Since my skin is peeling from a sun burn that I got in Panama the skin under my site is not tough enough to hold the adhesive on the site. I first tried covering it with a band aid to keep it on, but when I woke up the band aid was left in my bed. I had to change me site a day and a half early and put in a new one. By the end of the day that site was also peeling off - and it was starting to hurt. Not wanting to change my site again I tried using skin prep (like a glue) to help the site stay on better - I also covered it with a band aid.

So far my site has stayed on even though it looks pretty brutal. I know that eventually my skin will stop peeling and it will be back to normal. I could try using the skin prep before putting on a new site, but I find that it makes the skin too tough and hard which makes breaking the skin painful.

Kayla

Anything Can Happen

You don't notice how big something is until others talk about it. To me diabetes is my morning, afternoon and night. I don't think of it as a disability, a disease or a crutch. I know what happens when my sugars go low and when they go high and for the most part I am completely in control of my diabetes.

Yet, when you meet a new person and begin to describe your daily rituals and the work that you had to go through in order to understand your diabetes, or possibly your insulin pump - it begins to sink in that you actually are dealing with a big situation every day.

This year I decided to make it official at my college that I was a student living with diabetes. Reason being is so that my teachers can fully understand what I am doing and what diabetes involves. Of course they don't receive a full on presentation by the Diabetes Education Centre, but they do get a list of all the things that I may need in order to make the most of the classroom while managing my diabetes.

I am a 4.0 student and know that almost all of the services will not be a necessity to me and I addressed that to the counsellor very clearly that I don't want to use services for the purpose of 'because I can' because I know that I am fully capable of independently working alone with no services.

However, in some classes food and drink is prohibited - but with this paper I can go against that - much like leaving the classroom for emergency reasons. Small things like that that may effect me in class, but will not effect my final grade or how my professor views me as a student.

I highly recommend this for any diabetic that is going to a college/university. I know that sitting through the meeting will be difficult and hearing all of the services will be hard - but it doesn't mean you have to use them. No diabetic wants to think that having diabetes is a disability because it doesn't disable us from doing anything, but it's incredibly important for your professors to know that you are diabetic and that anything can happen.

Kayla

Being One

It's like being in a club unlike no other. An all access pass to something money can't buy. Being diabetic is more than being diagnosed with 'diabetes' it's about going beyond the box we live in - and reaching out to places that we have never dared to go.

I think that a lot of people who have had to adjust to a new lifestyle have a common belief that even when times are tough - nothing is impossible. It's about looking at life with a different lens and once you can do that you can begin to realize how much is out there.

Every diabetic I meet - young or old has felt what it's like to endlessly prick their finger, squeeze for blood and hope that there is enough to fill the strip. All diabetics know what it's like to dread to have to give themselves insulin before a delicious meal. It's those kind of things that bond complete strangers together.

I am so lucky to have an outlet that I can use to reach out to so many people living with diabetes around the world. I love hearing the stories of diabetics because I know that no matter what I can some how relate and possibly help them.

Changes

It seems that everything I do is some how connected to my diabetes. If I am stressed my sugars are effected and if I'm busy my sugars will act accordingly. No matter what I am doing I have to have my diabetes in mind.

I now am all settled in my townhouse in London. Since being here my sugar has gone below four three times, one being in the middle of the night. I know that moving into a new place is a big change and the whole environment is one to be adapted too.

I am excited to begin this new chapter in my life - finishing up my Liberal Studies Diploma and even if the littlest things effect my diabetes I am very much prepared to deal with it. I've learned a lot from my diabetes, but the biggest lesson I've learned is that I can get through the impossible and nothing can hold me back.

So even though this change is a big one and I will have to adapt I know that no matter what I can succeed and grow.

Kayla

Soy Diabeetico

I am home now from my Panama vacation! It was a great trip and I would go back there in a heartbeat. The whole idea of having an insulin pump while on vacation was not bad at all - in fact at times I barely noticed I had it.

In my opinion sometimes you just have to do it. Even though it seems scary or annoying, impossible or a pain. There are some thing you just have to do and work with. No, it wasn't fun having to take off my pump every time I decided to dip in the pool and it wasn't convenient wearing a dress with my pump - but there was nothing I could do about it.

Going through the border with the pump was a little nerve wrecking at first. I didn't want my bag of supplies going through the x-ray, so that was the first obstacle then I had to let them know I was wearing the insulin pump that I couldn't take off. Going through the Toronto Airport was a lot easier than going through the Panama airport since they mostly spoke Spanish. The lady at the x-ray machine was trying to press my buttons on the pump and was looking at the site - it was a little strange.

Overall I got through without any problems! I know now that flying with the pump can be a little stressful, but it isn't too bad!

My sugars were pretty good during my stay and I didn't have any lows. I changed my site two times there and now I have a nice tan where my previous site was.

I am very happy with the way the trip went with my pump and I can't wait to go back sometime!

Kayla