Insulin pump
Originally uploaded by kyleroth.

I’m pumping…finally. I spent over 4 hours with my diabetes educator tonight getting everything programmed, primed and inserted. We ran into a snag that almost caused everything to be put on hold yet again. Thank goodness the service rep was able to talk us through it, which gives me a nice sense of security for those times I need to call for help on my own.

The disk on my belly is where the cannula is inserted under my skin and the insulin flows from the pump, through the tubing, and into my body. This is the closest a type 1 diabetic can get to having their pancreas back, which makes wearing this cumbersome piece of machinery 24/7 worth it. I’m taking it out for an early morning run tomorrow, so we’ll see how it holds up. I’m not going to say the insertion was painless, but one needle every 3 days as opposed to 5+ needles every day is a hell of an improvement if you ask me. Every 2-3 days I change the insertion site to a different spot on my belly and fill the insulin reservoir in the pump. I’m anxious to see how much more control this gives me. I’m hoping that my days of dangerously low blood sugars are behind me, especially since it could land me in jail (or at least in a ridiculously expensive and totally unnecessary court battle).