I Actually Slept Good Last Night!

Okay, so two things and some random notes. 

First: it took until 4am, but my blood sugar finally straightened out so I could sleep last night. 

Second: it is impossibly hard to get a picture of my dexcom with the light on... 

So I don't usually sleep very well if my blood sugar is out of range. I even feel sick in my sleep, so if  I am high I wake up. If I happen to be low, I'm lucky if I wake up. I usually do though, because I feel like I am falling. 

Well since my doctor's appointment I have been running weird numbers overnight. I haven't slept much. That's okay, though. It's actually normal for me to have off numbers after I make any adjustments to my insulin intake, until my body gets used to it. I guess last night my body finally decided it had had enough. So at about 4 am, it straightened out from the high streak and I actually slept well! I feel more rested now than I have in a while. 

Yes, that is something my little monster affects that people don't usually think about. Sleep is a precious thing, but it works different for me. If I am not in range, I can't even sleep until it gets better. This is literally a 24/7 full-time job with NO vacation or sick days. It completely changes your life. 

Well I was going to post a picture of my dexcom to show you that it finally went down, but I am writing this from my somewhat outdated iPod and it won't allow me to upload the pictures :) 

Thank you for taking the time to read this. Please like and share to raise awareness with me!

Predictably Unpredictable Today

Sometimes diabetes is unpredictable, no matter how hard you try to control it. For me, that was the case last night and today.

My insulin pump kept giving me the "No Delivery" warning when Dad bought us dinner last night. Basically, that means that it isn't doing its only job and delivering insulin to my body. Usually there is a kink in the tubing or a problem with the tubing inside my body when I get that warning.

It took me several tries and playing with the tubing to get insulin for dinner, but when I checked my sugar later I was 364. That tells me that I didn't get enough insulin for dinner regardless of how much the pump thought was delivered. I was able to get my blood sugar down eventually, but it took me all night to get it back in range. I've been sick, too, so it spikes unless I stay on the medicine (which I may or may not have forgotten to take).

I checked my sugar at 9:30 this morning and I was finally 101, almost perfect. I got out of bed and took my synthroid (thyroid medication) like I always do, but it didn't take long before my sugar started rising. I didn't eat until 11, and my sugar was already over 150.

Even though I got insulin for my meal, my blood sugar continued to rise. I checked my sugar after meeting with one of my pastors at church and I was 285 (and rising rapidly, according to the dexcom). That was at 11:45. There is a park behind my church, so I went and played on the swings until my sugar was within driving range so that I could meet my friends at the movies. At this point, I was very close to canceling because I did not feel good at all.

I used my pump to get insulin, but playing on the swings should have initiated a drop in blood sugar. It did, and my pump decided to work (I wonder if I had an air bubble?) so my sugar was within driving range by 12:30. I made it to the movies without any other issues, but when the movie started to get interesting my dexcom let me know that I was low and dropping. I was about to dig through my bag for a fruit snack when my friend and I were told we had to evacuate the building because of a bomb threat. (Which is not abnormal these days for anywhere in Morganton, NC). That drove my blood sugar even lower, since I was slightly freaked out by it.

I never went below 55, but I had to walk someplace close with my friend to get a meal before I could drive home. I was afraid to eat because I didn't know how diabetes would react to that. I remembered my medicine today, though! And I'm thankful that my friend didn't leave until my blood sugar was back in driving range. I was able to drive home after I ate my meal, and my blood sugar is 140 as I'm typing this. I guess the medicine was the key to the blood sugars.

Please say a prayer that I can maintain the good blood sugars, especially while I'm sick. Sometimes even when I don't feel the illness as bad, my little monster still knows it's there. That makes things 1000 times worse than it already is.

Not so fun fact: Diabetes is predictably unpredictable. Always.

How Do You Hide Your Dexcom/Pump?

Random Fact: Little, expensive things like to fall out of pockets.

I lost a dexcom one time. My first one. I had had it for about 6 months, and then poof! It fell out of my pocket while I was at school, and I didn't hear it hit the ground. If someone found it, they never returned it to me despite my efforts to find my dexcom. (If you're reading this, I would still like it back, please!)

After I looked for a long time and put up fliers all over my county, I gave up hope and assumed that someone found it and threw it away when they found out it wasn't an iPod or MP3 player. (Dear Dexcom, smooth design!) Thank God, Dexcom has a one-time mercy fee of $200 for the replacement! I got a new one when I had the money, and I've taken better care of it since then. 

I've discovered, though, it is really amazing how often these things fall out of pockets. After I noticed how easy it was to lose it again, I had to get more creative with how I store it. There is a multitude of places to put this little thing! You don't have to resort to a pocket, and I DO NOT recommend that idea unless the pocket can be sealed somehow.

"Sooo.... how do you hide your dexcom?"

My little sister is amazingly creative with sewing and costume design, so I asked her to fix something for me. She sewed little pockets on the inside of some tank tops, but she made it so I could put a button or some Velcro on the top to seal it. Walmart sells the tank tops for about $2, and they have these fantastic little squares of fabric in fun colors that were the perfect size. It was an inexpensive way to fix my problem! :)  I've included a picture of the finished product. I turned the shirt inside out so you could see the little pocket. (This doesn't work for insulin pumps, because the pump is too bulky for the pocket placed here.) I have a few where the pocket is around the bottom of the shirt, and I like that placement better. It's easier to get to and there are usually less people staring at me when I try to get it out.

I usually have a little case that I can stick my dexcom in and clip to something. It is usually clipped to the waistband on whatever pants or skirt I am wearing. Because the dexcom is slim, people rarely notice it. I rarely notice it, too, which is good. It can get annoying if it keeps getting in the way when I'm trying to move my arm. The pouch is a good alternative to hiding the dexcom away in clothing, for sure. The only problem seems to be finding one that isn't magnetic, since that will hurt the dexcom. I've got one that has Velcro on it, so I'm set for now. I'll probably cry when it breaks though.

In some circumstances, I just don't want to have the pouch or case clipped onto me. I feel like concealing my dexcom a little better than that, so I get a little more creative. I have stuck it in my boots a time or two. As long as there is enough room in the boots that it won't slip under my feet and be crushed, I'm okay with letting it rest there. It doesn't hurt my feet or ankles and it isn't uncomfortable. I got that idea when I was with a friend and she took money out of her shoe, instead of keeping it elsewhere. I was wondering why she didn't have a purse... 

I've also slide my dexcom in my backpack or diabetes-bag, depending on the circumstances. If I don't forget that it is in my bag and walk away from it for too long, then I'm safe! I usually do this for church or school, because it will yell at me if my sugar is too far off and it's easier if it is out of the way completely. Also, it's kind of nice to not have it attached to me. I don't have that freedom with my insulin pump. 

For FEMALES, it is actually a really good idea to buy a corset, even if it is a size "too big," and you can slide your dexcom in the bottom of that. It holds it just tight enough that it isn't going anywhere, but it isn't uncomfortable and it isn't crushing the dexcom. I use this as a tool a lot, especially for cosplay purposes.

Sometimes, I give my dexcom to my Tay-Dar or someone else that I trust (that has big coat pockets!). I wouldn't recommend just giving it away to anyone, but handing it to my sister so she can stick it in her coat pockets and zip it up is fine. She rarely leaves my side, so my dexcom doesn't go anywhere far. The same is true for my mother. 

Sometimes, when you can ensure that it isn't going anywhere, it's okay to stick it in a scarf. I do this occasionally. It holds it like a baby when it's done right, so the dexcom doesn't fall or go anywhere. It's also hidden pretty well in those cases. I'm a little afraid to do this too often, so I don't overuse this tool. I'm afraid I'll get complacent with it and just drop it in the scarf, but miss the fact that it fell right through. If you're going to try this, make sure you pay attention to how it's being held. 

If I'm hanging out around the house, or if I am at work (sometimes), I can leave my dexcom on a desk somewhere near me. It yells at me when my sugar is off, but it is otherwise out of the way. At work, especially in the fitting room, I can leave it hidden with my kit (or in my kit) so no one messes with it. I'm never far enough away from it to be out of range or out of sight, so I don't worry about someone taking it either.

"But then how do you hide the pump? Isn't it attached to you?" 

Yes, yes it is. The insulin pump is attached by a tubing that is a doorknob magnet, so that makes it even harder to hide. It doesn't usually fall out of pockets or anything like that. When it does, it hurts like crazy because the needle in my skin lets me know right away (same with the doorknobs). That makes it a pain--literally. I've been hiding my pump since I was five, though, so I've gotten pretty good at that. Pockets are for the weak, non-creative souls. It can become quite a challenge to come up with somewhere else to put it, but THE CHALLENGE HAS BEEN ACCEPTED! 

I use my sister's fantastic little hidden pockets when they are on the bottom of the shirt, so it isn't too bulky. I only do that when I'm wearing something that has no other options. I don't like resorting to those, because the pump feels heavy in them and it makes me a little uncomfortable. It's perfect for the dexcom, but not my minimed pump.

The corset idea is one I use a lot for my pump, because it doesn't get in the way and it isn't uncomfortable for me at all. Also, the tubing only allows it to go so far from it's insertion site, so the corset is a pretty central location. It doesn't pull and it is pretty easy to get to unless I am wearing a dress. (In case you were wondering, I came up with this idea when I had to figure out where to put my pump when I went to prom. I couldn't just stick it in my purse, like I can with the dexcom, unless I wanted to be attached to the purse too.) If I am wearing a dress, I'll have to go to a restroom or private room to pull my pump out. If I'm wearing a t-shirt and jeans, however, it is easy to just pull it out of the bottom of my shirt. It conceals the pump and me, so to speak.

If my insertion site is in the arm, it makes hiding my pump a little more difficult. I can't even resort to a pocket in this case, because it doesn't reach that far. When I got older, I actually started sticking my pump in my bra. This is good when it's not too hot outside (for obvious reasons). It works best if you're wearing a sports bra, because the pump stays a little better without falling through. Just watch out for doorknobs.

If my insertion site is in the leg, sometimes I can stick my pump in my shoe. That's harder to do, though, because the pump is heavy and bulky. It ends up being very uncomfortable and I have to move it. 

I like to clip it to my leg if I'm wearing a skirt or a cosplay where it is appropriate. For example, you can get pouches from minimed that strap around your thigh and you can put the pump in that. It just so happens that one of my favorite cosplays (Hinata Hyuga--don't judge me she was an easy cosplay) has a pouch she wears there as well! I use that to my advantage. My Tay-Dar is also very good at making these pouches because of her cosplay skills. When I was younger those pouches from minimed didn't fit me very well, but as I got older they fit better. The only problem is the Velcro doesn't stay for as long as I'd like it to. It's probably because I need to replace the pouch, but I'm cheap so I don't want to. This option works awesome if I'm wearing a dress or skirt and my insertion site is in the leg. It could definitely work for the arm, too, but I haven't tried that in a while.

Sometimes I let my pump just be free. I like to do this when I'm at home studying or when I'm trying to sleep. It doesn't pull on the tubing as much as if I try to stick it somewhere and the tubing doesn't get tangled. I obviously can't just let it go when I'm doing anything active, but if I'm laying around or sitting down then it's okay to just set it beside me. As long as I don't forget when I stand up. I'll be reminded very quickly if I do that. 

The scarf thing works with the insulin pump, too. I'm a little more afraid of putting that in my scarf, because it is heavier. I've done it a couple of times though. It works when my site is in my arm and it doesn't reach to go elsewhere. 

I've clipped my pump onto the back of my shirt a couple of times, using the case that minimed sent with it. I don't like doing that a lot, though, because it is uncomfortable when I'm sitting down and I can't always reach it when I need to. I got that idea from watching Big Brother and watching where they put their microphones. That was pretty genius for the microphones, and occasionally for the pump, but it doesn't always work out so well. 

If I am wearing a button up shirt, sometimes they have pockets on the top. I like to put my pump in those, too. Yes, it is a pocket, but it isn't a common pocket! So it doesn't count! 

Where else can you think of putting these devises to hide them? Or if you wouldn't hide them, why not and where do you put them then? 

Bonus!

Photo shoot--find my dexcom! :)

Find my insulin pump, too, if you think you can! 

Hint: It's definitely in one of the spots I explained above!

Dexcom isn't in picture, but the Pump is! 

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY, AMERICA!

Vlog: Dexcom Sensor Insertion

Hello everyone! So I have discovered that not a lot of people know how the dexcom is inserted, so I thought I would show you!

This is my first ever video blog ("vlog"). Please forgive me if it is bad. :)

I kept saying "into the fat," but that's because I couldn't think of the right words for that. Really, you just have to make sure it doesn't go into muscle or nerves. Believe me, if you hit a nerve, YOU WILL HURT for the entire time the sensor is in! If you pinch the skin before you click it in, then you have a better chance at it not hurting.

I had to have Mom help me because I can't reach to do it in the arms. I can put it in myself if it is in the belly. We have put it in the back a few times, and that usually works out very well. It's difficult to find a spot sometimes, because I have needles going in me everywhere and my skin is very used.

I am thinking about doing a pump site insertion vlog as well, because a lot of people don't know how that works either. Some things you just have to see to understand.