Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Pumpie is Dead

OK, I'll admit it, I never named the new pump that I started on last week. Maybe that is the problem. Or maybe it's that I put it in my sweaty jog bra for my run this morning. Or that I loaded it up myself without waiting for my official training since it is the same brand as the pump I have worn for the last 4 years. This poor pump has been disrespected from the get-go. So I am posthumously calling it "Pumpie". It's sort of like how you call a new dog "Puppy" until you figure out it's real name.

I have cancelled my plans to go to Dallas today and am waiting for a call from my doctor's office. I have an old "Plan B" for occasions like this involving NPH (which I don't have on hand), but until now have never had to use it, so thought I'd check in. New pump will arrive tomorrow.

So I have two questions for the learned OC. (1) What is your "Plan B" insulin regimen for short-term pump failures? and (2) Got any suggestions on what to name the new pump that arrives tomorrow? I want to get it off to a good start by showing it the proper respect.

9 comments:

mel said...

My Plan B stinks. I was an NPH user too, so when my pump malfunctions, it's blood sugar testing and shots of Novolog every 2 hrs until the new one shows up. The 2am-6am time frame is a little hairy, but the two times I've had to do it, I've managed.

Allison said...

Don't know if you'll see this in time, but my Plan B is:

Call your endo. Tell them your pump broke and you need a prescription for Lantus. Have the CDE tell you what your daily dose of Lantus should be (it'll be approximately what your basal rate setting is, plus or minus some).

Take Novolog for your meals, like normal.

When you get your new pump back, wait until your Lantus is suppose to run out and just hook back up.

Unfortunately, Lantus goes bad after about a month of being open, but with insurance, it shouldn't cost too much. Besides, when you need insulin, ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

Major Bedhead said...

Our plan B is Levemir and Humalog. I take O's total daily basal dose and give her that in Levemir. If I can find the paper with her pump ratios on it, I use that, otherwise, I have her CDE email it to me. Test every two hours, pretty much around the clock, which blows.

If I had a pump, I'd call it Mehitabel. I don't think O's named her pump. She looked at me like I had three heads when I asked her if she was going to name it. "Um, it's a pump, mum, not a dog." Oooook, then. Smacked down by the 12 year-old.

Carol said...

Thanks guys! After talking to my endoc, I'm on Mel's Novolog "shot-test-shot-test" plan for the day and will take a shot of NPH (worth about half my normal daily basal dose) at bedtime since my new pump is supposed to arrive in the morning. Last two BG's have been close to 250, so I guess I'm not "shot-testing" quite enough. It's interesting that everyone handles this a bit differently. O's comment made me laugh out loud. OK, so I'm 40 years old and feeling guilty for not naming an inanimate object:) Mehitabel, hmmmm....I'll have to think about that one.

Christine said...

My plan B is Levemir and Novolog. I add up how much basal I get over 12 hours, take it as Levemir, and bolus as normal with the Novolog. If in 12 hours, my pump still isn't there, rinse, repeat. When my pump arrives I temp basal at 0% until it's been 12 hours since my last Levemir shot, then 50% for another 2 hours or so to make sure all the Levemir is gone. I have an allergy to Lantus, but prefer Levemir anyways, since 12 hours is often all it takes till I get a new pump.

I've heard of people who do the shot-test-shot-test etc method wearing an infusion set and injecting through it.

Christine said...

Oh, and PS, I use the Levemir pens, because I'd rather have 300 units go bad than an whole vial.

Bernard said...

Mercy

I guess I'm blessed that I've never had a pump failure. I don't even have a long acting insulin in the house.

I'm afraid I'm not good on names. I hope you have a better time with the new one.

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry to hear that Pumpie died! My Plan B is to simply test a whole heck of a lot and correct when necessary. When my pump died last week, I managed pretty well. I didn't sleep, or eat all that much, but I managed to make it for the 26 or so hours that I was without a pump.

As for names, well a name is something that you have to pick for yourself. It has to mean something to you; it has to have the ring of familiarity that your pump should have.

So uh... I just finished writing this comment, and I saw the date it was posted... and well, I seem to be a bit late on the draw. Hope everything worked out, and I'm excited to find out what you actually named it! :-p

Kerri. said...

I'm waaa-aay late on this one, too. What did you end up naming your pump?