Today started out like any other Monday, but it only took about 2 hours into my day to realize that it wouldn't be just any other Monday .... or any other day for that matter. To preface this post, I have to say that the Omni Pod insulin pump is a GREAT device, but as I realized today, technology is technology and stuff happens.
About 10 minutes into my work day a singular, consistent, high-pitched beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep started emanating from my arm. I roll my eyes as I know exactly what it is. Others around me start turning their heads in all directions to figure out what the beep is and where it's coming from. No one suspects me, because why would someone's body parts just be beeping like that? Is a smoke detector going off??? Should we be evacuating the building?
No, it's my arm. I play it off and casually mention to someone giving me a funny look, "It's my insulin pump," as I hastily start making my way to my office. I see the person give me a confused look as if to say, "yeahhhhhh, right .... about that ..." because they have no idea I'm sure what that means.
I get into my office, dig through my purse, and find the Omni Pod wireless handheld device I use to "talk" to the pods. I press the home screen button to finally turn off the wretched high pitched noise that has continued to ring into my ear and anticipate the message the I am about to read on the screen: Your pod has been deactivated. Discard the pod and activate a new pod immediately.
AWESOME! ...
This doesn't happen too regularly but once in awhile it does and usually it's no big deal .... when I'm prepared. I remembered bringing some extra pods, batteries, and alcohol swabs to work and I prayed that insulin was part of that back-up kit as I was searching through my things. Unfortunately, today was not my day because the insulin I needed to refill a new pod was at home ... 30 minutes away.
15 minutes into starting my work week I grabbed my purse, mumbled something to my Assistant Director about needing to go home to get insulin, got into my car, and started the over 1 hour round-trip adventure for the one thing that keeps me alive every day: a bottle of insulin sitting in the fridge at home. (And yes, I am well aware that most of you are reading this thinking to yourselves, "Why don't you have the insulin with at all times?")
The fact of the matter is that this can happen any time. Today must have been some sort of "test" for me though because 2 hours after going home to activate a new pod and getting back to work, the new pod I had just activated deactivated as well! The high-pitched tone starting ringing in my ear at 11:45 and I literally thought to myself, "This has to be a joke!" Twice in the same day?!
Luckily I didn't have to go home for a second time since I had thought to just bring the bottle of insulin back to work with me. Thank goodness! Moral of the story here .... well, the obvious: always be prepared! Because despite the odds that 2 pods would fail within just a few hours of each other, today obviously showed me that anything can happen. I love the technology that is continuing to make diabetes management easier, but like most things in life, it's not always dependable. The only thing I can depend on is my ability to be prepared. Lesson learned ... for now. ;-)
No comments:
Post a Comment