Inventory Issues

Recently my insulin intake has shot up, considerably. I know most of the need comes from my weight. Being overweight can make you more insulin resistant which I can tell is happening to me right now. So with that, my reservoirs need to changed about every 2 days. Sometimes 2 and a half but typically 2 days is all I can get out of them.

Since I am not a fan of sticking needles in me, I don’t change my infusion set every time I refill my reservoir. I actually change it after two refills.

So doing the math, in 5 days I have gone through 1 set and 2 reservoirs. 30 days in a month, 6 - 10 sets, 15 reservoirs!

As you may have guessed this practice is catching up to me. I now am down to my last box of reservoirs and I have several infusion set boxes still unopened. Way too many to be honest.

I called Minimed yesterday to order some more reservoirs that I figure I will just pay out of pocket for and I was told that my automatic order already shipped! So today I am going to get more reservoirs (awesome) and more sets (not so awesome).

Should I send them back? Do I just hoard them? Insurance pays for my sets so it’s not coming out of my pocket. Should I have them change the ratio of sets to reservoirs or is that something my doctor has to change?

I would love your advice on this or if you have experienced anything like this. (And if not, maybe I can help out a PWD who is in need of Quik sets, lemme know.)

Approved and Applied

When I was sitting in the airport in Orange County getting ready to board the plane, unknowingly beginning the worst trip I have ever taken, I received a phone call.

“Hello,” I answered.

“Hello Mr. Simons?”

“Um, Simmons, yes this is George Simmons.”

“Oh Mr. Simmons. This is [insert the first name you think of] from Medtronic and I wanted to let you know that you were approved for the upgrade on your insulin pump.”

“Great! That is great news. I am just about to board a plane [the plane ride from Hades] so I just have a few minutes,” I did not want to miss my chance for my carry on to have a spot in the overhead.

“No problem, I just wanted to make sure we can go ahead with the processing and make sure it was a go with you.”

“Yes! Let’s do it!”

So after a few other things like payment plans and all that, I was off the phone and on the plane happy my day [soon to be ruined] had started off so well.

Skip ahead to Monday afternoon. On Monday I met with my pump trainer to get all set up on the Revel. It was cool since she was the one who got me started on my first pump and on the CGMS. We felt like old friends, not to mention she is a type 1 with 17 years under her belt. Needless to say, our training sessions are always filled with lots of “I know what you mean” and “I hate that too!”

We got the pump all hooked up with my setting and went through some of the new features. Granted most of them did not change much but some of the stuff is cool.

They have some Predictive Alerts that tell you when it looks like you are going to go out of range either high or low. Kind of a cool feature. Also, more info which I love with 3, 6, 12, and 24 hour graphs of your CGM. Very cool too. Not that I would use it but I like that you can dose a smaller amount of insulin for basals, down to .025 units per hour. This is good for real sensitive people. I like that.

All and all I am just thankful that insurance paid for most of the pump and that I am not covered under warranty again. Sure I am locked in for 4 more years but honestly, now that I have figured out how to insert my CGM for the best readings, I am quite happy with it.

Still no name for it though. I don’t think I am gonna name this one. It was hard saying goodbye to Master P although he did try to take me with him when he died remember?

Bah, who knows? If you have any good ideas for a name let me know. Maybe I will name it. Heck it’s with me all the time and at least when I yell at it I can call it something. 

You Tube Tuesday #180

I am a dog person. And a cat person. I like pets. I should say that as long as those pets are dogs or cats. I cannot think of another pet (except maybe fish) that I would consider having at home.

I am also a dad so when pets and kids play together, it cracks me up. I just love it.

Enjoy.

Performance Anxiety

For the first time in my life, I couldn’t do it.

Maybe I was scared, cold, tired, hungry, or just out of it. I am not sure but it was embarrassing.

I know this is a total TMI but come on, twenty minutes of trying and nothing. Typically I am ready to go the second I get in the door!

So now I am going to go back at lunch time and try again.

I guess I should explain a little better.

This morning I had an appointment at the lab to have blood drawn and give a sample of urine, you know typical diabetes stuff. And I, for the life of me, could not go.

What was the most embarrassing part is that the door to the lobby was open and people saw me walk into the bathroom and stay there for 20 minutes. Who knows what they thought. Anyhow, I have a specimen cup with me now and I am going to have to fill it and drive it back to the lab at lunch. Great!

Since I was fasting this morning I didn’t know if I had to give the sample right then but the nurse assured me it was not necessary and that I could come back later.

Thank goodness. Next time I will chug a gallon or two before I leave for the lab.

I’ll probably end up wetting my pants instead. 

Time To Make History

A long time ago I was in a band. It was called Six Degrees and we played together for several years on and off in the Los Angeles area.

Even though we never “made it” I think we were pretty successful. Just in the fact that we wrote many great songs and we played some pretty cool venues. The coolest being The Troubadour in Hollywood. Where so many other amazing musicians have played. All and all it was a great experience and I am glad I got to do that for so long.

But one thing was missing. We never recorded any of our great songs.

Granted, when we started out we made a 5 song demo with our very first songs and honestly, they were pretty good but not as good as the ones we wrote later on as we matured as musicians and people in general. Those songs never were professionally recorded.

Until tonight.

After years of talking about it, we are finally going back in the studio to record all of our songs professionally. The guitar players brother has a studio and is willing to do it for free (since he was a fan) so we have no excuse.

I’m mostly excited for my kids and my grandchildren one day. I want them to hear the music that we made. Sure it never got played on the radio and I didn’t make my living playing in a band but it’s music and it’s ours. That to me is something special. Like a painting you made that people enjoyed. Wouldn’t you want to be able to pass that down or at least have some catalog of it?

Anyhow that is how I am thinking about it. Not that we are going to get back together and start playing again. That is not going to happen but to finally be able to have a copy of those songs we wrote is a big deal to me and I am looking forward to tonight and this first session in the studio. I just hope I can still sing the way I used to.

Wish me luck!