Monday, July 02, 2007

Site Change Screw Up

I am not a fan of having to change my site at work. I am lucky that our bathrooms are large, clean, and private.

Today my friends I screwed up, a little. I knew when I woke up that about mid morning I would need to reload Master P with the Sweet Nectar that is Insulin. I made sure I grabbed an extra infusion set (I always keep one in my very manly satchel), reservoir (also keep a spare in my very masculine looking tote bag), and my insulin before I left the Simmons villa this glorious morning.

This morning work consisted of imitating a decapitated hen. I ran around doing this and that and then this again. Phone ringing. Faxes pouring in. CALGON TAKE ME AWAY!

I started to feel very VERY hungry. I looked at the clock. 11:50! “Dammit, it is almost lunch and I did not pack anything. I should have already left to beat the lunch crowds.”

Then it hits me. I have not looked at my pump since breakfast.

I took Master P out of my pocket and pushed the ESC button to see the status.

Units left 0.00
Time left -:- -

Dammit! I grabbed my One Touch and checked the old BG. 148. Not too bad.

I have no clue what time P ran out. I am thankful it did not turn out worse.

Has this ever happened to any of you?

11 comments:

Marina Martin said...

I have noticed that my Paradigm 522 alarms when I have a "low" reservoir but gives me zero warning when I'm actually out. (It's definitely happened to me before, too.) Normally, I get annoyed with all its alarms, but 0.0 units remaining is one time I'd like to know!

Shannon said...

Brendon has had as little as 5 units left in his reservoir. Luckily it was dinner time and only needed a couple of units.

His pump sets off an alarm when it goes down to 5 units.

Christine said...

My pump alarms like every 10 minutes once it's below 5 units, and once it hits 0, so no, it's never happened to me (at least not by surprise, I have let it run out). However, I believe every pump really has 10 or so units left when it says 0 and keeps delivering basal.

Nicole P said...

I can't believe you called insulin 'sweet nectar' that had me laughing out loud... :D

I've got my Cozmo set to alarm too - at 20 units and downward... It's a great feature, although maybe running around like a chicken with your head cut off would have caused you such distraction an alarm wouldn't have helped...

I'm glad you caught it before it went bad.

:)

mel said...

I learned once through someone's blog that when Minimed says ---units, you actually have 11u left and that's why it doesn't alarm. I went looking for this information after I was annoyed a few times but the pump not alerting me! It would account for you good blood sugar despite being "out of insulin"

Drea said...

I have reached zero several times and the pump keeps going....so there must be a little more even tho it says zero!

I woke at 4am once, to see zero.....and have seen it while pulling in the driveway to home...just a few days ago....so yes...it happens :)

Chrissie in Belgium said...

Ooops, I sent an email, not a comment. No, EXACTLY that has not happened to me, but this morning I forgot my breakfast meal bolus! Let's us hope the rest of the day goes better for both of us!

Annie said...

My pump starts to issue a very annoying vibration warning when I am below 20 units. It goes on and on every few minutes until I change the site.

But I agree with other commenters here - I think the Minimed resevoir holds more than what the pump tells us, so if the pump says we are at 0 units, we actually have some left that is still pumping.

Major Bedhead said...

O's pump alarms, but she shuts it off all the time. So usually we're out, running around doing errands and she'll say "I'm out of insulin, Mum," in this TONE, like I should have KNOWN. Listen, child, if you don't TELL me that the pump is alarming, if you just shut the damned thing off, how, exactly, am I supposed to know? You want to be more responsible for your care? Then BE responsible. Don't get pissy with me.

Grr. Teenagers are SO much fun.

floreksa said...

My Cozmo will alarm from 20 units down. It annoys the crap out of me, but I'm more likely to notice it (I have it on vibrate) that way.

I have had days like that and have missed all the alarms until it freaks out with the high pitched one screaming "YOU IDIOT, I TOLD YOU YOU WERE LOW, NOW YOU'RE OUT!"

Bernard said...

Probably less than 10 times. I keep wanting to squeeze that last drop of insulin out.

I've only had it alarm for non-delivery twice. Long after it was showing --.-- units. But I'd forgotten to refill the darn thing.