I am baffled by a story I heard today and would like others opinions. Let me start by saying this is not me. I have my pump, like my pump, had my pump for 22 years never lost it even once. But…
Today a younger person writes that she attended a wedding, decided to dance, disconnected her pump and “woke up today with no pump” The question is what to do?
So question 1 - have you or anyone you know ever lost your pump, I mean like permanently?
Question 2 - does anyone put name, telephone number on their pump in case it is lost?
Question 3 - Anyone have any ideas about how get a lost pump back?
Question 4 - Does anyone ever really get so intoxicated they lose their pump?
The pump is a tandem, using Dexcom CGM. I have no dog in this fight it is just that after 48 years with diabetes I have never heard of such a crazy thing.
Wow, that’s pretty wild. I’ve never detached mine in a public place. I’ve occasionally forgotten to reconnect after taking a shower and not realized until I was in another room—happened just a couple days ago in fact. I guess I can understand a woman wanting to take it off for dancing—female dress can present a lot more issues with a tubed pump. But for my part I feel scary and weird being apart from it, even handing it over to the nurse to download data at the Endo’s office. I can’t imagine walking off and leaving it somewhere; It’s like a body part.
It never occurred to me to put ID info on it, though maybe that’s a good idea. But I can’t imagine anyone stealing it. Most people would have no idea what it is or how to use it and you couldn’t easily turn around and sell it to someone. So my guess is it would just be in lost and found at whatever venue they were at.
I can imagine from my younger days of partying and drinking enough to neglect to reconnect but . .
Mine would be beeping like crazy, either because it would run out of battery power or insulin (if I left it running) or because it was stopped for too long and missing me. I haven’t been able to figure out how turn it off completely. So somebody ought to hear that.
I did have this on my Medtronic pumps, but since switching to Tandem pump, have not done so. Partly due to cartridge design being different, and smaller usable space for label. But this is a good topic and will add label asap!!
I noticed Medtronic website has downloadable quick reference commands, that appear designed to fold and store with pump or wallet.
I do carry wallet/ID, but need to update for Tandem pump. But pump needs label to check wallet for more details/instructions, in case of being found unconscious
Your pump has a phone number of tandem printed on it and if someone called they would know whose it is by the sn.
I don’t see how a type 1 could go all night with no insulin and still wake up the next day. I move into dka fast and I would know within an hour even w no alarms.
I have several times gotten out of the shower and I to my car driving off when I realized I left it.
That’s the only time I disconnect and it’s happened a few times over the years.
This scenario seems odd to me.
Um, this sounds pretty fishy to me but I don’t know of any reason someone would lie about this. I have been to several parties since I started pumping 2 years ago and haven’t even considered taking my pump off to dance. I do spend quite a bit of time beforehand finding a secure way to wear my pump especially if I’m wearing a tight dress.
I don’t have any ID on my pump but I haven’t been to a pool or somewhere it will be out of my sight.
I have an Omnipod, so the fear is always there, that you could leave the PDM somewhere. But early on someone had suggested that when it first comes on you put your phone number as the identifier that comes up. I’ve not lost one yet, knock on wood, but it makes it easier to find and contact me if I ever do and that makes me feel better!
I can’t imagine being that intoxicated you would forget about something so important…but I’m not young anymore either. Could the drinking have kept her out of DKA? Because within hours my numbers can go above 300.
That’s what I do with my PDM, so my phone number is right there as soon as anyone turns it on (assuming they can figure out how to turn it on). I also stuck a label on the back that says MEDICAL DEVICE with my phone number.
I don’t see how drinking could keep a person out of dka.
I know drinking prevents your liver from dumping glycogen, but in type 1, you simply can’t metabolize glucose if you have no insulin.
The only part of the story that is implausible is the length of time she was without insulin, but I’d she was LADA or type 2 it’s possible.
Once, as a passenger in a car, I reached for my pump and realized I had not put it back on after the shower I’d taken in a rush to get ready just before. Everyone had to return home with me to get it. I was so embarrassed! Luckily, not that much time had elapsed. This was at least 15 years ago, but I still often think of it when I shower. At the time, added “pump” to the keys, wallet, phone list I go through as I go out my door, and it’s not happened again.
Was talking yesterday, though, about possibility of pump being stolen from locker at the Y if I use the pool. (A man had hearing aid and clothes stolen from locker at a local pool recently).
Of course some people will steal anything that isn’t nailed down, but at least hearing aids are widely used, their function is easily understood, and they are expensive as **** to purchase even with insurance. So I can imagine someone deliberately stealing a set of those much more readily than an insulin pump. Not that that makes it impossible…
In my early 20’s (pre diagnosis) I got into the booze and drank enough to forget plenty of important things, but thankfully I grew out of that pretty quickly. Never got that plastered at a wedding though.
The sleep screen message on my Omnipod PDM says “ (my initials) Medical Device!! (my phone number)”. I added red electrical tape around the edges so (hopefully) nobody will ever mistake it for their phone and mistakenly walk away with it. Also makes it a little harder to lose track of.
i have phone # and note it’s a critical medical device. I have been intending to get bright paint of some sort for my pump and phone as both are hard for me to see when I lay either down, phone mostly and walk to another room. red Electrical tape may work.
Much of my diabetes kit is not replaceable. This includes my old Minimed pump and the RileyLink. If I lose the pump, it is not replaceable. I do, however, keep one backup pump. Losing both pumps means a large change to my diabetes routine. I have backup contingencies but its a major change to my treatment plan.
I put small adhesive labels with my name and phone number on the pump, RileyLink, all my BG meters, my blood ketone meter, my cell phone. I even put a label in my wallet.
These labels are intended to provide honest strangers a way to help. I felt comforted by their presence when I had all this tech in the hospital for almost two weeks. I didn’t lose anything but my awareness was marginal at times.
I also have tile trackers on most of my kit except for my pump.
It had never occurred to me to put a label on my pump. I guess I never could conceive of a situation in which I would disconnect it and leave it somewhere in public. Even at the beach or a pool I would never disconnect unless I know someone from my group would be there to keep an eye on it for me.
After reading this thread, though, I think I will! Unexpected situations do happen and better safe than sorry…
I have never heard of this ever happening before. In all the years I have been pumping, I take it off for showers, pool and ocean. I always slip it into a Frio bag in my beach bag. Never had an issue. I don’t have my name on it but maybe I should. But my guess is, if found the person could call the number on the back and Tandem could track me down.
And every wedding I have been to, mine included, and a dress without pockets, I just use a garter belt. Just got a new one designed for pump users!
Thanks to this thread, I’ve put a “if found, call …” label on my pump. The biggest threat I have is if I’m in the hospital in a non compos mentis state and they remove the pump. It might find its way back to me.
You can glue an AirTag to it or put one inside the pump case if you have one.
I have forgotten my pump a few times after a shower but I realize it pretty fast.
Never been in a situation where someone attempted to remove it.
However I had my pump pull completely off in a car accident and I had to scrounge around for it in the car.
I was put in an ambulance without it attached. And the paramedic wanted to give me dextrose through my IV and I asked for saline.
I was worried that I was an hour and a half with no insulin and if they had given me dextrose it would have been likely I would go into DKA.
I asked a nurse for an insulin syringe and I injected myself with some insulin from my pump cartridge. No one batted an eye.
2 more hours and I was released.
Hospitals don’t carry insulin pump infusion sets as a rule.
That’s why I decided to get a medical tattoo on my right wrist in hopes to warn medical staff if I’m ever unconscious.
Yes. I’m certain that this is a problem for the young.
I once attended a wedding where everyone was so drunk that the groom somehow fell through a pane of glass, covering the bride and her gown in blood when she went to his side. It was like a horror movie.
