Well i went to my doctors today and instead of my ENDO i had a nurse. She wasn’t very nice. She just kept telling me what i did wrong and how “if i keep this up i will have my pump taken away” She told me how i can’t go back and forth between shots and my pump that i need to stick to one. So if i get sick and my pump goes empty i have to basically suck it up and take the time to refill it/put in a new inset. Whatever, Which sucks because i’m used to running into some snags sometimes so i need to use my pens. Like if i pull out my inset and i don’t have another one (i always do but you get the idea) She said i have to put in a new one immediately. When my last nurse told me i could do shots until it was convenient to put the pump back on! She also told me alot about my basal rate that was really different from how it was explained to me and since i didn’t understand what she was saying she recommended pump classes for me. When all they are going to do is tell me things i know already. I mean i’m up for learning but a full week of classes? Cut me some slack!
So i’m kinda freaking out that my A1C will be bad the next time i go back (July 5th) And she will take my pump away. I can’t live without that thing. I’m a teenager! I do so many activity’s that i NEED my pump. I’m always moving around and riding in cars and walking and swimming and everything that i can’t rely on shots. If i go back on shots then my A1C will only get worse. I think that since its getting really warm now that i will be moving around more and my blood sugar will be better (the past few days it has been 100 or lower :DD) That’s about the only good thing my nurse had to say.
I was already stressed (as you know from my last blog post) So her repeatedly telling me what i need to do and what i was doing wrong i was on the verge of tears. And on top of that apparently i gained 12 pounds! which is impossible because i don’t look any different (if anything i look skinnier) And i have been working out and eating really really well for a wile now! Almost 2 weeks ago i weighed myself and i was 135. All my clothes still fit and i’m pretty certain i didn’t gain muscle.
It’s a big fat mystery…
So you are probably wondering what my A1C was…Well here it goes…
Bum Bum Buuuuum
10!
Yeah i know how bad it is. I t was 8 last time so it went up. I’m really praying that it will get better.
I will keep my blog updated as often as i can with how i’m doing. Logging my Sugars/Food/Exercise.
I think it will be a good way to keep track Plus i have all the amazing support of everyone on here. It makes me so happy when i read all your comments telling me to keep going! <3 My heart is so full of joy and support. I feel like i can do this!
(Plus my brother got me Just Dance 2 for Wii so i can work out with that )
Keep going. It’s not easy, I know. Diabetes is not easy even when you have complete support, nice A1c, pump and whatever you might think of. And when you find yourself in a situation, where you don’t have all these things, it’s even harder.
But you know, you seem very determined to make it, to change things and not let diabetes take your life from you away and that’s good. You’re gonna make it!
Don’t let yourself get stressed because of people who see you for 15 minutes and think they know exactly what’s going on. Apparently they don’t.
Keep us updated on how you’re doing. Log everything, it will help you go over it and find out what’s wrong when you have bad BGs. At least that’s how it works for me. When something goes wrong, I look back and try to make some sense in all the numbers crazy diabetes…
First off, how can she take your pump from you? She didn’t pay for it. Her insurance didn’t pay for it. If she takes it from you, I’d call the police and report it stolen. That’s ridiculous. I’d have told her that to her face. She’s on a power-trip…big time.
Also, I can see her point about putting a new set in right away. If you go between pump and pen often, how are you getting your basal insulin? For example, you get your basal when you’re connected to your pump. If your set comes out and you decide to use pens the rest of the day…how are you getting your basal for those hours? I could see MAYBE giving a shot of Lantus or Levemir, but then you have that in you for 12-24 hours and shouldn’t rehook up to your pump and get THAT basal until the injected basal is out of you…that could really be confusing and dangerous. I think we all have pens, etc, for emergencies, but switching back and forth frequently would (I think) really mess things up for a while each time. For me it would, at least.
BTW, how long have you been diagnosed? Something many people notice is that the start of using insulin (and increases in insulin rates later) cause a (sometimes rapid) weight gain. Insulin is really the agent letting you store fat, instead of burning it, because it’s letting you burn glucose.
Your A1c is high, but by making small adjustments and goals you’ll get it down!
She said if i “can’t prove that i deserve the pump” then they can take it away and make me go on shots. I was so lucky to get my pump as early as i did and its the BIGGEST blessing i have ever received. So i’m going to work extremely hard to bring my numbers down. I’m so scared.
I do a shot of Levemir when i know i’m going to go a day without my pump. If i know i’m going to put in a set right away and i just need to do a shot to cover something right then and there then i dont bother with levemir and i just take a shot and put the pump back on when i can. But most of the time i do it when i’m sick and my inset falls out then i just leave it and do levamir and put in a new inset the next day or whenever i’m feeling better.
I was diagnosed In December of 08 when i was 13 almost 14. I dropped down to 88 pounds by that time and i gained all my weight back within 7 months or so. And then i gained more. So i’ve been exercising and eating really well to try to keep fit and healthy. It’s really helping my blood sugar but i’m just trying to figure out how i supposedly gained 12 pounds in a few weeks when i’m dieting and exercising.
Oh Babe, I have to say this, why o why are mean people Nurses and Doctors! it drives me bonkers!
Ok so lets just figure this, keep your goals, and look at your BS a little more, and cut the carbies a bit more.
I would say, if your in a bind a shot instead of the pump, is by far better than nothing at all. So if you have to do that, keep that secret to WELL, yourself:) It is your Pump and Your Diabetes:) HAHA…
I wish I had been there with you, oh how this old lady would have asked her to replave the orders of MEAN and make them all Possitive and Praise. Yikes,shaking head…
So baby girl, dance, skip, hop and eat healthy, and you can get a 8 or a 9 by summer:) Will your Glucose machine give you a glucose average for 7, 14 and 30 days? My cheapie meter does that.
Yes, yes, keep us updated on how your doing:) you have a fun week:) and forget that nurse and her meaness:)
Pssh! That nurse needs to be cussed at. Honestly, ask you mom (or do so yourself) to request for someone new. You need someone thats going to work with you, not give you ultimatums. You are trying to do this control thing, having someone make threats is useless. Also, Kari is right, your paying for thier services. If that nurse thinks shes going to tell you something, make a fuss and request a doctor that will to work with you and not against you. Im sorry, but people like that need to learn to care for patients and not harass them. This disease is hard enough to cope with without having some idiot make idle threats.
As for mixing shots and pumping, that a no go. The long lasting insulin will stay in your system for up to 24 and I believe sometimes 48 hours. When I went on the pump, they actually removed me from basals all together for 48 hours to ensure that insulin was out, so the new could come in. Look, diabetes is all about variables. the more you add the more complicated it gets. When you switch up insulin delivery methods your making things harder on yourself. We dont want that. We want them easier. If your in a super tight spot (and dont do this often!!!) where you cant change your set, refill the reservoir and change your set as soon as you can.
Remember, tomorrow is always another day to manage your D. Dont kick yourself for yesterday and deal with today. Your doing good and have taken the first step, which is addressing the situation. Just keep working at it cause it will get better.
And hay, look at my old trends. Ive had A1Cs in the 10s too and If I can get under control, you can too.
Hi Kayla. I agree with everything onesaint said except with respect to switching back and forth on the pump. While Lantus does stay in your system for hours, a small dose of Levemir is soon gone. I do wear my pump part time, and take three shots of Levemir daily when on MDI. I don’t have a problem going back and forth; it’s not hard to figure out what works for you. That nurse was just plain wrong.
Your nurse was doing the old classic “you’ll lose a leg” or “you’ll go blind” scare tactics. You, or you and your parents, should send a letter to your endo and inform him/her of how his nurse is treating his/her patients. Yes, you had a bad A1C. So what. The world keeps revolving and every day you get more chances to improve your BG control. If you haven’t read them yet, I’d highly recommend Pumping Insulin and Using Insulin, by John Walsh and Ruth Roberts. Both are excellent. They helped me iron out the worst of my kinks when I switched to a pump 3 years ago. Before that, my A1C’s had steadily crept up from the 7’s into the 9’s range. I’ve gotten my A1C’s back down into the 6’s now that I’m on the pump. You can improve to.
Comment by ClumsyChemist just now Delete Comment I remember those appointments - they always made me feel hopeless and like there was no point in even trying. Don’t let your doctors bully you - they are there to help YOU manage YOUR diabetes. If they don’t seem to understand this, it is not unreasonable to request a new D-team member. Really, a pump should be the standard, not a privildge…
Ayway, 10 sucks…but a few high a1cs are NOT going to kill you. You will still likely live a long and healthy life. Adolecence is really hard on diabetics - I don’t think my a1c dropped below 11 until college - but based on your blog posts, I can see that you care a lot more than I did and I really think that you will be able to reign that number in a lot sooner than I did. Just keep educaing yourself and doing the best you can. We are all rooting for you! .
That nurse really needs to be reported. If you have a good relationship with your dr at that office, definitely let her know the things she told you. If anything, let your endo know about it. Maybe he/she will have more control over the situation.
Adjusting to the pump will definitely take time, and it will require close monitoring in the meantime. Definitely take the classes, even if it’s more to indulge the nurse (a week worth does seem a little ridiculous). You may learn something that you didn’t before. I’m always learning new things at every visit with my endo/Medtronic nurse, and I’ve been on pump therapy for 9 years.
There are so many factors other than food that affects glucose levels. Don’t let anyone think that you’re doing a poor job. From what I’ve read, you’re exercising regularly, taking extra steps to control your glucose when you have limited resources (pens when you don’t have infusion sets handy), logging your BSs and being fully aware of your numbers. You are on the right track. You just need to practice more and learn as time goes on. Diabetes is not as simple as that nurse makes it out to be. Don’t let her or anyone else intimidate you.
I want to reiterate what onesaint said. Many of us have been where you are, and are now under control. Believe it or not I had A1cs between 9 and 14.something for several consecutive years. My highest was 14.5 or somewhere around there, just a few years ago (I’ve been diabetic almost 19 years). My latest A1c was a 5.9. It is possible and very realistic for you to expect that you can do the same! You need to take small steps to start, however. Don’t get bogged down in it. Start by testing your blood sugar more often. When you wake up, before every meal, before you go to sleep. Give corrections when you need to. Use something like calorieking to help with carb counts. These few things will make a WORLD of difference. Once those things become habits, there are other things you can begin doing for better control…which I won’t even get into now (no feeling overwhelmed, got it?!). You have a great support system here at TuD!
Plus i have all the amazing support of everyone on here. It makes me so happy when i read all your comments telling me to keep going! <3 My heart is so full of joy and support. I feel like i can do this!
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