Does your significant other know how to do pump site changes?
Mine does not, not sure he could test my bloodsugar either.
Nope. It has occurred to me that "What if?" but I haven't gone so far as to show anybody how to do anything. I tested her BG once when she came back from a 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM lunchless shopping trip complaining "I'm having low blood sugar..." and rang up an 81...
Mine does know how to test. He helps me out with site changes, sometimes using the inserter to put it places I can't reach, and also to help with tape, so he knows the tubing has to be primed ("call me when you've got it primed") but he wouldn't know which buttons to press to do anything.
No, unfortunately my cat refuses to learn, it’s very frustrating.
No, but he has seen me do it. Maybe I should sit down with him the next time I change my site, eh? A very good idea! He is very responsive to lows that I can’t feel. . . But stripping out of my clothes and laughing are a rather obvious sign something isn’t exactly right. . .
My dog refuses to deal with anything that smells like band-aids!
Seriously, though, this is a good topic to raise with those who have a spouse or significant other. I fear if I ever have to let the hospital take over with controlling my blood glucose. They’re so hypo-phobic, I’m sure they’ll be happy running my average BG at 180. I wonder if hospitals even know how to manage an insulin pump.
My policy is that as long as I am physically and cognitively competent, I stay in the BG driver’s seat. They can check my BG all they want but I’m the one that will make all insulin dosing decisions.
If I were married, I would talk about this issue.
Hey Bojibridge and Terry -
Maybe we can start an animal training program, lol. My cats are no help, either.
But then...it'd probably be like the commercial "sorry person, I have no thumbs!"
Ruth
Mine can put the automated ones in BUT not the straight needle one I use. Now, never had him test my BG - but he watches me do it enough - will use myself as a guinea pig next week - hold out my finger tip - and see how it goes (e.g should I warn him about the depth setting??). Oh no Karen - what am I getting myself into
I could show mine how but he would probably pass out if he needed to stick me with a needle. He's ok digging a splinter out of my foot or finger but to give me anything that resembles a injection - I'd have better success training the cat! Actually, our daughter has done finger sticks on me for a long time, started that when she was in elementary school. She knows how to give a glucagon injection too, never had to but I taught her - she knew to poke mom, call 911 if mom didn't wake up, poke finger, and if sugar was below 50 shoot glucagon. And not to hang up the phone and then open the gate! She understands my pump and would learn quickly, however, she's off at college now. Now to train the cat!
My boyfriend does not know how to do a site change (despite having watched a million of them and regularly changing my CGM sensors for me as I wear them on the back of my arm), but he does know how to check my sugar and give me an injection if he finds me incoherently high. He also knows all the drills for lows as I find those to be much more of a likely issue and if it becomes really serious he'll call 911.
Use the palm of your hand to show him. :)
Anna I saw your post about not pumping and using that device for insulin delivery. Do you find bad sites for that like we do for pumping?
Mine is a "might pass out." In 37 years of marriage, he has tested my glucose one time. I just asked him how he felt this and the comment was "Well, I gave you that glucagon one and felt like I should be in scrubs or something." Could you help me insert the pump or CGM equipment? "I might pass out."
Guess I know him well. However, in an emergency, he would suck it up and help me.
My husband knows how to test but I wouldn't trust him to change my site lol. As squimish as he is about needles as I said I wouldn't trust him..he would probably close his eyes.
I let my husband apply the flexifix tape around the dexcom sensor but that is as far as I would let him go. He has given me glucagon a couple of times but that was years ago. And the one time I did a finger stick on him, he was so whiny I can't see the point in getting him more involved. He knows how the dial 911, the dog on the other hand is far more trainable.
My wife has no idea how to change a infusion set and has no interest in giving me injections or testing my BG. When I had my transplant I was helpless (like a turtle on his back ) and even the hospital staff had no idea how and did not have protocol for using a insulin pump in a hospital setting, after I was out of ICU for a week I convinced them to just turn their backs and let my take charge of my BG...all they did was test my BG every 6 hours. The hospital staff is not trained to use one of our infusion sets most of them would not even know what one looks like.
I don't have a significant other, but I do have parents who managed or closely supervised my diabetes for about the first 10 years or so. That was with R and NPH and doesn't resemble MDI or the pump at all. A year and a half ago I was hospitalized and they asked my parents (since they were there) if they would be able to work my pump in case I were to lose consciousness or something ... My parents said they would have no idea what to do. My mom did attend my first pump training six years ago, so I think she does have some idea how the pump works (that it has a cartridge, only uses one type of insulin, requires site changes, etc.), but doesn't know anything about basal rates and ratios.
My sister has watched my father and me test our BGs for years and years, and I don't think she'd be able to work the lancing device if she needed to. And my father actually has NO idea how to work my meter, or my lancing device...I'm not even sure that he knows I'm insulin resistant, and he was at that appt with me!
I think my mom or dad would know how to test my BG because they helped me do it for a year or two after my diagnosis (and did it for me during severe lows or when sick). They may think a giant drop of blood needs to be "dropped" onto the top of the strip like it did 20 years ago, though, rather than having the strip suck it up a tiny drop ...
Quitamut, even though he was at your appointment, one time is not enough. My husband knows more then other family members because he has attended many meetings at Endo and CDE. CDE made sure he knew how to test my bg and on occasions he's had to do it because of hypounawareness...experience is the best teacher.
ill tell you, I was in the hospital this past August. I needed a site change and because of lupus I could no grip or hold anything. I needed my wife to put the new site in. It was a disaster. In the end I just had her fill the reservoir and I went on about my business. Even that was most difficult.
Now my wife can certainly take my blood sugar and does when I am too low to get it done.
Rick Phillips