Lessons to be learnt

In my last post I mentioned that my levels had been a bit high, which I found massively frustrating.  My target range is set pretty aggressively at 5 - 7 mmol/l, giving a target average of 6.  Something I wouldn't have dreamed of whilst injecting, I'd have been hypo'ing too much to consider aiming for that.  Anyway, I was running a bit high and everything I checked seemed good.  Bubbles were purged, cannulas were changed, but still I remained a bit high.  I only 'fixed' this when I changed the entire infusion set, cartridge and insulin.  I suspect that the cause was that the insulin had started to 'go off'  I've had this before with a pen, so I guess I should have known better.  As soon as I was on the new cartridge and insulin from a new vial, levels were right back where I wanted them, seeing readings around and just under 6.  This, although frustrating, was a pretty good learning experience.  I'll know for next time!

I've also experienced my first mechanical malfunction, as my wife rolled over in bed, caught the infusion tube and it lifted the cannula just enough for it to come out.  I definitely felt it come out and the cannula poking at my skin was somewhat irritating.  So was this happening in the small hours of the morning!

Had another hypo in the last week.  It was around 2am and I was 3.8, so not that low, but still technically a hypo.  Treatment for a hypo used to be fast acting glucose (I use Gluco Tabs) followed by something longer acting (cereal, bread, etc.), which isn't really ideal, but we all have to work with the hand we are dealt.  Treating a hypo on the pump is much better.  Take a test, see what level you are and then the meter suggests how much fast acting glucose to have.  Gluco Tabs are 4g of carb each, so as the meter suggested 12g of carbs, that was 3 Gluco Tabs.  A test 10 minutes later read 4.9 and that was it. Job done and back to sleep.

My pump has been beeping and vibrating at me this morning.  It's running low, currently with only 11u of insulin, so it's time to fill up a new cartridge and change infusion sets.  This whole process was a bit daunting at first, but it's pretty simple and doesn't take that long to do.  The longest bit is probably purging the bubbles, speaking of which, they still have a habit of appearing from nowhere!