Friday 8 April 2011

Claudia's Diabetic Comfort Blanket


Well disaster struck, 19-20months into pumping, Claudia's pump flashed "motor error"!

From the outside I looked cool, calm & together. Inwardly I felt sick, my mind was in a whirl and I was thinking ohhhh and lots of 4 letter words.


I rang Medtronic immediately but had to leave a message, however Donald got hold of them within 10 minutes and he transferred them to me. They were very calm and helpful, Claudia by this point was hysterical. Getting her to give me her pump so I could run the tests with the lady from Medtronic was challenging to say the least. I think in the end I had to snatch it(shameful at my age I know)


After running a few tests, it was clear we needed a new pump. More hysterics from Claudia, it's my pump you can't have it, I am not eating, you are not injecting me


I have to say at this point I just didn't have my 5 children I had 2 others as well.

Medtronic were wonderful. A new pump should be here today, Claudia was also able to choose a new colour.

It took 35 minutes to give her some levemir, novo rapid was a little easier. She slept with us last night as she was "scared" and we wanted to do regular checks as I wasn't sure if my calculations(guess) for the long lasting insulin was correct.

Well she woke at 11 this am and is currently 6.8 after breakfast. Not a bad guesstimate as I didn't want to go OTT on the levemir.


What I have realised is how attached Claudia has become to her pump and how it supports her manage her condition. It hit home that no matter how amazing our children are with Type 1, change can really panic & scare them.(me too)


It made it very clear that the pump was the right and only way forward for Claudia due to her huge dislike of injections, nearly 3 years from diagnosis,

She is at home with me waiting for her new pump, seriously bad tempered I can say, I have had several verbal whip lashings, from her ladyship.

Now I have just to remember how to set it all up. Serious use of grey matter these last 2 days!


So no matter what any medical proffesional says, how happy go lucky Claudia is deep down she needs consistancy in order to cope each and every day. Something I think as parents we have always known.

2 comments:

  1. thats really interesting how attached to her pump she is. we havent begun pumping yet..
    good work on calc the levemir!

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  2. We had to do shots for a weekend a couple years ago...and I'm not kidding when I say that she REFUSED carbs because she didn't want a shot. She got a shot of Lantus each morning...and survived off salads, cheese, and lunch meats until her new pump arrived.

    Hope your brain gets a little reprieve!

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