Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Diabetes Bloopers



Diabetes bloopers - Wednesday 5/11: Whether you or your loved one are newly diagnosed or have been dealing with diabetes for a while, you probably realize that things can (and will) go wrong.  But sometimes the things that go wrong aren’t stressful - instead sometimes they are downright funny!  Go ahead and share your Diabetes Blooper - your “I can’t believe I did that" moment - your big “D-oh” - and let’s all have a good laugh together!!

When you come right down to it, I’m basically a living walking blooper - diabetes or otherwise.  I trip, I walk into walls, I spill things on myself (and others!!), thoughts get lost in translation on the way from my brain to my vocal chords and come out sounding stupid or embarrassing.  So yeah, I’ve got a few diabetes bloopers too . . .

    bloopers
  • like the time I programmed my breakfast bolus, then decided I needed to check my tubing for air bubbles.  I disconnected the pump and examined the tubing . . . . while an unknown amount of my breakfast bolus dribbled to the floor.
  • or the time I was doing a pump site change and instead of pulling the protective cap off of the needle, I pulled the needle right out of the site.  Yeah, kind of hard to insert the cannula without the needle!
  • another time I inserted the site correctly, but pushed the button to fill the cannula before removing the needle.  Don’t suppose much insulin gets into the cannula with the needle still taking up all of the space in there.
  • how about the time that, in an effort to use new “real estate” for my CGM sensor, I inserted it so far on my back that I couldn’t reach around to remove the needle.  Thank goodness my husband was home and got the needle out for me - otherwise I suppose I would have had to walk around all day with it sticking out of my back.  OUCH
  • of course, I’ve dropped my pump more times than I can count.  Like really dropped it, with a loud THUNK as it hits the floor and then bounces around.  Luckily it has survived each Death Drop.
  • and I was a Blooper Pro long before I was a pumper.  While on MDIs, I once (or more than once . . . ) took 13 units of Novolog (my short-acting insulin) instead of 13 units of Lantus (my long acting insulin).  That’s the only blooper I still don’t laugh about, because that’s a very scary mistake.
If I needed to, I’m sure I could come up with a few more bloopers - but I think I’ve embarrassed myself enough for one day.  Please tell me I’m not the only one who has made these silly mistakes!!




Don’t forget to add your post to the Diabetes bloopers-Wednesday 5/11 Link List.  Please enter YOUR BLOG’S NAME in the field marked Your Name and the link to YOUR SPECIFIC POST in the field marked Your URL.

18 comments:

  1. I'm loving reading all the diabetes bloopers!! wonderful, wonderful idea!!

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  2. What happens to our brain when we go through the motions and then do something in the middle of the bolus? Like -- at that very minute, for whatever reason, there's a powerful overwhelming urge to fiddle with the pump/tubing/site!! WTH????

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  3. I have removed the site from the needle way too many times...sucks. AND...I have tried inserting a site into Joe's bum-cheek with the plastic cover gaurd on at least three times that I can think of. Oh and then there is the whole forgetting to prime thing. A bit of an issue with the "pig-tail" on the contact-detach set....OY VEY.

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  4. While babysitting, my mom gave Jack 11 units of Humalog instead of 11 units of Lantus. Scary, scary, scary!!!

    Thanks, again, for this great D-Blog Week!

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  5. This is a great list and no I don't think you're alone :) I too walk into walls lol And you know what? I have twice given 20 units of humalog instead of lantus and I too, cannot laugh about it-you're right, way too serious and scary!

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  6. I've done some of those things, as well as (trying) to insert the set with the needle protecter still on it. :)

    This was a brilliant idea for the topic today!

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  7. Yup - we are definitely the DOCBs - DOC blooperees...

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  8. Oh. Color me embarrassed. My diabetes blooper was all about accidentally taking too much insulin. Yes, it's scary but I thought my circumstances were funny so I chose to laugh instead.

    Tristan

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  9. I've had a scary moment too when I was so sleepy I gave Katie (the baby) Andy's pill instead of hers (his is 3 times the amount of hers). Luckily, the lowest she got was in the 60's so crisis was averted. That time :)

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  10. @Tristan - Oh no, please don't be embarrassed!!! In fact, your comment has encouraged me to lighten up and laugh at that last blooper too. After all, I quickly realized what I had done and made sure I had enough juice to keep me from bottoming out. So yes, I'll learn from you and we can laugh at our blooper together!!

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  11. No, you are not the only one doing this stuff! When I wrote mine, I was having a hard time remembering stuff but after reading a bunch of posts this morning, I realized how much I forgot about!

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  12. LOL....great list.... the 13 units of NL is definitely a scary one. Ouch!

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  13. This was a great topic to blog about! I have spent the entire day laughing and seeing how we are all in this together. We "get it" and still find ourselves laughing at the crazy things we do. This was very refreshing!

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  14. Elise drops her CGM all the time... I always cringe and then am relieved that there isn't any damage.

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  15. Those pumps are like tanks!!! I don't know how they survive sometimes.

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  16. Reading yours reminded me of another. I was driving to work immediately after putting in a new site and heard a beep. I just pushed a button and then a few seconds later heard another beep and realized i had just given myself 14 units of Novolog. It was a scary few hours, but ended up okay...juice, snacks, tests every 15 minutes...still scary to think of.

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  17. I'm with you - some of our bloopers have not been too funny!

    Most of the ones I've read today have had me laughing out loud. :)

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Thanks for your comment!