Stars Aligned….

What do you call it when a whole bunch of great things happen on one day?  When the stars seem to have aligned for one perfect moment?  When more good happens than you could ever imagine?  Well, I called it Friday, September 1st.

To start off, it was my husband’s birthday.  And the start of a three day weekend.  So that right there makes it a pretty good day.

It was also my first day at my new job!!!  I’m so excited to share that I’ve joined the DiabetesSisters staff as their new Program Manager!  For the past several years I’ve loved volunteering with Virtual PODS and I could not be more thrilled to officially join the team.  For more on what I’ll be doing, check out this press release that was shared today.

It’s hard to imagine one single day could get more exciting, but it actually did.  Because late on Friday, UPS dropped off all of this….

670G Hybrid Closed Loop, here I come!!  So far I’ve set up my basal and bolus settings and started reading the training manuals.  I’ll start using it in manual mode next week after my first training session.  And if all goes well, a week later I’ll be ready to try auto-mode and let the closed loop start doing its thing.

I can’t even convey how excited and lucky and grateful I was (and continue to be) that the stars aligned on Friday and delivered one super spectacular day to me.  And I’m so looking forward to these new adventures I’m starting.

** My Medtronic disclosure can be found here. **

Running On Autopilot.......

Usually when I can do something on autopilot it’s a good thing.  It means it has become a part of my routine and I can quickly get the chore done without investing too much brainpower.

But sometimes?  Sometimes running on autopilot doesn’t work so well.  Like this morning when I did my site change.  I estimate that I’ve done well over 1,200 site changes in my years of pumping, so I most certainly run on autopilot when I do them.  Remove the old site.  Rewind the pump.  Disinfect both my skin and the insulin bottle.  Fill the new reservoir.  Tap out the bubbles.  Connect the tubing.  Prime and confirm that I see drops of insulin at the end of the needle.  Remove needle guard.  Insert site.

Oops!!  That’s right, I missed a step.  PEEL BACKING OFF OF ADHESIVE!!!  My fresh new site immediately fell out because I didn’t expose the “glue” that keeps it stuck to me for the next three days.

Just because I’ve done something more than 1,200 times doesn’t mean I shouldn’t continue to pay closer attention during the next 1,200 times.  Because autopilot apparently doesn’t always work out so well…..

Embracing Change…….

Remember when my hard drive bit the dust two years ago?  I invested in a new PC.  A pretty pricy one that was supposed to be great.  Except it wasn’t.  It was a LEMON.  Within a month it was sent out for repair.  I got it back 5 weeks later and absolutely nothing had been done to fix it.  After fighting with the manufacturer, a tech was sent out who replaced the mother board and fixed it.  But it’s never been right.  Little random weird problems happen intermittently, and lately they began to happen more and more.  I decided it was time to cut my losses and move on.  And I quit my long Windows history and went with a shiny new touch-bar MacBook Pro.


I couldn’t wait for it to arrive!  It took four long weeks but at last it was here.  And I hated it…….

Everything was different.  I had to think about how to do things I did mindlessly on Windows.  Everything took me three times longer to accomplish.  And I may have cried.  Several times.  I do not deal well with change.

But it’s been two weeks and I am over the drama.  I love my new Mac.  I can do lots of stuff mindlessly again, and every day it feels more and more normal.  And the adjustment has been a good lesson.

I started pumping in 2008.  And I have upgraded my Medtronic pump many times through the years.  New features have been added, but the pump has remained much the same.  I can use it mindlessly.  I can do a quick bolus or clear an alarm without even looking at it.  It feels comfortable and natural.  But next year, when the 670G is available I plan to upgrade.

The 670G will be very different from the 530G I have now (and all of my past pumps).  There will be a learning curve.  Things won’t be mindless.  I won’t be able to do things without looking.  I hopefully won’t cry, but I am afraid I might hate it for the first week or so.

But that’s okay.  I’m going to try to remember my Mac transition.  I will try to embrace the change.  Because, really, change is good.  Change helps us grow.  And I need to learn not to be so stuck in my ways.

** My Medtronic disclosure can be found here. **

** Second disclosure: I maybe have only 99% embraced the Mac change.  I am writing this post from my old PC.  The one program I can’t seem to give up is Open Live Writer and I have yet to find a good Mac equivalent.  But suggestions are more than welcome!! **

Strangest Places . . . .

A week or two ago, I suddenly noticed my insulin pump clip was missing a chunk off the end.  I had no idea why or when it broke, but I wasn’t bothered.  I had a spare clip, so I replaced it and didn’t give it another thought.

Until today, when I was vacuuming under the couch cushions and a little clear nib of plastic caught my eye.



The bottom of my pump clip!!  How and why it broke off remains a mystery.  But I know one thing for sure.  I find diabetes stuff in the strangest places.

(PS: Don’t even get me started on test strips!!)

Tethered . . .

Sometimes the slight hindrances of life with diabetes make me chuckle.  For example . . .


Don’t  you just hate it when you can’t get out of the car because you’re tethered to the seat belt?  And don’t you think this “problem” never crosses the mind of someone who doesn’t have diabetes?

It’s Temporary . . . . .

I’m not a fan of winter.  I’d almost say I hate winter, but when I think of moving out of New England to somewhere warm year round I get the feeling I’d miss the changing seasons.  And as vile as snow is, I really love a white Christmas.  I guess it would be nice if it could snow on Christmas Eve, all melt away by Boxing Day and spring could arrive on New Year’s Day.  I could live with that kind of winter.

I love snowmen too.  Unfortunately, you need snow to make a snowman . . . .

I have a feeling this winter will be long and rough.  At least for me.  Why?  Because it’s only October and I’ve already been sick twice.  That’s right, once in September and once over this past weekend.  At first I thought it was allergies (both times) but I’m more inclined to think I was hit with colds.  Especially on Monday when I couldn’t get my blood sugar out of the 200s, even thought I hadn’t eaten.  Bolus after bolus did nothing, and I pulled a perfectly good site thinking it might be crimped or something.  (It wasn’t.)

It’s times like these, when my body is fighting germs and my blood sugars are out of whack, that I rely on a Temporary Basal to get me through.  I upped my basal rate a little at a time until I found the rate that finally helped my blood sugar settle down.  This time it was 150%, which I needed to keep in place for 24 hours.  Next time it might be 125% or 140% or 170%.  I’ve found the key for me is to just keep tinkering around until I find the temp basal that works for that day.

Today I’m feeling much better and my blood sugars and basal rate are both back to normal.  (Not that the word “normal” ever really applies when dealing with blood sugar . . . )  But it’s really nice to know I can turn to a temporary basal when I need it.  Speaking of temporary, it’s also nice to know that word also applies to winter weather.

Crowd Sourcing: Packing Insulin

Pete and I are just back from a fantastic cruise to Bermuda.  Although there was lots of food (and maybe alcohol), there was also a lot of walking and stair climbing and we even worked in one 5K training run.  So my blood sugars were looking great . . . . right up until the last two days.  Then I found myself skyrocketing after everything I ate and taking quite a while to come down.  Once back in range I did manage to stay there, until the next time I ate even the smallest bite of food.

There is a lot that can throw off my blood sugar when I travel.  Lack of sleep due to late nights and a bed that isn’t my own.  More treats and food indulgences than I eat at home.  Stress.  (Yes, even on vacation I manage to stress.  Over possibilities of missing flights, sleeping through breakfast, leaving belongings behind in the hotel . . . . I can always find something to worry about).  But more often than not, I think my problem is my insulin.  I really think my little vials also suffer from travel stress.  I feel like they just lose their zing halfway through any trip.  I use Apidra, and I understand it’s more volatile than other insulin brands but I’m kind of tired of tossing out nearly full vials when I come home from a trip.

So can you help a girl out?   I’m looking for your suggestions on how you pack and store your insulin when you travel.  Because in my experience, the best place to crowd source is the DOC!  Got any tips for me?

Talk to Each Other . . . .

I like when my “toys” talk to each other.  (And now my head is filled with images from Toy Story.)  My new Fitbit wirelessly syncs to both my iPhone and my laptop.  When I log food into LoseIt, I can see it on the LoseIt site or the LoseIt app, and it’s magically reflected in Fitbit too.  When exercise has earned me a few more calories worth of snacks, Fitbit tells LoseIt that I can eat some more.  Life is easier when everything communicates seamlessly.

Now imagine a world where diabetes devices had the same seamless communication.  My stuff probably communicates better than most because the devices I use are designed to work with each other.  My Bayer Contour Next Link sends my blood glucose numbers directly to my 530G insulin pump.  My 530G works hand in hand with my Enlite CGM, showing all of that data too.  Good, yes?  Yes.  But it could be better.  What if, like Fitbit, my meter and CGM could also sync up to an app on my iPhone?  What if I could use that app to send a bolus to my 530G?  Oh my goodness, that would be awesome.  It would mean I could wear a dress without worrying about flashing too much leg or some boob every time I need to access a pump that is tucked into some unmentionables when I have no pockets.  In the winter, when my pump is buried under layer upon layer of wool, I could still see my CGM graph.  And it would mean I could put an app on Pete’s phone so that when I’m travelling and sleeping alone in a hotel room, he can take a peek from home and know I’m okay.

My world would work so much better if all of my diabetes stuff would not only talk to each other, but to the other electronic devices which have become a staple in my life.

******************************************************************************
More about the #WeAreNotWaiting campaign.

This post is my May entry in the DSMA Blog Carnival.  If you’d like to participate too, you can get all of the information at http://diabetescaf.org/2014/05/may-dsma-blog-carnival-4/

Blue Friday - Pump Style!!

If you’re a Medtronic pumper you might be interested to know they have added a new accessory - a line of silicone pump skins.  As a member of a new MiniMed Ambassador program that’s in the works I received a coupon for a free silicone skin.  Of course, I chose blue so  my pump can participate in Blue Fridays!


I really love my purple pump, but it’s fun to have the option to dress it up in blue every Friday.  Unfortunately the skins aren’t meant to offer any extra protection to clumsy cyborgs like me who have to work really hard not to drop my robot organs - but they sure are fun!

** My Medtronic disclosure can be found here. **

Lucky Moment . . . .

My morning routine always starts with a humungous cup of coffee and a bolus of insulin to cover it.  An hour or so later, my bladder is beyond full and it’s time for a bathroom break.  I know . . . . over sharing, but trust me this is relevant.

This morning as I was relieving myself of some coffee I consumed my CGM High Predicted alarm rang.  A quick glance showed me in the 160s and rising fast with one up arrow.   I finished up in the bathroom and started to tuck my pump tubing into my waistband when I got a surprise.  You see, my tubing was not actually connected to me!  After I finished my shower an hour earlier I must not have properly clicked my site connection back together.

Why do I consider this lucky?  After all, I had been without insulin for about an hour, right?  Well, if I hadn’t been in the bathroom when my alarm sounded, I would have simply tested my sugar and bolused a correction . . . . . .which would have likely ended up absorbed into my jeans.  I don’t know how long it would have taken me to realize I wasn’t connected, because this is the first time I can remember something like this happening.  So I’m very lucky that my small bladder placed me in the bathroom with my tubing exposed at the exact moment the high alarm sounded.

There is so much about diabetes that seems like a big heap of bad luck.  So when a bit of good luck comes along, it’s really nice to acknowledge it.  Have you run into any diabetes good luck lately?

Low Glucose Suspend . . . .

It’s been just over a week since I’ve been using the MiniMed® 530G with Enlite® system. I’ll admit that at first the Low Glucose Suspend feature kind of scared me.  In my mind, this feature is for emergency use only.  Unless I’m passed out cold I’m going to treat my low as usual and take my pump out of suspend mode.  (When the CGM reaches a pre-set Threshold Suspend setting, between 60 and 90, the pump alarms, blaringly loudly as it suspends.  The screen displays the option to continue suspend mode or resume your basal.  If you choose to continue suspend mode, the pump does not deliver basal insulin for two hours.  Once the two hours are up, it resumes normal operation.)

But I started to get curious about how my blood sugars would react if I let the pump suspend itself instead of treating a low.  And hey, it might make for a good blog post, right?  So when my pump began alarming at 3:45 a.m. Saturday I decided it was the perfect time to give the Low Glucose Suspend a whirl.  (Also I just wanted to go back to sleep instead of dealing with the low.)  I did a finger-stick to verify that my blood sugar was really 60, which is where I have my Threshold set.  I was actually 68 but trending down, so I decided to let the Suspend do its thing.

I woke again at 6:30 to use the bathroom.  My pump was back to delivering insulin and a quick check clocked me in at 72.  That’s a little low, but I figured the 2 hours of missed basal was still working to bring me up so I just went back to bed.  I woke up at 8:30 and did my fasting check, which revealed . . . .



I couldn’t have asked for better.  I posted to Facebook and InstaGram and got a couple of interesting questions.  Was I nervous to let my pump suspend overnight?  I wasn’t, because I have a bad habit of ignoring low alarms in favor of sleep anyway.  So for me, knowing my pump was suspended was better than knowing I was just ignoring a low.  Also, the CGM will still send out high and low alarms if my blood sugar isn’t rising or is rising too much. Did it feel uncomfortable waiting out a low to go higher by the insulin suspend rather than the quick fix of juice?  If I had run this experiment during the day, yes, I’m sure it could have felt very uncomfortable.  But in the middle of the night, I just went back to sleep so I didn’t feel any low symptoms.  (And often I don’t feel them anyway, because I’m fairly hypo-unaware.)

All in all, I’m thrilled with how well this worked for me.  As the  morning wore on my blood sugar stayed pretty level - 115 at 10:10 and 107 at 12:45.  In the future  I don’t plan on using it as a regular low treatment - I do think I’d rather treat lows myself but know it’s there in case of emergency.  At least during the day.  I have a feeling I will be pretty tempted to let the pump suspend when I’m low during the night, so that’s something I should probably run by my health care team for a little more guidance.

If you have any questions I didn’t address here, feel free to leave them in the comments!

** My Medtronic disclosure can be found here. **

Prepping . . . .

Today is World Diabetes Day, and in my own little diabetes world there is some excitement.  Because I’m prepping for training first thing tomorrow on this  . . . .


It’s taken every bit of willpower I have not to just tear open the boxes and wing it.  But I know it’s important to be properly trained . . . . so I will.  Tomorrow.  Yay!!

** My Medtronic disclosure can be found here. **

Confessions of a Data Nerd . . . .

My latest Loop post is up, and this time I’m talking about my nerdiness.  I wish I was an adorable, cool nerd like Sheldon or Leonard or even Amy Farrah Fowler.  Instead I’m just the kind of dork that loves to pour over my CareLink graphs and charts on a weekly basis.  I sometimes plug the data into formulas to try to predict my A1C or to decided just how well (or not) I’m doing.  Crazy, huh?

If my  nerdy confessions haven’t scared you off, click on over to read all about my data addiction on the Medtronic blog.  And please, if I’m not the only one with nerdy diabetes tendencies, I’d love to know!!

** My Medtronic disclosure can be found here. **

The only thing constant is change . . .

Well, okay, actually diabetes is constant.  But I have to wonder if Heraclitus had diabetes too, because sometimes I feel like the only consistent thing about my diabetes management is that I have to constantly adjust and readjust and . . . . change!!

For the past couple of weeks I’ve been working hard on redoing our dining room.  After some intense physical labor, it’s about 93% done and looking fantastic.  But combine that extra activity with a monthly hormonal swing and a cold /  flu thing that hit yesterday?  Hello, epic lows.


For more than 24 hours I went no higher than 111.  And that graph reflects both a pizza dinner and a slice of cheesecake.  Even that didn’t bring me up.  Of course, today I've got a stuffy nose, a sore throat, and some stubborn germy spikes.

What’s a girl to do?  Well, temp basals to the rescue.  My latest post at The Loop is all about temp basals!!  Dial ‘em down for those epic lows, dial ‘em up for those germy spikes.  Head on over and check it out!

** My Medtronic disclosure can be found here. **

Little things mean a lot . . .

Monday morning started just like any other Monday . . . . except that I woke up a little later because it was a holiday.  But still, just like every other Monday (or Tuesday or Saturday or every day) the first thing I did was reach for my pump to check my CGM.  As I unclipped it from my pajamas I heard the distressing sound of plastic cracking.  Nestled deep in the sheets was that little button thingie that locks and unlocks the pump (yes, that is the technical term . . . okay, not  really).  The rest of the clip immediately let go of my pump and refused to clutch it any more.

“Oh crud, my pump clip broke!”  The broken clip is a pretty minor thing, and if I’m going to have a pump problem, I’d say the broken clip is the one to have.  I ordered up a new one before I even got out of bed (yay for the myMedtronic Connect app on my iPhone!).  Then I dug out the other clip that came with my new pump, the Holster, which was still sealed in its packaging.

The Holster works.  It holds my pump and clips to my clothing.  But can I tell you?  I kind of hated it.  Compared to the Belt Clip, the Holster felt big and bulky.  It was cool that it rotates so I could wear my pump vertically or horizontally, but either way I wore it I found it jabbed into me all the time.  So when Mr. UPS Guy delivered my replacement Belt Clip today, I practically hugged him!


A pump clip is such a small accessory that I’ve never given it much thought - until it was out of commission.  It’s funny to realize what a difference something so small can make!!  What little things have you discovered actually mean a lot?

** As much as I dislike disclosures stating there is nothing to disclose, I find myself compelled to do so today.  I do have a contract with Medtronic, however this post has nothing to do with it. I'm just your average pump user who broke her clip and ordered a new one. **

Dual-Waveing at The Loop

When I first started pumping, I was kind of scared of those “advanced” pump features like the Dual Wave Bolus and the Temp Basal.  It took lots of research and quite a bit of trial and error before I figured out what worked for me, but now I find I use those features often.  In fact, I use the Dual Wave every Friday, without fail, as Pete and I indulge in Pizza and Martini Friday -which has become an end-of-the-week tradition in my house.

I’ll admit it . . . . I LOVE PIZZA AND MARTINI FRIDAY. 

It took a while to figure it out, but my Pizza and Martini Dual Wave usually keeps my blood sugars happy.  And that’s what I’m talking about at my latest post over at The Loop, entitled Pizza and Martini Night.

If you are a pumper, do you make use of your advanced features?  Do you have any tips or tricks to share?  Anything you wish you knew more about?

** My Medtronic disclosure can be found here. **

Downsizing . . .

Less is more . . . . or more is more?

 Bigger is better . . . . or good things come in small packages?

I suppose either can be true, depending on what exactly you are talking about.  And when it comes to my insulin pump, I’m definitely happy to be going a little bit smaller.


When I started pumping a little over four years ago I wasn’t sure which size pump would be best for me.  For a few reasons, my pump rep and I decided I should go with the larger one.  While this worked just fine, the reality was that it held way more insulin than I could ever use up before it was time to change out my site.  Since I prefer to change both the site and reservoir at the same time, I simply began partially filling the reservoir and later changed to the smaller reservoir (which works in either size pump).

Once my pump warranty expired I knew I wanted to go with the same pump (a purple Revel) but in the smaller size.  And it couldn’t have come at a better time, because my parent’s dog put a gouge in the screen when she stood on my lap . . . . and my pump.  So I was thrilled when my new “downsized” pump arrived yesterday.  Sure, it’s not that much smaller, but it looks so cute and it feels so petite in my hand!  I can’t help but smile every time I look at it.  I’m enjoying it while I can, because I’m sure I’ll get used to its smaller size pretty quickly.  But for now, when it comes to my insulin pump, less is definitely more!!

**I currently have a contract with Medtronic, although this pump purchase was not part of that contract and was made independently.  My contract disclosure can be found here. **

Four Years . . . .

In mid-April I celebrated my four-year pumpaversary. I mentioned it briefly in my Dream Day post.  In real-life I didn’t get a huge breakfast cooked for me, but we did take a quick trip to the casino and have a yummy lunch at the Mexican restaurant there.  So it was a quasi-dream day.

In some ways it’s hard to believe that I’ve already been pumping for four whole years.  I think back to the long road I traveled to finally feel ready to give the pump a whirl.  That is the topic of my latest post over at the Loop Blog - Celebrating a Pumpaversary.

** My Medtronic disclosure can be found here. **

Sometimes it’s the little things . . .

Health Activist Choice! Write about what you want today.

When I started pumping, my Medtronic rep recommended trying the Quick-Set infusion set since it’s their most popular one.  They’ve always worked well for me and I’m still using them today.



One of the things that appealed to me from the start was the Quick-Serter, a device to help easily insert my infusion sets.  Sure, I had been doing injections for a long time, but for me, inserting a site was a very differently thing and the Quick-Serter helped make it relatively painless and  . . . well . . . quick!!  Some time later I saw a post or tweet or something from another pumper who was changing the type of set she used and she was looking to pass along her unneeded Quick-Serter.  I gratefully accepted, happy to have a spare.

Then one day I saw a post (I wish I could remember who wrote it) by a blogger who inserted his or her Quick-Sets manually.  No inserter??  The thought had never crossed my mind.  But I decided it might not be a bad idea to try it, because you just never know.  What if I didn’t have my Quick-Serter handy but needed to change my site?  So I hemmed and hawed . . . . I screwed up my courage . . . . and thwack I slapped my site on manually.  And it wasn’t so bad.  It was a bit awkward, but it really didn’t hurt any more than usual.  Satisfied that I had done it, I promptly went back to using my Quick-Serter.

For whatever reason, a few weeks ago I decided to do a manual insertion again.  And again.  And again.  My Quick-Serter has stayed nestled in my d-supply drawer.  I’ve found I really like inserting my sites manually.  It’s not that it’s easier.  It’s not that it hurts less.  It’s not that doing it either way is better or worse.  But manual insertion feels like a bit of a rebellion for me - Ms. Play-By-The-Rules Straight-And-Narrow Nerd-Girl.  It may be a little thing, but in some way it feels like a win!!  And any time you can score a win against diabetes it’s a good thing!!

Have you had any little Diabetes Wins lately??

** My Medtronic disclosure can be found here. **

Good News to Share - A Disclosure

I’m pleased to be able to share some news today, some news that I’m very excited about!  You might remember that I wrote a guest post for the Medtronic blog, The Loop, back in February.  At the time, we were finalizing a contract, and now that it’s set I’m thrilled to share a disclosure with you!

I have signed a six month contract to contribute some guest posts for Medtronic, to be shared on The Loop or other Medtronic materials.  I will also be placing a Medtronic ad on my blog.  In exchange, Medtronic will provide me with the supplies I use for my pump and my continuous glucose monitor.  (I already have a Revel pump with the CGM transmitter - I will be receiving the disposable goods associated with their use.)

I’ve been using the Medtronic pump and CGM for almost four years now, and I’ve always been extremely happy with the performance and also with customer service.  For these reasons, I feel my contract with Medtronic is a good fit, because I’m already using the products I’ll be writing about.  Of course, my opinions (as well as this blog) are my own and I will always be honest with you when I share my opinions, both good and bad.  This agreement won’t bring about any changes on Bitter-Sweet, aside from the ad I’ll be placing and the fact that I will (hopefully remember to) mention this disclosure agreement in any posts I write about my pump and CGM.

Obviously, with both Pete and I still job hunting, it is a big relief not to worry about supplies for the CGM and pump for now.  But beyond that, I’m so excited and thankful to have the opportunity to share my perspective with the Medtronic audience.  I’m proud to add this new chapter to my diabetes advocacy.

As long as I’m in Disclosure Mode, I should mention that I’ll be leaving tomorrow for the second Medtronic Diabetes Advocate Forum.  I was invited to this event last year as well, and once again Medtronic will be covering my flight to and from L.A. and my hotel and meals tomorrow and Friday.  I have not been asked to blog or tweet about the forum - but I most likely will as I predict I’ll come back with lots of interesting things to share.  And now, even though I despise packing, I suppose I should go get that done!