Thursday, April 29, 2010

By the Glow of the Pale Pump-Light

I awaken to a shrill beeping sound. In my head, I know what it is. But I'm tired. I reach down and push the buttons on my pump to make it stop. Just like it was an alarm clock with a snooze button.

In my sleep-hazed mind, I know I should look to see if it is informing me of a high or a low. I unclasp my pump from the waist band of my pajama bottoms and lay it on my stomach. Almost too tired to even bring it up to my face.

I lay there drifting, I know, back to sleep. But I shake myself and push the "down" button, knowing it will turn on the pump back-light. My CGMS says 80. But I can tell from the drastically dipping trend line, that I'm probably much lower.

I could roll over and turn on my bed-side lamp. But I don't. I don't want to wake up. And I know where everything is anyway.

I grab for my meter. Using my pump as a dim light, I test my blood sugar. 64.

I don't even zip up my meter case. I just push it to the edge of the bed and grab the juice box that I know sits by my alarm clock.

I down it quickly and roll back over and drift back to sleep.

I wake up with my still unzipped meter next to me. I turn off my alarm clock. I test again. I'm 114.

7 comments:

Araby62 (a.k.a. Kathy) said...

I'm starting to use my Dexcom as a handy flashlight for late-night trips to the fridge for juice. The backlight lasts 30 seconds and it is bright. The cat is freaked out by it.

You're a pro!

Anonymous said...

Know that well. Been there so many times I've lost count. But, at least we wake up to catch the Lows. So there's that. Hope your next night is a restful and uninterrupted one.

Karen said...

It really does become so routine that we just do it in our sleep, doesn't it? Still wrecks a solid night of rest though. I had never thought to use my pump backlight so I could see my meter - brilliant idea!! Instead, I have stolen the booklight I bought for Pete and I use that. I suppose I can maybe give it back to him now. :)

Katie from SF said...

I know that story! (Minus the CGM part - I use my cell phone as my light.) Glad it all worked out perfectly!

Cherise said...

I hate late night lows. Heck, we are already tired but the low makes it even worse. I use the light on my PDM to test my bg's. I am glad everything turned out well.

Layne said...

Wow, this sounds familiar. Definitely a weekly occurrence in my house. I also refuse to turn the light on and use my pump light. Except I just realized last week that my meter has a light! Doesn't light up the strip like my old Freestyle used to but it's something!

And, btw, awesome job with the correction! Doesn't it make you feel good?!? :-)

~Layne

Unknown said...

It can be so dang hard to do stuff in the middle of the night - not only the darkness, but the sheer tiredness clawing at you to just go back to sleep.