For the past couple of weeks, I've been sticking close home. After traveling so much in the past couple of months, I like sticking close to home. But with that I've gotten lax about carrying around my "emergency d supplies" with me in my purse. It's the little case that has a complete site change, extra batteries, iv-3000 tape, insulin, and a variety of other things. I work 5 minutes from my house, and if I need to leave, it's never a big issue to run out and make it back to work in my 15 minutes I get for break. So lately, I've been leaving it at home.
This morning I got up to get ready for church and it was a complete site change day. Meaning: new CGM sensor site AND new insulin pump infusion site. I was running a little behind this morning because I knew I had to be a church early and I didn't get up early enough. It was my week to teach Sunday School. I put my new pump site and new CGMS, grabbed breakfast and took off for church. I bolused in the car (don't ask) and there was no problem.
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| My emergency d supply bag |
When I got to church it was around 9:30. At 9:40 I got the dreaded "NO DELIVERY" alarm. My kids were coming into the classroom already and there was no way I could leave. I knew I'd had my bolus insulin...at least I thought I had. And I made a choice. I stayed at church. Even with no insulin being delivered, I stuck it out. I knew what would happen. By 11:00, my blood sugar was 273. When I got home at 12:30 it was 370.
I could have left, I'm sure. Tried to find someone to take my class for a while so I could sneak out. But I HATE when diabetes stops me from doing something. I hate having to say "diabetes is making life difficult." So I made the choice to stay. I felt it was easier to deal with the crappy feeling from the high blood sugars than it was to have to get help from someone to take my class while I went home to take care of my insulin pump.
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| The result of my decision |
I know it probably wasn't the best decision that I could have made, but it would have been even better to have had my emergency set change with me. Sometimes we make choices that don't work out so well. I made the choice not to carry my emergency d supplies. I then made the choice to stay at church, and essentially go without insulin for nearly 3 hours.
4 comments:
Excellent reminders. After 6 years of having D in our lives I recently realized how complacent Ive become. I used to carry glucagon, an infusion set, extra meter, batteries, and cartridge and insulin with me where ever we went. I carried it all in my extra large Dmamma purse. In the last year or so Ive not had it with me. (maybe two years). I had switched purses and didn't put it in. It hasn't been an issue. Until yesterday - an hour into a 1.5 hour drive my daughter got a low cartridge alert. I didn't have insulin. we decided to continue on - it was an important drive. We knew we would be gone for a number of hours. She had enough insulin for basals and a small meal. BUT - what if - what if there was a traffic jam. What if my car broke down. Maybe we should have turned around. If it were any other thing we were heading to than what it was I would have. It was just too important to be late. Prior to commenting I repacked my emergency kit and safely secured it in my purse. Thanks for the reminders. Hope your high didn't leave you feeling too cruddy the rest of the day.
Cara-
I get a little too relaxed myself. Today, I couldn't find my vial of insulin, and I went to dinner without carrying glucose tabs. I understand. I bet your students were happy you stayed.
It's so hard to be perfect all of the time and do everything 100% right. But I think as long as we learn from our mistakes, no harm done. :)
You know what, life is all about choices and compromises. We do the best we can with the circumstances for each situation.
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