It has been a little over a month with Tate's pump, and things have gone pretty well overall. At first, his numbers went all out of whack, which was somewhat expected. Now we are back to more of a "normal" range for him. We typically figure things out for a week or two, and then have to make changes due to growth spurts.
I am very happy with the results I am seeing. Because he is so young, we give him his insulin after he eats. (Normally insulin is given before eating.) So his insulin is always behind, and chasing his carbs. With injections, his Dexcom reading would peak between 300 and 400 after eating. Now, with the pump, he only peaks around 200 or 250. This is GREAT news!
It is nice when we are out to dinner to not have to pull out a vial of insulin and a syringe. Instead we pull out the little remote that goes with his pump, enter the carbs, and send it to the pump. That simple. The pump figures out all of the math for us. It is waterproof so he can go swimming and still keep it on. He is as typical as any other 2 year old.
Tate likes it, too. If you ask if he wants his insulin with a shot or his pump, he always says, "My pump." As usual, he is a trooper. We have to change his site every other day. We started by numbing him, but now we no longer need to do it. He lays down on a pillow for us, and waits for us to finish. He doesn't even flinch when we stick him. Amazing little guy to say the least.
We have received so much training over the summer from Cincinnati Children's Hospital. We are so blessed to be so close to such a wonderful, knowledgable hospital.
Sunday, August 30, 2015
Saturday, August 1, 2015
Insulin Pump Update
Tate started using his pump on Monday. We went through a 5 hour training at Children's Hospital with him with us...a little challenging to say the least, but we got through it and he, once again, did great.
They said to expect a few weeks to get everything ironed out. He started off with his glucose numbers all out of wack...highs and lows, and very different than they were. Now, on the 6th day, he has been running low. Today, I have had to prick his finger 16 times since midnight, and there will still be more tonight. No tears, though, and he says he likes his pump better than his shots. Thank goodness we have his Dexcom CGM to help us monitor his levels because it has caught all of these lows before they were really low.
So, his pump is attached just below his waist line. It is inserted with a needle, but the needle doesn't stay in. Then there is tubing that goes from the infusion site to his pump (this is how the insulin gets from the pump to his body). Then we hook the pump to his pants, but it seems to fall off a lot. I guess because of how active he is. We have to change this every 2 days. It is a little challenging right now, but I know it will get easier with practice. We do numb the site before we change it. Yesterday, he did somehow pull the infusion set (what is attached to him) out...I have no idea how. He brought it to me:) So, of course, I initially panicked because I didn't know what to do. Then I calmed myself down and realized that I would just give him a shot for his lunch carbs and then put a new one on. It all worked out. Giving him his insulin through the pump is much easier than giving him shots! I can't wait till we get all of his numbers smoothed out.
One of the toughest parts is that we have to check his glucose level every 3 hours around the clock. It gets harder and harder, the older I get, to keep getting up through the night and then function during the day. I'm glad it is summer and I don't have to go to work right now. However, I will do ANYTHING for him.
Again, through all of this, Tate is Tate...a trooper. He lets us do what we need to do when we need to do it. He now "pretends" to read the carb counts on the labels of packages. He tells people that what they are eating has carbs in it. It is hilarious! He amazes me everyday with his knowledge and his easy go attitude.
They said to expect a few weeks to get everything ironed out. He started off with his glucose numbers all out of wack...highs and lows, and very different than they were. Now, on the 6th day, he has been running low. Today, I have had to prick his finger 16 times since midnight, and there will still be more tonight. No tears, though, and he says he likes his pump better than his shots. Thank goodness we have his Dexcom CGM to help us monitor his levels because it has caught all of these lows before they were really low.
So, his pump is attached just below his waist line. It is inserted with a needle, but the needle doesn't stay in. Then there is tubing that goes from the infusion site to his pump (this is how the insulin gets from the pump to his body). Then we hook the pump to his pants, but it seems to fall off a lot. I guess because of how active he is. We have to change this every 2 days. It is a little challenging right now, but I know it will get easier with practice. We do numb the site before we change it. Yesterday, he did somehow pull the infusion set (what is attached to him) out...I have no idea how. He brought it to me:) So, of course, I initially panicked because I didn't know what to do. Then I calmed myself down and realized that I would just give him a shot for his lunch carbs and then put a new one on. It all worked out. Giving him his insulin through the pump is much easier than giving him shots! I can't wait till we get all of his numbers smoothed out.
One of the toughest parts is that we have to check his glucose level every 3 hours around the clock. It gets harder and harder, the older I get, to keep getting up through the night and then function during the day. I'm glad it is summer and I don't have to go to work right now. However, I will do ANYTHING for him.
Again, through all of this, Tate is Tate...a trooper. He lets us do what we need to do when we need to do it. He now "pretends" to read the carb counts on the labels of packages. He tells people that what they are eating has carbs in it. It is hilarious! He amazes me everyday with his knowledge and his easy go attitude.
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