Type 1 diabetic...inuslin pump user...took a shower last night...took pump off and "suspended" it (stopped it while I was in the shower)...got out of shower and put it back on...watched TV...got in bed...and FORGOT to start pump up again.
Was without insulin for about 5 hours. New pump (have had it for 5 days, still getting used to it). I woke up at 0330 feeling thirsty and having to make a bathroom run. Checked my sugar...it was 439 (no lie...Geez). Got out insulin and syringes and calculated a dose of 9 units and injected.
Now 0621. Sugar is at 110. I feel fine. Pump is running, almost breakfast time.
Do other people have a brain fart and do something as stupid as that? I feel like a world-class dumbass right now. I can't believe I did that. I'll call the doc when his office opens and let him know. I deserve the impending lecture.
EMT
Sorry about the military time...it's a habit.
2007-10-15 23:26:03 · 11 answers · asked by emt_me911 7 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Diabetes
Let me add that I'm NOT new with the insulin pump. I had a Minimed 508. I just upgraded to the 722 less than a week ago. I've been using a pump for years.
2007-10-15 23:41:42 · update #1
What's really stupid is that I am an EMT...I should know better. I guess that's what makes me feel so dumb. All is well though...sugars have been stable today. Yes, I did turn the alarm on the pump on...something I had not done yet.
2007-10-16 11:57:05 · update #2
Don't beat yourself up, you learned a rather harmless lesson as you are ok now and I bet you wont do it again. Everyone has brain farts. The anesthesiologists where I work sometimes forget to turn on the epidural pumps after they do the epidural (then an hour later my patient is in pain).
So dont beat yourself up, these things happen.
btw, i get military time, its all we use
2007-10-15 23:37:42 · answer #1 · answered by Leizl 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't think you are an idiot. Getting a new insulin pump is a big change and I am sure a lot of people make similar mistakes at first. Just be more careful in the future. A one time blood sugar of 439 that was quickly treated, shuld not hurt you. I've seen people live in the 500 or 600's for months when they are non-compliant with their meds. Not like that's a good thing to do, but I'm just trying to reassure you that a one time measurement that high that was treated quickly shouldn't hurt you.
2007-10-15 23:39:51 · answer #2 · answered by Alison 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I wish I could say I never do anything like that, but I do. From the looks of all the posts, everyone does. I use the same pump, just a different size reservoir, and the thing beeps every 15 minutes while it is suspended. A few times I have forgotten to unsuspend it after re hooking up, but the alarms have reminded me. Then I feel perfectly stupid.
You could look into turning your alarm on, that may help in the future.
Good luck, and you are not a dumbass, just a human.
2007-10-16 08:13:43 · answer #3 · answered by Tamarak 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My husband is type 2 diabetic. He takes two different types of insulin, one at meal time, the other at bed time. Twice he has gotten them switched and has taken the wrong one at bed time. Well to say the least he had a bad reaction, got up passed out and hit his head on something, which caused it to bleed.
I checked his blood sugar, it was 47, gave him 1/2 cup regular soda, which brought it back up to 80. Then the next day blood glucose was high. Doctor told us to take 1/2 dose of night time insulin the next morning if this ever happens again, instead of cola, give him 1/2 of a power bar.
Anyway, don't chew too much on yourself. Everybody makes mistakes. After all we all are just human. My husband has been on insulin for years, and he messed up. We just have to learn from our little bobbles in life and try to be more careful. This is all we can do.
Good luck with your pump.
2007-10-16 02:48:22 · answer #4 · answered by cubby 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yeah I've done some bonehead things with my pump before. I never put mine in suspend because the constant beeping of the alarm drives me batty. The worst is one morning I took my pump off to shower. I get out of the shower and prepare for work. I get to work and after a little while am starting to feel horrible. Duh! I forgot to put my pump back on. I had to make the journey back home that day. Another time, again at work my infusion set was itching me like crazy so I ripped it out. No problem, I always have a spare. This time though, I dropped the spare on the ground and bent the needle. Darn, I had to leave work early that day. Another time on a date, I accidentally ripped out the infusion set while pulling down my underwear to use the restroom. That was a little embarrassing.
2007-10-16 02:08:32 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I'm not on a pump... but managed to take off on a 2 week holiday and leave my entire kit at home... insulin, needles, glucose monitor, the works! I must have drunk 10 litres of water on the flight, and the first thing I did was head for the hospital. All worked out, but went for over 10 hours without insulin. lol... I survived, but it's not a mistake i will ever make again... and i bet you won't make your mistake again either!!
2007-10-15 23:50:21 · answer #6 · answered by Beth H 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
yeah, its called "being human" and you're allowed 1 mistake per week...lol\
Like a previous responder, just recently I left my entire medical kit at home(4 hours drive away). I am a pumper(of 7 years) and I had never done that before, I had to call up my endo in a panic + beg for an RX, pronto because I only had 4.4 units in my pump + couldn't swap out.(all supplies being left at home) As punishment for my stupidity, I had to take shots every 3 hours for two days.(novolog being short acting insulin)
life with D is never boring- docs shouldn't lecture, it comes back on our own heads.
2007-10-16 08:00:17 · answer #7 · answered by er_watch 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
We've all made "duh" mistakes!
When my daughter was on a pump, we never suspended for this reason. For the time you are in the shower, very little insulin will drip out - it's worth a little waste and mess to just leave it on.
Don't worry, you are in very good company. The worst thing for me is every time I screw up, I feel extra bad because I am a NURSE, after all.
2007-10-16 07:27:52 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Mistakes happen man, don't beat yourself up. You deserve no lecture. You actually CARE about your health unlike many people I take care of. You just made a mistake. Learn from it and move on, it is okay.
2007-10-16 07:54:24 · answer #9 · answered by "McRib" NREMT-P 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well yeah it was an accident i do it sometimes i am a type 1 diabetic but at least your bg level went down one time i did that and my bg level went up to were it says HI and it wasnt pretty
2007-10-19 13:39:08 · answer #10 · answered by i have diabetes 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋