Okay, @Eric. My kittens should be safe. I’ve started a new thread.
I’m not really sure what I’m doing, but I’m feeling an itch. I’ve been using the 670G since last June, and it has been all consuming. I have learned so much in the last year+… so I’m not complaining… but my brain needs a break. My battered left hip needs a break. My family needs a break.
When I was diagnosed with diabetes in 2004, it came at a time when it couldn’t get my full attention. Having a child diagnosed on the spectrum, a recent diagnosis of melanoma, and soon to be having brain surgery for an unrelated condition left me just doing the bare—- and I mean BARE minimum with my diabetes. My a1c went from a 9.5 at diagnosis to a 16.5 within a year and didn’t return to below a 14 for almost 3 years— at the time I received my first pump. I’ve been pumping since then… and am here now thinking about a break.
My options, as I see them, are as follows: 1. to suck it up and stay in manual mode on the 670G. I’m learning a lot… and I might be over this in a couple of days. 2. To go back into auto and let ‘er rip. THaT might be good for a laugh anyway. But I just don’t see that lasting long. 3. to try out something new in auto like a manual injection basal… just for kicks. And 4. To just unhook and going device-less. Kind of. Eric, you once said you use your pump as a kind of fancy syringe. I’d love to use mine as a fancy calibration factor provider. This is a ridiculous plan, I’m sure, but I could try it out… maybe?
All 670G all the time makes Nicky a super-dull conversationalist. I try to get my hands on pictures of other people’s graph screens like other people try to get their hands on pictures …of other things. Need a break. Even a little one. There’s no pressure for anyone to say anything. Just kind of thinking out loud…
One would be a multiple Levemir dose, which would cover your slightly higher daytime basal needs, and fits with your ~20 hour duration of Levemir. That would be injections at 7am and 2pm. Is that manageable?
The other would be Tresiba and Levemir in the morning.
I’ve been thinking about this today… I had about 1.6 units on board, and I was hugging the low 70s/upper 60s. It was a relatively fresh 1.6 units. I thought about trying to slow it all down… try to soften the blow. It made me realize how quickly I can change gears when I need to, but then as soon as I say it, can I not learn how to do that with injections as well? It’s the difference between driving an automatic and driving stick shift. It probably is easier, and driving is driving all the same, but there’s just something about stick that feels more like you’re driving that car. I’ve never had that feeling, and I think it would be good for me to… give it a test drive. That was a lot of car analogies, but they just kept coming.
In reality, the reason I ever started pumping in the first place is because I wasn’t doing my shots. I wasn’t doing my shots because I had to inject for EVERY LITTLE BITE OR SIP, and I’m a grazer… I was up to like 25-35 shots a day. So I just didn’t do them. It’s how I ended up on the 16.5 path. I’m not sure I’d be willing to do that many shots now, but maybe I eat better… Yeah, I’ve got a lot to consider.
Have you disappeared, or were you actually expecting an answer? I thought “down for whatever” showed how flexible and crazy spontaneous I am, but now @MM2’s got me scared.
If it were me, I’d try the pump in manual mode. Then you have no shots, but all the control of shots (and more).
I sometimes take a pump break for a week when I get burned out. I’ve used Lantus for this in the past. It never lasts more than a week, because I can’t stand the a) horrible control and b) ten or more shots a day, and I frequently call it off after only a few days.
The last time I took a pump break was my Tresiba experiment, and I was so grateful to have my pump back after that it’s prevented any pump burnout thus far.
I think the Tresiba and Levemir would be worth trying for you as a start.
But do you have a pen with a rapid insulin? You can do it with syringes too, but the pen would be faster and easier for you for the multiple doses of Humalog or NovoLog (unless you really like drawing up syringes all the time).
And the pen should allow half-dose increments.
So do you have all the gear you need? Levemir, Tresiba, and a rapid pen with half-dose increments?
If you have everything I can put together a plan to start with.
Start tomorrow… I’m trying to think of a reason I can’t… but I can’t. Think of a reason.
$#!¥ just got real.
Yeah, let’s do it. I went for my nerve block today and have 2 sessions of PT tomorrow, but there’s no reason in any of that. There are 6 kittens upstairs, but their mom pretty much has them covered… so I think we’re good.
I went through your dosing and the different options with duration, and I think this is best way to start. There are many things to adjust here - timing, dose amounts, etc., etc. This is just a starting point. Big brush strokes first, and then the finer ones.
This is based on the pump basal numbers you gave me. This is the closest match for your variations. With MDI you don’t get to change hourly! You try to for a “best fit”. So keep in mind, it doesn’t change exactly at 6am to the next basal amount like a pump, okay?
This is just as a conservative starting point. Maybe a little light, but I don’t want you keeling over on the first day. Keep that in mind, Levemir will be easy to ramp up or down as needed. No problem with adjusting.
Do you know what makes MDI basal not work? FORGETTING TO TAKE IT!
I have it planned for morning and evening, something like 8am and 8pm. Does that work for you? There can be some flexibility, like 7am and 8pm, or 8am and 7pm, or 9am and 8pm. But try to stay close to 12 hours. Going to 13 hours is fine. But…once you get past 14 hours, you are starting to have zero basal, and you might as well be back on the Medtronic if you are gonna do that.
And can you keep a CGM with alerts running for a while when you first start?
And as mentioned before in number 4 above …
DO NOT FORGET TO TAKE IT! TWICE PER DAY!!
Okay, sound good? 8am and 8pm, or 7am and 7pm, or something close? Will that work? Whatever fits best for you.
Please acknowledge these things and I’ll throw two numbers your way for morning and night.
I only have one minute here right now to acknowledge. Yes, I’ve got it all. I will come back and write the book I’d like to write right now, but for now just know I’m on board.
And excited. And a little vomit nervous… mostly excited.
I was only joking. Actually, your comment just threw me back 13 years when I was sitting across from my new endo pleading my case for a pump. My previous endo had said no way. That I’d kill myself with it. I was doing some ridiculous amount of shots every day (except for all the days I WASN’T), and I just wanted to push the buttons for insulin.
And now I just want to inject…
I probably need to do a little soul searching. But not tonight… I need to go collect my materials…
I am not taking this lightly and not ignoring the very nice, detailed thing you gave me… I am trying to get these KIDS to bed, and this has not been a stellar performance.
Don’t go to sleep. I’m coming back to say things about this. And maybe to ask questions…
Well, go to sleep if you need to.
But if you’re not all that tired or pressed to sleep, don’t go to sleep…
…
Actually, your comment just threw me back 13 years when I was sitting across from my new endo pleading my case for a pump. My previous endo had said no way. That I’d kill myself with it. I was doing some ridiculous amount of shots every day (except for all the days I WASN’T), and I just wanted to push the buttons for insulin.