Kerri Morrone Sparling

I'm not always looking for evidence of diabetes, but sometimes I find it grinning back at me from the most obscure places. A few weeks ago, I found a bit of diabetes in an unexpected place - an infusion set cover in the change compartment of my car. It looked oddly medicinal, peering out from the bright red casing, hidden alongside a random house key and assorted bits of change. (READ MORE)

I'm always high on a site-change day. I've tried doubling the recommended amount of fixed prime, but I still wind up in the upper 200s. I've tried doubling my fixed prime and overbolusing for breakfast (I typically change my site first thing in the morning before breakfast) and I'm still high.

It occurred to me recently that I didn't know for sure if the "trauma" to my body from the site change was the culprit or if it was the insulin absorbing into a new place or both that was to blame. Because I'm only high after breakfast; back into range by lunch time.

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Michelle Kowalski

Turns out my dinner-time debacle last night wasn't my fault.

While I blamed myself for a blood sugar reading of 500 on my afternoon candy grazing and failure to bolus, my new medical accessory was actually the culprit.

Thinking the candy was the problem, I bolused for dinner and went on with my evening. I considered that my site was the problem, but it wasn't red nor itchy nor anything else out of the ordinary. Two hours after dinner, when I was still 500, I changed my site. (READ MORE)

If there's anything those of us with diabetes know, it's that we have to be flexible. Blood sugar levels and blood sugar maintenance equipment and medications take a lot of brain power and we are often at their mercy.

Which is why I'm up at 11 p.m. -- one solid hour after my bedtime -- writing this post. The house was actually quiet for once. The Mr. had gone to bed early, the kids were in bed, I had made lunches for tomorrow and done the dishes. I sat down to watch a little of the Olympics, enjoying the semi-silence; before I knew it it was 10:30 p.m.

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This morning I needed to change my infusion set for my pump.The infusion set is what goes into your body that allows the insulin from the pump to get to you. I change mine every 3 days.

I usually always put my sets in on my thighs. I have plenty of fat there and then I can stash the pump in my sock and it leaves belts feeling less like Batman's and keeps my pocket free. 

As of late I have noticed that I hurts more then it used to when I put the infusion set in. Also I have been pulling out more sites due to bad absorbtion. 

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I hate site-change days. It's not often that I use that word, but really, I hate days like today.

I was rushed this morning. I had planned to get up earlier than I did anticipating that I'd need to do a complete site and reservoir change. Didn't happen -- the getting up early part. As I sat at the table watching the kids eat breakfast, I felt myself rushing through the site-change ritual, even getting the infusion set tape stuck to the side of the QuickSerter. That's never good.

Take deep breaths, Michelle, I told myself. Slow down, I said. You're going to wind up with a bad site if you don't. So I did. Sort of. Well, enough to get my infusion set inserted.

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