Last night about a an hour before I went to bed, the alarm on my pump went off, reminding me that I had 10 units of insulin left in my insulin pump. I knew that I wouldn't use all the insulin in the pump by 6:40 a.m when the alarm went off.
I'd have enough to last until breakfast and I could change my infusion set right after I showered. I hate wasting insulin and was annoyed about the the timing of my insulin's rapidly depleting status. I could save the insulin reservoir (which of done in the past,) it was 10 units after all.
Mondays are tough, and I'm usually rushing to get out the door by 8ish. Did I really want to take the chance that I'd forget to change my reservoir? I could and do carry the supplies with me, but I had a meeting first thing, so If I did forget, I'd have to excuse myself mid way through-which was something I didn't want to be bothered with.
I had a heart to heart with my insulin pump and we decided it was best to "eat' the remaining insulin in said reservoir and play it safe.
I put in a new infusion set and reservoir and that was that. it was over in less than two minutes, but I was still annoyed. This time I'd have to let the aggravation go, because:
A. it wasn't worth it
B. I was REALLY tired.
Cut too this morning - when I was all types of foggy and groggy, but SO happy that there was one less thing I didn't HAVE to do this morning. But I still felt guilty, BIG TIME.
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11 comments:
I know, I do this often. I have gone so far as to save it in the fridge and then use it in my next reservoir but most times I dump it.
Wasteful yes. Easier, yes! I am lazy sometimes.
You know, I'm really not a good diabetic. I'm one of "those" people that pump trainers & FDA recommenders despite. Because I do things I'm not supposed to. Like leaving infusion sets in longer than I should. Or reusing reservoirs. Or re-plunging leftover insulin from old reservoir back into bottle to use in new reservoir - all to not waste. But it's not like I'm actively opposed to wasting; I do it often. I'm just lazy. So, I hear you. I probably would have waited until morning and then forgotten, and had to do it at work. Bad, Hoskins! Bad.
I pull it out w/ a syringe and use it again. Bad diabetic! Bad. :P
I know I shouldn't, but I do anyway. I figure if a bottle of insulin doesn't have to be kept cold all the time, why shouldn't I reuse the extra in my reservior?
I totally would have done the same thing. I am a mess in the morning. Usually takes me at LEAST an hour after I wake up to wake up. I would have forgotten. For sure.
I think you made the wise choice and should not feel the slightest bit guilty.
Kelly. Seriously. Waste the insulin. I've "tossed" reservoirs with 20+ units in it. Don't feel guilty AT ALL. You are just taking care of yourself. Imagine if you had waited, forgot, and then had to get through a whole day with <10 units. It's okay... =)
Oh, and, to address the question in your post title, by wasting it, you ARE playing it safe - making sure you would have enough insulin the entire next day. OK. Done now. xoxoxo
I would have waited until the morning just for the joy of taking a shower with nothing, not even an infusion set, on. Whee!
How often do I get to do that?
I'm there right now. I can change my pod now (and waste the insulin), or I can wait until it runs out of insulin in the wee hours of the morning.
I'm going to change it before bed and waste the insulin. I HATE doing that, but I hate losing sleep more.
I reuse pen needles routinely until the cartridge is empty or the needle bends, and I think I've been going on 6 months on my current lancet (although truth be told, I do try to change change those when I can't get blood using the old one anymore), and I refilled reservoirs when I wore my pump ... the only thing I changed regularly was the infusion sets because they wouldn't last more than a few days for me (then they started peeling off). I think there are the "official" rules that trainers and educators give, and the rules us old-timers follow more often than not.
I didn't even know I was being a bad diabetic by replunging left over insulin into the vial for the next use. haha.
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