Friday, March 21, 2014

Of Early Site Changes & Being Stubborn To A Fault~

No, it couldn't be that my relatively new infusion site needed to be changed... Noooooo, it couldn't be that!! 
Actually, it could and it was - And I need to stop being so damn stubborn when it comes to that!
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The infusion site on the right side of my abdomen was just under 24 hours old - The 219 blood sugar must have been a miscalculation bolus for my evening snack - It had to be. 
After all, I did go a little ape crazy with the crackers and cream cheese - No need for a site change 24 hours into the game. 
Hey, maybe the fact that I had 2 slices of Italian bread with dinner had something to do with it? No that wasn't it, because 2 hours after dinner (and one hour before my snack) I was 150. 
Maybe the fact that I only had 14 units left in my insulin reservoir??? 
Stranger things have happened. So I filled a new insulin reservoir ( I was going to have to do it any,) and wasted the 14 units - which of course made me cringe. 
Then I did a bolus blood sugar correction of 2.1 units and went to bed. 
Cut to this morning when I woke up with a blood sugar of 280 - Still, I still couldn't swallow the fact that my infusion site might have been to blame because it was only 30 some hours hours old. It wasn't red, it didn't itch and it had been working beautiful right up until I tested at bed time . 
Yep, Thursday's blood sugars had been between 82 and 170 all day Thursday - until they weren't.  
I did a combo correction/coffee bolus of 6.2 units and got ready for work - I was tired and cranky and I didn't want to be late - And I was purposely ignoring that it might be time for a site change. 
At 10:30 this morning I tested my blood sugar and it was 236 - And I had to admit that it wasn't because of the cracker and cheese binge or the insulin reservoir being low or even the rare appearance of a couple of a couple of slices of Italian bread at dinner.
 Nope, it was none of those things.
 It was because my relatively new site needed to be changed - Like it or not, it was time.
So my questions to you  are: 
1. Am I the only one who is stubborn when it comes to early site changes - especially when the site doesn't look red or itch - And why? 
2. Also: Am I the only one who makes every excuse under the sun (and the moon and the stars for that matter) to avoid early site changes, or am I just stubborn and nuts - I mean more stubborn and nuts than usual? 

7 comments:

eml210 said...

You are so not the only one…I will do just about anything (and justify it fully) to avoid an early site change!!

StephenS said...

I'll do almost anything to keep from making a site change. Especially when it's cold. And it's been cold. Cut yourself a break on this one.

Unknown said...

You are not the only one. I feel like it's money down the drain if I change it within the first 24hrs of putting a new one in. I'll come up with every "logical" reason under the sun for as long as I can that it's not the site. I feel your pain, totally sucks!

Unknown said...

Nope, You are NOT alone in that. Considering the sites are the highest cost in pump supplies? Yep, I hang on to those suckers as long as possible. I had the same thing happen earlier this week... didn't want to pull it... but then, I got tired of the same 180-300 BGs, pulled it, and it was a bleeder. UUUUGGGHHH.....

Anonymous said...

I do this all the time-even when it is close to changing my site. I think it is partly because I am more likely to assume I did something wrong-undercounted carbs or the combo of carbs/high fat, etc. than I am to blame equipment, supply, or insulin failure. Good old diabetic guilt I guess.

traveller said...

Nope, you're not alone. I keep saying that if there are 3 unexplained highs...then I should just go ahead and change the site. Do I do it? Hmm... I wish! Stubborn here too.

Unknown said...

Ugh I learned the hard way. I thought my daughter's high was due to her being sick but it was way too high . Finally pulled the site to find a kink.
Will never forget that.