In other news...
At the risk of boring you senseless, wittering on about the first few hours of life as an embryonic pumper I can report the following:First comfy cannula. When I went to see the DSN I was given some 'standard' 9mm Quick-Set cannulas. They seemed comfortable enough, though there was a constant low-level itch. I swapped one for another in case the first had gone in wrong somehow, and it felt pretty much the same. How was I to know how it was supposed to 'feel'? A few forum posts seemed to indicate that being constantly aware of the location of the set was not 'normal'. Last night I swapped the 9mm for a shorter 6mm cannula and bingo! About half an hour after insertion the initial tingly sensation has worn off and I cannot feel anything at all. No tenderness when I poke at the plastic surround on the skin. Nothing. I have not tried other varieties yet, but at least I know I can use these. Great!
First 'free roaming' night. The very first night I popped Artoo in the pocket of my pyjamas. I don't usually wear trousers under the duvet, but instinctively felt some sort of containment was the way to go. It wasn't bad, but my legs got hot and Artoo kept falling out. Last night I initially started with the clip fixed to a loop around my neck (another forum suggestion) but didn't like the sensation of being a bit tangled. Early on in the night I dispensed with the loop/clip and just let Artoo roam free. This was by far the comfiest so far, nestling in the dent in the mattres around waist height. As I turn over from side to side I just locate, grab and shift to the other side in my semi-comatose state.
First public display. I went to the gym for the first time this morning. Something I think every new pumper has to deal with is the attachment thing. How others might perceive you as different, even those you don't know, and whose opinion matters very little to you. I wondered if getting changed in front of others would make me feel a little self-conscious. It's normally fairly empty in the changing rooms when I am there but not today... oh no. The place was packed! Nevertheless when I lifted my shirt and detached Artoo no-one seemed to notice in the slightest. I've decided that since my workouts are usually under an hour I will, at least to begin with, detach Artoo and leave him in the locker while I exercise. I even used the little cannula cap thing this morning. But I'm not sure how long that attention to detail will last. Showered off with no problems... Man! that sticky tape stuff is strong. Buoyed by everyone's complete lack of interest on my way in, I decided to test the waters further as I changed after showering and deliberately struck up a conversation with someone while I primed the tubing and re-connected.
Not even a flicker of an eyebrow.
It seems that pumps, like injections in restaurants are protected by a Douglas Adams 'SEP field'. A cognitive filter which applies almost universally with perhaps the exception of some young children and a handful of adults. Because it is something inexplicable, odd and unexpected most people simply do not see the pump, even when you interact with it, merrily press buttons and make bleepy noises. Their brain edits it out of the visual field because it is Somebody Else's Problem and life is much easier without having to worry about what it is.
So there we go. Artoo and I are off and running. And I can't wait to get cracking with insulin next week.
UPDATE: Pumping for two months - a little bit of everything
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