BWCA weekend - hanging around

School has started. The kids came today. I'm busy with meetings, schedules, and kids.

I spent the weekend in the BWCA. I wanted one last hurrah before starting school. I got up at 4am on Friday morning and made the trek to Ely. Picked up my permit at the ranger station, and hit highway 1 to Tomahawk Trail. About 1/2 hour later I was at the Bog Lake entry point.

Bog Lake is a funny entry point. (in the BWCA, there are official entry points. You have to have a permit that allows you to enter at the specified lake on the specified day. Most entry points have many trip options leading from them. Many lakes connected by portage trails.) Bog Lake is completely land-locked. There isn't anywhere to go once you're on that lake. I think it's perfect for a weekend getaway. It's a mile portage (path) from the parking lot to the lake. Then it's a mile paddle on the lake to one of the three designated campsites. (campsites are designated by an official forest service fire grate and a latrine. (a plastic stool set over a hole that was dug by the forest service)

The weather was beautiful on Friday morning. Sunny and blue skies. The portage was a little more rugged than when I was there last year. Although it's a mostly flat trail, it was pretty overgrown this year. (here's a picture at the start of the portage. Dixie and Ella are leading the way!)

We made it to the campsite around 1pm. Put up the tent, and then hung hammocks. I spent the day reading a good book - "Merle's Door" and soaking in the sun.

Saturday was much of the same. After breakfast (a delicious dehydrated biscuits and gravy), my blood sugar spiked more than I would expect. I decided that my pump site was a little old, and decided to change my quick set. I had brought two sets along, and went into the tent to prime one and use the quick serter to inject it. I wiped with alcohol and injected. It felt funny. It was an old inserter that I happened to grab from my stash. I didn't think more about it. I gave an injection to correct for the high. I tested for the next couple hours. (158, 118, 109, 115) Things seemed good. Around dinner, I started to feel crappy. I tested and was high. (280!) I checked the pump site and it was wet. I had a dilemma.

I had one infusion set left. I was in the middle of the woods, and my quick serter was trash. After a small panic set in, I decided that I would need to manually inject my quick set. I have only manually inserted one other time. It was long ago. If I didn't get it in, I would be reliant on shots of humalog for the next 15 hours. That means getting up every two hours all night and giving shots. (reminder that I'm allergic to insulin, and I don't do well with long acting. Lantus can't be mixed with dexamethasone, so that's out. I'm pump dependent)

I finally did it. I pushed the darn thing in with all the force I could muster. My stomach hurt for hours afterwards. I tested all night. It worked. I successfully manually inserted.

It's crazy how diabetes can creep around, and get you when you least expect it. I thought I was really prepared. I would only be in the woods for 3 days. I had two extra infusion sets and a quick serter. I had syringes and insulin. I bring that stuff "just in case." But I never really think there will be an "in case."

I hate when there is.

Fortunately, the beauty of the BWCA helps me forget. Check out the color of the sky. I took this picture while laying in my hammock. (what a brilliant shade of blue!)


Dixie and Ella both came along. For them, it was paradise. They took hikes, laid in the sun, and drank from the lake. (Ella is so happy she is smiling in this picture! -- at least it looks like that!)


For me (and Dixie) the summer is over. It's work time.

Even though there was a diabetes mishap, I'm glad that I spent my last summer weekend in a place I love.

Happy D-versary!

33 years ago today, my mom took that picture of me. I was at Children's Hospital after being diagnosed with diabetes. (and I don't have a scanner, so I just took and picture of the picture...)

I was diagnosed by accident. I was at the doctor for a run of the mill check up for my entrance to first grade. They did a random urine test, and then told my mom that she would have to take me to the hospital to have blood taken to confirm the diagnosis. That's why I don't look like a skinny, sick kid in the picture.

Today, I am proud to have lived well for 33 years with diabetes. I'm proud that even after all these year, I find the motivation to keep in good control. (at least, most of the time! ;-) Today is the day that I remember my accomplishments, and forget my mistakes.

Tonight, Dixie and I will celebrate like I always do. With cake and beer.

Cheers!

Dam diabetes

I had a hell of an early morning.

I got up at 3:30 am (Dixie was pawing at me) and felt horrible! Tested and was 371. I am flabbergasted! I rarely am even above 200. I check ketones and they are large. I must not have been getting insulin for a couple hours. My infusion set was wet, so I knew that it must be kinked. I wasn't getting any insulin.

I changed the site, and then my pump gave me an "occluded" alarm. I tried clearing it and continuing to prime the line. I thought maybe the new site was kinked. I pulled it out. It was straight and perfect. I couldn't get the pump to deliver any insulin. I tried attaching a new line of tubing to it. Still, it just kept telling me that it was occluded. (sure, now it tells me. wish it would have alarmed hours ago)

I was frustrated with the pump, so I went downstairs to get the box from Smith that had a new pump in it for me. Last week, I noticed that my pump screen had a funny line on it, so I called Smith Medical and they sent me a new one. I hadn't set it up yet. I knew that it would take me a little while to get it up and running. I had to hand program all my personal data.

I decide that I can't wait for the pump. I needed insulin pronto!! I gave a BIG shot of insulin. (which, frankly, I haven't done for years and am glad that I don't do multiple daily injections..it hurts!!) I went back upstairs with my now programmed pump. I put in another infusion set and hooked up to the new pump.

Then I started vomiting. (I am really sensitive to blood sugars over 180) I'm laying on the bathroom floor, waiting for the insulin to kick in. My blood sugar finally starts to come down because of the insulin I took with the syringe. I crawl into bed, shivering, and try to rest. No luck. I have to get up again and vomit. Finally around 5:30am, I fell asleep.

I get up this morning and have a decent blood sugar. A little low--72. I get up and head down to the kitchen to have some powerade. I pull up my shirt to inspect the new pump site. It's wet. I wipe it with my finger and smell it. It's insulin. All the insulin that I took with the syringe must have held me for a couple hours, because I certainly wasn't getting any insulin from the pump.

I go upstairs and put in ANOTHER pump site. (the third one in the last 5 hours) I pull the old one out, and it's KINKED. What the heck??? I don't know if I have a bad batch of sets, or what is the problem.

This has maybe happened to me 6 times in the 15 years I've been pumping. Now it happens two times in one morning.

Now I sit with a new pump site in, wondering if it's kinked too. I have a horrible headache, my muscles hurt from throwing up, and I am really frustrated.

Dixie has been glued to me all day.

Thank goodness I don't work in the summer. I would have called in sick today.

Dam diabetes!