Wednesday, April 02, 2008

Lots of mail - part I, the non-fiber portion

Yesterday I got a call from UPS telling me that a package was being delivered that needed to be signed for. They could narrow down the delivery time to anywhere from 8 am to 7 pm. My reaction was "Surely this must be an April Fool's joke!" It was no April Fool's joke (and don't call them Shirley).

*Sigh* I hung around all day and waited and waited and waited, and then waited some more. At 5 pm, Mr. UPS Man delivered my package.


(Why yes, that is my thumb in the corner of the picture. What I pro I am, huh??)

So, what was important enough to wait around all day for?


That would be an insulin pump and a box full of medical supplies. That's right, after years of daily injections, I'm going to give an insulin pump a try. I've always been really freaked out by the idea of this tiny piece of medical equipment that will be attached to me 24/7. But it's time to get over that and give it a try. It's supposed to make life easier. It's supposed to help me be more in control, which should in turn help to lower the chances of complications.

The internet has been a huge help in getting me to over-come my fears of this next step. I read some diabetes blogs and participate in the Diabetic Knit and Crochet group in Ravelry. These resources have helped me to feel less isolated, making me realize that I'm not the only one who was freaked out by the thought of a pump. The ladies in the DK&C Ravelry forum have been so supportive as I struggled with the decision, offering up much needed advice and encouragement and cheering me on when I finally decided to give it a try.

I'm still scared. I'm still freaked out. I'm still wondering if I'm going to be happy with this decision. But I'm also starting to look forward to getting trained on Monday and hooked up on Tuesday. By this time next week, I'll be part Bionic Women!!

22 comments:

Stephanie said...

You go girl! I think if it works out for you that would be great. Sounds like it will make life a bit easier.

Sarah said...

I hope it works well for you!

Anonymous said...

Good for you!! Of course you're a bit scared and freaked out because it's something new and it has to do with your body ... double whammy. But .... if this is going to make things easier on you, then it is a wonderful thing and try to embrace how wonderful it is. I'm personally excited for you.

Olga said...

Oh, sweetie! It's scary, but you've given it a LOT of thought and consulted with other people...it sounds like you couldn't have made a more well-informed decision. I'm sending you good thoughts for this transition.

Qutecowgirl said...

I hope all works out well and that it does make your life easier. It is totally normal to be a little freaked out (I would be totally freakin out).

I have RA and in the not to distant future I will have to inject myself with my medications - I am already freaking out. How do you do it?

=)

Kerri. said...

You will be FINE ... let me know if there's anything I can do, or if you have any questions! :)

Good luck, and my advice is to be patient with the learning process. Pumping takes some fine-tuning and detailed determination ... but for me, it was the best decision I've made for my diabetes management.

:) -- Kerri.

Kerri. said...

Oh (how did I forget to ask this the first time?) -- what color did you get?

cpurl17 said...

Wow--it seems a scary and exciting at the same time. I hope it works out!! fingers crossed!

Kristin said...

Good luck Karen! :)

Jessica said...

I don't blame you for being freaked out! Just the thought make me a little queezy, but I'm a wimp like that. Good luck with this! I hope it makes your life easier and keeps you healthy!

Anonymous said...

Karen, I think once you get over the fear and get used to it, you won't know how you got along without it. We have a niece that had to get a 3" x 3" box put into her upper behind area that would release pain meds for all of her female problems. She has a romote control incase she needs to increase the meds. She is so thankful it is there so she doesn't have to worry about taking the meds everywhere she goes. She is a flight attendant and you would never know she missed her whole Senior year of high school because the pain was so severe. I am so glad there is medical technology to make lives more livable! :) Be strong.......you aleady made the 1st and biggest step, ordering the device. Good lucky honey!
Nachaele

jessica said...

Yeah for tring new thingh and overcoming fears! I hope it works out well for you! I love that blogs and ravelry are here for the support and help we all need! let us know how it all goes!

Macoco said...

This sounds like an exciting step for you! One of my good friends has a pump and does really well with it. :)

Elizabeth said...

I'm proud of you! What are you going to get as a reward for your bravery?

Anonymous said...

I think it's great!
One of my childhood friends has Type I diabetes and she has had an inuslin pump for years. She likes it, and her diabetes is under a lot more control.

Good luck to you.

Sonya said...

Exciting and scary all at once! But the important thing is that it will make complications less likely. That's a good thing! My dad has his pancreas removed a couple years ago. I don't know if he's considered a pump, but I'm going to mention it to him.

Sourire11 said...

I hope it works out well for you!!!

Have a great weekend.

kathy b said...

Karen

I am so proud of you for trying something new with managing your diabetes. You are an inspiration. Im sure you must be frightened. I have a good friend who feels so liberated by his pump. Allison knows someone with a pump who also finds it works well for her.

I'll be lighting a candle for you on Monday and tues.

Jennifer said...

I know two people who use the insulin pump and have had very good experiences. I hope it works for you as well.

Heide said...

I hope this works well for you and that it helps you feel better. Hugs from out west.

knitseashore said...

Best of luck to you! It does sound scary, but I know that if the support of the knitting community is any indication, you are going to do very well with it. There are a lot of us cheering you on. :)

Ragan Knits etc... said...

OMG! I wish you the best...how is it working out????? WOW!!!!! GO KAREN!

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