GEAR PUMP ASSEMBLY

If you ask people who use an insulin pump one of the most annoying things they deal with, among other things would probably be listed "bubbles."

Insulin pump users need to beware of bubbles in the tubing. Bubbles aren't bad because they will hurt you; they are bad because any space taken up by bubbles will contain air rather than insulin, which means that you will miss some of the insulin you should be getting.

Tonight I was totally surprised to test at 18.4 (331 mg/dl) after dinner, when I'd been 4.9 (88 mg/dl) before eating. I knew I had bolused correctly—in fact, I'd bolused a bit on the aggressive side. When I checked my pump tubing, I found LOTS of bubbles, some several inches long. I don't know how they got there, but I did drop my pump on the floor this afternoon, so it's possible something somewhere cracked. Who knows how much of my bolus consisted of insulin and how much may have consisted of nothing but air.

I changed the cartridge and the tubing and did a correction. Hopefully that will come down soon.

These were made for a celebration at Brookwood Cemetary, nr Woking, Surrey, UK.

As a diabetic, these biscuits/this image have other meanings.
In no particular order:
* the myth that diabetics are not 'allowed' to eat sweet things (or they 'will die').
* the danger of promoting 'healthy eating' (i.e. no biscuits) over 'good bg control' (i.e. eat the biscuit, but bolus for it).
* as a momento mori (how much of my life will I loose to diabetes???)

Entered into the 'Do Good' pool as an aide-memoire for charities that send insulin to those who need it, charities who support pump users, and charities which support the preservation and use of cemetaries