I took the day off today because my wife's starting the insulin pump. This is a huge thing for us that's the result of about six months of hard work on the part of Heather and a lot of prodding, suggesting, and help from me.
For those who don't know, an insulin pump is essentially an electronic pancreas. It helps diabetics take better control of their blood sugars by continually streaming small amounts of insulin into their body, rather than the traditional methods of four or more injections or mixing types of insulin to try and manage the highs and lows of daily living.
This week she will be doing a "dry-run" which means she will load the pump with only saline but will use it as if it were really dispensing insulin. If all goes well with this week's work she will start using it for real next week. I took next week Monday off for that as well.
Technical Data:
For those who are really curious, my wife's going to be using the Animas One Touch Ping, which is one of the most advanced pumps available. It comes with both the pump and a PDA like device that communicates wirelessly with the pump and helps the user determine the right amount of insulin based on their current blood sugar (aka bolus) and what they've eaten. It also trends blood sugars so the long-term effectiveness of the pump can be determined as well as adjust to natural lows and highs in the body. It does not, as of yet, automatically test the blood sugar and self-calculate insulin. Doctors say that's another ten years before that happens. When it does, it will be a breakthrough for diabetics everywhere, nothing short of a fully automatic external pancreas. Also of interest to me is the fact that it's another step closer to cyborgs. So, it's cool in a way that I'm married to a cyborg. ;)
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