Wednesday, September 6, 2017

My Omnipod Experience - Part One

Learning and discovering new things every damn day and glad that Insulet gives us 45 days to figure it out. 
There’s a learning curve when it comes to wearing the Omnipod, but so far it's been good - except for a few hiccups along the way.
I’ve taken copious amounts of notes - so many notes that I had to divide them up into two posts!
Part one is below and I hope you enjoy!
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So this happened!
Day 1: Omnipod training with my CDE went well and I'm officially untethered!
Wearing pod on my right arm. It's weird not being tethered to my electronic pancreas ,but in a really great way!
Also, discovered that I walk freakishly close to the edge of door frames.
Seriously, why have I not realized this about myself before?  
Another also, since noticing this Kellyism, I have become better at not slamming into door frames.  
Day Day 2: Experienced absorption issues 27 hours into wearing with perfect numbers up until then. I was the wearing the pod on my arm - the one I kept banging into door frames. 
Called CS and replaced pod. More on that in part 2.
Day 5: I swam in the Atlantic ocean with my pod for the very first time - it was fantastic!
Also, it stayed securely on my person - muddy legs and all. 
Also: AWESOME. 
Actual aerial footage of my and my pod about to
go in for a dip in the Atlantic~
Day 8: I left my PDM/case on the table in a restaurant that I had just exited. 
I immediately noticed after checking my hand bag (to make sure I had my PDM,) and ran back in to retrieve it - and all the while silently praying to the Diabetes Gods that it was still there. It was and I was grateful - it has not happened since. 
Day 9: Wearing the pod on my left arm - it's working well, but I'm aware of my pump whenever I twist to exit my vehicle. 
Day 17: Getting the hang of podding and no longer waking up and reaching to check if my pump is attached to the waistband of my Pajamas. 
Same goes for reaching to disconnect every time I walk towards the bathroom to shower.
Day 35: OK, every once in a while I Still grab my waist band to disconnect before taking a shower - old habits die hard.

Maybe it’s just me
For the first few days, I kept confusing my PDM with my iPhone and whenever I was trying to take a picture of my PDM screen. 
I’d stare at the screen for a few seconds, all confused as to why I couldn’t take a screen shot. 
Unlike an iPhone you can’t take a picture of the PDM screen with said PDM and no matter how hard you try and attempt to press Home button and the nonexistent Silent switch


No matter how hard one tries, you cannot take a
screenshot with your PDM.
But you can customize your PDM~
Day 33 and since I'm being balls out honest, sometimes I still grab my iPhone when I mean to grab my PDM and then wonder "why" and out loud when I press the "Home" button and start to bitch out load because I can’t scroll down.
Then I realize why and I feel like an idiot. 

Spacial Issues
I still have them, but instead of doorknobs and edges issue with pump tubing, arm pods and door frames have become my new jam - literally.  
like I mentioned earlier in the post, for the first few days of podding, I banged my pod arm into my kitchen and bedroom door frames more often than I’d like to admit. 
Now, I'm specially more aware of my surroundings - at least when I'm wearing the pod on my arm. 

Black on Black pump skin 
PDM came with a black Skin. Black PDM + Black Case/ Black Skin means the potential for misplacing is an issue because diabetes or not, I am extremely nearsighted - there's a reason I avoid handbags with black lining and my wallet is not black for a reason - I can't freaking find anything in a blackened handbag - especially a black wallet.
Also, I've put aqua blue K-tape on my black remote control for the same reasons.
My Fix
I have a collection of several brightly colored and insulated, 3 and 3/4 inch X 7 inch, makeup bags. I use one of these bags daily and rotate whenever the mood strikes. 
Currently the one I'm using has owls all over it  - and people stop me every damn day because it's so cute.
 I always put the PDM (and my canister of teststrips/lancets because the PDM also acts as a meter,) back in whatever bag I’m using, ASAP and without fail.
It's now become a full fledged habit - and it didn't take 30 days!

When I go out, I put the PDM, spare pod, test strips,and insulin in said makeup bag, and place in my handbag/work bag. 

Sidebar: Lipstick, eye-drops, my driver’s license and a credit card also fit in the bag along with all of the above mentioned - VERY IMPORTANT.
Also, recently started using bright green skin for the PDM because it brings out my eyes  - but I still bag it~
Owl bag because functional and very cute!
Tune in tomorrow for Part 2, where I break down and get to the nitty gritty re: what I love about podding, as well as the learning curve when it comes to being a Podder~ 

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