By Mike Roissetter.
Omnipod Dash user/Podding Peer Support Participant
Having had type 1 diabetes for 33 years you would assume that there is little to learn about living with this condition. In my normal day to day living this is very true, things become habitual, needing very little thought on my part. Even though my job involves travelling both nationally and internationally, it is still manageable with a little preparation.
My habitual behaviours however can easily lead to complacency which is my focus for this blog post.
On 13th September, I was filled with excitement. My son who had been living with me in for the last couple of months after completing his university degree was moving to his new home in Bournemouth after landing his dream job.
The van was packed to the rafters and we set off for the four hour drive to the Dorset coast. A quick inevitable stop off at IKEA for some flat pack and a glucose check, and we finally arrived.
Some hours later, while removing the last items from the van, I managed to give my Omnipod a knock on the side door. A quick check and everything seemed okay, although it was a tiny bit loose from the sticky backing so I gave it a good wrap with some gaffer tape to prevent further damage.
Soon enough hunger had set in so we decided to grab a KFC and after dialling in the required amount of bolus insulin, we tucked into the food.
It didn’t take long before I was feeling the post-meal glucose spike so I waited for the insulin to compensate and bring my levels back down. However, to my surprise, they continued on their skyward trajectory.
I tried a correction bolus using the calculator, but this had no effect.
It was obvious now that the knock had dislodged the Omnipod cannula, resulting in the non-delivery of insulin.
I told my son "not to worry" and that I would simply get my backup pack from the van which contains a NovoRapid vial, a couple of spare pods, a blood glucose meter and test strips.
As I opened the van door I was greeted with an empty tray where the backup set normally lives. I realised that I had removed the set to restock it, it was on my breakfast bar four hours away. By this time and after another correction bolus attempt, it was time to think of my next move, a trip to Bournemouth hospital accident and emergency department!
At this point, I thought to myself 'I wish I did one last equipment check before leaving!'
As soon as I arrived my blood sugars were taken which showed a reading of 22.4 mmol/L, with ketones of 1.1 mmol/L. I was placed in a side cubicle in the extremely busy department and at this point started to feel my kidneys overworking, with an unquenchable thirst and not bearing the thought of food passing my lips.
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Bloods were taken and a cannula was inserted. Come the morning and my blood glucose level thankfully came down to the 12's, after receiving insulin and fluids.
My discharge plan was to have a small amount of long acting insulin which felt very alien as I am on a pump. Plus one last correction bolus of rapid acting insulin before myself and my very patient and relieved son promptly set off back home.
When I arrived my glucose levels were on the rise, but I easily dealt with it by finally getting a spare Omnipod up and running. I had to keep a close eye on my levels for a few hours due to the unexpected events, but by bedtime, everything was back to usual.
The above experience taught me a few valuable lessons:
I will never leave home without my backup pods and insulin.
To be aware of my total daily basal rate for switching to insulin pen injections in case my Omnipod PDM is not functioning or out of charge.
Before going anywhere, I will always have ‘one last check!’.
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