Adding Words to the Story . . .

So the one time my Wordless Wednesday post was actually, you know, WORDLESS was the one time I should’ve added a few words to it.  Words like “Don’t worry, my pump is fine!”  The error actually happened on Saturday and I thought about blogging it on Monday - but honestly I felt like my blog has been very whiny lately and I didn’t want to be all “look what happened now, an ERROR” - so I focused on the flowers and good blood sugars instead.  But after reading the comments on yesterday’s picture I know I should tell the whole story.

It was about lunchtime on Sunday when Pete and I decided we needed to make a run to Home Depot for topsoil and mulch and a few more flowers.  McDonalds is right across the street from Home Depot, so we decided we’d whip through the drive-through on our way home.  After we placed our order I got my bolus going - and as we pulled into the driveway the Motor Error alarm went off.  My first thought?  “I don’t care what I have to do, I am eating those darn fries!!

As I cleared the error, the pump rewound itself.  So I reinserted the cartridge and primed a lot just to ensure insulin was really flowing.  It was, so I checked the status of my bolus.  Most of my “Now” insulin was delivered, so I bolused in the last 7/10th of a unit needed, and then reset the “Square” portion of the bolus.   I also checked my pump manual and put a shout-out to the DOC on Twitter, Facebook and Google+.  I had a quick conversation with Mike and then went back outside to finish the yard work.

By the time I got back to my computer, I had many urgent replies from DOC-ers that had gotten the Motor Error.  It seemed in some cases their pumps were dead, and in other cases their pumps were fine.  Everyone urged me to call Minimed to report the error so the service techs could run some diagnostic tests with me.  Which is, of course, the smart thing to do and is absolutely what I should have done the minute I saw the Motor Error.  (Bad bad bad pumper!!)

Let me just say, 5:00 pm on a Sunday seems to be the perfect time to call about pump problems!  The tech got right on the line with no wait.  She asked a series of questions, including what my pump was doing when the error occurred.  It’s just  my luck that my pump would error on the rare day I’m eating McDonalds and my lunch bolus is 115% bigger than normal.  (No, the tech didn’t judge me.  Yes, I would tell anyone else that it doesn’t really matter how much insulin you use, as long as it keeps your numbers happy.  Yes, I also know PWDs can eat McDonalds on occasion.  But I still felt like a bad diabetic!!)

So the pump passed all its tests with flying colors.  My blood sugars have been fine.  Things seem to be in working order.  If I see the error again, I’ll call back right away and I think my pump will need to be replaced at that point.  But for now, my pretty purple pump with the cat and yarn pump skin that I love so much is hanging out on my hip doing its job.

And they lived happily ever after . . . .