Three's A Crowd

A total of three insulin pumps are currently residing in my world.

Yes, that's correct: 3 of them.

It's like an episode of Three's Company, where my D-Life is like the show in that it's a comedy of errors, chronicling the escapades and hijinks of Pump and Pump Master's constant misunderstandings, social jives, and struggles to keep up with all of life's adventures.

So, this is why three are currently a part of my life. They are all Minimed pumps and have names and stories, too:

1. Larry The Loaner: a 523 Paradigm Revel that I was trial-testing for a few months, thanks to a local rep who gave me the chance to see the ins and outs before making a final decision on buying one of these CGM-pumps for myself. An informative and beneficial experience that I'm grateful for and have written about once or twice or more, but that trial run has come to a close. But in the meantime, Larry is sitting on the sidelines with transmitter nearby while I get back to the routine of my regularly-purchased pump.

2. Bacon Gibbs: a 722 Paradigm that I'd received in March 2010, a replacement for my previous pump known as Scarface that saw its memory start slacking and data compromised. So that paved the way for a refurbished 722 who received the hallmark name, Bacon Gibbs (for my mutual love of both bacon and the beloved show NCIS, where Mark Harmon stars as character Leroy Jethro Gibbs.). But during the past few weeks, I'd noticed that Bacon Gibbs wasn't allowing me to upload any data to the online Carelink program to analyze myself or share with my Endo. (This is a post topic all of it's own...) A phone call to Minimed revealed this pump's data may also now be compromised, and so they overnighted a new 722 my way and instructed me to ship Bacon Gibbs back to Minimed for examination. So, that's the end of Bacon Gibbs.

3. Gibbs Corleone, also known as "The Don of Rage Bolusing": Yes, this is my latest refurbished 722 Paradigm. The first name is now obvious, but since receiving this new pump was basically "an offer I couldn't refuse," that led to the name Corleone. I'm sure this new technological godfather will do what needs to be done to manage my D-Life, and will be keen on rage bolusing to keep my BGs in check. Just to make sure I don't find myself "sleeping with the fishes" thanks to a middle-of-the-night Low or that unexplained Highs don't force me to "hit the mattresses" at some point. That's just how it works in this Family.

The Don, Gibbs Corleone.
The Don arrived early Saturday morning, with a knock on the door from the friendly brown-truck driving UPS man. Just like the Three's Company theme song says, the lyrics came to mind instantly: "C'mon knock on my door. I've been waiting for you... Three's company too!"

So, now there are three. At least temporarily until one or two go away.

It's going to be difficult to part with both Larry The Loaner and Bacon Gibbs, as we've had good fun, but in the end three's a crowd and so I must focus on all the good that Gibbs and I must now accomplish together as we work toward a lower A1c. Plus, it helped that The Don has given me specific instructions: "Leave the pumps. Take the cannoli.... because - you CAN eat that. Even if I must rage bolus later on."

Hey, it's not personal. It's only business... the business of managing diabetes.

Comments

Tony Rose said…
Mike - did you consider getting an Animas? I've been on a 715MM for about 5 years and have only had 1 problem, which they corrected next day.

I do like the new Ping and don't think I would go with a MM CGM, so Animas might be a good option.

Any special ceremonies planned for the pumps?
This totally made me laugh out loud! Glad you've got za new pump!

And we heart our Animas and Dex- just for the record!

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