Pumpers, Can You Hear Me?

(Yes, that is a Barbara Streisand reference. Sorry.)

So, you’d think that after more than five years of wearing various editions of the Minimed insulin pump, I’d have all the ins-and-outs figured out by now. But, whaddayaknow, just last week, I discovered a new “feature” of the Minimed Revel I’m borrowing that also appears to exist on the Minimed 522 I own: it makes noise.

Let me explain: my husband was sitting at his desk, and I was standing beside him, getting hugged. His head hit me right about my midsection. And all of the sudden he said, “Hey, can you hear that?”

“No– what?”

“I think maybe I can hear your pump pumping?”

“No way– it’s suspended right now. It shouldn’t be pumping at all.”

“No, I can definitely hear it; it’s a high-pitched noise. Listen!”

So I bring the pump up to my ear. And that is no faint or imagined cry– the thing is making an extremely audible, high frequency sound.

“Oh man. Yeah I hear that. What is that? Is something wrong with it?”

“It doesn’t seem like anything’s wrong with it–”

“But why haven’t I ever heard that before?”

“I don’t know. Maybe you should call the support line?”

“Wait– I have an idea.” I run over to the bedroom and fish out my 522, which I’m keeping with batteries in on a permanent basal of zero units so that I don’t lose my settings while I’m trying out the Revel. I hold it up to my ear– nothing. Completely silent. Humpf.

On a hunch, I turn on the backlight. Immediately, I hear a high-pitched squealing. I check again with the Revel– no light, no sound; turn on the backlight, and it’s crying out in pain.

Now, most of you– or at least the vast majority of you that happen to not be Minimed pump wearers– are probably somewhat unimpressed by this discovery. But for me, after five years of wearing the thing, to suddenly discover it makes a (really, rather loud if you’re listening for it) noise was shocking. It’s like when you discover a long time friend has never seen Star Wars. Really? This whole time you had this strange attribute, and I never noticed?

But now I know, so you should too: my Minimed pump makes noise when the backlight is on. Other Minimed users– can you confirm? And, other-brand insulin pump wearers– do your pumps make noise?

Photo credit: Paleontour

Karmel Allison

Karmel was born in Southern California, diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of nine, and educated at UC Berkeley. Karmel now lives in San Diego with her husband, where she is loving the sunshine, working in computational biology at the University of California, San Diego, and learning to use the active voice when talking about her diabetes.

Karmel Allison

Karmel was born in Southern California, diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of nine, and educated at UC Berkeley. Karmel now lives in San Diego with her husband, where she is loving the sunshine, working in computational biology at the University of California, San Diego, and learning to use the active voice when talking about her diabetes.