{"id":37334,"date":"2014-12-18T09:09:27","date_gmt":"2014-12-18T14:09:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=37334"},"modified":"2015-12-28T08:09:59","modified_gmt":"2015-12-28T13:09:59","slug":"i-tried-the-artificial-pancreas-and-i-want-it-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=37334","title":{"rendered":"I Tried the Artificial Pancreas and I Want It Back"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Glucolift<\/a><\/p>\n

It really did happen, I was in an Artificial Pancreas clinical trial. I got to test a future technology, a technology that is currently unavailable for use except for in clinical trials.\u00a0 During the trial<\/a> I wore a Roche pump, 2 Dexcom G4s (on abdomen only) and from 11pm until 7am, for 5 nights, the “loop” was closed and a series of algorithms via a DiAs (diabetes assistant) controlled how much insulin I received. Going into the clinical trial, I knew there would be a \u201cdown\u201d at the end of this.\u00a0 If it worked for me, with me, and then having to walk away from it and wait–that would be the hardest part.<\/p>\n

Those feelings were as I\u2019d envisioned.<\/p>\n

The actual trial was a tough schedule. Learning a new pump, all the at-home data collection, following a lot of rules to ensure the accuracy of the data collected both for the at home open loop, and the in the trial closed loop had its challenges. There were certainly moments where I wondered, “what have I gotten myself into.” \u00a0During the closed loop, I was on an alien schedule. running sprints\u00a0at\u00a010pm\u00a0to bring my blood glucose down one night (weird), and\u00a03am\u00a0blood glucose checks (and hand washing) was rather surreal. \u00a0 I\u2019ll admit it, I was a bit relieved to get back to a more normal life and routine.<\/p>\n

Last week was my first full week back to my old schedule.\u00a0 I went to bed with a blood glucose in the 140s.\u00a0 In a matter of hours, I skyrocketed to 289.\u00a0 I hadn\u2019t eaten something mysterious for dinner, no adrenaline rush, nothing \u201cpredictable\u201d (as though one can even say that about diabetes).\u00a0 I must have slept through the Dexcom alarm a few times and woke up at 289. I did a blood glucose check.\u00a0 It was like I was in the AP trial all over again except a doctor and CDE and researcher weren\u2019t waking me up with a flashlight\u00a0at\u00a03am\u00a0handing me a wet wash cloth to wipe my hands and scribbling down notes as I pricked my finger.\u00a0 So I took a correction.\u00a0 I dropped.\u00a0 I woke up to my phone alarm.\u00a0 I treated a low as I rushed to get into the shower.<\/p>\n

Almost the same thing happened the next night.\u00a0 Bedtime bg in range, late night spike that wouldn’t budge for hours, lots of Dexcom alarms, went low during morning shower and cried in frustration..\u00a0THIS moment I thought was the eye opener.\u00a0 I know there\u2019s another version of this story where I go to sleep on the AP and these overnight and morning glucose readings don\u2019t happen.\u00a0 I have seen it. I have used it. I know how it works.<\/p>\n

I was wrong, there would be more.\u00a0 Last Wednesday I changed my pump site right after dinner.\u00a0 During the study, I had to be in bed at exactly\u00a011pm\u00a0for the loop to be CLOSED and I’ve been going to bed early ever since.\u00a0 I woke up\u00a0at\u00a02am\u00a0with a blood glucose of 41.\u00a0 Yes, that is also my age. \u00a0(My blood glucose should NEVER be my age unless I\u2019m a very old lady.) \u00a0But I was more than just low.\u00a0 I looked at the Dexcom.\u00a0 I\u2019d been in the red for awhile.\u00a0 I was 41. I reached for the Glucolifts<\/a>. There were 2 left in the bottle and I definitely needed more than 2.\u00a0 I chewed and something happened that hasn’t \u00a0happened in many, many years (I actually can\u2019t remember the last time it happened).\u00a0I just didn\u2019t know what else to do.\u00a0 Feeling lost, I ransacked my purse while lying in bed.\u00a0 I should have known there were apple sauce pouches in the refrigerator.\u00a0 I knew the fridge was a few mere feet away (This is New York City.\u00a0 I don\u2019t have space).\u00a0 I needed to do something, but I just couldn’t figure out what.\u00a0 I kept looking in the empty Glucolift container.\u00a0 Still empty.\u00a0 Then, the sweating started and within seconds, my forehead was drenched.\u00a0 I kept thinking about a facial I got on a birthday trip in Hawaii.\u00a0 I needed food and I was thinking about relaxing in Hawaii…?\u00a0 Low and wrapped in more blankets.\u00a0 My bg stayed in the 50\u2019s.\u00a0 I needed sugary carbs.\u00a0 Instead, I stayed awake in my bed, freezing in my wet clothes.\u00a0 The Dexcom kept buzzing.\u00a0 I got up, finally, grabbed and inhaled one of those applesauce packets.\u00a0 My bg finally went up a tad and then, more sweating.\u00a0 I wanted to move up to the top bunk bed.\u00a0 Nope, I don’t even have bunk beds.\u00a0 I found a somewhat dry spot and slept.\u00a0 I woke to the Dexcom just grazing the low line again.<\/p>\n

When T1Ds talk about having a low hangover, I don\u2019t usually relate.\u00a0 This time I did.\u00a0 My head was pounding the next morning.\u00a0 I stared at the Dexcom receiver.\u00a0 I saw the low(s).\u00a0 I felt scared and a sense of loss.\u00a0 My reactionary instincts to a low were off.\u00a0 That\u2019s terrifying.\u00a0 I got in the shower.\u00a0 Exhausted.\u00a0 Yep, a scary low but, the sadder part, was that I know what it\u2019s like to be on the AP and be in range the entire night.\u00a0 A low like \u00a041, overnight, is (thankfully) rare for me.\u00a0 I have plenty of nights where my bg does indeed stay in range and am grateful for both my pump and CGM BUT, a3 nights of extreme and inconsistent glucose swing could have been caught by the Artificial Pancreas.\u00a0 THIS very situation is why I think it’s crucial for me to talk and share my AP experience.<\/p>\n

What I tested as a lab mouse was a series of algorithms, and although I understand how this actually works, much better than I once did, it\u2019s still way over my head.\u00a0 And THAT, is the hardest part of being in an Artificial Pancreas clinical trial.\u00a0 You don\u2019t WONDER what it would be like anymore, you KNOW what it is like.\u00a0 And you want it.\u00a0 You really, really want it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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