16 August 2008

Success!

A couple of exciting things have happened this week ...

We heard that Dotter's application for an insulin pump has been successful! This means she'll be given a pump, which will still be owned by PaTCH (Paediatrics at The Canberra Hospital), to use as long as she needs it (I think). I'm not sure of all the details yet, but at Diabetes Clinic yesterday we found out a little more.

(Photo from Wikipedia, public domain)

An insulin pump is a microcomputer which holds a vial of insulin, and is attached to her via a cannula (a soft tube into the fat layer on her tummy), and worn in a little pouch or pocket. So instead of having to inject herself each time she eats, she can simply dial up how much carbohydrate she's about to have (something we're much better at estimating than a year ago!), and it will deliver the insulin. It also provides a background, or basal, level of insulin all the time.

The cannula only needs to be changed every 3 days or so. She'll still need to do heaps of finger prick tests, of course, to check her blood glucose levels, but it's a lot fewer injections into her tummy.

The pump can't get wet, so she needs to disconnect it from the cannula when she has a shower etc. Otherwise she needs to wear it all the time.

It is a very complicated device, and a much more involved way of managing her diabetes - we've got a lot to learn. But it should help a lot, as she has poor BGL control because of her other autoimmune illness. The PatCH pumps are only available to kids who have a dual diagnosis (ie are sick with something else as well as the Type 1 Diabetes).

The pump is courtesy of a wonderful group of parents who do fund raising and purchase pumps for PaTCH. Pumps are very expensive ($4,000 to $8,000 each), which is beyond us. The consumables are more expensive than for insulin pens (which are totally subsidised by the government), so running costs will be about $3/day. Well worth it.

We need to decide which pump we want from a small selection, and then Dotter will need nearly a week of hospital visits (outpatient) to set it up properly. Soon, hopefully!!

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In other exciting news, which I can't go into in detail, and is NOT associated with the book proposal I sent off last week, I have been asked to be the author on a proposed puzzle book. I don't have to write the proposal or anything, the acquisitions editor does all that, I just have to say HELL YEAH! I should know in a few weeks if it's been given the go ahead ... even if it doesn't come off, it is SO great to have been asked, a real break for me.

Of course, if it is approved, I'll be launched into a heavy writing schedule pretty much immediately 0_o Which is good - but also a little daunting!

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16 comments:

  1. Congratulations on the publishing offer. And I hope everything goes well with your daughter's new treatment regime.

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  2. yea on both counts
    the pump sounds very interesting, i hope it works well for her

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  3. The pump is great news for Dotter - thank God for people who fundraise! And congrats on the publishing offer - what an honour to be asked, obviously you are well known in the field now which has to be a good thing.

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  4. Yay Dotter! Yay Jejune! Great news for both of you!

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  5. What wonderful news. The groupd that do fundraising for anything medical related is great. Dotter will do well. And getting the offer to publish is outstanding.

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  6. Such good news, I had a pump like that and it was much better than the earlier options I had. (I actually love playing hospital at home!!) Hope Dotter is up and about and faring well soon!!!

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  7. So when you start to hammer down on the next book, you MUST continue to have a Jejune day. You Must, must, must!!

    Hooray for dotter (love that crazy unicorn!)!

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  8. If it make Dotter's life easier in the long run, then I say HURRAH!!! I hope that it does work out well for her.

    It's looking like things are going well for you as a puzzle writer. I can't wait to see a finished product and brag to anyone who cares to listen that I know the author.

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  9. Sounds like things are turning around and into new and exciting things - so good

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  10. That is fantastic news!

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  11. Congratulations! What an incredibly exciting post! I hope the pump helps to smooth out the insulin peaks and troughs for Othlon and I couldn't be more excited about the book! What a lovely editor!!

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  12. I know someone who has used an insulin pump for a long time and loves it. It makes keeping her sugar under control so much easier. Yay for Dotter! And yay for you for being such a good puzzle editor!

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  13. All good news and go glad to hear Dotter is getting a hand with her health condition with the new pump which will make things a little easier on her. And congrats on your book success! Who knows? Someone may be Book Crossing YOUR authored books one day ... but before that, may you make heaps of MULA with all the sales!!!! You go, girl!

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