A BIG Change....

Tomorrow is a HUGE day for our family. We will be going to Temple to take part in the three step process for our daughter to get her first insulin pump. We all have alot of emotions going into this new phase of our lives. We are all excited, scared, anxious, nervous and the list could go on and on. We will go tomorrow and have them teach us how to put the pump into Emily. Jeff and I have spent the last week reading , watching DVD's, listening to CD's and rereading everything we have to do in order for this to be successful. We will start the pump with only saline solution while we learn the process of operating the pump and attaching the pump to Emily. Then we will go back next Tuesday and the following Tuesday to have them start the insulin part of the pump.

It has taken us about a year to all be on board for getting the pump. In the beginning, when the doctor's mentioned about getting Emily started on the pump, it was almost not possible because of the horrible health insurance we had at that time. Basically, we were going to have to pay in full for the pump (about $6000) and then about $450- 500 a month for the supplies to operate the pump. Our insurance just did not have good coverage for someone with diabetes. However, we are very fortunate that Jeff is one of the partners and owners of his engineering firm that we had the opportunity to choose a different insurance plan (one with better diabetes coverage) when it came time to renew it. After his company started looking, they found a new plan. It was almost to good to be true. But basically after we pay a $600 deductible, everything for Emily would be covered 100% including her pump and supplies. WOW! What a blessing from God. He saw our needs and met them beyond our wildest dreams. But regardless of money or an insurance change, we would have still gotten the pump for Emily a year ago if she was ready for it, but she just was not. We always told her we would never force her into it. Emily biggest concern was that she did not want to have something hanging off of her body for the rest of her life. I wish that I could tell her that would not be the case, but in all reality, that is what it is. We explained it that if we told her three years ago you would have to have 7 shots a day to stay healthy you would not want that either. But that is what we now have to do. It is just like what the pump. It will help manage your diabetes now and in the future. Plus, with the pump, she will only have to have one shot EVERY THREE days to insert the site for the pump instead of 6-7 shots EVERY DAY that she now receives. We will have to still check her blood sugar for the time being, but the shots have always been the hardest thing for Emily, as they should be. Once we get use to the pump, we will then be able to start using a Continuous Glucose Monitor (another sensor that will be given like a shot) that will monitor her blood sugar every 5 minutes and display her blood glucose level on the insulin pump monitor. It will reduce the number of times we have to do a finger stick to check her blood sugars from about 12 a day to about 3. Again, something very exciting to look forward to for Emily.

There are so many NEW things that we will have to do with the pump in this diabetes world we now live in. Please keep us, especially Emily, in your prayers over the next few weeks. This is something we know that will better control her diabetes. But let's face it, is a scary thing and there is ALOT of things that could go wrong with it. Yes, it will be hard for Jeff and I as we learn everything in great detail about the pump, but it will be the hardest for Emily. I will try to post about our experience tomorrow with some pictures for you all to see what we will be doing with her and her new pump. Please pray for a successful and smooth transition for us as we start Emily's new insulin pump.