Shake, Rattle and Cook a Medtronic Pump

Bluey1

Well-Known Member
Messages
429
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
People who try and make Diabetes the centre of the party and poor me, I'm special because I have diabetes now everyone run around after me.
3 days after I go onto a pump for the first time, I'm off volunteering for the day it involves sitting on a large ride on mower (without mower blades) rattling about looking for potential fires and putting them out, if they occur. This will be for about 5hrs. Will this cause problems with the pump? Just to make it more interesting it will 41° that's C ~ 106°F.
Will this cook the insulin? introduce air bubbles? damage the pump?
Should I delay going on the pump? Remove the pump and go back to MDI for the day, as I fly the next day for 2.5hrs I would remain on MDI until I finish flying?
Advice please?
 
D

Deleted Account

Guest
Rattling about on a ride on mower without blades should not affect your pump. I have just done a flying trapeze course and if I can "fly" upside down and bump down onto a net and/or mat without affecting my pump, a bit of rattling about should be fine.

I can't say I've taken my pump up to 41°C but I have been in the mid 30s without any problems. If possible, I would try to provide some insulation between the pump and the heat. For example, when I was ambling around in Barbados, I made sure it was not in direct sunlight.

As for flying, well .... that should be absolutely no problem. In the two years since I got my pump, it has been on getting on for 20 planes including intercontinental flights of more than 5 hours.

The only reason I would hesitate about delaying the pump start is if you need to be 100% confident that your diabetes will be under control. Getting your basal levels correct when you first get a pump can be a bit of trial and error. Some of us have been very lucky and the tweaks have been miniscule. Others found it to be a bit of a rollercoaster ride. The extra control your pump gives you to change your basal means there is more to not be quite right. In addition, because the insulin is more direct from the pump, typically, you need less insulin but how much less is an individual thing ... isn't everything with diabetes?

If you have good awareness, I would go for it.
If you are unsure, talk to your diabetes team.

And good luck with your fire fighting. I have read it has been pretty bad in Oz this summer.
 

bobcurly

Well-Known Member
Messages
108
Type of diabetes
Type 1
We were in 39 degree heat in france last year. Told to keep it out of direct sunlight and refilled resevoir every day from a visl kept in a air conditioned room