Medtronic 530G - A Passenger's Perspective

Her pump arrived this afternoon.

Actually, the Naturally Sweet Husband went to our UPS distribution center and tracked it down.  It was relinquished after proof of a government ID.  UPS doesn't know that the name it was addressed to is in fact, a minor without a valid driver's license... yet.

Yet.

Which is an interesting segway into this new pump start.  As the box was handed to her (not to me), she excitedly opened it and pulled out the new pump, meter and sensor parts.  This was her 'baby' now and she owned it right from the start.

As she quickly attached the belt clip, (much to my worried husband's chagrin - "Stop!  Be careful!  Are you sure you are supposed to attach that?  Wait for your mother."),  she simply smiled and said calmly, "I got this, Dad.  I know what I am doing."

And she did.  Confident, poised and ready to immediately hook up to her newest device.

I sat next to her and she entered in bolus and basal rates.  I told her that I would call her friend's mom and ask questions that we stumbled across.  She simply smiled and repeated, "It's OK mom.  I think we are doing fine."

She picked up her new Mio infusion set, which was completely foreign to me, but seemingly familiar to her.  As she unwrapped it and prepared her first leg site, she chatted on about diabetes camp and seeing her friends inject the same one.  Youngest daughter stepped into the room and at ease as well, said, "This is the one that A LOT of kids use.  We know how to do this already."

Even after she launched the site and struggled for a moment to free the plastic case from her leg, she remained calm and collected.  Bravely, she told me that she was thrilled to find that while it was a struggle to get it unhooked, she felt it hurt less and it was in fact, "Cuter.  Look at how tiny it is, Mom."

I called her friend's mom anyway and while the conversation started under the terms of question asking, soon it became about general life and before I knew it, almost an hour had passed.  As I hung up the phone, I called oldest daughter over and suggested we try a practice bolus.  She laughed and explained that while I was on the phone, she already had done just that.  All had gone well - without my 'help'.

Proud is an understatement.  She turns 13 in a few days.  Watching her blossom from that scared little girl, unable to communicate her first low blood sugar, to the strong, independent and brave young lady that defies type 1 diabetes boundaries.

This pump is a milestone marker on her journey to adulthood and t1d ownership.  She researched this, she chose it and she will wear it proudly.

Oldest daughter is on her way to achieving wonderful things.  The next pump will come during her last year of high school.  I don't know what life will be like then, but I do know that she (and I) are prepared for a great ride - with her at the wheel!