Sniff sniff...

I smell insulin.

Bad.

There's no problem with the pump or my infusion site. I'm definitely getting insulin--in fact, a little too much; my CDE is helping me adjust the basal rate downward a bit because I've had some lows. I seem to also need a lower basal at night, weirdly, as I went to bed at 103 and was at 83 with shaking for my 2 AM test. Ate a glucose tab (just one, didn't want to overtreat) and woke at 76. I get hypo symptoms in the 70s quite commonly, so we'll have to fix that.

Anyhow, the insulin is reaching me for sure. Why the smell if the connection is okay? Is this an evil pumping thing no one told me about? Am I doomed to reek of Eau de Novolog for the rest of my pumping days? Ack. Talk about a body image issue.

I HATE the smell of insulin. It is, imho, a foul, medicinal, diseasey smell. I'm sure that no one else could smell it on me, probably, except my sweetie (and even he can't smell it from 1200 miles away). But I can smell it. It's nasty. I wonder if some insulin oozed out of the tubing when I was disconnected for showering, maybe, and then got on the tape or something when I reconnected? Pumpers, help. Tell me this is a fluke, please.

Other than this and the itty bitty low, I had a better night last night: pinned the pump inside a roomier T-shirt so it wasn't squashed up against me every time I moved. Also, by folding down the top of the baby sock and pinning both layers I fixed the flopping problem.

My life right now is very, very practically focused. This isn't my normal mode of being--though it has become more so since I got diabetes--and I find it interesting to consider in an abstract way. Like it or not, this experience does ground a person in the body. I'm more connected to my physical self than I've ever been.

Since I started pumping, I've not taken 7 shots that I would have otherwise needed. Unbelievable.