Sometimes, I think I'm overly sensitive.

We have a nurse this year, and she emailed yesterday stating a teacher asked if L could turn the volume down on her pdm (meaning insulin pump).

I had to take a deep breath and not get . I know it's just a question, and if L can't turn it down--she can't. But, it just initially frustrated me...I'd like to rant and rave that I'd rather my kid not have to wear a damn pump or have T1D---but that's the overly sensitive part, huh?!

I still have my days where all the crap my kid puts up with hits me harder than other days...

 

I'd have a hard time not requesting a conference and just very quietly and politely and nicely explain what my kid has to deal with every day, and then ask her if hearing a tiny noise every once in awhile in class was really such an irritant that she has to impose one more requirement on my kid's day.

I'd be hoping to make her feel really, really rotten.

But I'm sure I wouldn't do it. After all, life is life. Some folks just genuinely never think about the burden other people carry and how their casual requests can add to it. We've had some hard times lately (hasn't everyone?) and it's funny how it's the little things that get me. When someone makes our life that much harder when she really didn't have to; or when someone goes out of her way just a touch and it makes all the difference in something really important to us. The little things matter. I'm trying to remember that when I deal with other people. There's some sentiment a friend of mine passed on and I think I've seen here, something like, "Be kind, because everyone you meet is struggling under some burden."

I'm sorry. Hope something bright comes by soon in your day.
:cwds:

 

I hear you and I think we all have "those days". When I feel like that I try and remember that most other people don't really care about the burden we have to deal with in living with diabetes. As Lisa said, they may have their own burdens. For all we know there could be a child in class who has sensory issues and the beeping is interfering with their learning. But regardless, I am sorry you are having to deal with that.

 

I guess I have to ask why the insulin pump is beeping in class? If William's Ping makes a noise it means there is a problem with the delivery of insulin. Just curious.

The cmgs is another thing though - it will beep endlessly sometimes if I'm not careful with the settings while at school. That drives everyone bananas including William and he can't change it himself yet so I will go over there and do it if that happens. (we are switching to the Dex now so he isn't wearing one at the moment - no idea yet how the Dex will be about beeping)

 

A bolus beep when completed for pre-bolus lunch or a correction. She has not worn her cgm to school yet,this year. She might have had to clear an alarm for a low resevoir.

It would not have been much beeping--maybe once or twice. That was another reason I felt frustrated at first. One beep was likely the most that was heard.

 

I hear ya & also have those moments of feeling frustrated/hurt when a teacher has the audacity to comment on the beeps of the CGM/son texting occasionally for help. So caught up in our own world, but know everyone else views from their vantage point too and may be legitimate concerns too. What really bothers DS is when the other kids comment--nothing worse than standing out in middle school. Deep breath, hang in there!

 

Well - for one or two beeps a week then the teacher is absolutely insane. I mean - that is why the darn thing beeps - especially a low cartridge alarm - etc - that you need to know. Maybe you could turn off the pre-bolus beep but if it reminds her she has to eat - maybe not!

I know some people set reminder alarms on their pumps (like to remember to test BG) - I can see where consistent beeping every day could get annoying.

If it is just for legit alarms I'd tell the nurse they are essential to leave on as is. I'd also ask if the alarm is every day - just to make sure there isn't something set on there that is alarming that isn't needed.

 

It is possible--and obviously only do this if you want to, not because the teacher is annoyed by a couple of beeps--to put the pump on Vibrate which would eliminate any noise at all. Mine is always set to Vibrate--I don't think I've heard a beep from it since the day I got it.

 

L has used vibrate before, she doesn't always catch the vibrate--but...it shouldn't vibrate much at all anyway, it doesn't beep much.

We have thought about switching to the Omnipod (once upon a time--no vibrate option on the pod), and so it frustrated me more on principle than application. Of course the nurse told me how much she disliked the Omnipod during our 504 information share...she told me the bad sites were extremely frequent, and she believed it was a problem with that brand of pump. So....extrapolate from there what you will.

I know the beeping only happened once, maybe twice. She's only been in school since Monday, and I was contacted on Wednesday.

It was most likely the beep that MM does when the bolus completes.

I thought the teacher was being overly picky, but I do realize my perspective is way different than the teacher's.

It was never an issue last year in a different school, so it caught me by surprise. L's pump just doesn't beep that much, and when she did wear CGM-- last year--she would have it on vibrate, or silence alarms, and she turned off her high alarm and just checked the screen.

She doesn't love the beeping either, so she keeps it to a minimum.

L has had her pump on vibrate before, so I will probably ask her if she'd like to change that.

One thing I could check, we got a new meter for the Dr. office, and that might have beeped. L will turn those to silent, usually.

I just need to make a conscious effort to look at it through their eyes and not mine...wish they'd do the same for my kid, though.

 

Oh my Lord. Those beeps are so quiet that I can't believe anyone can even hear them!

One thing that does irritate me about the MM pump is that if you're runing a temp basal you get that little "bing bong bing" at the top of every hour. But even that is pretty quiet.

 

I don't think you are being overly sensitive. Your child needs to wear an insulin pump so a few beeps aren't the end of the freakin' world for the teacher or the class!!

My son uses the Omnipod and he chose to turn off the sound (when testing his BG) because he didn't want to bring attention to himself in class. That was his choice. But if someone had TOLD us to do this, it would have annoyed me.

 

I see she is using the Revel. What length of "beeping" is it set on? Maybe a short beep might be better. Just a thought.

 

I think I would write a brief note to the teacher explaining that your daughter's pump is a medical device that makes a beeping noise for a reason. Much different than a text alert for a cell phone. Even though Ab has been at this for almost 5 years, every once in a while something will catch me off guard and get me teary-eyed or someone will say something really uninformed that stirs the mother bear in me.

 

When Melissa was in school, an aide told her that she should change her phone ring. This was a special education school, and I had to have a ring that she would actually hear and answer! She text me her numbers and there were times that I tried to call her and got no answer because it was too loud there. It really ticked me off that the aide would say this to her. I think we did change it to a different sound, but the volume remained the same.
The nurse has no business talking badly about any particular pump. I really think that most of the issues with infusion sets and especially pods are user error or body type issues.

 

This is the perfect response -- clear, firm, yet not aggressive -- just that facts!

 

I agree with this as well. Let her know as nicely as possible that the pump is a necessity, not an accessory.

 

You are not sensitive, the teacher is insensitive. I would add that while they may find it cumbersome to have that minor inconvenience it is your child that shoulders the full BURDEN of this illness. :cwds:

 

Amanda is not pumping however she wears a watch with reminder alarms set at times she needs to check BG. The first day or two it may be noticed but then it becomes so common no one notices it anymore.

The teacher is being ridiculous. Oversensitive or not, it would have rankled me as well.

 

No good advice, but a funny.

We have it written in her 504 that if she "beeps" for her to go to the nurse.

We got that covered, so she can "beep" endlessly I guess with out ramifications.