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Alert: Product and Recall NoticesIntimate Moments: Diabetes Doesn’t have to Get in the Way
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and I’m lucky to have the best Valentine in the world – my beautiful wife. So, what better time to discuss diabetes and intimacy? As you may remember, I wear the MiniMed 630G system to help manage my daily life with diabetes. The CGM helps me make many decisions throughout the day and night, including those special moments with my wife.
Planning for Spontaneity
Planning isn’t always easy when trying to be spontaneous and enjoy the moment. However, I know that when becoming intimate with my wife, it’s also important for me to feel my best. Because of this I typically try to plan ahead in the sense that I at least know where my glucose levels stand. I do this by following the trends of my glucose on my insulin pump. If I’m starting to trend down, I know that before I can really enjoy the moment, I better get a drink of juice or pop in some candy (especially those candy shaped hearts now that Valentine’s Day is around the corner).
Disconnecting from My Pump
Once I know that my blood sugar is in a comfortable range, then the question of what to do with my pump comes next. For me, the simple solution has always been to just disconnect. Because let’s be honest, I want to make sure my insulin pump is one of the last things I’m thinking about in these moments. Disconnecting is easy and it helps so that it does not get in the way and there are no issues with getting the tubing tangled. I do put on the infusion site cap (this comes in the infusion set package) so that the actual set itself does not get caught on the sheets or anything else.
If needed, I may calculate a temporary bolus afterward to make up for the time that I was disconnected. (To help me figure this out, I had a conversation with my doctor to decide on the best insulin management for me. Please consult with your healthcare professionals to see what might be best for you. In my experience, this is a completely normal conversation that doctors are open to having.)
Communication
My wife doesn’t seem to have any issues with my infusion set or CGM site, especially since she knows that it’s a part of who I am. In my experience, having a discussion about the insulin pump and CGM can help make intimate moments happen more smoothly. After getting an insulin pump, the first time for us was a bit awkward. It was still attached to me and the tubing ended up getting caught around my arm. But, we used it as a laughing moment and moved on. Our discussions consisted of what we would do in a situation like that again, and we both agreed that the insulin pump wouldn’t do anything to deter the moment mkiwofu. Just another example of how my wife has been so accepting of my disease and everything that comes with it.
Since there may be a lot of complicated things when it comes to diabetes, I try to make intimate moments with my wife as least complicated as possible. What other tips do you have when it comes to intimacy, diabetes and the MiniMed system?
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
– Medtronic Diabetes insulin infusion pumps, continuous glucose monitoring systems and associated components are limited to sale by or on the order of a physician and should only be used under the direction of a healthcare professional familiar with the risks associated with the use of these systems.
– Successful operation of the insulin infusion pumps and/or continuous glucose monitoring systems requires adequate vision and hearing to recognize alerts and alarms.
Medtronic Diabetes Insulin Infusion Pumps
– Insulin pump therapy is not recommended for individuals who are unable or unwilling to perform a minimum of four blood glucose tests per day.
– Insulin pumps use rapid-acting insulin. If your insulin delivery is interrupted for any reason, you must be prepared to replace the missed insulin immediately.
Medtronic Diabetes Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) Systems
– The information provided by CGM systems is intended to supplement, not replace, blood glucose information obtained using a home glucose meter. A confirmatory fingerstick is required prior to treatment.
– Insertion of a glucose sensor may cause bleeding or irritation at the insertion site. Consult a physician immediately if you experience significant pain or if you suspect that the site is infected.
For more information, please visit www.medtronicdiabetes.com/importantsafetyinformation.
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LOOP Blog Editorial TeamAt Medtronic Diabetes our vision is to transform diabetes care together for greater freedom and better health. Each word in that statement is important – including the one “together”. We’re a group of passionate people working hard to make a big positive impact on the lives of those with diabetes. But we can’t do it alone. Collaboration is key. With healthcare providers, academic institutions, non-profits and other companies. And, most importantly, with you – the people who live with diabetes every day.
I have had Type 1 diabetes for 38 years with an insulin pump since the first one was for sale about 35 (?) years ago. My husband has stuck by me through the needles, highs and taking me to hospital, lows so bad that I wasn’t aware and had hallucinations. He has never complained about the tubing from the first pump that didn’t disconnect easily to have sex or take a shower or swim to my current one that not only can disconnect but can also alert me ahead so those extreme lows and highs no longer worry us. He’s been shown how to give me the glucose shot if needed and if I am not able to assist him.
He doesn’t mind how I add a pocket to an outfit to hold the pump or how I tuck it in a boot. He’s supported me with my many fashion changes to adapt to current styles and having a pump.
After all of these years together, he is still patient with my food choices (I don’t eat much) while cooking and prepping foods for me when he knows I need to eat. He understands that as a kindergarten teacher I spend many hours in my profession away from home, so he calls to check on me after work if I am running way late, brings me food, or drives me home if needed. He has made those I work with aware of what to look for in case I have a low blood sugar. I keep my own cupboard of juice and lunches in the staff lounge and my own drawer of same kinds of things in my classroom, and the health room also has me update a kit of supplies and juices and batteries to keep there.
My husband and I have been active with season ski passes, hiking, and by swimming 3-5 times a week. My diabetes actually keeps both of us healthy now!
My wife says the infusion set can be a problem. Even disconnected, it can sometimes scratch her. Any suggestions?
Also, does anyone else un-screw the reservoir when they disconnect? I do this so that when I reconnect, and screw the reservoir back in, I get any insulin I may have missed when I was “unplugged”. Smart? Dangerous?
Hi Michael – there are great questions to ask someone from our 24 HelpLine. I’ve asked my team to reach out to you. If you’d like immediate help, please give us a call at 800-646-4633, option 1.
I also remove my pump and replace it with the plastic cap.
After nearly four years on a pump, and over two years on a CGM, my wife still gets startled any time she touches either the cgm site or infusion set site. She’s so afraid she’s hurting me by bumping into them, despite my repeated reassurances that they don’t hurt. (I’ve even slapped and punched both just to reassure her, but it seems to be a mental thing.)
I also check my Bg before, and make sure I’m not running low. I don’t usually need to bolus additional insulin after, as the “exercise” seems to compensate well for the missed basal.